The “So What?” Test is a technique for verifying marketing and sales content, used to transform dry product Features into real user Benefits.
The method involves iteratively asking the question “So what does this mean for the customer?” after every sentence written in an article or product description. The process repeats until you reach the emotional or financial bottom line—the actual reason the customer opens their wallet.
How to perform the test in practice? (The Ladder Model)
Imagine you are writing a hosting offer.
- Level 1 (Feature): “Our servers use NVMe SSD drives.”
- Ask: So what?
- Level 2 (Advantage): “This means your site loads in 0.5 seconds.”
- Ask: So what?
- Level 3 (Benefit): “Customers won’t leave your site out of boredom while waiting for it to load.”
- Ask: So what?
- Level 4 (Value): “You will increase sales conversion and make more money with the same ad budget.”
Result: Instead of writing about “SSD drives” (which interests an admin), you write about “making money” (which interests the CEO).
Why is The “So What?” Test crucial for SEO and AISO?
Search engines (Google) and AI systems (ChatGPT) are programmed to deliver Helpful Content.
- Intent Matching: Users rarely search for “specs.” They search for “problem solutions.” Copy that passes the “So What?” test perfectly matches intent, boosting rankings.
- Voice Search: People ask voice assistants: “Why should I buy X?” The assistant reads the answer from Level 3 or 4 (benefit), not Level 1 (spec).
- Lowering Bounce Rate: A user landing on a page judges within 3 seconds whether to stay. If they see a benefit (“Make more money”), they stay. If they see a spec (“We have API v2.0”), they often leave unless they are engineers.
FAQ
How many times should I ask "So What?"
Usually, 3 times is enough to reach the core (Deep Benefit). If you ask too many times, you might reach absurdity. The key is to stop at the level of the client's real business or life need.
Is this test only for copywriters?
No. It is a fundamental tool for Product Owners and Salespeople. Every item on a product roadmap should pass this test. If we build a feature and after three "So what?" questions we still don't know how it makes the client's life easier—we shouldn't build it.
Does this work in B2B? Aren't parameters what matters there?
That is a myth. In B2B, buyers are humans with KPIs and stress. "Machine with 5000 units/h capacity" (Feature) after the "So What?" test becomes: "You can send workers home at 3 PM, saving on overtime costs" (Benefit). This works on everyone.
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