Keen: A New Landing Page Alternative
Easily create minimalistic pages with this Google experiment
For weeks, I searched for a free landing page creator.
- Linktree: the most popular out there, but provides limited customization. Other similar services offer more or less the same features.
- MailChimp: not for email marketing though. The platform provides a landing page builder which is highly customizable but requires design and time-consuming maintenance.
- Then I came across an experimental product created by Area 120 and PAIR at Google: Keen.
What Is “Keen” and How It’s Different
As sourced from Keen:
We leverage the Google Search index, combined with user feedback to provide personalized recommendations that improve over time and help you expand your interests.
Keen is the Google version of Pinterest. Keen tells us to curate, collaborate, and expand our interest. The explore section recommends what we should look into next, in a more intuitive way than a usual web search. Who disagrees with Google’s power in AI and machine learning to recommend things?
Yet even after visiting the website, I bet most of you still can’t depict what Keen really is (me either). Reading the explanation made me wonder even more. You’ll need to explore it yourself to better understand it. But in short, here are the comparisons between Keen & Pinterest, and why it’s better:
- A Keen is equivalent to a Board on Pinterest.
- Pinterest heavily emphasizes on images & graphics, while Keen provides a more informative approach.
- Keen is far more practical, since we can post content with just a search or link. The image, subject, and content are automatically generated, which saves time. As opposed to Pinterest where you need to manually input each title, image, and destination link.
For more clarity, I searched for “marketing quotes.” See how they differ?
Keen isn’t a landing page creator but does the job well. I like it even better than the free version of real landing page services. Let’s create one right now.
Steps to Build the Landing Page
You have to log in using a Google account. Once logged in:
1. Create a Keen
A plus sign appears at the top center. We can create a link to our post but Keen will force you to create a new Keen anyway. So, let’s create a Keen first. We’ll have to provide a name and optional web searches.
2. Set the sharing setting
Upload an image for the thumbnail and add a description. The sharing setting is Private by default, which is not fit for our landing page. We should set it to either Shared or Public.
3. Adding articles
Open the Keen and click + Add. Insert a link (friend link in my case) — and the image, subject, and content will pop up.
Another option is to use the search feature. If you don’t want to share the friend link, you can type your article’s title like a Google search.
4. Final Touch & Share
The default section in your Keen is named “Saved.” Rename it to something better and share it. Your creativity is the limit.
As Simple as That
Easier done than said. However, easy doesn’t mean bad. The platform is still green and there is room to grow. It could be better over time.
I don’t know if re-sharing our work there will generate more traffic. But as far as I know, Keen is the best free alternative we can use as a landing page, even though it isn’t. It’s worth a look. Who knows, it might be the next big thing.
People asked me why I bother using Keen for a landing page. I already explained the backstory of why in the responses.
