Successful business owners are those who know how to connect and remain connected to their customers. One way of achieving this is by applying different marketing strategies that generate more digital traffic, leads and revenue. Utilising a well-conceived SEO-based marketing strategy has been proven to be a winning approach. But to stay ahead of the game, companies must continuously strive to optimise their digital presence. And the key to do that can be found within the users’ search itself and the intention with which it was made.
Search intent or Query intent is quite simply the objective with which a user performs a search on a search engine. The purpose of a search. Is the user looking for a product, a service, directions, or definitions? The wording of the query may be vague or ambiguous, so, understanding the intent behind the search is not always straightforward.
For example, typing in the words “roof damage” could produce results varying from signs, causes, and types of damage, along with images and guidelines for roof repair. In this way, Google tries to deduce the motivation behind the search and cover all relevant bases.
Similarly, creating content with the aim of answering any and all of the users’ queries is a clever way of increasing search rankings and building brand credibility. By understanding the motivation of the user, and providing a relevant solution, a company gains a loyal customer.
Though there may be a multitude of different searches occurring, search intent can be divided into 4 main types:
It could be argued that every search is done with the intention of looking for information. But these are the searches that are most question-based, generally phrased with “how to” or “what is”. The user is at the initial stages of a search, and maybe looking for wide-ranging information about a word, a place, a person, or a product.
e.g., “How to fix a leaky roof”
This type of search occurs when a user is looking for a particular product or service but is yet to make a decision. These searches typically include the words “best” and “near me”. This emphasises that the user is still researching brands or companies.
e.g., “best roofers near me”
These searches are done with the intent of making a purchase. The user has decided and is looking to close the deal. Therefore, transactional searches tend to be more brand focused.
e.g., “buy Double Roman roof tiles”
The user knows exactly where they want to go but may not want to type in the entire URL or may be unsure of it. Navigational searches are done with the intent of landing on a specific site or page.
e.g., “prater roofer contact”
A SEO-centric marketing strategy revolves around optimising your company’s website to increase organic traffic and attract potential clients. One way of accomplishing this is by curating content that is useful and relevant to users. So how do you know what content meets these criteria?
Analysing the search intent of the user helps to identify the needs of the user. By creating a marketing strategy to fulfil those needs, your company can establish itself as a reliable source of expertise.
And as Google recognises that your website provides relevant and credible information that users require, your search rankings are boosted immensely. This in turn leads to:
The first step to optimising for search intent lies in inferring the search intent of the user. The best approach to do this would be an amalgamation of different research methods, as search intents are not always clear-cut and may have some overlap.
The next step involves using the data collected to create the required content while being mindful of the type and format in which it is offered. This involves incorporating keyword strategy, updating title tags, reorganising site pages, and formatting informative articles to match search intent.
This process is complex as meeting the specific objectives of users is as extensive as the user requirements themselves. And curating content that is both distinctive and relevant to all is a fine art.
Content marketing is a valuable pillar of the overall SEO strategy as it helps attract clients organically and generates great user engagement. And search intent is an important part of the content strategy. It guides you towards creating content that users require. By formulating and honing content to match different search intents, you can broaden your reach of potential customers who are at different stages of their research.
Google processes over 70,000 search queries every second. Therefore, understanding the intent behind those searches plays an important role in generating an effective marketing strategy and creating valuable content.
Integrating search intent with SEO allows you to maximise the potential of your brand and business. After all, anticipating customer requirements and creating targeted solutions is a fundamental component of any winning marketing strategy.
If you are exploring how to elevate your company’s marketing potential by applying SEO strategies, look no further than the team at Serendipity! We create and customise digital marketing solutions that meet the needs of you and your clients!
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