A good website SEO focuses on attracting the correct traffic.
You need to know how search algorithms and search intelligence work in order to meet your customers’ needs.
Search intent is the balance between search intelligence and customer requirements.
In this article, I will explain how to use to boost your marketing and SEO efforts.
What is the search intent?
The search intent is what drives someone to type a query in a search engine.
Why are they looking for rainbow-pooping unicorns?
Everyone’s answer to the question “Why?” can be different.
As an example, let’s look at the query ‘unicorns are pooping rainbows.’ (because that’s the most fun and interesting). Below are screenshots showing the results.
Screenshot of search results for “unicorns Poop Rainbows.”
The results of the ‘Why’ question are very diverse.
You may find that they are looking for a recipe or a book about unicorn poop rainbow or need information on the appearance of unicorn poop. I don’t care why.
There are four types of search intent
Informational Intent – Someone is looking for more information about a particular topic (e.g., ‘How do flowers grow?’).
Navigational Intent- A person wants to locate a particular website, usually a company or brand name (e.g., ‘LinkedIn,’ ‘Compass SEO guide.’
Transactional intent- A person is ready to purchase and wants to go to a specific product or sales page. ‘Buy flowers’).
Commercial Investigation- A person who is interested in making a purchase soon has begun the research phase. ‘Best flowers,’ ‘eco florist near me’).
Google has a job to do (in fact, it is its mission), which is to understand ‘Why’ and what search intent category the query belongs in.
Google will only return the most relevant pages if it understands the intent.
Here’s the catch. Google will only be able to do this if your page is optimized for search.
Search intent affects SEO
Why should you care about search intent as a business owner who has a billion and one thing to worry about?
If you have done SEO correctly, you will have a list of solid keywords that are at the core of your strategy.
If you want to make the most of them and truly rank your core keywords, then you must learn how to adapt these keywords to different user journeys.
Your challenge as an owner of an online business is to use those keywords in the correct content at the appropriate time.
Your content should be aligned with the search terms of your audience.
It’s not worth ranking a blog for “quick flower delivery” when the buyer is already ready to purchase.
They will leave the site immediately. It’s better to optimize a product page.
It’s also not worth optimizing your product page to include ‘fall floral arrangement ideas,’ as those who use that term are more likely to search for inspiration and information.
Rand Fishkin, SEO Strategist and founder of SparkToro, wrote this about search intention.
“Searcher intent” is the point on the road where the interests of search engines and people meet. When you know what the searcher’s intent is, you can tailor your marketing efforts to suit the needs of people better.
From the customer’s perspective, delivering the information that they are looking for helps establish authority and builds trust.
In terms of SEO, it optimizes search intent, making Google happy. This means that it will rank your website accordingly.
Search intent and marketing
Consider the buyer’s journey when you are searching.
It’s not new to understand buyer touchpoints and create marketing materials for each (which we refer to as ‘content’ online).
It’s often overlooked in digital marketing, where sales and product pages are favored above brand awareness and informational content.
Consider the sales funnel to get a better understanding of what you should be delivering at each point in the buyer journey.
Sales funnels and how they relate to search intent
The top, middle, and bottom of a sales funnel are all three components.
By the time your potential customers reach the bottom, they are ready to sign up, buy, or download your service or product.
Each search intention is suited to a specific part of the funnel
Top Of The Funnel Here, they are looking for information and are not ready to purchase. They are searching to learn more about a particular topic.
Middle Of The Funnel This is where the user compares companies, products, or services to find the one that’s best for them. They are likely searching for commercial information.
Bottom funnel – They are ready to sign up/download/buy. At this point, their search intent is transactional or navigational.
Navigational search intention isn’t a bottom-of-the-funnel thing.
It is also a sign that you are loyal to a brand.
Repeat customers will find you quicker if you optimize your content to be seen by people who search for you.
Finding your customers’ search intent and creating relevant content
Well-optimized websites deliver keyword-optimized, relevant content for each section of the funnel. They also meet the purpose of the searcher.
You can find out which keywords you should use to match the search intent by typing in your keyword(s) and then looking at the search results.
What is the main content of your website? Is it primarily informational or transactional?
This information can be used to create a matrix of content marketing that is both relevant for your business and optimized for search.
