At its core, search intent is exactly what it sounds like – the alignment between WHAT a user is searching for and WHY they happen to be searching for it. It isn’t enough to just craft content around keywords anymore. You need to build that content with the context around those long-tail keywords too. In the modern era, that is the single best way to make sure that you’re offering high-quality, relevant and personal blogs, whitepapers, and other types of materials, too.
Search intent matters because it essentially allows you to take advantage of how a search engine like Google was designed to work in the first place. Experts agree that if you want to secure that coveted first ranking in Google, you need to have the most relevant result for a particular query. The only way to do that is by creating content that aligns with search intent, which means that if this isn’t something you’re already paying attention to, now would be an excellent time to start.
The Three Types of Searches: An Overview
Generally speaking, search intent can be broken down into three unique types of searches. They include:
- Navigational Searches. These are searches conducted when someone already has a destination in mind – meaning your website or your physical place of business.
- Transactional Searches. These are searches that usually signify when a customer is ready to make a purchase. They’ll be searching for things like “where do I buy a new car?” or “who performs lawn care in [zip code]?” Because they’re being conducted by people who are farther along in their customer journey, they should usually be your priority over those that are more general in nature.
- Informational Searches. These types of searches are far more generic than the others, but that doesn’t make them any less important. Here, a user might be trying to learn more about a particular topic. Because of that, they’ll use phrases like “how do I change the oil in my car?” or “what is the best way to clean a microwave?” Optimizing for these types of searches, in particular, is great because it gives you a chance to have a meaningful interaction with someone at the beginning of their customer journey.
The Best Ways to Optimize for Search Intent
The core way to optimize for search intent allows letting that intent inform the type of content you create. In other words, look at which form of content is the best way to address a particular need. If someone is conducting an informational search, write a blog post designed to provide the information they’re looking for. If they’re conducting a transactional search and are ready to buy, create a product page. You should still be including all the essential keywords that would lead a user to your content in the first place, but make sure that the content itself addresses the needs of those users in a precise, specific way.
In the end, it’s essential to understand that the best way to properly optimize for search intent ultimately involves hiring a knowledgeable, forward-thinking search engine optimization (SEO) team to do so on your behalf. This allows you to leverage the full power of their expertise to your advantage. They can handle organic SEO and related matters so that you can free up as much of your valuable time as possible, allowing you to devote all of your attention on your business.
If you’d like to find out more information about search intent, or if you have any additional questions you’d like to discuss in a bit more detail, contact Zero Gravity Marketing today.
