Search Intent is the user’s main goal when they enter a query into a search engine, which could be to find information about a specific topic, visit a particular webpage, or to make a purchase. Each search query implies a question or task that the user wants to address. Some of the search intents that are happening may be very general or may be very specific. It just depends on what the user wants and also the urgency of how quickly they want it.
Why Is Search Intent So Important?
Search intents are important because every person who enters a search engine has an intent to answer a specific question or a topic in mind. Google has adopted this as it has shifted it’s focus onto the user’s experience and providing search results that give searchers the best results possible. It is highly important also for SME’s (small to medium enterprises). This is because carefully analysing search intent can be the best way to streamline your efforts and find the best keywords. This will also safe a lot of time and money as it will help you from spending time and effort on keywords that actually don’t really match you with the right users.
What are the Different Types of Search Intent?
The different types of search intent that are tailored to the person depending on what their main goal is for what they are searching for.
- C (Commercial Intent): Searching to buy or compare products/services.
- I (Informational Intent): Looking for knowledge or answers.
- N (Navigational Intent): Searching to find a specific site or page.
- T (Transactional Intent): A search with a clear aim to purchase or take action.
- Local Intent: Searching for something specific to a location, like businesses or services near the user.
Search Intent in Keyword Research
When it comes to your keyword research, identifying the search intent and if possible the desired search intent too – means that you can tailor your copy to provide exactly what the searcher is looking for. They are both more or less the same thing because you are determining what the user is searching depending on their intent.
Expanding Search Intent
While the search intents that i have previously mentioned may broadly cover a sizable portion of queries, they don’t fully represent how users search. Expanding your understanding of search intent can refine your engagement and marketing strategies- improving audience segmentation, relevancy, engagement, visibility and conversions.
People often use search engines for:
- When comparing products: to review pricing, specifications, and reviews before making a purchase.
- To find a store’s nearest location: to discover which nearby store is closest, has the best reviews and is open.
- To find tutorials or tips: to search for guides on hobbies like gardening, photography or cooking.
- To solve problems: to look for answers to specific questions or issues that they’re facing.
A Very Common Search Intent Mistake to Avoid
The most common search intent mistake is when a business doesn’t target the right search intent. Search intent is the goal behind a searcher’s query. The entire basis of content led SEO is that google understands the needs of the user by serving them the right content. So getting this right is very important in yielding some great results and success.
How Do You Optimise Your Search Intent For User Experience?
To optimise your search intent for user experience, you need to understand how Google knows if a page is a good fit for a search intent. Google does this seeing how people interact on their search engines as they can tell if people aren’t loving a specific search result. So if they can see that a search result isn’t a good fit for a keyword, they’re going to downrank it. Google also wants to see people landing on a search result and get the answer to their query from that single page. So user experience is key in SEO because without it. It’s very difficult to determine the most important steps in a websites search engine optimisation.
FAQs
What are the 3 C’s of search intent?
The 3 C’s of search intent are: content type, content format and content angle. This helps digital marketers optimise their content and better understand user intent for specific keywords.
Can you show me some search intent examples?
- Informational: “how do you write better content?”
- Navigational: “Can you show me your blog on SEO?”
- Transactional: “How do I Buy SEO for my business?”
- Commercial: “What is the best laptop mouse for my work”
- Localised: “Where are the plumbing business’s in Stamford”
Conclusion
In this blog i have explained what the importance of search intent is and why it is so important in SEO as it is essentially showing why someone would type a specific query into the google search bar and how they expect it to be answered. I have also explained what the different types of search intent are and have provided some useful examples to show how every type of search has a specific intent that the user is portraying.
Contact Our SEO Experts Today
If you are looking for the perfect search intent strategy and optimisation from a team with high expertise and friendly customer service, then look no further than Active Internet Marketing. We have helped all kinds of small/medium-sized businesses since our inception and strive to be a reason for your success.
We encourage you to contact us today, and you can even get a FREE SEO consultation booked in with us!
