What is your audience looking for?

And what do you want to give them?

 (photo: emiliano vittoriosi/unsplash)  ❝

How can I give my users what they want while getting what I want?❞ 

That's a question Google says you should ask about your website.

The first step in answering this is to figure out what your users' goals are, what your goals are and how they work together.

It's a transaction.

Now, Google only cares about this because it would like to make money from advertising on your site.

The advice, and more like it, is from the help pages for AdSense, Google's ad program.

But we should take good counsel wherever we find it. 

Know your readers

Successful communications projects of all kinds are based on an understanding of the target audiences and their relationship to your message.

In exactly what ways do your readers need to be informed, persuaded, empowered, inspired? Where are they coming from, and where are you trying to move them?

Advice for all

Google provides advice about how to approach big editorial questions like purpose and strategy from a reader-centric point of view.

There are tips on design, a neglected editorial element.

The last page of the guide helps you to consider ways to engage with readers and turn them into repeat visitors.

Some of these themes and examples won't apply to your mission-driven web project.

But you can still take what is relevant from this excellent guide.