Understanding What Your Users Want
Hi!
In the last post, The Power of Keywords, we discussed the importance of the words users type into a search engine to find what they are looking for online. Today, I am going to explain how you can tell what drives users to type those words, and why knowing what is driving users can direct them to your product or page.
What is User Search Intent?
User search intent (aka search intent) is the main goal a user has when typing words into a search engine. It’s the “why” behind the search. It’s what’s on the user’s mind. If you’ve ever wanted to read someone’s mind, you’re in luck with search intent!
Types of Search Intent
There are four types of search intent that search engines track:
- Commercial
- Informational
- Navigational
- Transactional
Commercial Intent
With commercial intent the user is in the process of deciding to buy and is comparing products. The user is researching before making a purchase. This user tends to use words like “top” and “best” as in “best iPhone for the money” or “top rated tv”.
Informational Intent
Informational intent users want to learn about something. They use words like “how” and “what” in their searches. For example, “how to change the tire on my ford suv” or “what is a stan”.
Navigational Intent
Navigational intent users want to find a specific page. For example, “tiktok login” or “etsy customer service”.
Transactional Intent
The transactional user is the one lots of companies are looking for because this user is ready to buy, buy, buy! This user types “order birthday cake online” or “buy red kids bike”.
Why is Understanding Search Intent Important?
Understanding user search intent is important for search engine optimization because it can help you make content that meets your user’s needs. Meeting your user’s needs, giving them exactly what they’re looking for, can lead to higher search engine rankings. When users find what they’re looking for on your website, they’re more likely to stay longer, reducing your bounce rate and increasing your chances of a conversion (that is, getting a website visitor to do whatever your site is set up for — like subscribing to a newsletter or making a sale).
How to Determine Search Intent
We touched a little bit on how to determine search intent and there are a few strategies that can help you:
- Examine search engine result pages (SERPs)
- Find the right keywords
- Consider your users journey to your site
Examine SERPs
The SERPs that contain websites like yours can give you a lot of information about search intent. Search engines provide users with the most relevant results for their needs. The sites that rank on the first page have good indicators of search intent.
Find the Right Keywords
As we mentioned earlier, certain words are associated with different types of intent. For example, a searcher using the words “buy” or “order” is showing transactional intent.
Consider the Users Journey to Your Site
Think about what stage of the user or customer journey the user may need to be in order to find your site. A user in the awareness stage (getting to know your brand) might use different keywords than someone in the decision stage (they know your brand and are deciding to take action with your brand).
How to Optimize Your Site for Search Intent
Now for the juicy bits! Once you understand user search intent, you can optimize your website content. Here are three tips:
- Use the Right Keywords
- Create Relevant Content
- Provide a Good User Experience
Use the Right Keywords
Use the right keywords and their synonyms that match the search intent of your users. For example, search engines are smart enough to know that a motorcycle can be called a motorbike, cycle, motorized bicycle or motor scooter. The other words used in the motorcycle search sentence tell the search engine which motorcycle pages to show, and in what order to rank them on the SERP.
Create Relevant Content
Your website content should match the search intent of your target keywords. If a keyword has an informational intent, a blog post will be a better fit for the keyword than a product page. For example, “how to ride a skateboard” will bring up a different web page than “best rainbow skateboard for adults under $500”.
Provide a Good User Experience
Last but not least, be sure your website is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and looks good on all devices because search engines also pay attention to the user experience. Technology changes fast so expect to always improve your website to provide a good user experience.
Key Takeaways
Understanding user search intent is important for making content that connects with your audience and ranks high in search engines. By taking the time to understand why users are making searches, you can provide them with relevant, useful content that leads to higher rankings and more conversions for you.
SEO isn’t just about getting more website traffic. SEO is also about getting the right kind of traffic that converts for you. Understanding user search intent is a major player in your online strategy to success.
I hope this post helps you understand the importance of search intent in your digital marketing plan.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers!
Leo
PS – Need more help with your digital marketing plan? Just book a call!
