Methods
Six methods.
One question each.
Marketing, reverse-engineered: work out how buyers search and decide, and how Google and AI choose who to show, then put the budget where the pattern points. These six methods are how I do that. Each answers one question, and they run in order: map the market, understand the buyer, build the page, spend the money, prove what worked.
Written by Dan Picken, founder. Last checked 27 October 2026.- 01MapSearch Relationship MappingWhat does my market search, and how does Google group it?Get foundGet chosenHow it works
- 02MapFan-out MappingWhat else does AI look up behind the question?Get foundHow it works
- 03UnderstandBuyer State MappingWhat state of mind is each searcher in, and what do they need to hear?Get chosenGet foundHow it works
- 04BuildInformation Gain ScoringWhat does my page add that the others don't?Get foundHow it works
- 05SpendSpend CurveWhere does more budget stop paying?Get chosenHow it works
- 06ProveCause TestingWhat did the ads actually cause?Prove it workedHow it works
Why name
them at all?
Because 'we do keyword research' and 'we optimise your ads' could mean anything. A named method means you know what you're getting, what it produces, and how to tell if it worked.
None of them is magic. Each one is a clear way of asking a question most accounts never ask, then acting on the answer.
The first three come together in the Market Blueprint: the map of your market, your buyers and the gaps, plus a 90-day plan.
How they fit together
Each one feeds
the next.
They're not six separate products. Each method hands something to the next, which is why the order matters. Skip the map and the content is a guess. Skip the test and the budget is a guess.
| Method | Takes in | Hands on |
|---|---|---|
| Search Relationship Mapping | Every search in your market, from Google and your own Search Console | Groups of searches Google treats as one topic, and the gaps nobody covers |
| Fan-out Mapping | The main questions from the map | The follow-up questions AI looks up behind each one |
| Buyer State Mapping | The searches and questions | Which state of mind each one comes from, and the message that fits |
| Information Gain Scoring | Your page and the pages already ranking | What your page adds, and what to add before you publish |
| Spend Curve | Your ad spend and results, week by week | The point where the next dollar stops paying |
| Cause Testing | A campaign you think is working | How much of the result it actually caused |
Where they come from
Named by me.
Built on research.
I didn't invent search intent or holdout tests. What I've done is name the way I use them, so you know what you're paying for and can check the thinking.
- Search Relationship MappingBuilds on how Google says it ranks pages for each search and groups pages that cover the same thing.
- Fan-out MappingGoogle's own guide describes query fan-out: AI features run several related searches behind one question.
- Buyer State MappingStarts from Andrei Broder's 2002 paper that split searches into navigational, informational and transactional, then adds the worry behind each one.
- Information Gain ScoringNamed after a Google patent on estimating the information gain of a page. A patent isn't proof Google ranks that way, so I use it as a lens, not a promise.
- Spend CurveThe same diminishing-returns idea Google's own bid and budget simulators are built on, run on your real history instead of a forecast.
- Cause TestingHoldout and geo experiments, the approach Google's own researchers published for measuring what ads cause.
What they
won't do.
None of these fixes a bad offer. If the price is wrong or the product isn't what people want, a better map shows you that sooner. It doesn't make it go away.
They need some data to work with. A brand-new business with no searches, no ad history and no sales is better off with a simple test campaign first, then the methods once there's something to read.
And sometimes the answer is to spend less. The Spend Curve and Cause Testing find that more often than people expect.
Questions
people ask.
Are these your own methods?
The names and the way they fit together are mine. The ideas underneath come from published research and Google's own documentation, and each method page links the sources. I'd rather be clear about that than pretend I invented search intent.
Do I need all six?
No. Most jobs use two or three. A Google Ads account with a budget question needs the Spend Curve and Cause Testing. A site that isn't getting found needs Search Relationship Mapping, Fan-out Mapping and Information Gain Scoring. The free audit tells you which ones matter for you.
Can I use them myself?
Yes. Every method page explains the steps and has a free tool you can run on your own numbers, in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Which method should I start with?
Start where the money or the doubt is. If you're spending on ads and unsure it's working, Cause Testing. If you're spending and want to know whether to spend more, the Spend Curve. If people can't find you, Search Relationship Mapping.
What is the Market Blueprint?
The first three methods run together on your market: the Search Relationship Map, the Buyer State Map and the Fan-out Map, plus a 90-day plan ranked by impact. It's a one-off piece of work, and you keep it whether or not we work together after.
See the methods on
your own numbers.
Takes a minute. Audits come back within 1 to 2 business days. For anything else, I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
What happens next
- 1I'll ask for read-only access, or just your website for a search audit.
- 2I go through it and write up the 3 biggest fixes.
- 3A 20-minute call to walk you through it. No pitch unless you ask.