If you have spent hours trying to figure out the right keywords for your blog or guest post, only to see poor results later, you know how challenging the process of identifying keywords can be. The truth is that not all keywords work the same way, and you must find the ones that work for your content. But what does that really mean? While generating traffic via your content is a nonnegotiable aspect of content creation, what really matters is keyword relevance.
Search intent, also known as user intent or query intent, refers to the purpose a user has in mind when typing a query into a search engine. And that’s what we’ll talk about today. When you understand why people type a particular query when looking for something specific, you can determine relevant keywords that bring the right audience to your website.
Discover What Search Intent Really Means
Users run searches on search engines for various reasons. Unless you know “why” the user is looking for a specific product or service, you will not be able to choose suitable keywords for your content. To choose the relevant keywords, you should understand the intent, which will then help you select keywords almost intuitively.
The Four Intent Types You Shouldn’t Fail to Recognize
Searches fall into specific categories, and recognizing these types will help you move in the right direction during content creation. Here are the four types of search intent:
- Informational: When users seek content that provides them with knowledge in a specific domain, they use informational keywords. For example, “how to write an essay” or “a beginner’s guide to astrophysics”.
- Navigational: Users who want to visit a specific website or page know exactly what they need to search online to reach that page. For example, “YouTube login” or “Instagram settings”.
- Transactional: Users who are ready to take action because they already have all the information about a product or service search using transactional keywords. For example, “buy XYZ mobile phone” or “register for XYZ Zumba classes”.
- Commercial: Users who are researching options before making a decision typically use commercial keywords. For example, “best ERP” or “top laptops below $1000”.
Why Search Intent Beats Chasing Search Volume
Everyone wants high search volume because those numbers look great, but they don’t necessarily guarantee results. Let’s see why relevant keywords that echo search intent or are based on it usually outperform generic keywords.
What Happens When You Match Search Intent
Here are the key advantages of relying on keywords driven by search intent and not volume:
- Lower Bounce Rates: When your content satisfies user intent, visitors are less likely to leave your website or blog soon after clicking the links.
- Better Engagement: When content matches user intent, users tend to spend more time on the corresponding websites or blog posts.
- Higher Conversions: When you use keywords that target transactional or commercial intent, they prompt users to take action.
- Improved SEO Rankings: Search engines prioritize content that matches user intent. This alignment can help improve rankings.
Spotting Relevant Keywords Using Search Intent
Finding keywords that resonate with your target audience and incorporating them into your content requires dedicated efforts. There’s significant research involved in such work. Here’s a quick guide explaining the process:
- What’s Google Telling You: Google already has all the information. Take a look at what appears when you look up your target keywords and terms. Whatever comes up in the search results indicates intent. Additionally, check the “People Also Ask” section to decode this further.
- Spot Hidden Clues: Keywords hint at the user’s intent and thoughts. Look for words like how, what, tips, guide, and more that indicate informational intent. Similarly, look for relevant words and phrases that indicate commercial, navigational, and informational search intent.
- Match Keywords to Your Audience’s Journey: Check the stage at which your audience is in their association with a product or service. Think of intent like a map that tells you where users are (awareness, consideration, or decision), and you can meet them right there.
- Study Competitors: What’s already ranking in your domain or industry? What are competitors doing? Are they writing listicles, reviewing products, making tutorials, or doing something else? This will tell you where you can offer value.
Create Content That Perfectly Complements Reader Intent
Once you have identified the relevant keywords, it’s time to create engaging content that meets the search requirements of your target audience. For this, choosing the correct content format is vital. If someone wants to learn how to bake a cake, you can write a guide for beginners.
If a user’s intent is commercial, publish comparison articles or product roundups. If someone runs Google searches using transactional keywords, make landing pages, product pages, and demo offers, among other things, available to them. When your format aligns with the intent, readers or users can be satisfied, while also keeping Google’s algorithm happy.
While writing, create a context that feels natural and flows smoothly. Keyword stuffing, a term you might have heard many times, is one of the things that harms your search ranking. Use related terms throughout your written piece with variations to cover different synonyms or phrases. This makes Google favor your content over others in the same category.
Classic Search Intent Blunders You Must Avoid
Though you can use modern tools for keyword research, mistakes are sometimes inevitable. However, here are some common mistakes that can be avoided, regardless of whether you’re new to this subject or are a pro in the field:
- Chasing search volume over relevance hardly ever pays off. Even a million searches are worthless if the wrong audience conducts them.
- If people want a product page and you give them a blog post, they won’t stick around. Choosing the appropriate format is crucial.
- Ignoring long-tail keywords is not recommended, as you may miss the opportunity to prompt a conversion.
- Refreshing old content can give you new leads or business. When search intent changes, your content must change with it.
Final Thoughts
Keyword research becomes a strategy only when you understand search intent. Without this knowledge, it is simply guesswork. While you can hope that the keywords will somehow match and your business will get the traction it needs, learning how search intent works is definitely a better idea.
It’ll help you write content that attracts visitors, answers questions, and prompts the right people to take action. Before publishing anything, ask yourself whether your content will provide users with what they want or hope to find. If you believe it will, your engagement and rankings will both improve.
