(Re)search is using search to do research about your customers. It is an efficient way to listen to the voice of the customer – and grow your profits. It’s also a fun way to track public sentiment and major events, like products promoted on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

For example, ‘searchandising’ is using search (paid, natural, onsite, comparison shopping) terms and analytics to optimize product merchandising. Based on search term trends, you can tailor your product catalog to the latest trends and advertise to match market trends, improve relevance in onsite search results, and alter Web site navigation to facilitate user goals expressed and implied.

You can also use search to prioritize support materials. For instance, if you sell iPhones and you see a lot of searches for ‘install games on iPhones’, then you should prepare a high priority FAQ on your support site to deter support emails and calls about that issue. Product managers might even spy a product opportunity here.

And of course, use search to guide how you market your products. Speak in the language of the customer and ye shall connect.

What we’re really talking about here is what Doc Searls and David Weinberger wrote in chapter four of “The Cluetrain Manifesto” - that the marketplace is a conversation. In addition to buying keywords to sell products, try listening to keywords to guide your business – and you’ll sell more product.

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