Why Search Intent Matters in SEO and Content

If you’re involved in content creation, digital marketing, or business strategy, you absolutely need to understand search intent. 

What is user intent, also known as search intent, you might ask?

It’s the reason behind a user’s query. What do they hope to achieve with their search? When you align your content with search intent, you can increase user engagement, boost your search engine rankings, and effectively meet your audience’s needs. All of these elements combined means more conversions and higher revenue. 

SparkToro published a study with results that emphasized the importance of catering to user intent. The research breaks down search intent into four primary types. Identifying them helps businesses improve their SEO strategies as they publish content that resonates with searchers.

What happens if you fail to consider Google search intent? You run the risk of creating content that doesn’t connect with your audience. An informational article targeting a transactional keyword, for example, might drive traffic but will be less likely to convert. 

On the other hand, when you understand and address user intent, you make sure the right people find your content at the right time. That leads to better outcomes for users and businesses alike.

Key Takeaways

• Search intent describes what users hope to achieve with their queries. It might range from learning new information to completing a purchase.

• Matching content to search intent improves SEO rankings, boosts user engagement, and helps achieve business goals.

• Conduct regular audits and identify gaps in your current content so you can ensure alignment with audience needs and expectations.

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Table of Contents

• What Is Keyword Search Intent?

• The 4 Types of Search Intent

  • Informational Search Queries

  • Navigational Search

  • Transactional Intent

  • Commercial Investigation

• How to Determine Search Intent

• Examples of Content That Matches User Intent

• Putting It to Use: How Do You Optimize for User Intent?

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What Is Keyword Search Intent?

Often shortened to search intent, keyword search intent is the purpose behind a user’s query on Google or another search engine. Identifying search intent means understanding what the user hopes to achieve from their search – whether that’s finding information, navigating to a specific website, or completing a transaction.

The whole concept of search intent is central to both SEO and broader marketing strategies. It lets businesses tailor their content to better meet users’ expectations.

From an SEO perspective, search intent is absolutely vital if you want to enhance your keyword research and content optimization. 

It makes sense to target an informational keyword like “how to bake bread,” with a blog post, for example. At the same time, a transactional keyword like “buy bread-making kits,” would be better targeted with a product page selling the items.

The more likely keywords are to indicate a specific action, the more they’re known to be high intent keywords.

Making this distinction helps you make sure your content aligns with what users expect to find. It improves their experience, and it increases the likelihood you’ll achieve your SEO goals. 

Often, marketers compare search intent to the buyer’s journey or marketing funnel. It’s important to note that while search intent focuses on the immediate purpose of a query, the buyer’s journey encompasses the entire path a customer takes from awareness to purchase. Still, both frameworks illustrate the importance of meeting users where they are, providing content that addresses those needs. 

Use SERP features for search intent analysis. Examine search engine results page features like featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes, and shopping carousels. These elements reveal what type of content performs best for specific queries, which helps you refine your approach.

The 4 Types of Search Intent

The types of search intent can be broken down into four primary categories: informational, navigational, transactional, and commercial intent. 

According to SparkToro’s research, the breakdown is as follows:

• About 52% of all Google searches are informational.

• Around one-third of Google searches are navigational.

• A further 14.5% of searches are of a commercial nature.

• Transactional keywords make up less than 1% of all searches.

What are these different types of Google searches, though? We’ve got the answers.

Informational Search Queries

When users make informational searches, they want to gather knowledge. When people make these types of queries, they’re often looking for answers, guides, or explanations. 

Informational searches often are the starting point for users who want to explore a problem or a topic. If, for example, someone searches for, “What is SEO,” they might be new to the concept, seeking foundational knowledge. 

Highly common, informational searches make up a significant portion of search engine queries. When users conduct these searches, they want clear, concise, and helpful content.

Aside from, “What is SEO?” other examples of informational searches might include, “how to bake a cake,” or “Why is the sky blue?”

What types of content address informational search intent? It includes blog posts, how-to guides, FAQs, or explainer videos. 

Businesses can use this type of content to build trust and authority within their industries. For instance, a bakery might publish a guide on, “how to decorate cupcakes,” to attract users who are interested in baking tips.

Navigational Search

Navigational search intent describes when users are looking for a specific website. This type of search often includes brand names or other identifying details that show just how much the user already knows what they want to find.

A few search intent examples of navigational queries include searches like “Facebook login,” “Vazoola,” or “New York Times homepage.” You can see with each of these queries that the user is looking for a specific website. They want to reach their destination quickly. Therefore, it’s so important for businesses to make sure their sites rank prominently for branded queries.

It’s a pretty simple concept, really: If a user searches for your company or specific services you provide, they want to easily find the relevant pages on your website. If you don’t rank for these sorts of queries, you can miss out on opportunities to engage with your audience.

Transactional Intent

When users are ready to take action, they will make transactional searches. These types of queries occur when users move beyond research. They are prepared to complete a translation, whether it’s making a purchase or signing up for a service. 

Transactional queries might include things like “buy headphones online,” “order pizza near me,” or “book a flight to Miami.” Content that targets these types of transactional searches often includes product pages, service pages, or landing pages – anywhere that’s designed to drive conversions. 

If you want to effectively capture this type of audience, your business should create clear calls to action, easy-to-navigate page layouts, and persuasive copy that describes what the company is offering.

Commercial Investigation

So, what is commercial search intent? Commercial investigation falls somewhere in between informational and transactional intent.

When users conduct these sorts of searches, they’re gathering information before making a purchasing decision. They’re often comparing options, reading reviews, or otherwise evaluating product features before choosing the best product or service for their needs.

While commercial intent keywords occur less often than other types of search intent, it still offers important opportunities to convert users into customers. A few examples of commercial investigation queries include things like, “best smartphones under $500,” “top-rated laptops for gaming,” or, “air fryer reviews 2024.” 

If businesses want to attract users with commercial search intent, they should try creating content that offers valuable insights or addresses common questions. Thus, detailed comparisons, product reviews, and case studies all can be highly effective at capturing this type of audience. A tech retailer, for instance, might publish a blog post that compares the features of popular laptops, which then guides users toward making a purchase. 

Try to create multi-intent content pieces. You can develop content that serves overlapping intents. For example, a product comparison guide can address commercial investigation while including links to transactional pages for users who are ready to purchase.

How to Determine Search Intent

So, how do you know what a user’s search intent is, anyway? When you analyze keyword intent SEO, you have to look at what queries users are searching for, then categorize them based on search intent keywords.

When you understand the purpose behind different queries, you can create content that better aligns with searchers’ expectations. Then you can meet their needs.

Determining Informational Search

If you’re looking at informational search queries, you want to identify questions or broad topics that users use when they’re seeking knowledge. These might include examples like:

• “What is user intent keyword research?”

• “How to optimize images for user intent SEO?” 

• “What are the types of search intent?”

Queries like these often lead to blog posts, how-to guides, or video tutorials – anything with detailed answers and actionable advice.

Finding Navigational Intent

For navigational search intents, you should look for brand-specific terms or queries. These might indicate a searcher’s desire to reach a particular website. Examples of navigational queries might include:

• “Google Analytics dashboard”

• “Vazoola login” 

When you optimize your website for navigational intent, you want to make sure users can quickly find the information they need or the services they desire when looking at your site.

Discovering Transactional Keywords

If you want to identify transactional keywords to boost your search intent optimization, you want to look for action-oriented phrases that show a searcher is ready to complete a transaction. These might include examples like: 

• “Buy Nike running shoes”

• “Download Adobe Photoshop” 

• “Hire an SEO agency”

When customers make a search with transactional intent, the results often lead them to product pages, signup lists, or checkout flows – ideal pages for driving conversions.

Identifying Commercial Keyword Queries

Commercial keyword queries also indicate a customer is interested in making a purchase, but they aren’t quite at the finish line in their sales funnel journey. Look for research-driven search terms that show a user’s intent to compare or evaluate their purchasing options. These might include queries like:

• “Top-rated CRM tools”

• “Best DSLR cameras 2024” 

Each of these queries benefits from detailed, well-structured content that helps users make more informed decisions.

Perform a competitor gap analysis. You’ll identify gaps in competitor content by reviewing high-ranking pages for targeted keywords. You can look for missed opportunities where you can better match search intent with superior depth, examples, or user experience.

More Examples of Content That Matches User Intent

When you create content that’s aligned with user intent, you help boost engagement and overall SEO performance. 

Of course, you first have to be able to identify and match that keyword search intent. That’s why we’ve provided a few more examples of the type of content that matches search types, including:

• Informational: Articles like 40 Types of Backlinks are perfect for users who want to learn. The post is detailed and easy to navigate. It gives users the information they need without overwhelming them.

• Navigational: Pages like Vazoola’s home page highlight brand visibility for specific queries. A clear, user-friendly homepage or service page improves users’ navigation and reduces bounce rates.

• Transactional: Landing pages like pricing pages meet the needs of purchase-ready users. These pages highlight key benefits, while they often simplify the checkout process to increase conversion rates.

• Commercial: Comparative guides or listicles like “best backlink services,” meet searchers’ investigational needs. They offer valuable insights that help users evaluate their purchasing options.

It’s becoming more important to optimize for voice search queries. Voice search often involves conversational, long-tail queries. Try to create content that mimics natural language and directly addresses questions commonly asked in voice searches. These often reflect informational or transactional intent.

Putting It to Use: How Do You Optimize for User Intent?

Ready to put your newfound knowledge to use? If you’re ready to optimize for search intent, you need a strategic approach to your content creation and SEO.

Fortunately, you can get a head start on your endeavor by following a few key steps:

• Match your content type to search queries. A transactional keyword like “buy headphones,” should lead to a product page, not a blog post. Likewise, an informational keyword like “how to bake bread,” would be better linked to a detailed guide.

• Be sure and audit your existing content. After all, content marketing is not a one and done strategy. Regularly review your site’s content and make sure it aligns with user intent. Update your outdated articles, refine your title tags and meta descriptions, and optimize page layouts to improve the overall user experience. 

• Fill in any content gaps. Identify missed opportunities by looking at competitor content. Then you can address needs you haven’t yet met. You might create new blog posts, landing pages, or comparison guides that are designed to match specific queries.

When you prioritize search intent in your content strategy, you improve your SEO performance. But you also foster stronger connections with your audience – leading to more conversions. And isn’t that the point of marketing, anyway?

Be sure and track user behavior post-click. You can use heatmaps, session recordings, and scroll tracking to understand how users interact with your content. These sorts of behavioral insights can then help you refine pages to better fulfill the users’ intent.