This is Part 3 of my Drift Series.
Part 1 showed why drifting happens (and why it’s valuable).
Part 2 went deeper into the real why behind choices. Today, I’m giving you a workbook-style guide you can use to map invisible signals and wandering visitor paths on your own site.
Because here’s the truth: drifting is going to happen. The question is whether you ignore it, or use it.
Step 1: Spot the Side Doors
Visitors don’t always come through the homepage. List out the “side doors” on your site:
Blog posts FAQs Landing pages Old service pages still floating around
Workbook Prompt:
Which side doors bring in the most traffic today?
Which ones don’t connect clearly back to your main offer?
Step 2: Identify the Loops
Remember: the brain hates unfinished business. Visitors circle when something feels incomplete.
Do your FAQs create more questions than they answer? Do people bounce between blog posts without reaching a conclusion?
Workbook Prompt:
Where do visitors seem to circle on your site?
What open loops could you close with a resource, CTA, or guide?
Step 3: Map the Waterfalls
Every hiker wants the payoff. For your site, those are the big content moments:
A complete guide A case study A clear service explanation A strong testimonial
Workbook Prompt:
What are the “waterfalls” on your site?
Are they easy to reach from the side trails?
Step 4: Watch for Trail Erosion
When people can’t find what they want, they bushwhack. That looks like pogo-sticking (back to Google, then to another site).
Workbook Prompt:
Where are people leaving your site?
Is it because they got what they needed — or because they didn’t?
Step 5: Connect to the Emotional Why
Surface clicks only tell part of the story. Underneath every drift is a deeper driver:
Chocolate bar = pleasure or reward Trip = escape or adventure Click = curiosity, reassurance, or hope for a solution
Workbook Prompts:
What emotions drive your audience’s choices?
Which pages on your site speak to those emotions — and which ones don’t?
Putting It All Together
When you finish, you should have a map that looks less like a straight line and more like a trail system:
Side doors clearly marked Loops designed with purpose Waterfalls easy to find Trail erosion minimized Emotional drivers visible behind every click
That’s how you take advantage of drift.
Not by fighting it. But by designing for it.
Want Help?
This workbook is a starting point. If you want me to walk through your drift map and highlight the invisible opportunities, that’s what I do best.