When it comes to SEO, understanding keyword intent is essential.
Every time you target a specific keyword, you need to ask yourself what the searcher's intent is behind that query.
Are they on that search engine looking for information? Are they looking to buy something? Or are they just trying to navigate to a specific website?
In this article, we will discuss the main types of search intent: navigational, informational, and transactional. We'll also give you some tips on how to target each type of keyword intent accordingly.
What are the main keyword intent types?
Navigational search intent: This is when someone wants to go to a specific website. For example, if someone searches for "Facebook," they are looking to navigate to the Facebook homepage.
Informational intent: This is when someone wants to learn something. For example, if someone searches for "how to make a cake," they are looking for information on how to bake a cake.
Transactional search intent: This is when someone wants to buy something. For example, if someone searches for "buy Nike shoes," they are looking for a transactional site where they can purchase Nike shoes.
Commercial investigation intent: This is when someone is considering making a purchase, but isn't quite ready yet.
Navigational Intent
Navigational intent is when someone is looking for a specific website or page. For example, if someone searches for "Facebook," they are probably looking to navigate to the Facebook homepage.
If you have a website that you want people to be able to find easily, then you need to make sure that your site comes up for navigational queries.
The best way to do this is to make sure that your website is properly optimized and listed in directories such as Google My Business.
Informational Intent
Informational intent is when someone is looking for information on a specific topic. For example, if someone searches for "how to start a blog," they are probably looking for information on that topic.
If you want to target informational keywords, then you need to create content that is informative and helpful. This could be in the form of blog posts, articles, infographics, or even videos. The most important thing is that your content provides value to the searcher and answers their question.
Transactional Intent
Transactional intent is when someone is looking to buy something. For example, if someone searches transactional queries like "best laptop for college students," they are showing commercial intent and are probably looking to make a purchase.
If you want to target transactional keywords, then you need to create content that is focused on selling a product or service and in the process satisfying the commercial intent of the searcher.
This could be in the form of product pages, landing pages, or even blog posts that include affiliate links. The most important thing is that you make it easy for the searcher to find what they're looking for and complete a purchase.
Commercial Investigation Intent
Commercial Investigation intent is when someone is considering making a purchase, but isn't quite ready yet. For example, if someone searches for "reviews of the best laptops," they are still in the research phase and are trying to gather more information before making a decision.
If you want to target commercial investigation keywords, then you need to create content that is focused on helping the searcher make a decision. This could be in the form of product reviews, comparisons, buyer's guides, or even blog posts that include affiliate links.
The most important thing is that you provide value to the searcher and help them narrow down their options so that they can make a purchase.
Why is search intent important for SEO?
Search intent is important for SEO because it helps you understand what the searcher is looking for when they enter a specific query. This, in turn, helps you create better content that is more likely to rank in Google and drive traffic to your website.
If you can provide what the searcher is looking for, then you are more likely to earn their business. So make sure that you take the time to understand keyword intent before creating any new content for your website.
How to optimise your content for search intent?
Now that you know the different types of keyword intent, you may be wondering how you can optimise your content to target each one.
Here are a few tips:
- Use navigational keywords for your website's title and description tags. This will help people find your site when they are searching for it specifically.
- Include informational keywords in your blog posts and articles. Make sure that your content is informative and helpful so that people will want to read it.
- Use transactional keywords on your product pages and landing pages. Make sure that your pages are optimised for conversion so that people can easily purchase what they're looking for.
Uncover search intent
If you want to uncover the search intent behind a particular keyword, then you need to do some keyword research.
There are a few different ways that you can do this:
Use Google's Keyword Planner: This tool allows you to see how often a particular keyword is being searched for in Google. You can also use it to find related keywords that you may want to target.
Look at Google's search results: When you enter a query into Google, take a look at the different types of results that come up. This can give you an idea of what people are looking for when they enter that query.
Use a keyword research tool: There are plenty of paid and free keyword research tools available. These tools can help you find related keywords and understand the search intent behind them.
Once you've done your keyword research, you should have a good understanding of what people are looking for when they enter a particular query. From there, you can create content that is optimised for that intent.
Improve existing content
If you already have content on your website, then you can use keyword research to identify the relevant keyword intent and improve it by adding target keywords.
Start by looking at the queries that your content is ranking for. Then, take a look at the search results and see if there are any other types of content that are ranking for those queries.
If there are, then you may want to consider creating similar content so that you can rank for those queries as well. This will help you drive more traffic to your website from Google.
You can also use keyword research to update existing content so that it better meets the needs of the searcher. For example, if you have an old blog post that is ranking for a particular query, but the information is out of date, you can update the post with new information and target new keywords.
This will help to improve your website's traffic and conversions over time.
Optimize For User Experience
First and foremost, you should always optimize your content for the user experience. This means creating content that is relevant, informative, and helpful.
If you can do this, then you are more likely to rank in Google and drive traffic to your website. So make sure that you keep the searcher's intent in mind when creating any new content for your website.
Wrapping It Up
Keyword intent is an important factor to consider when creating content for your website.
By understanding the different types of keyword intent and how to optimize your content for each one, you can drive more traffic to your site from Google and earn more business.
So make sure that you take the time to do some research and understand the needs of your audience before creating any new content.
