If you’re trying to boost your placement in search engines, you should definitely focus on search intent. It is crucial to understand what your target audience is searching for and, based on that, create content that would resolve these queries, thus increasing the number of organic visitors to your website.
In fact, there is a chance you already have well-written SEO-friendly content on your websites. However, these posts might not be aligned with the visitors’ search intent, which is why you’re not getting the rankings you are looking for.
In this post, we will talk about your audience, what they want from you, and why this is so crucial for digital marketing and optimisation.
How do we define search intent?
First and foremost, I need to explain the term search intent.
As the name implies, this is basically the reason why a person performs a Google search. There are 4 main types of search intent when a user is surfing the web. But first, let’s explore why this matters for search engine optimisation and how to implement the concept.
How does search intent affect search engine optimization?
Google algorithm tries to provide people with the best answers to their questions. This makes intent the focal point of the search engine. In fact, this is the reason why users prefer Google to other search engines, as it gives them the optimal content for their queries.
So, by fulfilling the search engine’s needs, you are more likely to reach the top spots within Google. One signal Google looks out for is bounce rate. This is when a user lands on your webpage but shortly leaves without much engagement. This is a strong signal telling Google that this page may not resolve the search intent of the users. Pages that have greater engagement from their organic traffic more often will appear higher within the SERPs (search engine results pages).
Google also considers user satisfaction, technical SEO signals, on-page optimisation and page/website authority alongside relevance. Together these factors are crucial for determining the value of specific content.
Basically, if a visitor stays on a particular page for a while and interacts with the website without initially returning back to Google, it sends the algorithm a strong signal that this is precisely the thing they were looking for. It will increase the relevancy of a page while also increasing the overall authority of a website.
How do intent targeting and SEO affect each other?
Website owners who understand the intent behind queries are more likely to have a better performance in Google. Here are some benefits you can expect:
- Boost to overall web traffic
The higher your pages rank on Google the more easier it is for users to find and click on your search result listing, sending more organic traffic your way.
- Reaching more people
You will get a boost to similar queries if you’re able to rank high on a particular topic. In other words, one well-ranked page will increase your overall audience reach.
- Less bouncing
A high bounce rate sends a negative signal to Google, showing it that the article is not well aligned for a particular query.
- Better leads
Besides increasing retention rate, good web content is able to generate genuine interest, thus resulting in more sales and conversions.
All in all, these metrics allow you to attract more qualified visitors, make more sales, and, over time, increase the authority of the domain as well as individual pages.
What are the main types of search intent?
As previously mentioned, all search intent can be separated into four categories:
Navigational
Navigational is perhaps the most common intent. In this particular case, users know what they’re looking for, but they’re not sure how to reach a specific page. They will use a phrase or a part of the phrase that will help them reach the desired site.
- EFL Championship
- Prince William
Informational
As the name implies, queries that revolve around particular information are classified as informational search intent. This can refer to just about anything from how-to guides, manuals, the definition of a term, Wikipedia page on a topic, etc.
Informational queries are much more focused on navigational. Unlike navigational search intent, where a person is looking for just about any information on a topic, navigational queries focus on one particular thing.
- What was Brad Pitt’s first movie?
- What is the best Pizza place in Bristol?
- How to make fish and chips?
Commercial
Commercial intent precedes transactional queries. As the name implies, people perform this kind of search when they want to learn more about specific products before buying them. In most cases, they are looking to find the best or cheapest products or learn how a specific item compares to the competition. In the end, people don’t want to buy just about any rubbish.
- Best steaks in Clifton.
- What is the best phone in 2022?
- How much does a cheap telly cost?
Transactional
Lastly, we have a transactional search that is common during the last step of the buying process. A user has already decided on a particular item, and they’re simply looking for a place to buy it.
- Bristol to Faro aeroplane tickets.
- Buy a Tudor watch.
Often, you can use the same article to cover several types of intent. The best examples are the pages that serve both navigational and informational intent. In this particular case, a person can increase their overall knowledge on a topic but also gain specific insights.
Utilising specific keywords for particular queries
If you wish to understand what your audience is looking for, you should look at things from Google’s perspective. In other words, you can connect each one of these intents to a specific keyword. Some of these phrases are almost always used for one of the user’s intents.
- Informational user intent
Who, why, what, how, where, guide, direction, largest, tinniest
- Navigational user intent
Name of an actor, athlete, politician, brand, product, service
- Commercial user intent
Review, rating, product/service features, top product, best product, comparing item 1 to item 2
- Transactional user intent
Cheap, order, buy, purchase, best
With these phrases, you can perform thorough keyword research, or you can use them to filter specific keywords. You should always start the process by analyzing the existing search engine ranking pages.
Although you might not understand the reasoning behind specific user intent, search engines do. After typing in a specific phase, you should check all Google ads (the first three listings at the top and bottom), the knowledge graph (these are more detailed information displayed to the right, presented by the search engine), as well as organic results (all other results placed just below the ads).
The user intent has a major impact on all results types. For example, it affects featured snippets. These are short sections of text and images that Google extracts from a particular page and presents it to users at the top of SERPs. They are excerpts meant to quickly answer your question without you having to visit another page.
Google will sometimes return shopping results, videos, or questions. The type of content search engines provides depends on the intent; Google tries to provide the best answer to your query no matter in which form it comes.
Here is a good example of how you can utilise Google results to analyze user search intent. For example, you are an owner of a packaging company, and you want to focus on the term “best boxing.”
At first glance, you might think that people are searching for packaging-related services. However, after going through SERPs, you will realize that people who type “best boxing” are actually looking for boxing as a sport. The search engine might return results about the best athletes, latest news, and champions throughout history. In other words, instead of having transactional or commercial intent, as you originally presumed, it will have an informational character.
To sum it up, make sure to check the top results for a particular phrase. What are these articles about? Perhaps Google is returning videos? Google already has a good understanding of what people are looking for, so make sure to create articles that will resolve the query in the same manner as the top-performing results.
Optimizing pages according to users’ intent
Ideally, you want to create articles that will revolve around specific search intent, providing a great answer to the audience’s question. Your information needs to sound credible, and, most importantly, it needs to be useful. If it has commercial or transactional nature, the content needs to be trustworthy enough so that a person completes the transaction.
Now, let’s go over various methods that will allow you to optimize content according to the audience’s intent. Here’s what you need to do depending on the type of intent:
Optimising content for informational intent
When it comes to informational intent, it usually starts with a question clearly showing that a person is looking for something. They might be looking for things such as “oldest,” “best,” “most expensive,” and such. These are the most common queries in the world, so it always makes sense to optimise articles around these phrases.
If you want to optimise content for informational queries, you need to provide a full answer to a specific question in a concise and trustworthy manner. Add this detail to your title tag, H1 tags and meta description as well if possible.
Your readers should be able to understand the information you’ve provided them. However, it is also crucial for the search engine’s algorithm to determine that the users have benefited from your content. You can utilise some other techniques as well, like schema markup.
Optimising content for navigational intent
Although this might sound redundant, every website needs to have appropriate landing pages that will showcase the company’s products and services. Among others, you need to properly optimize your titles and headers so that the Google algorithm can understand what this page is all about.
When it comes to navigational content, you need to try and convert anyone who lands on your pages. Most people who come to your website via navigational intent might not be looking to buy your items.
However, if you show them how a specific product or service can solve their issues, you might actually be able to convert them even if they didn’t have any intention of making a purchase. You could even retarget these visitors with Google Ads or paid social adverts as they surfer other websites. This way, your ads could show to them when they are ready to buy.
In most cases, attracting people via navigational intent can be a guessing game. These are the widest, most inclusive queries, and you can never be certain as to what a user is looking for.
Creating and optimising your Google Business Profile is a great way to maximise exposure to navigational search intent queries. These business listings sit at the top of search results pages and show your business on the Google map snippet. Managed correctly, your Google Business Profile can leap-frog high-ranking, well-established competitor sites and put you at the top of SERPs.
Optimising content for commercial intent
When it comes to commercial intent, a lot of people are still deciding whether or not to continue with the purchase. They are trying to acquire as much information as possible.
To optimise for this intent, you need to provide users with trustworthy content that will increase their awareness of a product or service. Your articles need to be clear and concise instilling trust in readers.
Keep in mind that if you’re writing about a particular topic, there is a good chance you’re also selling these products or services. So, try to sway them toward your product pages without being too pushy.
Optimising content for transactional intent
If a person is at the transactional stage, there is a good chance they’ve already decided to purchase your product or a service.
All they need to do is find an adequate item at the right price. So, when they reach your pages, your site needs to look trustworthy enough, so they actually purchase from it.
Unlike commercial intent, transactional queries have a much higher conversion rate, but you also have to be more careful to get proper results. Once again, the best way to figure out what a person is looking for is to check the content at the top of the SERPs.
How to create content according to user intent?
Now that you’ve figured out what people are looking for, it is time to create the right type of content. Here are the best practices that will allow you to create pages meant to fulfill the audience’s intent:
- Utilising the right type of content
First off, check the organic results to see what kind of content is at the top. In most cases, it will be something like a product page or an article. Occasionally, you might also see videos. Ideally, you should create a similar type of page to those on top.
- Using a specific format
After determining the optimal type of content, you need to find an adequate format. This is how you show information to the audience. The most common type of content are articles, and they can be in a format of reviews, how-to guides, product comparisons, and such.
Finding the right format is crucial for navigational queries, where people don’t exactly know what they’re looking for. However, if a reader has transactional or informational intent, they already know what they’re searching for, and they just want to reach a page providing an answer or a product.
- Finding the right angle
This mainly refers to the way you’re presenting content and the title that you’re using. When you find the right angle, you will be able to tell what your audience prefers in an article. For example, having “easy recipe” or “delicious recipe” in the title will appeal to different people.
How to create content for the best experience?
Google also cherishes pages that provide the best user experience to readers. They combine the right content format, angle, and type, but also some other elements. For example, your site needs to be fast, with little to no ads, and a nice font.
Here are some tricks that will help you enhance the user experience:
- Think about the ads
Having too many ads is not good for your readers, and it is not good for the search engines. This is especially true for mobile devices as they completely ruin people’s user experience.
- Find the right font
Most experts recommend that you go with a font of 14+. This is the optimal size for readers, according to numerous studies.
- Always rely on subheadings
Subheadings are a great way to break the content. That way, users can find just the thing they need without having to read the entire piece. Subheadings are also important for Google’s bots.
- Add multimedia to your content
Like subheadings, images and videos are a great way to break down the content making it visually more appealing. They also provide a different, more visual way of showing information to users.
Final thoughts
After reading this post, you should understand why search intent is so crucial for your content strategy and optimisation. If you don’t know what your potential audience is looking for, there is a good chance you won’t give them the exact information.
Having that in mind, the user intent should be considered a vital element of optimisation. It will be very hard to rank at the top of Google if the people don’t care about your content.
If you’re trying to boost your placement in search engines, you should definitely focus on search intent. It is crucial to understand what your target audience is searching for and, based on that, create content that would resolve these queries, thus increasing the number of organic visitors to your website.
In fact, there is a chance you already have well-written SEO-friendly content on your websites. However, these posts might not be aligned with the visitors’ search intent, which is why you’re not getting the rankings you are looking for.
In this post, we will talk about your audience, what they want from you, and why this is so crucial for digital marketing and optimisation.
How do we define search intent?
First and foremost, I need to explain the term search intent.
As the name implies, this is basically the reason why a person performs a Google search. There are 4 main types of search intent when a user is surfing the web. But first, let’s explore why this matters for search engine optimisation and how to implement the concept.
How does search intent affect search engine optimization?
Google algorithm tries to provide people with the best answers to their questions. This makes intent the focal point of the search engine. In fact, this is the reason why users prefer Google to other search engines, as it gives them the optimal content for their queries.
So, by fulfilling the search engine’s needs, you are more likely to reach the top spots within Google. One signal Google looks out for is bounce rate. This is when a user lands on your webpage but shortly leaves without much engagement. This is a strong signal telling Google that this page may not resolve the search intent of the users. Pages that have greater engagement from their organic traffic more often will appear higher within the SERPs (search engine results pages).
Google also considers user satisfaction, technical SEO signals, on-page optimisation and page/website authority alongside relevance. Together these factors are crucial for determining the value of specific content.
Basically, if a visitor stays on a particular page for a while and interacts with the website without initially returning back to Google, it sends the algorithm a strong signal that this is precisely the thing they were looking for. It will increase the relevancy of a page while also increasing the overall authority of a website.
How do intent targeting and SEO affect each other?
Website owners who understand the intent behind queries are more likely to have a better performance in Google. Here are some benefits you can expect:
- Boost to overall web traffic
The higher your pages rank on Google the more easier it is for users to find and click on your search result listing, sending more organic traffic your way.
- Reaching more people
You will get a boost to similar queries if you’re able to rank high on a particular topic. In other words, one well-ranked page will increase your overall audience reach.
- Less bouncing
A high bounce rate sends a negative signal to Google, showing it that the article is not well aligned for a particular query.
- Better leads
Besides increasing retention rate, good web content is able to generate genuine interest, thus resulting in more sales and conversions.
All in all, these metrics allow you to attract more qualified visitors, make more sales, and, over time, increase the authority of the domain as well as individual pages.
What are the main types of search intent?
As previously mentioned, all search intent can be separated into four categories:
Navigational
Navigational is perhaps the most common intent. In this particular case, users know what they’re looking for, but they’re not sure how to reach a specific page. They will use a phrase or a part of the phrase that will help them reach the desired site.
- EFL Championship
- Prince William
Informational
As the name implies, queries that revolve around particular information are classified as informational search intent. This can refer to just about anything from how-to guides, manuals, the definition of a term, Wikipedia page on a topic, etc.
Informational queries are much more focused on navigational. Unlike navigational search intent, where a person is looking for just about any information on a topic, navigational queries focus on one particular thing.
- What was Brad Pitt’s first movie?
- What is the best Pizza place in Bristol?
- How to make fish and chips?
Commercial
Commercial intent precedes transactional queries. As the name implies, people perform this kind of search when they want to learn more about specific products before buying them. In most cases, they are looking to find the best or cheapest products or learn how a specific item compares to the competition. In the end, people don’t want to buy just about any rubbish.
- Best steaks in Clifton.
- What is the best phone in 2022?
- How much does a cheap telly cost?
Transactional
Lastly, we have a transactional search that is common during the last step of the buying process. A user has already decided on a particular item, and they’re simply looking for a place to buy it.
- Bristol to Faro aeroplane tickets.
- Buy a Tudor watch.
Often, you can use the same article to cover several types of intent. The best examples are the pages that serve both navigational and informational intent. In this particular case, a person can increase their overall knowledge on a topic but also gain specific insights.
Utilising specific keywords for particular queries
If you wish to understand what your audience is looking for, you should look at things from Google’s perspective. In other words, you can connect each one of these intents to a specific keyword. Some of these phrases are almost always used for one of the user’s intents.
- Informational user intent
Who, why, what, how, where, guide, direction, largest, tinniest
- Navigational user intent
Name of an actor, athlete, politician, brand, product, service
- Commercial user intent
Review, rating, product/service features, top product, best product, comparing item 1 to item 2
- Transactional user intent
Cheap, order, buy, purchase, best
With these phrases, you can perform thorough keyword research, or you can use them to filter specific keywords. You should always start the process by analyzing the existing search engine ranking pages.
Although you might not understand the reasoning behind specific user intent, search engines do. After typing in a specific phase, you should check all Google ads (the first three listings at the top and bottom), the knowledge graph (these are more detailed information displayed to the right, presented by the search engine), as well as organic results (all other results placed just below the ads).
[image]
The user intent has a major impact on all results types. For example, it affects featured snippets. These are short sections of text and images that Google extracts from a particular page and presents it to users at the top of SERPs. They are excerpts meant to quickly answer your question without you having to visit another page.
Google will sometimes return shopping results, videos, or questions. The type of content search engines provides depends on the intent; Google tries to provide the best answer to your query no matter in which form it comes.
Here is a good example of how you can utilise Google results to analyze user search intent. For example, you are an owner of a packaging company, and you want to focus on the term “best boxing.”
At first glance, you might think that people are searching for packaging-related services. However, after going through SERPs, you will realize that people who type “best boxing” are actually looking for boxing as a sport. The search engine might return results about the best athletes, latest news, and champions throughout history. In other words, instead of having transactional or commercial intent, as you originally presumed, it will have an informational character.
To sum it up, make sure to check the top results for a particular phrase. What are these articles about? Perhaps Google is returning videos? Google already has a good understanding of what people are looking for, so make sure to create articles that will resolve the query in the same manner as the top-performing results.
Optimizing pages according to users’ intent
Ideally, you want to create articles that will revolve around specific search intent, providing a great answer to the audience’s question. Your information needs to sound credible, and, most importantly, it needs to be useful. If it has commercial or transactional nature, the content needs to be trustworthy enough so that a person completes the transaction.
Now, let’s go over various methods that will allow you to optimize content according to the audience’s intent. Here’s what you need to do depending on the type of intent:
Optimising content for informational intent
When it comes to informational intent, it usually starts with a question clearly showing that a person is looking for something. They might be looking for things such as “oldest,” “best,” “most expensive,” and such. These are the most common queries in the world, so it always makes sense to optimise articles around these phrases.
If you want to optimise content for informational queries, you need to provide a full answer to a specific question in a concise and trustworthy manner. Add this detail to your title tag, H1 tags and meta description as well if possible.
Your readers should be able to understand the information you’ve provided them. However, it is also crucial for the search engine’s algorithm to determine that the users have benefited from your content. You can utilise some other techniques as well, like schema markup.
Optimising content for navigational intent
Although this might sound redundant, every website needs to have appropriate landing pages that will showcase the company’s products and services. Among others, you need to properly optimize your titles and headers so that the Google algorithm can understand what this page is all about.
When it comes to navigational content, you need to try and convert anyone who lands on your pages. Most people who come to your website via navigational intent might not be looking to buy your items.
However, if you show them how a specific product or service can solve their issues, you might actually be able to convert them even if they didn’t have any intention of making a purchase. You could even retarget these visitors with Google Ads or paid social adverts as they surfer other websites. This way, your ads could show to them when they are ready to buy.
In most cases, attracting people via navigational intent can be a guessing game. These are the widest, most inclusive queries, and you can never be certain as to what a user is looking for.
Creating and optimising your Google Business Profile is a great way to maximise exposure to navigational search intent queries. These business listings sit at the top of search results pages and show your business on the Google map snippet. Managed correctly, your Google Business Profile can leap-frog high-ranking, well-established competitor sites and put you at the top of SERPs.
Optimising content for commercial intent
When it comes to commercial intent, a lot of people are still deciding whether or not to continue with the purchase. They are trying to acquire as much information as possible.
To optimise for this intent, you need to provide users with trustworthy content that will increase their awareness of a product or service. Your articles need to be clear and concise instilling trust in readers.
Keep in mind that if you’re writing about a particular topic, there is a good chance you’re also selling these products or services. So, try to sway them toward your product pages without being too pushy.
Optimising content for transactional intent
If a person is at the transactional stage, there is a good chance they’ve already decided to purchase your product or a service.
All they need to do is find an adequate item at the right price. So, when they reach your pages, your site needs to look trustworthy enough, so they actually purchase from it.
Unlike commercial intent, transactional queries have a much higher conversion rate, but you also have to be more careful to get proper results. Once again, the best way to figure out what a person is looking for is to check the content at the top of the SERPs.
How to create content according to user intent?
Now that you’ve figured out what people are looking for, it is time to create the right type of content. Here are the best practices that will allow you to create pages meant to fulfill the audience’s intent:
- Utilising the right type of content
First off, check the organic results to see what kind of content is at the top. In most cases, it will be something like a product page or an article. Occasionally, you might also see videos. Ideally, you should create a similar type of page to those on top.
- Using a specific format
After determining the optimal type of content, you need to find an adequate format. This is how you show information to the audience. The most common type of content are articles, and they can be in a format of reviews, how-to guides, product comparisons, and such.
Finding the right format is crucial for navigational queries, where people don’t exactly know what they’re looking for. However, if a reader has transactional or informational intent, they already know what they’re searching for, and they just want to reach a page providing an answer or a product.
- Finding the right angle
This mainly refers to the way you’re presenting content and the title that you’re using. When you find the right angle, you will be able to tell what your audience prefers in an article. For example, having “easy recipe” or “delicious recipe” in the title will appeal to different people.
How to create content for the best experience?
Google also cherishes pages that provide the best user experience to readers. They combine the right content format, angle, and type, but also some other elements. For example, your site needs to be fast, with little to no ads, and a nice font.
Here are some tricks that will help you enhance the user experience:
- Think about the ads
Having too many ads is not good for your readers, and it is not good for the search engines. This is especially true for mobile devices as they completely ruin people’s user experience.
- Find the right font
Most experts recommend that you go with a font of 14+. This is the optimal size for readers, according to numerous studies.
- Always rely on subheadings
Subheadings are a great way to break the content. That way, users can find just the thing they need without having to read the entire piece. Subheadings are also important for Google’s bots.
- Add multimedia to your content
Like subheadings, images and videos are a great way to break down the content making it visually more appealing. They also provide a different, more visual way of showing information to users.
Final thoughts
After reading this post, you should understand why search intent is so crucial for your content strategy and optimisation. If you don’t know what your potential audience is looking for, there is a good chance you won’t give them the exact information.
Having that in mind, the user intent should be considered a vital element of optimisation. It will be very hard to rank at the top of Google if people don’t care about your content.
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