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User Intent Analysis for SEO: A Complete Guide + How to Scale

Despite following a well-defined keyword research process , I often see SEOs, content writers, and marketers take an ineffective approach to keyword research. 

But it’s not what they do that’s the problem. It’s what they fail to include in this process that matters – understanding their users’ intent .

Unless your page matches the search intent, you’re not going to earn visibility on the search engine results page. That's why understanding the reasons why someone conducts a search is crucial for driving a high return on investment in any SEO campaign. 

To start, I'll go over the basics of understanding user search intent. Then, I'll dive into a critical, but often overlooked, aspect of the user intent behind the search – how to uncover and understand it at scale .

Table of Contents:

What is user intent, what are the different types of user intent, what influences user intent.

• Why is User Intent Important?
• The Problem With Finding User Intent at Scale

How to Track User Intent at Scale

Using intent data to create your seo roadmap, how to prioritize content production based on user intent.

Already ready to work intent into your content marketing workflow? Jump down the page!

The term user intent (often referred to as searcher intent or keyword intent) refers to the reason why someone performs a search in Google or another search engine . It’s the ultimate goal the searcher has in conducting the search.

Their intention could be to find an answer to whatever question they have or advice on how to achieve the desired goal. Maybe the searcher wants to find a place to buy a product they want. Or, maybe they’re just looking for a specific website and forgot its URL.

In each of the above examples, they exhibit an intent .

Google Hummingbird , with its ability to understand search queries better, and RankBrain , its machine learning algorithm to sort the search results, allow the search engine to interpret queries better, discern that intent, and deliver results that match their intent for that query. 

What’s more, Google updates SERPs based on changes in user intent in real time.

There are essentially four different types of search intent. Each search term will fall into one or multiple categories.

1. Informational Intent

Informational intent, or intent to know , helps us obtain specific information, research a particular topic, or learn something new.

Sometimes informational intent is also intent to do , like when asking Google for advice on completing a task or suggestions on gifts for a special occasion.

To identify the user intent for a particular search query, look at which SERP features the search engine presents. Note: this method is not capable of uncovering intent at scale. 

An informational search often presents an Answer Box that immediately answers the user's query. Take the following Google search, for example:

2. Navigational Intent

Navigational intent, or intent to go , defines a desire to go somewhere and interact with the physical world, or to a specific online location.

In the example below, the search query, "Apple," is matched with a navigational intent since the SERP immediately reveals the company's homepage – showing the need to find an  online  location. 

3. Local Intent

Local intent is a navigational query that aims to discover a particular business in the user's vicinity, a physical destination in the real world.  

Local intent is shown when a map and/or local pack presents itself, as seen in with the Google search below. 

4. Transactional Intent

Transactional intent, or intent to buy , is when the searcher looks for a place to conduct a transaction – purchase a product, hire a service, or exchange funds – hence the term, transactional .

Transactional intent keywords tend to show product listing ads (PLAs), as seen below. Product pages match this intent and are prioritized in the SERP when a query has the intent to purchase. 

Often, Google refers to the act of searching based on those intents as micro-moments .

Keyword intent can fluctuate depending on a variety of factors.

Seasonality is one .  For example, customers may type in a keyword with the intent of finding information throughout most of the year. But then around the holidays, they may have an intent to buy when searching for that same keyword. 

A shift in the type of information users seek about a topic is another example. Consider the phrase “ iPhone 5 .” I can imagine that in 2012, when the device launched, most customers searched the phrase with the intent to purchase the new phone.

Today, however, the user intent behind the query is typically more informational. For example, to fix whatever problems they might have with the device, install the latest operating system, or uncover historical data.

Why is User Intent So Important?

First and foremost, delivering the best search experience possible is crucial for guiding the user through their buyer’s journey.

If they land on a page that doesn’t satisfy their intent, they will bounce and head back to the SERP for other results.

For example, let’s assume you’ve created a transactional page for a keyword with informational intent. It simply won’t rank at the top of the SERPs and the content definitely won't provide value for the user.

As my colleague shared with Terakeet :

When someone queries a search engine they not only have a specific intent, they have it at the moment they are searching. So they are in the best possible mindset to be receptive to messages that match well with their intent.”   

In addition, Google's RankBrain will recognize that it doesn’t deliver the information a searcher expects to find.

If a query has informational intent, they seek advice or answers. They do not want to learn more about a product, let alone buy it (at least, not yet). Your landing page must have content that matches the intent behind the query. In this instance, a blog post or guide would be relevant. 

And that’s the incredible power of the user intent. It helps provide one of the most critical factors in today’s SEO – relevance .

But don't just take it from me. Many others in the industry also agree with the above points. You can read the Moz article , and this article on Raynernomics , or even this article from Ahrefs .

I disagree, however, with their suggestions on how to discover users’ intent.

Common Methods for Determining User Intent

Many other articles written about user intent recommend a rudimentary way to identify the searcher’s intent.

Their advice is to search for the target keyword and observe what results Google returns . In particular, which Search Features show up – as demonstrated above.

Another manual method is to analyze search modifiers – words in the search query that describe the person’s intent. For example, if a query includes phrases like “ how to ,” “ how do I ,” or “ what ,” for example, then its intent is, most likely, informational.

However, the above methods don't always work – and worse still, they're impossible to scale. 

The Challenges of Tracking User Intent at Scale

Enterprise companies track thousands (if not tens of thousands) of keywords. As such, these manual methods simply aren't able to provide a proper understanding of user intent across all of your content and pages to connect to your topics and keywords.

But that's not the only problem with them. Both methods above, fail to consider several factors:

• Who is ranking for a particular keyword?
• What information do those pages include?
• What is the language of the search query?

For each of these rudimentary methods, you analyze the intent based on the SERPs alone without considering the content in those search results. As a result, you fail to get a deeper understanding of the information Google promotes within SERPs for the keyword.

At seoClarity, we overcome all of those challenges, bringing you the first, AI-powered way to identify user intent at scale – because truly, you need a search engine optimization platform if you're looking to scale your efforts.

We've unleashed the power of our user intent capabilities which significantly reduce the time required to research new keywords and create content ideas. They also allow marketing teams to understand an entire topic and create credible content that meets their users' needs at every stage of the buying process.

Additionally, marketers and SEOs can track and measure specific results as well as the impact of intent-driven optimized content.

With the largest, freshest keyword data set, you have access to more than 30+ billion keywords across 170+ countries for your keyword research . 

Using AI algorithms, each keyword and topic is accurately categorized into its appropriate user intent designation at scale. 

No more scouring the SERP one query at a time for clues.

Let’s create a quick action plan with a quick example scenario.

Consider the query “new puppy” - which saw an increase in demand throughout 2020

#1. View Current Rankings to See the Existing Market Share

Enter any domain — yours or a competitor’s — to see current rankings next to the related keywords.

In this case, I filtered between rank positions 11-30. These are great topics to target!

Note: I’ve blurred out the specific URL that ranks for the keyword, which is normally shown directly below the keyword.

You’ll also notice the right-side column shows the user intent of each keyword. Some are informational, some are local or navigational, and some are a combination of the three.

#2. Filter Keywords by User Intent

Knowing the user intent behind the keywords allows SEOs to map them to the right format of content. For instance, if the term had solely transactional intent, or information and transactional intent, that content may fit best on a category page.

For this example, let’s assume we want to locate keywords with an informational intent. We want to create a few blog posts that answer common questions about adopting or training a new puppy. 

A simple filter eliminates all non-informational intent keywords and leaves us with what we’re looking for.

#3. Draw Insights from Intent Topic Patterns

Let’s recap what we’ve done so far: We research the seed word “new puppy,” pulled in the current rankings of a specific domain, and filtered by rank position and intent. 

Now, we’re interested in spotting patterns of topics that we can cover in a blog post.

Instead of navigating the list of keywords, we can see pre-arranged keyword patterns.

Note: A high search volume doesn't make a keyword the better choice. It's better to consider intent when choosing topics to cover.

But to see the exact list of keywords, all we’d have to do is click the blue variations number.

You can also filter by SERP features to further narrow down the list. Since we’re targeting informational intent keywords, maybe it’s our end goal to win the Answer Box, or land in the video carousel. 

Before you format your informational content in the best layout to win those SERP features, you’d want to see if they appear on the SERP for your target query in the first place!

#4. Build Recommendations

Once we’ve narrowed in on user intent and spotted viable opportunities, we can summarize the insights to develop an actionable strategy.

Note that during this entire process, we weren’t required to add or track these keywords. This was done completely with our keyword research data set. 

But, once you identify the keywords that have the best opportunity for your company, you can add them to your keyword portfolio.

Recommended Reading: Create the Best Keyword Portfolio With This Acronym

The most effective way to win search visibility is by building authority in your topic cluster. This means creating site content that covers aspects of the topic and all user intents .

Recommended Reading: Build Content that Drives Authority with Topic Explorer, Our Topic Cluster Tool

From then on, I recommend focusing on the transactional intent first. By doing so, you’ll provide immediate ROI from your efforts. And with that, you’ll find it easier to target the top-of-the-funnel customers with the informational intent.

Recommended Reading: Finally Reach Your Target Customers With Content Mapping

Our company just completed the process to identify all of their content by intent. It's insane how we are able to segment Top/Middle/Bottom funnel and understand performance and progress for each segment. The entire team is amazed at the dashboards and how easy this process is moving forward within seoClarity."  — Mariam Jameel, SEO Consultant

Key Takeaways

User intent helps define what content to publish to:

• Accompany customers along their buyer’s journey
• Offer relevant content and information that can bring them closer to the brand
• Increase rankings and SERP conversion rate

When researching keywords, therefore, you must also consider and identify the user intent behind those search queries, and then match it to content types and topics you want to target.

For enterprise brands especially, you must look for ways to scale your efforts. If you don't, you'll never understand user intent in a way that allows you to create content that significantly boosts search visibility and ROI. 

This piece was originally published on March 28, 2019 and has been updated to reflect industry changes and updates to our SEO platform. 

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Search Intent: The Full Analysis & Optimization Guide

Pizza. What about it? Well, do you want to order, cook or find out how many calories are in the average pizza?

It’s tough to figure out what a person really wants when you only have a single word. And even when they use a phrase, it can still be challenging.

Google does a pretty good job determining user intent, and you should know a few things about how that works. You’ll find out in this article.

And that’s not all. You’ll also learn why analyzing search intent is critical for your SEO strategy . and how you can do it quickly and accurately.

What is search intent and why does it matter?

Simply put, search intent is the purpose behind a search. Is the searcher browsing for information? Do they want to make a purchase? Or are they just roaming the web to find a good deal?

Understanding user intent is understanding what a person is looking for or what their intent is when performing a search. User intent analysis takes into account the keywords being used but dives deeper in order to truly understand what the goal of the search is by analyzing the search semantics. Perhaps someone is looking for information or resources, others to make a purchase, or for a specific product or brand.

Unlike in our pizza example, people usually search for keywords or phrases that reveal intent. For example, instead of searching for just “pizza”, people type “simple pizza recipes”. From this keyword, we can determine the user’s intent to bake some pizza and needs instructions on how to do it – a pizza recipe.

Understanding the keyword intent, or why someone is searching for something, also helps SEO strategists and marketers develop a  content strategy based on search terms that will bring relevant users to their website. Search intent optimization is vital to improving your SERP ranking.

Types of search intent

Google categorizes keyword search intent into four different types:

• Informational
• Transactional
• Navigational

Have you ever heard of the “ do, know, go ” concept? Do, know, go is the idea that search intent can be broken down into three main categories that represent the action that the searcher wants to take. Let’s take a look at the three main types of search intent to try and understand how keyword intent can affect your SEO and content marketing strategy .

Informational intent – I Want to Know

Informational intent is when people are looking for information. Nowadays, with mobile searching being so popular, micro-moment searches are commonplace and usually information related. Imagine shmoozing with your friends about past TV shows, and suddenly it turns into a heated discussion about when the season finale of Seinfeld was. Do you know? The debate can go on until someone pulls out the phone and searches. This search would have informational intent, meaning your reason for searching is that you want information.

Often, but not always, users with informational intent phrase their searches with a question. These searchers will usually exit the SERP once they get their answer.

If you run a commercial website, you may think this type of website visitor is useless since they won’t make a purchase or convert. However, they’re still worth targeting. Answering informational intent searches is a great way to demonstrate relevance and prove to the Google algorithm that your website has E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). This significantly improves your ranking.

If your website provides a lot of information, you may want to create a strategy for targeting informational intent searches. Let’s say you run a blog about digital marketing – many people who want to improve their knowledge in the field roam the web for information or updates.

Information-hungry searchers might enter “ How to write good ad copy ” or “ How to create a social media calendar .” You want to target these keywords if your website provides content that answers these questions. You’ll give visitors the information they’re looking for and attract potential prospects to your website. How do you target them? Well, we’ll get to that later.

Informational Intent Examples

• How to analyze search intent?
• Why do snakes shed their skin?
• What’s the weather forecast?
• When is Thanksgiving?

So, when was the last episode of Seinfeld? Did you find the answer? Let’s take that query.

Notice, you don’t even have to click through to any website to get this query answered. The search engine provides the information.

Navigational intent – I Want to Go

Navigational intent categorizes the searches for a specific website, a web service, or an app. It can also include local searches for public service facilities or similar. The search engine recognizes that the searcher intends to navigate to a specific location.

Someone may want to find the website of a particular brand but doesn’t know the URL. And who wants to go through the trouble of typing a URL in a search bar, anyway? So, the searcher types “Gap”, “Netflix”, or “Similarweb” into the search bar, and Google shows them the way to the brand website.

Also, when someone wants to find an official website or public service, they usually just want to get there without being offered special deals or background information.

It’s a bit of a gray area whether navigational intent searches should be included in your SEO strategy or not. Unless you are a widely known brand or offer a unique service, you may not attract a lot of navigational searches.

People set on a specific brand probably have a good reason and may not be interested in competition (like file a complaint to customer service for something they bought).

On the other hand, if users are searching for your company, make sure they find you rather than one of your competitors.

Navigational intent examples

• University of Pennsylvania
• Solitaire game app
• Hospitals near San Jose

OK, time to put it into context and look at what the query “Gap” shows in SERP results. Here we can see that Google identifies navigational search intent and shows the brand’s website and its physical location.  Notice, there are no ads or offers.

Transactional intent – I Want to Do

Transactional intent is when a searcher is looking to take action and potentially purchase a product or service. These searches are transactional queries that have high-intent keywords and that can be particularly useful for eCommerce stores as the user is often ready to complete the checkout by hitting the “buy” button. When a searcher is ready to buy, Google classifies them as having transactional intent. The search engine wants to present these searchers with the best opportunities to carry out their intentions straight away.

When people have decided to part with their money, they still want the best deal. The search terms are slightly different than someone just checking what’s in the market. The keywords may include a brand or a specific feature they’re looking for. The words they will use for their search will often be “do” keywords. A “do” keyword can be something along the lines of “food processor price” or “blue sweatpants”.

What would that look like? Here are the Google results for “Dyson vacuum prices” to show you what’s considered relevant.

When identifying transactional intent, the SERP gives the searches everything they need to go through with the purchase.

Transactional intent searches are the most likely to result in a conversion or a purchase. However, to get there, your site needs authority , and the audience needs to trust you, so focusing on transactional intent alone is risky. If you have an eCommerce store, you should consider SERP features and include these types of keywords to boost your ecommerce SEO . Identifying the correct user intent and adapting your SEO strategy in these cases can be incredibly beneficial for relevant businesses, targeting customers when they are ready to purchase.

Transactional intent examples

• Buy running shoes
• Coupon for Shein
• Where to buy dog food online?
• Vacation deals to Jamaica

Commercial intent – I Want to Choose

Searchers with commercial intent are looking for a product or service but haven’t yet decided if or what to buy. They are investigating their options.

Often commercial intent searches aim at product information, reviews, and comparisons. Searchers might google “best vacuum cleaner” or “Dyson vs. Shark vacuum.” These types of searches can also be location-specific when a consumer searches for the top restaurants near them or the best hotels in their next vacation destination.

Commercial intent examples

• Top restaurants near me
• Best hotels in NYC
• Review of LG smartphone
• Honda vs. Toyota

Let’s see what SERP results we find when we search the query “best vacuum cleaner” to put theory into practice.

The results include some ads at the top, but mainly content that helps the searcher in their decision-making.

No More Guessing - Start Analyzing

Analyze search intent and optimize your content now.

How does Google see search intent?

According to Google, the traditional marketing funnel needs a makeover. Customers don’t always follow a typical journey and jump back and forth through different stages. Because of this, marketers can’t rely on customers being in a particular funnel stage just because their last interaction was in the previous stage. Sound confusing? Here’s an example.

Let’s say John is in the market for a new blender. In the traditional customer journey , John would first become aware of his options, then consider which is the best for them before making a purchase decision. However, this journey is a little outdated when the entire internet of information is right in the palm of John’s hand.

Today, he may start researching blenders but then stubble upon a food processor that also works as a blender. He might spend months looking at food processors and blenders before deciding. Marketers need to align the way they speak to John with his current intent instead of his assumed funnel stage. How can marketers do this? By inferring intent.

This is what Google crawlers and other search engines do when determining what type of results to give John. Rather than relying solely on someone’s history, Google infers intent based on specific behaviors during a search, including keywords or modifiers that someone types in the search bar.

Here are a few keywords and modifiers that can signal intent:

When it comes to analyzing keyword intent, Google’s results are impressive. You can benefit from the company’s experience by analyzing results within the SERP . Try searching for a keyword that you believe is related to your website. What do the results look like?

If you see specific information, such as the date of the last episode of Seinfeld, Google considers this keyword as one with informational intent. If you see a carousel of different products, such as the Dyson vacuum, Google assigns transactional intent to this keyword. You can generally figure out the keyword’s intent type based on the results in the SERP.

Chances are that the top results meet the search intent that the user desired. Try to understand if the user search intent is informational, transactional, commercial, or navigational to better understand what the user wants. Analyze the pages at the top (as well as the rich results) to understand why they gained ranking, what value are your competitors able to provide users, and how they matched it to the search intent. Then, evaluate your asset to see if it fits in with your content for the query, and update the copy accordingly.

Another important aspect of this is the SERP visibility for the different intents – it will not look the same for buying intent queries as it does for informational queries. For different industries and topics, there will be different types of rich snippets and information cards, and those also have to be taken into consideration when evaluating the impact your SEO efforts may have on your website traffic as well as SERP visibility.

Analyze the entire scope of results for the 4 types of search queries to understand how they vary and decide how to build your strategy for approaching them. Analyze which types of queries might give you quick results and allow your site to gain visibility and which types of queries tend to take more time to rank well and provide traffic due to higher competition, a high rate of rich results, or other reasons. Analyze your own content – does it measure up to the competition? Does it provide users with the answer they were seeking? Does it provide a unique value that will allow you to stand out?

Once you have figured out the answers to these questions and mapped your query types correctly – You can move on to optimizing your content according to your analysis.

How to optimize your content for search intent

Let’s put it this way: Google has all the data. Google knows not only what users are searching for but what their thinking is behind each keyword they enter and tries to create the best user experience by optimizing the search results accordingly. Buying intent keywords will lead them to sites and landing pages where they can buy relevant products. Information searches will lead to Wikipedia and other informational sites or blogs to give the right information.

This is why you must integrate user intent analysis into your SEO strategy. Optimizing for user intent means targeting specific keywords that lead to high-quality content that maximizes intent relevance to your site and therefore increases your click-through rates. You need to create your content and SEO strategy with the consumer journey in mind. Always ask yourself, “What is my audience looking for and why”. Keep in mind that at different stages of your buyer journey, the search intent will change.

Analyzing and optimizing your content for search intent will greatly benefit your SEO. Not only will your website rank improve, but you’ll also likely see better conversion rates , a lower bounce rate , increased page views , and a wider audience reach.

If you’re targeting informational intent, you may even get the coveted Featured Snippet above the first search result in the SERP.

A Featured Snippet is a type of SERP feature where Google highlights specific text within the SERP. It means Google sees you as the expert on this subject!.

Each keyword-optimized page on your website should respond to the relevant user intent. Analyze the keyword search intent and then optimize content accordingly. Here’s how to do it.

1. Figure out the keyword search intent

Each keyword in your SEO plan targets a specific intent. A minor alteration can lead to different search intent, so you need to get specific and research each term.

What is the user typing this keyword looking for? Information? A specific product? To make a purchase?

Devote part of your keyword research to answering this question. How to do that? When you have collected a list of relevant keywords, add the intent for each keyword variation. Organize your list according to search intent, and prioritize keywords accordingly. You can do this quickly with the keywords tool in the website analysis function of Similarweb (Actually, the tool practically does it for you).

You can see that the brand names show navigational intent, and Google will show the brand websites first. Next, you can use the filters to hone in on the relevant keywords. You won’t be all that interested in branded keywords and can filter them out. Or you can limit the results to only transactional or commercial intent keywords

Pro-Tip: Sites use all kinds of techniques to signal their relevance for certain searches to Google. They could use images, product listing ads, local packs, and other SERP features to rank higher. Check what’s common and what works for your competitors.

2. Audit your existing content

Run an audit on your significant web pages or entire website to evaluate how well your SEO content aligns with search intent. Pages that target keywords with informational intent should answer questions and educate the reader. There’s no point in promoting your special deals and discount offers here. This is, however, a great way to build valuable internal links.

Informational content can link to pages targeting keywords with commercial and transactional intent. Your visitors benefit because you show them the way to more answers and solutions, and your SEO ranking gets a boost through thoughtful internal linking.

Pro-Tip: Your audit should also assert that the amount of content targeting each intent is proportional. For example, an ecommerce site selling popular branded consumer goods needs primarily transactional content. Informational content is crucial for B2B companies offering complex SaaS solutions. Use keyword research to identify navigational keywords and investigate relevance for your site.

3. Pay special attention to long-tail keywords

When you organize your keyword list based on search intent, you start looking at long-tail keywords differently. The magic here is you can target different intents with the same core keyword just by adding different tails . For example, this keyword targets informational intent: “how to find keywords for YouTube SEO ?” by slightly changing the first words, you can ease over to commercial intent: “best tools to find keywords for YouTube SEO”.

Another way to utilize long-tail keywords is by finding synonyms and similar long-tail keywords that target the same intent. You can create more content and strengthen your authority on a subject. Google will reward your site with higher rankings. For example, if you want to be recognized as an expert on keyword gaps , you’ll start by targeting:: “How to do keyword gap analysis” and add “… for the financial industry” or “… in ecommerce.”

Pro-Tip: Search intent is critical to consider when analyzing keyword gaps. Benchmark the amount of traffic each site receives and see if there are discrepancies in search intent as well. Does a specific competitor get more traffic for his commercial intent targeting pages? Check them out and see how they do it. Pay attention to search intent when analyzing keyword gaps. Similarweb offers additional differentiations to Google, such as job search intent.

4. Steer away from search intent mismatch

Intent mismatch is when something goes wrong in the process and the intent of the searcher has nothing to do with the product or service you are offering. This can happen with keywords that have multiple meanings for example.

When Google isn’t sure what a searcher’s intent is due to multiple meanings or multiple businesses with the same name (think restaurants, for example) it bases its SERPs on dominant or common interpretations. Other factors may be included such as location.

5. Leverage fractured intent

Fractured intent (or multi-intent) is when a keyword leads to results with multiple types of intent.

In this case, SERPs will usually feature the top articles for a particular keyword, no matter what their specific intent. This is why making sure that your content is always accurate and excellent is important.

6. Always consider user intent, buyer personas, and the buyer journey

User intent SEO is important in order to target the right buyers and lead them into the correct marketing funnel. As you consider how to create your buyer journey make sure you’ve thought about who your target audience is and create specific buyer personas.

By understanding the search intent behind each specific keyword, you’ll be able to lead the right traffic to the right location. After all, it’s a waste of your marketing resources and budget if the wrong traffic is hitting your site. Your numbers may be high but your conversion rates won’t be.

Once your website is aligned correctly with users’ search intent, traffic starts arriving at your website and you’ll be able to lead them down the appropriate funnel stages. If you know that you’re using informational intent keywords, you can provide large doses of relevant information to visitors at first so they understand your value. If your visitors have transactional intent, you’ll be able to lead them into your product sale funnel right away.

7. Analyze organic competitors

Let’s stay with the benchmarking idea for a bit. Collecting data on your direct competitors and industry is a standard for marketing research. However, you need to identify your organic competitors to boost your ranking on search engines.

In other words, you need to know who you compete against for traffic from your target keywords. These sites may not always be competitors, or they may not even be in your industry. The reason could be the different search intent is different than what you thought.

Make sure you know who your competition is. You want to benchmark against your direct competitors and compare the keywords they are targeting.

Pro-Tip: Use the exact keyword or keyword phrase in your image alt text (the alternative text that appears if an image doesn’t load), in your page’s meta tags , and in your blog content. If you add secondary keywords, make sure they have the same intent. You wouldn’t want to confuse the algorithms.

8. Be aware of zero-click searches

When you identify keywords with informational intent, pay attention to zero-click results. For popular search terms, Google often displays info right in the SERP, so the user doesn’t need to click to get the answers they seek. Remember the date of the last Seinfeld episode? – Zero clicks for a high search volume keyword, right there.

This has implications for your content creation plan. You need to evaluate if a zero-click keyword is worth including in your SEO strategy or not. It may impact what Google makes of your site, but you won’t get any traffic or conversions from it.

Pro-Tip: Similarweb keyword research tool has a zero-click feature that shows you the percentage of zero-clicks for each keyword. This helps you quickly identify the search terms from which you can’t expect much traffic and optimize your SEO strategy accordingly.

Create and optimize content to meet search intent

As SERPs become more and more competitive as more businesses are going online, taking user intent into consideration in your SEO strategy is essential. Traditional SEO strategies are important but are simply not enough.

The structure and content of your website should be designed to support high SERP ranking and respond to the user’s intent. That means you want to clearly signal to Google which search intent pages respond to and simultaneously make it easy for visitors with different intents to find what they came for and seamlessly move in different directions.

When building a strategy, we recommend taking a user-focused and content strategy approach. Providing the right content that is useful for your searches is an important way to climb the rankings and hit the top. When you understand what search intent is and why it’s important, your SEO strategy will become more effective, bringing in positive results.

You want to organize your pages according to keyword clusters for better ranking. To satisfy the target audience, ask what other insights the visitor might find interesting. What could convince a visitor who followed commercial search intent to take the next step down your funnel, or what additional media and incentives can you offer someone who landed with transactional intent on your product offering?

The takeaway

The most important thing after (or maybe even before) ranking high on Google is to adapt your SEO and content strategies to your target audience’s needs and wants. Search intent provides a super valuable hint at what they are.

With a keyword generator that identifies search intent, you take out the guesswork and quickly understand what your audience is looking for. This way, you can provide users with the best experience while searching.

Search engines attempt to identify the user’s intention when typing in a specific keyword and then categorize the search accordingly. This helps match the SERP results to the query and increases the chance for the user to find what they came for.

What are Google’s 4 types of search intent?

Google differentiates between four search intents: informational (gain knowledge, data, instructions. etc.), commercial (evaluate a product, service, investment, offer), transactional (make to purchase), and navigational (reach a specific website).

Why analyze keywords for search intent?

You want to make your SEO content matches the right intent for each keyword. Google will not show your coupon for a special product offer when the page targets a keyword with informational intent.

by Limor Barenholtz

Director of SEO at Similarweb

Limor brings 20 years of SEO expertise, focusing on Technical SEO, JavaScript rendering, and mobile optimization. She thrives on solving complex problems and creating scalable strategies.

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How to Use User Intent for Better Keyword Research

By Sreeram Sreenivasan

Do you expect to see results about Apple, the tech giant, or apple, the fruit?

In the pre-iPhone era, if you had searched online for “apple,” you would have seen a Wikipedia result about apple, the fruit, followed by images of different types of apples.

Today, first page search results are completely dominated by the latest news and trends featuring various Apple phones and products .

In fact, there is no mention of apple, the fruit, anywhere in the first five pages!

Why is that?

It’s because of something known as “user intent.”

What is User Intent?

User intent refers to what the user is looking for when he/she uses a search engine.

Ten years ago, Apple, the company, wasn’t as popular as it is today.

When people searched for “apple,” they were looking for information about the fruit, its properties, and benefits.

So, a Wikipedia article was the perfect answer to their search query.

Today, when typing in the same search query, they expect to read about the tech company and its products.

Why is this important?

Let’s say you want to rank well for your PR software and create content (landing pages and blog articles) showcasing your product and its benefits.

You optimize your content around keywords such as “PR software,” “PR tool,” and “ PR tools .”

You also have backlinks from authoritative sites which lead to your website/blog. What do you think will happen?

Your website won’t make it to the top five search results.

It’s not because your website is bad, or your content is not relevant.

It’s simply because your content doesn’t match user intent.

If you search those keywords above, you’ll notice Google shows results from sites like Capterra, and Hubspot, which provide a “list” of PR tools available in the market.

Because when a user searches for “PR software” they want to see a list of all the best PR software, all in one place.

Why am I telling you this?

Because you might do better by simply writing a blog post about the “Top Five PR Software Programs in 2017,” and include your product in that list.

Although you’ll mention your competitors, it’s much better than being invisible on Google.

How to Identify User Intent

People use Google with the intention to:

• Learn something – Here the user intent is to find out about something. For example, you search for “Who won the Oscar for best actor this year?” or “Where is the ice cream shop in New York City?”
• Do something – In this case, the user wants to perform an action using the internet. For example, “I want to buy a ticket for the Coldplay. ”
• Go somewhere – In these queries, the user wants to go to a specific website. For example, “Wimbledon home page.”

Each user intent requires a different type of content. If your page has been built without an understanding of user intent, then they’ll leave your page to search elsewhere, quickly dropping your search rankings.

How to Use User Intent in Keyword Research

The first step is to determine user intent for your target keyword :

• Pick a relevant keyword you want to target for your business (or clients).
• Do a Google search for your target keyword.
• Review the top four-five search results. See what kind of content ranks well for your target keyword. Is it a listicle, a tutorial? Is it a product review, a long-form blog post?
• Look at what type of content ranks well for your target keyword. Is it a blog post, a landing page? Is it visual content (videos & images), a business listing?
• If you have more target keywords, repeat these steps for each one.

This will give you a good idea of what people are looking for when they search your target keywords or search phrases.

For example, if a person is looking for a PR firm , then he would search for “best pr firms in San Francisco” and find results containing business listings and list-based blog posts.

This indicates you need to spruce up your online business listings on Yelp and Google My Business, to be found for this query.

On the other hand, a person who wants to learn the basics of PR might search for “how to do PR for small business,” and find a step-by-step tutorial on getting started with PR.

Knowing this, you may want to publish a “beginner’s guide to PR” so you can rank well for this search term, as online listings won’t help much here.

Google is not the only way to determine user intent.

Here are some other ideas you can use to understand what your target audience may be looking for:

• Look at the FAQs, help-center, and knowledge base of your own business, and those of your competitors.
• Check out relevant questions on industry forums and Q&A sites such as Quora and Reddit.
• Talk to client-facing team members, especially your sales and support teams.
• Add a chat widget on your site to learn how visitors discovered your website/blog, what they were looking for, and whether they find your website/blog to be helpful.
• Send out surveys and questionnaires to customers asking them how they found you on Google.

Once you have identified user intent for each of your target keywords, you can brainstorm the different types of content you need to create which delivers value to your users.

You can also identify what existing content needs to be updated to match user intent.

For example, you may want to convert a landing page about “pr software” into a blog post about “top pr software for 2017.”

Sometimes it’s a just a matter of reorienting your content.

There are plenty of articles online telling you how to do keyword research using tools such as Google AdWords, Moz, or Ahrefs.

However, by understanding user intent, you can not only identify the right keywords to target your audience, but also create the right content which drives more visitors, and converts them into paying customers.

Sreeram Sreenivasan

Sreeram Sreenivasan is the Founder of Ubiq BI & Fedingo . He has helped many Fortune 500 companies in the areas of BI, Sales & Marketing strategy. He’s passionate about Entrepreneurship and Business Growth.

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How People Search: Understanding User Intent

Unlock the power of understanding user intent in SEO. Learn how to optimize your content to meet users' needs and improve your website's rankings.

In its earlier days, Google relied heavily on plain text data and backlinks to establish rankings through periodic monthly refreshes (then known as the Google Dance).

Since those days, Google Search has become a sophisticated product with a plethora of algorithms designed to promote content and results that meet a user’s needs.

To a certain extent, a lot of SEO is a numbers game. We focus on:

• Search volumes.
• Organic traffic levels.
• Onsite conversions.

We might also include third-party metrics, such as search visibility or the best attempt at mimicking PageRank . But for the most part, we default to a core set of quantitative metrics.

That’s because these metrics are what we are typically judged by as SEO professionals – and they can be measured across competitor websites (through third-party tools).

Clients want to rank higher and see their organic traffic increasing , and by association, leads and sales will also improve.

When we choose target keywords, there is the tendency and appeal to go after those with the highest search volumes, but much more important than the keyword’s search volume is the intent behind it.

There is also a tendency to discount any search phrase or keyword that has a low or no search volume based on the fallacy of it offering no “SEO value,” but this is very niche-dependent. It requires an overlay of business intelligence to understand if these terms have no actual value.

This is a key part of the equation often overlooked when producing content. It’s great that you want to rank for a specific term, but the content has to be relevant and satisfy the user intent.

The Science Behind User Intent

In 2006, a study conducted by the University of Hong Kong found that at a primary level, search intent can be segmented into two search goals.

• A user is specifically looking to find information relating to the keyword(s) they have used.
• A user is looking for more general information about a topic.

A further generalization can be made, and intentions can be split into how specific the searcher is and how exhaustive the searcher is.

Specific users have a narrow search intent and don’t deviate from this, whereas an exhaustive user may have a wider scope around a specific topic(s).

Lagun and Agichtein (2014) explored the complexity and extent of the “task” users aim to achieve when they go online. They used eye-tracking and cursor movements to better understand user satisfaction and engagement with search results pages.

The study found significant variations in user attention patterns based on task complexity (the level of cognitive load required to complete the task) and the search domain (e.g., results relating to health and finance may be more heavily scrutinized than sneaker shopping).

Search engines are also making strides in understanding both search intents. Google’s Hummingbird and Yandex’s Korolyov and Vega are just two examples.

Google & Search Intent

Many studies have been conducted to understand the intent behind a query, and this is reflected by the types of results that Google displays.

Google’s Paul Haahr gave a great presentation in 2016, looking at how Google returns results from a ranking engineer’s perspective .

The same “highly meets” scale can be found in the Google Search Quality Rating Guidelines .

In the presentation, Haahr explains basic theories on how a user searching for a specific store (e.g., Walmart) is most likely to look for their nearest Walmart store, not the brand’s head office in Arkansas.

The Search Quality Rating Guidelines echo this in Section 3, detailing the “Needs Met Rating Guidelines” and how to use them for content.

The scale ranges from Fully Meets (FullyM) to Fails to Meet (FailsM) and has flags for whether the content is porn, foreign language, not loading, or is upsetting/offensive.

The raters are critical not only of the websites they display in web results but also of the special content result blocks (SCRB), a.k.a. Rich Snippets, and other search features that appear in addition to the “10 blue links.”

One of the more interesting sections of these guidelines is 13.2.2, titled “Examples of Queries that Cannot Have Fully Meets Results.”

Within this section, Google details that “Ambiguous queries without a clear user intent or dominant interpretation” cannot achieve a Fully Meets rating.

Its example is the query [ADA], which could be the American Diabetes Association, the American Dental Association, or a programming language devised in 1980. As there is no dominant interpretation of the internet or the query, no definitive answer can be given.

Community-Based Question Answering (CQA) Websites

In recent times, Google has been prioritizing Reddit within search results .

A 2011 paper looked at the potential for using community-based question-answering (CQA) platforms to improve user satisfaction in web search results.

The study collected data from an unnamed search engine and an unnamed CQA website, and used machine learning models to predict user satisfaction. Data points used to try and predict satisfaction included:

• Textual features (e.g., length of the answer, readability).
• User/author features (e.g., reputation score of the answerer).
• Community features (e.g., number of votes).

The study found that factors such as the clarity and completeness of answers were crucial predictors of user satisfaction.

This doesn’t, however, explain the perception that Reddit isn’t a quality addition to search results and not one that should be prioritized.

Queries With Multiple Meanings

Due to the diversity of language, many queries have more than one meaning. For example, [apple] can either be a consumer electrical goods brand or a fruit.

Google handles this issue by classifying the query by its interpretation. The interpretation of the query can then be used to define intent.

Query interpretations are classified into the following three areas:

Dominant Interpretations

The dominant interpretation is what most users mean when they search for a specific query.

Google search raters are told explicitly that the dominant interpretation should be clear, even more so after further online research.

Common Interpretations

Any given query can have multiple common interpretations. Google’s example in its guidelines is [mercury] – which can mean either the planet or the element.

In this instance, Google can’t provide a result that “Fully Meets” a user’s search intent, but instead, it produces results varying in both interpretation and intent (to cover all bases).

Minor Interpretations

A lot of queries will also have less common interpretations, and these can often be locale-dependent.

It can also be possible for minor interpretations to become dominant interpretations should real-world events force enough public interest in the changed interpretation.

Do – Know – Go

Do, Know, Go is a concept that search queries can be segmented into three categories: Do, Know, and Go.

These classifications then, to an extent, determine the type of results that Google delivers to its users.

Do (Transactional Queries)

When users perform a “do” query , they want to achieve a specific action, such as purchasing a specific product or booking a service. This is important to ecommerce websites, for example, where a user may be looking for a specific brand or item.

Device action queries are also a form of a “do” query and are becoming more and more important, given how we interact with our smartphones and other technologies.

In 2007, Apple launched the first iPhone, which changed our relationship with handheld devices. The smartphone meant more than just a phone. It opened our access to the internet on our terms.

Obviously, before the iPhone, we had 1G, 2G, and WAP – but it was really 3G that emerged around 2003 and the birth of widgets and apps that changed our behaviors, increasing internet accessibility and availability to large numbers of users.

Device Action Queries & Mobile Search

In May 2015 , mobile search surpassed desktop search globally in the greater majority of verticals. Fast forward to 2024, 59.89% of traffic comes from mobile and tablet devices.

Google has also moved with the times, highlighting the importance of a mobile-optimized site and switching to mobile-first indexing as obvious indicators.

Increased internet accessibility also means that we can perform searches more frequently based on real-time events.

As a result, Google currently estimates that 15% of the queries it handles daily are new and have never been seen before.

This is in part due to the new accessibility that the world has and the increasing smartphone and internet penetration rates seen globally.

Mobile devices are gaining increasing ground not only in how we search but also in how we interact with the online sphere. In fact, 95.6% of global internet users aged 16-64 access the internet through a mobile device.

One key understanding of mobile search is that users may not also satisfy their query via this device.

In my experience, working across a number of verticals, a lot of mobile search queries tend to be more focused on research and informational, moving to a desktop or tablet at a later date to complete a purchase.

According to Google’s Search Quality Rating Guidelines:

“Because mobile phones can be difficult to use, SCRBs can help mobile phone users accomplish their tasks very quickly, especially for certain Know Simple, Visit­ in ­Person, and Do queries.”

Mobile is also a big part of Google Search Quality Guidelines, with the entirety of Section 2 dedicated to it.

Know (Informational Queries)

A “know” query is an informational query, where the user wants to learn about a particular subject.

Know queries are closely linked to micro-moments.

In September 2015, Google released a guide to micro-moments , which are happening due to increased smartphone penetration and internet accessibility.

Micro-moments occur when a user needs to satisfy a specific query there and then, and these often carry a time factor, such as checking train times or stock prices.

Because users can now access the internet wherever, whenever, there is the expectation that brands and real-time information are also accessible, wherever, whenever.

Micro-moments are also evolving. Know queries can vary from simple questions like [how old is tom cruise] to broader and more complex queries that don’t always have a simple answer.

Know queries are almost always informational in intent. They are neither commercial nor transactional in nature. While there may be an aspect of product research, the user is not yet at the transactional stage.

A pure informational query can range from [how long does it take to drive to London] to [gabriel macht imdb].

To a certain extent, these aren’t seen in the same importance as direct transactional or commercial queries – especially by ecommerce websites. Still, they provide user value, which is what Google looks for.

For example, if a user wants to go on holiday, they may start with searching for [winter sun holidays europe] and then narrow down to specific destinations.

Users will research the destination further, and if your website provides them with the information they’re looking for, there is a chance they will also inquire with you.

Featured Snippets & Clickless Searches

Rich snippets and special content results blocks (i.e., featured snippets) have been a main part of SEO for a while now, and we know that appearing in an SCRB area can drive huge volumes of traffic to your website.

On the other hand, appearing in position zero can mean that a user won’t click through to your website, meaning you won’t get the traffic and the chance to have them explore the website or count towards ad impressions.

That being said, appearing in these positions is powerful in terms of click-through rate and can be a great opportunity to introduce new users to your brand/website.

Go (Navigational Queries)

“Go” queries are typically brand or known entity queries, where a user wants to go to a specific website or location.

If a user is specifically searching for Kroger, serving them Food Lion as a result wouldn’t meet their needs as closely.

Likewise, if your client wants to rank for a competitor brand term, you need to make them question why Google would show their site when the user is clearly looking for the competitor.

This is also a consideration to make when going through rebrand migrations , as well as what connotations and intent the new term has.

Defining Intent Is One Thing, User Journeys Another

For a long time, the customer journey has been a staple activity in planning and developing both marketing campaigns and websites.

While mapping out personas and planning how users navigate the website is important, it’s also necessary to understand how users search and what stage of their journey they are at.

The word journey often sparks connotations of a straight path, and a lot of basic user journeys usually follow the path of landing page > form or homepage > product page > form . This same thinking is how we tend to map website architecture .

We assume that users know exactly what they want to do, but mobile and voice search have introduced new dynamics to our daily lives, shaping our day-to-day decisions and behaviors almost overnight.

In the case of the smartphone revolution, Google responded to this in 2015, announcing the expansion of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal – months before what became known as Mobilegeddon .

These micro-moments directly question our understanding of the user journey. Users no longer search in a single manner, and because of how Google has developed in recent years, there is no single search results page.

We can determine the stage the user is at through the search results that Google displays and by analyzing proprietary data from Google Search Console , Bing Webmaster Tools, and Yandex Metrica.

The Intent Can Change, Results & Relevancy Can, Too

Another important thing to remember is that search intent and the results that Google displays can also change – quickly.

An example of this was the Dyn DDoS attack that happened in October 2016.

Unlike other DDoS attacks before it, the press coverage surrounding the Dyn attack was mainstream – the White House even released a statement on it .

Before the attack, searching for terms like [ddos] or [dns] produced results from companies like Incapsula, Sucuri, and Cloudflare.

These results were all technical and not appropriate for the newfound audience discovering and investigating these terms.

What was once a query with a commercial or transactional intent quickly became informational. Within 12 hours of the attack, the search results changed and became news results and blog articles explaining how a DDoS attack works.

This is why it’s important to not only optimize for keywords that drive converting traffic, but also those that can provide user value and topical relevance to the domain.

While intent can change during a news cycle, the Dyn DDoS attack and its impact on search results also teach us that – with sufficient user demand and traction – the change in intent can become permanent.

How Could AI Change Intent & User Search Behavior

After reviewing client Search Console profiles and looking at keyword trends, we saw a pattern emerging over the past year.

With a home electronics client, the number of queries starting with how/what/does has increased, expanding on existing query sets.

For example, where historically the query would be [manufacture model feature], there is an increase in [does manufacturer model have feature].

For years, a regular search query has followed a fairly uniform pattern. From this pattern, Google has learned how to identify and determine intent classifiers.

We can infer this from our understanding of a Google patent – automatic query pattern generation .

To do this, Google must annotate the query, and an annotator has a number of elements from a language identifier, stop-word remover, confidence values, and entity identifier.

This is because, as the above image demonstrates, the query [proxy scraping services] also contains a number of other queries and permutations. While these haven’t been explicitly searched for, the results for [proxy services], [scraping services], and [proxy scraping services] could have significant levels of overlap and burden the resources required to return three separate results as one.

This matters because AI and changing technologies have the potential to change how users perform searches. It is in part because we need to provide additional context to LLMs to satisfy our needs.

As we need to be explicit in what we’re trying to achieve, our language naturally becomes more conversational and expansive, as covered in Vincent Terrasi’s ChatGPT prompt guide .

If this trend becomes mainstream, how Google and search engines process the change in query type could also change current SERP structures.

Machine Learning & Intent Classification

The other side to this coin is how websites producing different (and more) content can influence and change search behavior.

How platforms market new tools and features will also influence these changes. Google’s big, celebrity-backed campaigns for Circle to Search are a good example of this.

As machine learning becomes more effective over time – and this, coupled with other Google’s algorithms, can change search results pages.

This may also lead Google to experiment with SCRBs and other SERP features in different verticals, such as financial product comparisons, real estate, or further strides into automotive.

 More resources:

• Creating Content That Satisfies Search Intent & Meets Customer Needs
• Keyword Research: An In-Depth Beginner’s Guide
• How Search Engines Work

Featured Image: amperespy44/Shutterstock

I’m Head of Technical SEO at SALT.agency, a bespoke technical SEO consultancy with offices in the UK and the United ...

Incorporating User Intent into Keyword Research for Better Conversion Rates

By Janice Ramos

Unlocking the true potential of keyword research goes beyond identifying popular terms. This guide explores the vital role of user intent in keyword research, revealing how aligning your content with what users are actively seeking can significantly elevate conversion rates on your website.

Decoding User Intent

Delve into the concept of user intent and its pivotal role in shaping keyword strategies. Understand the various types of user intent, from informational to transactional, and how they influence search queries.

Analyzing Search Queries

Tip: Utilize tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to analyze search queries leading to your website. Identify patterns and understand the intent behind various queries. Example: If your website receives queries like “how to use” or “benefits of,” it indicates informational intent. Tailor content to provide in-depth information and answer user queries.

User Intent Surveys

Tip: Conduct user surveys to directly gather insights into what visitors are looking for on your site. Ask questions about their goals, challenges, and expectations when using your products or services. Example: If an e-commerce site discovers through a survey that users often search for “reviews” or “comparisons,” it reveals a transactional intent. Optimize pages to assist users in making purchasing decisions.

Keyword Mapping with User Intent

Learn the art of mapping keywords to user intent. Explore strategies for aligning specific keywords with the different stages of the customer journey, ensuring your content resonates with the intended audience.

Customer Journey Alignment

Tip: Map keywords to different stages of the customer journey. Use broad, informative keywords for awareness, and transition to specific, transactional keywords as users move towards the decision-making stage. Example: For a travel website, “best places to visit” aligns with the awareness stage, while “book hotels in [location]” aligns with the decision-making stage.

Content Personalization

Tip: Personalize content based on user intent. Create landing pages or product pages that directly address the intent associated with specific keywords, offering a tailored experience. Example: If users search for “organic skincare routine,” a skincare website can create a dedicated page with detailed information and product recommendations.

Long-Tail Keywords and Specific Intent

Uncover the power of long-tail keywords in capturing specific user intent. Discover how these more detailed queries can lead to higher conversion rates by addressing users’ precise needs.

Problem-Solution Approach

Tip: Structure content around solving specific problems. Long-tail keywords often reflect users seeking solutions. Craft content that not only addresses the keyword but provides actionable solutions. Example: For a finance blog, targeting “how to save money on a tight budget” allows for detailed content offering practical budgeting tips.

User Intent in Meta Descriptions

Tip: Incorporate long-tail keywords in meta descriptions. This not only helps in SEO but also sets clear expectations for users, increasing the likelihood of clicks. Example: A recipe website targeting the long-tail keyword “easy gluten-free dinner recipes” can use a meta description like “Discover quick and delicious gluten-free dinner recipes for busy evenings.”

Analyzing SERP Features for Intent Clues

Explore the nuances of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) and how they provide valuable clues about user intent. Learn to analyze featured snippets, knowledge panels, and other SERP features to refine your keyword strategy.

Featured Snippets Optimization

Tip: Identify and optimize for featured snippets related to your targeted keywords. Craft concise and informative content to increase the chances of appearing in these prominent positions. Example: If “how to tie a tie” is a key keyword, create content structured in a step-by-step format to increase the likelihood of being featured in the snippet.

Knowledge Panel Utilization

Tip: Understand how knowledge panels appear for certain queries. Ensure your business or entity information is accurate and comprehensive, enhancing your visibility and credibility. Example: A local business optimizing for its knowledge panel includes accurate operating hours, contact information, and customer reviews, aiding users in making informed decisions.

Utilizing Tools for Intent-Based Research

Embrace the use of tools for intent-based research. From Google Trends to keyword research tools, discover how these resources can provide insights into trending topics and user preferences.

Google Trends for Trending Topics

Tip: Leverage Google Trends to identify rising topics and queries. Stay ahead of trends by creating content that aligns with emerging interests in your industry. Example: A technology blog noticing an uptick in searches for a new gadget can create timely content, capitalizing on the increased interest.

Keyword Research Tools Insights

Tip: Use keyword research tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to analyze competitors and discover related keywords. This helps in expanding your keyword strategy and staying competitive. Example: An e-commerce store selling running shoes may find valuable long-tail keywords like “best running shoes for flat feet” through these tools, addressing a specific user concern.

Monitoring and Adapting to Search Trends

Understand the dynamic nature of search trends and user behavior. Learn how to monitor changes in search patterns and adapt your keyword strategy to stay relevant and maximize conversions.

Google Analytics for User Behavior

Tip: Regularly monitor Google Analytics to track user behavior, including bounce rates and time on page. Adapt your content strategy based on insights, optimizing for user engagement. Example: If a blog post receives high traffic but has a high bounce rate, consider revising the content to better align with user expectations and intent.

Adaptable Content Calendar

Tip: Maintain a flexible content calendar to accommodate emerging trends. Be prepared to pivot and create timely content that resonates with your audience’s evolving interests. Example: A social media marketing agency, noticing a sudden interest in a new platform, adjusts its content calendar to include guides and tips related to maximizing visibility on that platform.

Creating Content that Aligns with Intent

Delve into the content creation process, emphasizing the importance of aligning content with user intent. Explore how crafting informative, engaging, and actionable content caters to the diverse needs of your audience.

Interactive and Engaging Content

Tip: Create interactive content, such as quizzes, surveys, or infographics, to cater to diverse user intents. Interactive elements enhance user engagement and satisfaction. Example: A travel website might create a quiz titled “Find Your Ideal Vacation Spot,” engaging users and guiding them to relevant destination pages based on their preferences.

Actionable CTAs and Next Steps

Tip: Conclude content with clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs) that align with user intent. Guide users to take the next steps, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or seeking further information. Example: A software company, after explaining a product’s features, includes a CTA like “Start Your Free Trial Today” to cater to users in the decision-making stage.

Analyzing Conversion Data

Learn how to leverage conversion data for continuous improvement. Understand the role of analytics in assessing the effectiveness of your keyword strategy and making data-driven adjustments.

Conversion Funnel Analysis

Tip: Break down your conversion funnel into stages (awareness, consideration, decision). Analyze which keywords contribute to each stage and optimize accordingly. Example: An e-commerce site may find that the keyword “best budget laptops” attracts users in the consideration stage, while “buy [specific laptop model]” targets those ready to make a decision.

A/B Testing for Keywords

Tip: Conduct A/B testing on landing pages optimized for different keywords. Analyze conversion rates to determine which keywords resonate best with your audience. Example: A digital marketing agency might test two versions of a landing page, one optimized for “SEO services” and the other for “online marketing solutions,” to see which yields higher conversions.

Localized Keywords and Location-Based Intent

Recognize the impact of location-based intent on conversion rates. Explore the nuances of incorporating localized keywords to cater to users searching for products or services in specific geographic areas.

Geo-Targeted Content Creation

Tip: Tailor content to specific locations by incorporating localized keywords. Highlight local aspects, events, or services to attract users searching within a particular geographic area. Example: A restaurant could optimize for “best Italian restaurant in [city]” to capture users looking for dining options in a specific location.

Google Business Profile Optimization

Tip: Optimize your Google My Business listing with accurate location information, business hours, and customer reviews. This enhances visibility for local searches and improves trust among potential customers. Example: A local bakery ensures its Google My Business profile includes updated information, enticing photos, and positive customer reviews to attract nearby customers.

Optimizing for Voice Search and Conversational Intent

Conclude with insights into the rising trend of voice search. Explore strategies for optimizing your keyword research to align with conversational queries, providing a seamless experience for users and enhancing conversion rates.

Natural Language Integration

Tip: Optimize content for natural language queries by incorporating conversational phrases and question formats. This aligns with how users express themselves in voice searches. Example: An online encyclopedia may optimize for voice search by structuring content to answer questions like “What is the history of [topic]?” in a conversational tone.

Featured Snippet Optimization for Voice

Tip: Focus on creating content that’s likely to be featured in voice search responses. Craft concise answers to common questions related to your industry or niche. Example: A travel agency aiming for voice search visibility ensures its content provides succinct and informative answers to queries like “What are the top tourist attractions in [destination]?”

Incorporating user intent into keyword research is a strategic imperative for businesses aiming to boost conversion rates. By understanding the motives behind user searches, tailoring your content accordingly, and staying adaptable to evolving trends, you can create a more compelling online presence that converts casual visitors into engaged customers.

Unlock unparalleled visibility and drive more traffic to your business. Our expert SEO Services team is ready to boost your rankings, enhance user experience, and amplify your online success. Message us now to discuss personalized SEO strategies tailored to your business needs!

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What is search intent and why is it important for SEO?

SEO is a way to get more traffic to your website. By ranking high on Google, you attract more people to your site which leads to more sales and returning visitors. To get people to your site, you need to optimize your content for the right words . However, to increase your chances of ranking, convincing people to buy your stuff, subscribing to your newsletter, or even coming back to your website, you should take search intent into account. In this post, we’ll tell you what search intent is and how you can optimize your content for search intent.

What is search intent?

Search intent (or user intent, audience intent) is the term used to describe the purpose of an online search. It’s the reason why someone conducts a specific search. After all, everyone who does an online search is hoping to find something. But is someone looking for an answer to a question they have? Are they looking to visit a specific website? Or, are they searching online because they want to buy something? Many of these types of searches are part of the user journey online, but oftentimes they represent different stages.

Over the years, Google has worked hard to improve its algorithm to be able to determine people’s search intent. Google wants to rank pages that best fit the search term someone is using, as well as the search intent behind the search query. That’s why you need to make sure that your post or page fits the search intent of your audience.

4 types of search intent

There are a few distinct types of search intent. We’ll go into the four most commonly used ones:

1. Informational intent

Let’s start with informational intent. Lots of searches on the internet are done by people looking for information. This could be information about the weather, about educating children, about SEO, you name it. People with an informational intent have a specific question or want to know more about a certain topic.

You should know that Google’s understanding of intent goes much further than simply showing results that give information about a specific term. It knows, for instance, that people looking for [tomato sauce] are most likely looking for recipes, not for the sauce’s culinary history. It understands that most people typing in [Mercury] are looking for the planet, not the element. Google even understands that for some search terms, like [how to build a bird feeder], it’s handy to include videos and images.

2. Navigational intent

The second type of search intent is called navigational intent. People with this intent want to visit a specific website. For example, people who search for [Facebook] online are usually on their way to the Facebook website. So you want to make sure that your website can be found when someone searches for your company’s name online.

Keep in mind that ranking high for a navigational term is mainly beneficial if your site is the site people are looking for. A few years ago, we had a Google Analytics plugin and we ranked pretty well for the term [Google Analytics]. But that didn’t drive any traffic to our site. People searching for [Google Analytics] specifically were looking for the Google Analytics website and were often not interested in our plugin.

3. Transactional intent

The third type of search intent is transactional intent. Lots of people buy stuff online and browse the web to find the best purchase. People are searching with transactional intent when their purpose is to buy something at that moment. Often that means that they already know exactly what they want to buy and just want to get to that product page right away.

4. Commercial investigation

Some people have the intention to buy in the (near) future and use the web to do their research. What washing machine would be best? Which SEO plugin is the most helpful? These people also have transactional intent but need some more time and convincing. These types of search intents are usually called commercial investigating intents.

Keyword intent

The words people use in their search queries give us insight into user intent. This also works the other way around. By formulating keywords with intent-specific words you can increase your chances of being seen by people with matching search intent.

What do we mean by intent-specific words? Well, keywords with transactional intent will often contain words like:

• product names

To give another example, informational searches can (but don’t necessarily have to) contain words like:

• information
• best way to

How to optimize your content for search intent

Why are we telling you this? Because you want to make sure that a landing page fits the search intent of your audience. If people are looking for information, you don’t want to show them a product page. At least, not immediately. You’ll probably scare them away. But if someone wants to buy your product and lands on one of your lengthier blog posts, you might lose them. In this case, you want to lead them to your shop and the right product page.

Optimizing your product pages for commercially driven keywords is a good idea. For instance, if you sell dog vitamins, you could optimize a product (category) page for the search term [buy dog vitamins]. Perhaps you also have an article about administering vitamins. You could optimize that article for the search term [how to give vitamins to my dog] and aim it at people with informational intent.

Research your audience’s search intent

Sometimes it can be quite hard to determine the search intent of a query. And perhaps different users that use the same search term will have a (slightly) different user intent. Luckily, there is a direct source to look at if you want to know which intent fits your keywords best: the search results pages. Find out how you can use the results pages to create great content that’s intent-based .

If you want to know more about the search intent of your audience, another way is to ask them. You could make a short survey , containing questions about what people are searching for and make that survey pop up when people visit your website. That’ll probably give you some valuable insights into your audience and their intent. Do make sure not to be too intrusive with these kinds of pop ups as this can hurt the user experience on your website.

It’s crucial to ensure that the content you’re writing fits both the terms people are searching for, as well as the search intent of your audience. Make sure your post or page is informational when people are looking for information. Be the first result when someone searches for your company name. Provide content that helps people make an informed decision when they’re still investigating their options. But lead people to your sales pages if they are looking to buy one of your products.

Read more: Keyword research: the ultimate guide »

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Marieke was Head of Strategy and former CEO at Yoast. During her time at our company she wrote a lot. Topics that she loves writing about include SEO copywriting, site structure and readability.

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How To Identify & Best Optimize for User Search Intent. The Step by Step Guide

Why did the chicken cross the road? We’ll likely never find out. But if you type this into a search engine, I’m pretty sure I can predict what the top results might return. Not only because I’ve searched for this myself, but also because of something called search intent, which basically means that search engines are trying to give you what you want by first understanding (or guessing) what it is exactly that you want and – more importantly – why you want it. 

If you understand what your users want and what their intent is when they are searching for a specific query, half of the job for ranking on that keyword is done. Of course, there is still a lot of work to do (like knowing what are the 3 types of intent and what type of content to write for each type of keyword and search intent). The good news is that this article will let you know everything you need to know about search intent, from A to Z: from how to understand user intent to how to best optimize for it and rank to the top for the keywords that interest you most. 

• What Is Search Intent? 
• What Is User Intent in SEO?
• What Are the Types of Search Intent?
• How to Optimize for Each Type of Search Intent
• What Type of Content Do You Need to Create for Informational Queries?
• How to Create Relevant Content for the Informational Keyword Intent
• What Type of Content Do You Need for Navigational Queries?
• How to Create Relevant Content for the Navigational Keyword Intent
• What Type of Content Do You Need for Transactional Queries?
• How to Create Relevant Content for the Transactional Keyword Intent
• The Challenge of Matching Search Intent 
• What Type of Search Intent Should You Start Optimizing For

1. What Is Search Intent? 

Search intent or keyword intent is the reason why people conduct a specific search. Why are they searching? What are they trying to achieve through their search? Are they trying to figure out the answer to a question or do they want to reach a specific website? 

Over the years, Google has become more and more able to determine the search intent of people. The whole Google SERP now is trying to best fit the search intent and not the exact searched keyword. There are situations when the exact searched term is not even included in the Google search results page. And this happens because Google has become better and better at determining the search intent of people.

Google wants to rank high the pages that best fit the user’s search intent. And lately, it has managed to do that pretty well. 

Going back to the riddle from the beginning of the article, it’s true that we might not find out why did the chicken cross the road; yet, what we will find out (if you haven’t googled it already) is what this riddle is all about. And we’ll get videos about it and even a featured snippet explaining what’s all about. And this happens because the search engine understands my intent when searching for this query. 

2. What Is User Intent in SEO? 

User intent to SEO is like a moth to a flame. 

Putting it simple, if you want to rank high in Google, you have to offer content that best fits the users’ search intent. If you’re not able to do so, chances are that you’ll not be able to be on Google’s hall of fame, meaning its first page of search results. 

There are about 3.5 billion searches per day. And according to statistics , a searcher uses around 3 words in a search query.

Google has to figure out what exactly do they want, so it can offer them the search engine page results they need. And your job is to create content that is relevant to the Google users and matches their search intent.

3. What Are the Types of Search Intent?

Let’s say, for instance, that your search is related to sunglasses. Based on the keywords you use, the search engine might interpret your query as having different intents behind it:

• informational (if you search for “sunglasses polarized meaning”);
• navigational (if you search for the name of a particular brand of sunglasses);
• transactional (if you search for “cheap sunglasses” or “buy sunglasses”);

If you’re wondering which search intent is the most popular, you need to know that  studies  showed that more than 80% of the total search intents are informational, 20% being almost equally split between navigational and transactional. 

The concept of search intent was first coded way back in 2002 by Andrei Broder , and consisted of the first 3 categories illustrated above. These 3 categories also seem to be matching Google’s quality guidelines on understanding different types of queries. They call them:

• Know (informational),
• Do (transactional),
• Go (navigational).

By now you might be thinking: OK; that’s great. But how will I recognize a type of search intent when I see it? 

In the following lines, I’ll highlight the characteristics of each type of search intent so you can better understand them.

Wouldn’t be great if there was a tool that automatically classifies the search intent for you?

Did you know?   The Content Optimizer & Keyword Tool  from cognitiveSEO automatically classifies the search intent for you.  You just need to type in the keyword you are interested in optimizing for, and the tool does most of the job for you. The tool performs keyword research, it will tell you what is the user search intent, how popular is that keyword, how difficult it is to rank on it, and cream of the crop: what it takes to rank on that keyword, meaning, what are the exact keywords and links that boosted that page in the top of the search results.   

4. How to Optimize for Each Type of Search Intent

Even if most of the searches have an informational intent, we believe that all three categories of search intent need your attention as they can be seen as a cycle in the buyer’s decision and not individual searches. And that’s why it’s very important to understand how to tackle each type of internet search and how to best optimize your content for them.

5. Why & How to Optimize for Informational Search Intent 

Informational search queries are queries that cover a broad topic for which there may be thousands of relevant results: how tall Jennifer Aniston is, how to peel a pomegranate, steps to apply mascara, etc. Aside from these questions, the main question is how to make your website stand out and respond to the user’s need.

You might say that informational queries are hard to monetize so, what’s the point in optimizing for them?

While that remains true, optimizing for them is totally worth it. Google has a “special treatment” for these types of queries: Featured Snippets (also known as answer boxes, knowledge graphs or Google direct answers). If you’re searching for something like “how many calories does an apple have”, you’ll get a direct answer, highlighted within a box, just like in the examples below. We did a really cool research on answer boxes a while ago; you should check it out. 

Being on the Google’s answer box will do you a big favor, making you appear on Google’s first page not once, but twice.

So it’s not just showing up in the results, it’s showing up in the answer box, which has a different status in the mind of the searcher. For more info on answer boxes, you can check out this research we performed some time ago. 

Now that we hope we’ve convinced you of the importance of optimizing for informational search queries, here are some tips on how to do it. 

Most of the time, informational search queries contain question words like: 

• What are the benefits of
• How do/does

This means that your content has to answer these questions, requirements the searcher has. The question remains: how should your content look like to make sure your content is optimized for these type of search queries?

5.1 What Type of Content Do You Need to Create for Informational Queries?

The users want to “know” something so they will use words that will help them learn more about a topic.  

The “formula” you should target is informational query + your industry term.

Let’s take the sunglasses niche for instance; in this case, you might want to optimize for “what are the benefits of sunglasses” or “how to clean sunglasses”. You have the informational query (what are, how to, what is, etc) + your industry term (in our case, sunglasses).

Below you can see a screenshot on how the Google SERP looks like for the “what are the benefits of sunglasses” query. As you can see, the very first result, on position zero is a direct answer with a list of benefits wearing sunglasses have. That piece of content responds directly to the user search intent; as you can see in the screenshot below, on the right side there is the website. Its content is simple, yet it responds perfectly to the user’s need. 

You need to create content that meets the user’s need and will also rank high on Google. 

The most effective content types for informational search intent should include:

• blog posts with tips, lists
• how-to videos
• infographics
• step by step guides

Your main goal should be to create high-quality content that is useful and provides helpful information relevant to the query. Keep in mind that the users want hands-on info and direct answers. And through the content you create you can both meet your users’ needs plus drive traffic and leads to your site. To have added value, create content optimized for search intent.

5.2 How to Create Relevant Content for the Informational Keyword Intent

Step 1. Perform a quick Google SERP analysis

Every keyword research or content optimization process should start with a SERP analysis together with competitor analysis. The Ranking Analysis from the Content Optimizer Tool gives you tons of insights related to the analyzed keyword. Quick and easy, you get to know the search volumes, what type of content ranks on that keyword, how difficult it is to rank on that query (by following keyword difficulty), as well as how popular that keyword is among searchers. Also, the tool lets you know the exact keywords and links that boosted that page in the top Google results to easily optimize your content. 

Step 2. Create relevant & optimized content 

Remember when I told you that the Content Optimizer does most of the job for you? I know I’m biased and I don’t want to praise the tool too much, but the reality is that it does most of the job for you. Once you performed the ranking analysis, what you need to do is start writing a new piece of content or optimize the existing one and the Content Assistant will let you know the exact keywords you need to use so your content will be relevant for the informational search intent. 

Step 3. Get new keywords & rankings opportunities

You can also use the cognitiveSEO Content Optimizer to discover other queries that your users might be interested in. Searchers have more than one question when it comes to products from your business. Take the opportunity and offer them relevant content for most of their questions. You can use the same Content Optimizer for this task. The tool has two sections that will automatically let you know what other questions are related to your search query:

The Keyword Explorer  – this section is great for keyword analysis and discovering new keyword opportunities. It also gives you the possibility of seeing only the question suggestions. Get inspired by the list of questions, check out the relevancy of the question, its volume, CPC (cost per click), and choose the one that is the most suitable and profitable.  

The People Also Ask section – the Content Assistant will let you know the exact keywords you should use in your content, what are people searching, but it will also offer you a set of questions that relate to your original search query. You should consider answering these questions in your content or create new content starting from these questions. 

By being a topical authority in your niche, you’ll boost not only your brand awareness but your ranks as well. As mentioned above, back in 2007, which we know is a lot of time in the years of the Internet, a very interesting study suggested that from a total of one million analyzed queries, 80% were informational. That’s an impressive percentage. And even if time has passed by and user’s search queries types might have changed, it is clear that the informational search is the most common type of search. 

6. How to Optimize for Navigational Search Intent 

With a navigational query, the user is looking to reach a particular website or product/service that they already know about. In this case, there is probably only one likely website that they’re looking to reach. 

Most likely the user is searching for brand terms or names of products or services already known: facebook login, amazon, adidas, etc. You might be thinking why is this a search and why isn’t the user accessing the website directly? One reason could be that the user doesn’t know the exact brand or because it’s easier to type “youtube” within the search bar, instead of typing the whole URL. 

For the cases when the user is not accessing the URL directly, you need to know that navigational search queries include: 

• Service/Product name
• Brand Login 
• Location of
• Directions to
• Testimonials

Once again, you might be thinking what’s the point in optimizing for these types of queries since the user knows exactly what they’re searching for and Google will list the brand name searched by the user to the very top of the SERP.

While it’s true that you don’t stand much of a chance targeting a navigational query (unless you happen to own the site that the person is looking for), there might be some room for optimizing for navigational queries. 

6.1 What Type of Content Do You Need for Navigational Queries?

The “formula” you should target is your own brand name or navigational search query + brand name. 

for example: Ray Ban Sunglasses, Ray Ban Sunglasses Presentation Video, etc. 

To make sure you meet your user’s needs, these types of content should be suitable when it comes to navigational search intent: 

• Clear landing pages and online forms
• Product demo videos 
• Case studies
• Presentation pages
• Product and service lists
• or any type of content that relates to your navigational keywords

Let’s take the search “brand mentions”, for instance. As the Content Optimizer already tells us, this is a navigational query, as the user might want to access brandmentions.com. Yet, as you can see in the search results, there are many other pages that are ranking well for this query by targeting “brand mentions” as a topic users might want to find more about. 

Just by taking a look at the SERP analysis you can easily understand how the whole picture look like for this query. And while you won’t be able to overthrow the main brand ranking for its brand name, you might find yourself a place on the first page. 

Another important aspect here: make sure you own your own brand’s navigational query. Although it sounds surreal, there might be situations where the brand itself is not ranking first for their navigational query. Also, make sure you optimize for all “versions” of your brand (different spelling, common typos, brand name adjustments in different countries, etc.) 

Furthermore, we mentioned above that the search intent types must be seen more as a cycle than an individual search. And here’s what we’re talking about: remaining in the sunglasses area, if someone, by searching “how to clean sunglasses” found a specific product that helps with the cleaning (let’s say Windex), most likely they will search for Windex.

Therefore, it may happen that an informational search will be followed by a navigational one. 

6.2 How to Create Relevant Content for the Navigational Keyword Intent

As mentioned before, as you might say that you don’t stand much of a chance targeting a navigational query (unless you happen to own the site that the person is looking for), there is still room for improvement. Therefore, we recommend you to follow these steps to create relevant and optimize content. (the steps are elaborated above). 

7. How to Optimize for Transactional Search Intent 

With a transactional search query the users are looking to buy a product; are connected to commercial intents. This is a query that indicates an intent to complete a transaction, such as making a purchase, finding a place to make a purchase, or completing a task. For example: iphone x, where to buy Saeco coffee machine, Metallica tickets for sale, etc. 

To get to pages where they can make a purchase, searchers use buyer or transactional intent keywords that can include: 

• Where to buy
• Schedule appointment

7.1 What Type of Content Do You Need for Transactional Queries?

As these are exactly the kind of queries that are mostly likely to deliver ROI in search (organic or paid), you need to know what type of content you should write for transactional search queries. 

The formula you should target should be: transactional keywords + brand/product/service name/industry terms. 

for example: discount ray ban sunglasses or where to buy ray ban sunglasses. 

You can easily target transactional queries with many types of optimized content or even blog posts or pages optimized for local SEO.

We recommend you should consider optimizing these types of content for your transactional queries: 

• Product pages
• Pricing pages
• Sign up pages
• Appointments pages
• Free consultations
• Sales pages

Now more than ever, Google is focused on offering a personalized experience for each user and their search intent, thus local optimization plays a crucial part in the play. When it comes to transactional search intent, you might want to keep in mind that local optimization is highly important. People are looking for places to buy things, they want to schedule appointments so being there, in the top results when they are searching for suck queries is what interest you. 

Therefore, try optimizing as well at a local level. The same Content Optimizer can be used for precise locations so choose the exact location you want to rank on, and see what it takes to rank be in top Google results.

Of course, offering relevant & optimized content at a local level is just one of the strategies when it comes to transactional search intents. Perform SERP analysis and check what your competitors are doing. See what it take to rank on the top and understand the user’s need. 

7.2 How to Create Relevant Content for the Transactional Keyword Intent

keep in mind that In this stage of user intent – transactional search queries – the user is ready to buy, is ready to take action. And most of the search results that show up with this query are from online stores that are selling the product the consumer wants to buy. Make sure that your existing content supports user intent. What you will need here will be product pages. Analyze your competitors, see what it took for them to rank and follow the three steps of creating relevant content for the transactional keyword intent . 

8. The Challenge of Matching Search Intent 

It’s important to keep in mind that search intent is not static. Think about searching for “amazon” – 9 times out of 10, this will probably be navigational, but during the past week or two, quite a few of the searches may have been informational, an effort to better understand news snippets or social media posts about wildfires in the Amazonian forest.

SERP answer boxes also seem tailored to the intent – you might get a definition for an informational query and a list of shopping pages for a transactional query. If there is a “people have also asked” section on display, it will make it even clearer how Google, for instance, interprets the intent for a particular keyword.

Some keywords tend to be associated more consistently with a given intent than others.

It’s likely that “facebook”, for instance, will always be associated with the social network and, on its own, will always have a mainly navigational intent behind it. Other keywords, however, tend not to be consistently associated with a singular intent. This can be exactly the kind of opportunity that might appeal to someone who is working in the SEO industry.

If the keywords you want to rank for have clear and consistent intent behind them, you can tailor your content format and structure to be the best possible match for that intent. 

A search for “how to make tiramisu” already has the clue in the title – it’s likely going to be a “how to” type of article that’s going to draw attention and given the context, a blog is probably the best type of page to host this content. On the other hand, with a search like “iphone 10 vs samsung galaxy 10”, you would fully expect for the first page of results to be filled with comparative review type pages from specialized review websites.

But aside from the format and structure of the page holding the content, there might also be an “angle” to it, which is similar to the USP (unique selling proposition) in marketing.

You might be looking for how to make tiramisu, but wouldn’t you prefer to know how to make the best one? or the most original one? Sure, you’re looking for headphones, but are you interested in the best quality headphones or the cheapest headphones? And the list goes on.

When it comes to format and structure, you want to go with the flow and do what everybody else does, because that is what has been proven to get results (search results, to be more exact). However, when it comes to the angle, that’s your time to be original. Format and structure land you on the front page. Angle can influence which position in the rankings you’ll show at.

9. What Type of Search Intent Should You Start Optimizing For

People are no longer only following a linear path from awareness to consideration to purchase. Google revamped this mental model, adding the Zero Moment of Truth ( ZMOT ) which takes account of the fact that purchasing decisions are now heavily led by self-directed online research. To optimize for search intent, we need to look for what customers are trying to achieve.

Know which rules to follow and which to break.

Search intent should dictate the type of content you create.

If the keyword has informational intent, write a blog post. If it has transactional intent, create a product page. Google rankings aren’t static. They fluctuate and change over time.

Given that you’re relying on the nature of the current top-ranking pages to infer search intent, that can be a problem. Reason being, what you’re actually doing is judging search intent based on a single snapshot in time.

If you were to analyze the top-ranking pages next month, or the month after, your understanding of search intent may be different. For that reason, it also pays to constantly check your targeted keywords and constantly update your content to make it as relevant as possible. 

Understanding search intent and adapting to it can yield numerous benefits. To mention just a few:

• It can reduce your bounce rates

Only the people who are interested in what you’re offering are going to land on your pages – and stay for more.This, however, does not mean reduced visits; on the contrary, you are more likely to show up further up in the rankings when there is a consistent match between the demand (the need for the searches) and the offer; You are also likely to get a wider audience, as Google often finds matches between related types of queries, so ranking high for a series of keywords will likely open up new possibilities for related ones.

• Understand what you are offering and how it matches with the intent of the users  

Firstly, you need to figure out what your page stands for – is it mostly informational or transactional? If you want both, you might have to use different formats (website and blog) and very different structuring for your posts. You should also consider how to best link the two so that, on the one hand, it’s easy to slide from one into the other, but on the other hand, Google doesn’t think you’re trying to pull a fast one on the users and offer them transactional content when all they wanted was informational content.

• Use this knowledge to look for opportunities & niches

Do research on keywords and how they are associated with intent. Try to see if the keywords you’re interested in have stable or fluctuating intent associated with them. Get really familiar with the vocabulary for a particular intent, whether it’s informational, transactional or investigative. See what other keywords might be associated with not only the same query but also the same intent. Try to identify competitor gaps, and create content that fills in those gaps. Be aware that intent can be both active and passive and it is a lot more difficult to predict passive intent. A search might not include any of the traditional words related to buying or pricing, but still hide a transactional need.

Behind every Google search, there is an intention. If you want your business to be discovered by users on the web, you need to figure out that intention. And if you find it hard to figure it out, no worries as this is why tools like the Content Optimizer exist on the market, to help you increase what matter most for your business: traffic and therefore, sales.

4 Comments.

Interesting stuff to read.

This was very informative and educational for me, this year we did a large investment of our time on informational intent content. We’re trying to switch things around a bit.

Search intent is super important for all SEO and content marketers to understand. It needs to be front and center when doing keyword research and developing content strategy.

After going over a handful of the blog articles on your website, I truly appreciate your technique of writing a blog. I bookmarked it to my bookmark webpage list and will be checking back in the near future.

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Why Your Keyword Strategy Is Incomplete Without User Intent

Updated: July 03, 2013

Published: April 10, 2013

'User intent' is a concept that’s known to most SEO professionals, but unfortunately, used by too few. I say unfortunately , because it’s the key to improving the very foundation of SEO campaigns, while driving content strategies that yield better conversion rates, clicks, leads, and sales.

User Intent: The Art of Detecting and Fulfilling a Need

In the commercial space, user intent has enormous value. But since it’s not immediately tangible in cyberspace, many SEOs don’t bother with it. However, user intent is one of the most important metrics that should inform the direction of your content strategy .

If you think about it, at the heart of every search on Google, there’s some kind of intention. A user wants answers, resources, information, reviews of a product, and much more. Content that is crafted to meet this expectation will connect with the user immediately. Content that makes only a passing reference to what the user is looking for, on the other hand, is much less likely to connect.

Understanding and measuring user intent is not just a way to increase conversions, trust, or clickthroughs; it’s also a consideration you need to make to get better at SEO and provide more value to your visitors. As is often the case with things like this, in the long run, it also helps to establish your brand as a trustworthy and reliable source of content your audience can rely on.

In this post, let's discuss several reasons why user intent is so valuable for SEO, and talk about the ways you can start evaluating user intent to inform your keyword research and content strategy.

1) User Intent Tells You What Users Are Looking For

When you begin to focus on user intent, you’re going to be looking at live examples of searches that people type into search engines like Google every day. This isn't just an indication of which keywords are being used; it's also about how they’re tied to questions or queries in Google.

For example, “iPhone cases under $20” and “iPhone case reviews” are two popular keywords. But “iPhone case reviews” only tells you that users are looking for reviews of any iPhone case. It isn’t particularly clear what type of a case the user is looking for. Generic content will be sufficient here, without too much focus on a particular type of case.

On the other hand, “iPhone cases under $20” is much more specific: you instantly know what the user’s intention is. He or she is looking for iPhone cases (obviously) that also happen to be inexpensive -- in this case, less than $20. Knowing this, you might want to create content designed around iPhone cases that fit this price point.

When evaluating user intent, look beyond popular search terms, and start looking more directly at what people are searching for. There are a number of ways to do this, but I recommend using a tool like the Keywords tool in the HubSpot software, or Google’s AdWords Keyword Tool .

It’s also important to note here that your content should be aligned with your business, industry, and ultimately, the products and services your company actually offers. So, if your company only sells accessories for Android devices, you probably shouldn't be creating content about iPhone cases that cost less than $20, no matter how high the search volume for that term is. This is misleading, confusing, and is can damage your brand image. 

One of the best ways to learn about user intent as it relates to your particular audience -- and the people who are actually visiting your site -- is to look at your own marketing analytics . Using a keyword analytics tool like HubSpot's, investigate which keywords that are being used to find your website and, scanning through each one, search for elements of user intent. In doing so, you’ll learn about what your particular audience is lookingfor, and identify opportunities to create and deliver the types of content and resources they really want and need.

You can also use your own data to see if people are actually finding the resources they need once they arrive at your website. To do so, compare your organic search traffic keywords with the search terms people are using in your website’s own internal search tool. Do the search queries match up, or is there a discrepancy? Compare this data to identify information your audience is looking for but might not be readily available on your site. Understanding user intent begins with analyzing your data to see what your users are actually searching for -- both on and off your website.

2) User Intent Supplies Unique Keyword Suggestions

When conducting keyword research, many SEO professionals fail to capture high-value long-tail keywords with strong user intent. Why? Because when we’re guided by “keyword popularity,” we limit and reduce our ability to look beyond the shiny “search volume” count. When you shift your focus to “user intent,” you capture what users are actually inputting in the search field, and that means you’re thinking more like a user instead of an SEO.

For instance, it's no challenge to figure out that “how to get rid of bed bugs” is a very popular keyword. It’s got great search volume (33,100 local exact/month), and that’s where the average SEO professional ends their search for target keywords.

But what about the user who wants to figure out how to get of bed bugs without any help from a company? Or by using a pet-safe product? Or without having to purchase any new products at all? This user might search for “how to get rid of bed bugs without purchasing a product.” How’s that for user intent? Your article could even have that exact title and would probably yield a very high conversion rate, especially if you provide valuable, actionable advice that fits these parameters.

3) User Intent Highlights Clearer Demographics

In the world of mobile and local search , it’s often lucrative to cater to a particular demographic. Location-based keywords are clear indications of what the user seeks.

For instance, “cheap furniture in dallas” is a dead giveaway of user intent that is tagged with a location. This type of information makes it easy for you to design content, product positioning, marketing, and PR that’s aligned with this particular demographic information.

4) User Intent Helps You Craft Better Landing Pages and Increase Conversions

Optimizing landing pages with today’s SEO best practices in mind is a difficult, detail-oriented procedure that eats up a lot of time and resources. And the most important element of optimizing landing pages is conversion rate optimization.

When it comes to conversion rate optimization, there are plenty of variables that can be tested and optimized over time, but understanding user intent is also an extremely useful way to make your landing pages work harder for you. In other words, if you understand what the user wants, you can design your landing page to accommodate these very needs.

For example, think back to our example of the user who searched for “how to get rid of bed bugs without purchasing a product.” Let's say you're an exterminator, and you pulled together an ebook about various tricks and tactics for getting rid of bed bugs using things you already have lying around your house. The keyword-minded SEO professional would simply include that keyword phrase somewhere in the landing page copy and call it a day. But the user intent-focused SEO professional would craft copy that specifically highlights the fact that these tips require no purchase of a specific product. This could be done through page elements like bullet points, bolded text, a focused headline, or a relevant image.

5) User Intent Generates Better Overall Content Strategies

Content relevance, quality , and freshness have always been important for a successful SEO strategy. But if there’s one thing that matters above all else in an effective inbound marketing strategy, it’s creating content that appeals to the specific needs, interests, and problems of the audience(s) you're targeting. So when crafting your content strategy, start by figuring out what your target market is looking for. What are the long-tail keywords they are searching for, and what information can you glean from this? How can you craft your content strategy as a result of this information? Leverage what you know about user intent to strengthen your buyer personas so you can create content that is even more appealing to your target audience. 

Creating an effective content strategy isn’t especially hard; it’s just that there’s a lot of work involved. But content strategies based on user intent are much easier to create and implement because the focus becomes sharper and a need is identified -- and thus, able to be fulfilled.

User Intent Emphasizes the Shift Toward User Experience Over SEO 

While the concept of user intent is nothing new, it's starting to gain traction as a key focus metric for SEO professionals. With the rollout of Google’s algorithm updates like Panda and Penguin, SEOs are starting to understand the importance of optimizing for the user experience rather than focusing solely on search engines.

Remember: Understanding user intent involves truly getting into the minds of the searcher to understand what their needs are, and developing a content strategy that fulfills those needs. And by fulfilling these needs, an increase in clickthrough rates, traffic, conversion rates, leads, and sales is sure to follow.

Are you implementing user intent research into your keyword and content strategy? If so, have you seen positive results? Let us know in the comments!

This is a guest post written by Jayson DeMers. Jason is the founder and CEO of AudienceBloom, a Seattle-based SEO agency, as well as Crackerize.com , a lyrics-humor website. You can contact him on LinkedIn , Google+ , or Twitter . 

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Mastering Keyword Research in 2024: Semantic Search and User Intent

Keyword research in a semantic search world: understanding user intent and context in 2024.

Keyword research has been the cornerstone of SEO for as long as search engines have existed. However, the way search engines interpret and respond to keywords has evolved significantly. Today, it’s not just about identifying a list of high-volume keywords; it’s about understanding the context and the intent behind those keywords. In this ever-evolving landscape of SEO, mastering the art of keyword research is crucial, particularly when semantic search and user intent are reshaping the very fabric of how search engines operate. In this section, we will delve into the tools and techniques for advanced keyword research in 2024, as well as the importance of LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords in today’s semantic search environment.

Understanding User Intent and Context

Search engines like Google have come a long way from their early days of simple keyword matching. Today, they employ complex algorithms that use machine learning and natural language processing to understand not just the keywords you input, but also the context and intent behind them. This shift has made understanding user intent more important than ever for effective SEO.

Why the Change?

Google’s algorithm updates like RankBrain and BERT have been engineered to understand the nuances of human language and provide more relevant search results. The algorithm now considers synonyms, the context in which a word is used, and even the probable intent behind a query before displaying results.

Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing

Google now employs machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) technologies that help it understand the semantics of a sentence, allowing for more nuanced search results. Machine learning algorithms continually adapt and get better at interpreting user intent, while NLP helps Google understand the meaning of words in context. For instance, the word “apple” could refer to the fruit or the tech company, and NLP helps the search engine make that distinction based on the surrounding content or query.

What Does This Mean for Small Businesses?

For small businesses, understanding this change is crucial. It’s no longer sufficient to simply find keywords related to your business and insert them into your content. Now you need to understand what your potential customers are trying to achieve with their queries. Are they looking to buy a product, find information, or seek a particular service? Tools like AnswerThePublic can provide valuable insights into common questions and prepositions related to your keywords.

Practical Tips for Understanding User Intent

• Identify Different Types of Intent : Most search queries can be categorized into informational, navigational, transactional, or commercial investigation. Understand what each type of intent means and how it relates to your business.
• Use Google’s “People also ask” Feature : This can give you insights into related questions that people are asking, helping you understand the breadth of a user’s intent.
• Leverage Analytics : Platforms like Google Analytics can provide you with valuable data on the keywords that are driving traffic to your website. You can analyze this data to infer what users are interested in and what they are looking to do.
• Customer Surveys and Feedback : Don’t underestimate the value of direct feedback. Customer surveys can offer priceless insights into what your audience needs and wants.

By delving deep into user intent and context, you not only make your SEO strategy more robust but also offer a more valuable experience to your users, thus increasing the likelihood of conversions.

Ready to move on? In our next section, we’ll discuss tools and techniques for advanced keyword research in the context of these new developments in search technology. Stay tuned!

In the changing landscape of SEO, small businesses must adapt by developing a deeper understanding of user intent. It’s not just about identifying which keywords are driving traffic to your website; it’s about understanding the problems your audience is trying to solve and the questions they’re seeking answers to. The significance of this cannot be overstated, as it directly influences the quality of traffic and, ultimately, the conversion rates for your business.

Customer Surveys

One of the most direct ways to understand user intent is to ask your customers what they were looking for when they found your site. Tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms can help you create simple, yet effective, surveys to gain insights into customer needs and intentions.

Adding a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section to your website can serve a dual purpose: it answers common questions for customers, and it gives you insights into what those common questions are. You can use these insights to inform your keyword strategy. Check out this guide on how to create an SEO-friendly FAQ page.

Social Listening

Platforms like Hootsuite and Mention allow you to monitor mentions of your brand, products, or services on social media and other online platforms. This can provide a wealth of information about what people are saying about your industry and what aspects they find most important.

Direct Customer Interviews

Don’t overlook the value of one-on-one conversations with your customers. Conducting direct customer interviews gives you qualitative data that can enrich your understanding of user intent. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to conduct effective customer interviews.

Tools for Understanding Intent

Utilize SEO tools that specialize in understanding user intent. For example, Clearscope can help you identify the types of content that are most commonly associated with your target keywords, helping you to align your content creation with user intent.

By integrating these strategies, you are not just optimizing for search engines but also for the actual users behind each query. And when your SEO efforts meet user needs more effectively, it leads to higher engagement, better conversion rates, and a more successful business overall.

So, as you can see, understanding user intent is an integral part of modern SEO strategy. It’s crucial for small businesses aiming to establish themselves in a highly competitive market. Armed with this understanding, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the complex and ever-changing terrain of SEO.

Tools and Techniques for Advanced Keyword Research in 2024

The digital age has brought with it an array of tools designed to streamline the SEO process, especially when it comes to keyword research. Small businesses must take advantage of these sophisticated tools to stay ahead of the competition.

Recommended Tools

• SEMrush : Known for its Keyword Magic Tool , SEMrush not only provides keyword suggestions but also offers metrics on keyword difficulty and SERP features. It’s an excellent resource for both novice and expert SEO strategists.
• Ahrefs : This tool is well-regarded for its Keyword Explorer feature , which offers detailed information on keyword difficulty, search volume, and even click metrics.
• AnswerThePublic : This unique tool offers a different approach to keyword research. AnswerThePublic generates questions, prepositions, and comparisons that people are searching for around your keywords. It’s an excellent resource for understanding user intent.

Advanced Techniques

• Topic Clusters : Instead of focusing on individual keywords, consider identifying a broader topic and then pinpointing specific sub-topics or keywords that fall under that umbrella. HubSpot has a comprehensive guide on topic clusters to help you understand and implement this technique.
• Competitive Analysis : Leverage tools like SpyFu or BuzzSumo to examine which keywords your competitors are ranking for. Aim to compete on those while also identifying gaps that you can fill.
• Long-Tail Keywords : These are longer, more specific phrases that visitors are more likely to use when they’re closer to making a purchase or finding the information they need. Neil Patel offers an insightful article on the importance of long-tail keywords .

By utilizing these advanced tools and techniques, you can elevate your keyword research strategy to better align with the algorithms and user behaviors that dominate in 2024. Gone are the days when a handful of basic keywords could carry your SEO strategy. In today’s complex search landscape, a more nuanced and strategic approach is required.

LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) Keywords and Their Significance for Small Businesses

Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) might sound like a complex term better suited for a tech wizard, but it’s actually a concept that small business owners can easily understand and implement to significantly improve their SEO. Simply put, LSI keywords are words and phrases that are semantically related to your main keyword. They help search engines understand the context and content of your web page.

Why Are LSI Keywords Important?

For one, they provide a more holistic view of your content, which is increasingly significant as search algorithms become more advanced. This is particularly crucial for small business owners who can’t afford to be lost in the deluge of bigger names in search results. Search Engine Journal has an in-depth explanation of why LSI keywords are important, especially for SEO.

How to Find LSI Keywords

Finding LSI keywords isn’t as daunting as you might think. Tools like LSI Graph can help you generate a list of LSI keywords related to your primary keyword. If you’re using Google’s Keyword Planner, even a quick glance at the bottom of a search results page for your primary keyword will display phrases that Google considers to be semantically similar.

Implementing LSI Keywords

Incorporate these LSI keywords naturally into your content, meta descriptions, titles, and even ALT text for images. This not only enriches your content but also increases its visibility and relevance. For a small business, this could mean the difference between being on the first page of search results versus being buried on the third or fourth.

Measuring Impact

After implementing LSI keywords, it’s crucial to measure their impact. Tools like Google Analytics can help you track keyword performance, providing actionable insights for future content.

Real-World Examples

Real-world example: lsi keywords for a local bakery.

To understand the concept of LSI keywords better, let’s consider you own a small bakery in Chicago. Your main keyword might be “Chicago bakery.” LSI keywords are terms and phrases that are contextually related to this main keyword. They will help search engines better understand the content on your website, and they give you more opportunities to attract organic traffic.

Here’s how you could visualize this using a table:

Real-World Example: LSI Keywords for a Local Pet Grooming Service

If you’re running a pet grooming service in New York City, you’ll want to attract local pet owners looking for your specific services. Your main keyword might be “Pet grooming in NYC.” To provide context and depth to your content, you’ll want to incorporate LSI keywords that are closely related to your main keyword.

Here’s a table that outlines this:

Real-World Example: LSI Keywords for a Local Coffee Shop

Imagine you own a coffee shop in San Francisco, and you’re aiming to attract locals and tourists alike. Your primary keyword might be “Coffee Shop in San Francisco.” To build upon this and optimize for search engines effectively, you’ll want to use LSI keywords that relate to your main keyword.

Here’s a table illustrating how you could approach this:

Let’s say you operate a pet grooming service in Boston. Your primary keyword could be “Pet Grooming in Boston.” To support this keyword and enhance your SEO efforts, it’s beneficial to use LSI keywords relevant to your main keyword.

Here’s a table to illustrate the concept:

Real-World Example: LSI Keywords for a Local Organic Food Store

Imagine you run a small organic food store in Portland. Your primary keyword could be “Organic Food Store in Portland.” Incorporating LSI keywords can help your website rank better by giving search engines more context about your content. It also lets you capture a broader, yet specific, audience who are interested in what you have to offer.

Here’s a table to illustrate this idea:

Let’s say you own a pet grooming service in San Francisco. Your main keyword might be “Pet Grooming in San Francisco.” To broaden your reach and help search engines better understand the scope of your services, you could employ LSI keywords.

Here’s a table to help visualize this:

Real-World Example: LSI Keywords for a Local Organic Bakery

Imagine you own an organic bakery in Austin, Texas. Your main keyword might be “Organic Bakery in Austin.” Utilizing LSI keywords can help diversify your content and allow search engines to better understand your range of services.

Here’s a table to illustrate this:

Let’s say you run a pet grooming service in San Francisco. Your main keyword might be “Pet Grooming in San Francisco.” However, merely focusing on this keyword won’t cover the full range of services or customer needs you could address. Here is where LSI keywords come into play:

Suppose you own a small coffee shop in Austin, Texas. Your primary keyword might be “Coffee Shop in Austin.” To fully optimize your website and social media content, you can employ a variety of LSI keywords that encapsulate the broader experience and offerings at your coffee shop. Here’s a table that explains how:

Real-World Example: LSI Keywords for a Local Fitness Center

Imagine you own a local fitness center in Portland, Oregon, and your main keyword is “Fitness Center in Portland.” To fully leverage your SEO strategy, you can incorporate various LSI keywords that capture the unique services and offerings of your fitness center. Here’s how to do it:

Real-World Example: LSI Keywords for a Local Pet Store

Let’s say you own a local pet store in Austin, Texas, and your main keyword is “Pet Store in Austin.” You’d want to use various LSI keywords to reflect the wide range of products and services your store offers. This could help you reach customers looking for specific types of pet care items or services. Here’s a table to help visualize this:

Imagine you own a local coffee shop in Seattle, and you’re optimizing your website and content around the main keyword “Seattle Coffee Shop.” LSI keywords can help you capture various aspects of what potential customers might be searching for when it comes to coffee shops in Seattle. Below is a table to help you visualize how to use LSI keywords:

Suppose you own a pet grooming service in Austin, Texas. Your main keyword could be “Austin Pet Grooming.” To optimize your online presence, you’ll want to consider various LSI keywords that potential customers might use when searching for grooming services in Austin. Here’s a table to help you understand how to utilize LSI keywords:

Incorporating these LSI keywords into your website and marketing materials can help you reach people who are searching for very specific services or features beyond just “Austin Pet Grooming.” For instance, you could catch the attention of a cat owner looking for grooming services specifically for their feline friend, or someone interested in mobile grooming services.

Let’s say you own a small coffee shop in Brooklyn, New York. Your primary keyword could be “Brooklyn Coffee Shop.” To take advantage of LSI keywords, you would brainstorm or use keyword tools to find associated terms that potential customers may search for. Here’s a table to visualize the strategy:

Suppose you’re the owner of a local fitness center in Austin, Texas. Your primary keyword might be “Austin Fitness Center.” To optimize your content using LSI keywords, you could use a variety of tools or brainstorming sessions to find related terms that prospective clients may use in their search. Here’s how you could visualize this with a table:

Let’s say you own a small organic bakery in Portland, Oregon. Your main keyword might be “Portland Organic Bakery.” In order to optimize your online content for a wider but still relevant audience, you’d want to use LSI keywords. Below is a table that provides a visual example:

By weaving these LSI keywords into your website, promotional materials, and social media content, you can draw in customers with specific needs and preferences. For example, someone searching for “vegan bakery in Portland” is a potential customer you might not reach with your main keyword alone.

Suppose you run a pet grooming service in Austin, Texas. Your primary keyword might be “Austin Pet Grooming.” To reach a broader but relevant audience, you’d benefit from incorporating LSI keywords into your website and marketing materials. Here’s a table illustrating this:

Incorporating these LSI keywords into your website and other online platforms can help you capture a wider range of customer needs. For instance, a customer searching for “Organic pet grooming Austin” is looking for a specific service that your main keyword might not capture.

Real-World Example: LSI Keywords for a Local Organic Grocery Store

Let’s say you operate a local organic grocery store in Denver, Colorado. Your primary keyword could be “Organic Grocery Store Denver.” To make the most of your online presence, you should consider integrating LSI keywords into your website, blog posts, and even your social media content. Below is a table to help you understand this better:

Utilizing these LSI keywords across various digital touchpoints can help your organic grocery store appeal to a variety of customer needs. For example, a customer searching for “Vegan options in Denver” is likely to find your store if you’ve used this as an LSI keyword.

Real-World Example: LSI Keywords for a Local Yoga Studio

Imagine you’re the owner of a local yoga studio in Austin, Texas. Your primary keyword might be “Yoga Studio Austin.” To leverage the power of LSI keywords in your online marketing, you’d want to incorporate them into your website, blog articles, and social media posts. Here’s a table to illustrate this:

By using these LSI keywords, you could attract different segments of yoga enthusiasts—whether they’re beginners, interested in hot yoga, or looking for children’s yoga classes. A tool like SEMrush’s Keyword Magic Tool can help you find more LSI keywords, analyze their effectiveness, and monitor their performance.

By understanding the role and significance of LSI keywords, you’re already one step ahead in the competitive digital landscape. With search algorithms becoming more complex, it’s crucial for small businesses to stay updated on SEO best practices.

Why Are LSI Keywords Important for Small Businesses?

LSI keywords play a pivotal role in modern SEO strategies, and their significance is magnified for small businesses striving to stand out in a crowded digital marketplace. But why exactly are these semantically related keywords so vital?

• Contextual Relevance : LSI keywords provide context to your content, helping search engines understand what your web page is really about. For small businesses that may not have the domain authority of larger competitors, leveraging LSI keywords can boost the contextual relevance of your website, giving you a competitive edge. Moz offers an excellent guide on how LSI keywords work in the context of SEO.
• Reduced Bounce Rates : When people find what they’re actually looking for on your site (thanks to the context provided by LSI keywords), they are less likely to “bounce” back to the search results. Lower bounce rates are an indirect SEO ranking factor, beneficial for smaller businesses struggling for visibility. Neil Patel explains more about bounce rates here .
• Long-Tail SEO Opportunities : LSI keywords often represent long-tail search queries that are less competitive but highly targeted. For a small business, ranking for these specific queries can result in higher conversion rates. For instance, if you run a local bakery, instead of targeting the overly competitive keyword “fresh bread,” you can use LSI keywords like “organic sourdough bakery in [Your City]” to attract a more targeted audience.
• Improves Content Quality : Using a variety of LSI keywords naturally makes your content more comprehensive and informative. This is particularly beneficial for small business blogs or resource pages where the aim is to provide value to the reader, thereby establishing authority in your niche. This article on Search Engine Watch discusses this in detail .
• Adaptation to Voice Search : With the increasing popularity of voice-activated technologies like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, the way people search is changing. LSI keywords are often conversational phrases that people are likely to use in voice search. Incorporating these into your content can make your small business more visible in voice search results. Forbes has an insightful piece on optimizing for voice search .

For small businesses trying to carve a space in the digital world, understanding and implementing LSI keywords can be a game-changer. By focusing on these nuanced aspects of SEO, you are not only improving your chances of ranking higher but also providing more value to your visitors, thereby increasing the likelihood of conversions.

FAQ: Keyword Research in a Semantic Search World for Small Business Owners

For small business owners navigating the evolving landscape of SEO, questions are bound to arise. In this FAQ section, we address some of the most common queries related to keyword research in a semantic search world.

Semantic search refers to the ability of search engines to consider the context and intent behind a search query, rather than just focusing on the literal keywords. As a small business, understanding semantic search can help you create content that truly addresses the needs of your audience. Search Engine Journal provides a beginner-friendly explanation of semantic search.

Various tools can help you discover LSI keywords related to your main target keywords. Some popular ones include SEMrush , Ahrefs , and even Google’s ‘Searches related to’ section at the bottom of the search results page. These tools are often user-friendly and ideal for small business owners who may not be tech-savvy.

While they can overlap, they are not the same. LSI keywords are semantically related to your main keyword. Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific keyword phrases. As a small business, using a mix of both can optimize your site’s performance. This piece from Yoast explains the importance of long-tail keywords.

You can integrate LSI keywords naturally throughout your content, headers, meta descriptions, and even image alt text. The key is to use them in a way that enhances the quality and relevance of your content. Backlinko offers a practical guide on effectively using LSI keywords

SEO is a dynamic field. Search trends and algorithms change regularly. For a small business, it’s wise to revisit your keyword strategy at least once a quarter. This ensures you’re not wasting time on keywords that are no longer relevant or missing out on emerging opportunities. Here’s a guide by HubSpot that takes you through the process of periodic keyword research.

Understanding keyword research in the context of semantic search is essential for any small business looking to solidify its online presence. By diving deep into the questions above, and utilizing the recommended resources, you’re one step closer to becoming an SEO maven in 2024.

Stay tuned for our next section, where we delve into the intricacies of on-page optimization strategies tailored for small businesses. Don’t forget to view the entire guide SEO for Small Businesses 2024

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How To Determine Keyword Search Intent

QUICK SUMMARY:

Understanding keyword search intent is vital in SEO. It delves into why users enter specific queries into Google, aiming to decipher their underlying objectives. This approach focuses on how to determine search intent as well as creating content that aligns with user expectations and needs, ensuring it answers their queries effectively.

Keyword research isn’t just about finding popular keywords to target. It’s also broader than simply identifying low-competition words and phrases that you actually have a chance of ranking for. An effective SEO strategy must include understanding search intent to ensure that the content meets user needs and improves rankings.

Without factoring in keyword search intent, your keyword research may be far less effective than you imagine.

Targeting keywords without considering their search intent can lead to poor user experience, wasted efforts, and lower performance in PPC campaigns. Sure, people may click on content–but they are expecting certain information or products.

When they find that your client’s content does not match their expectations, they’ll quickly bounce. This can have a negative impact on your website’s bounce rate and even its brand reputation, leading to customers making fewer purchases or visiting less frequently.

What Is Keyword Search Intent, Really?

In order to understand keyword search intent, you need to start by looking into what a user is actually trying to accomplish when they type in certain queries. In the world of SEO, this is referred to as “user intent” or “search intent.” There are different types of search intents, such as informational, navigational, transactional, and commercial investigation, each requiring tailored content to meet the user's needs.

Keyword intent is essentially why someone would type a specific query into the Google search bar and how they expect it to be answered.

Whether your goal is SEO or PPC , optimizing for keyword search intent means that you are tailoring your content so that it speaks directly to what users want. By understanding their needs, wants, and intentions behind their searches–not just the keywords–your agency crafts content that not only captures their attention but also helps them accomplish what they set out to do.

Keyword search intent is contextual, meaning it can vary depending on the keyword. You need to assess each query individually in order to understand its true search intent. In other words, evaluating why someone would type that particular phrase into a search engine. Using this information, tailor your content and/or ads to match what they are looking for.

Why Is Search Intent Important in SEO?

By understanding keyword search intent, you ensure that your content is answering the questions or providing the information users are actually searching for.

Google Search Console can be used to understand the keywords driving traffic to your site and their associated search intents. This tool helps identify what users are looking for and allows you to tailor your content to meet their needs.

This can lead to higher engagement rates and more conversions in both SEO and PPC campaigns.

Here’s an example: when someone goes to Google and types in “house painting,” what are they most likely to be looking for?

There are a number of possibilities:

A company to come and paint their house

Instructions for painting a house

A painting of a house

A painting for their house

Without knowing exactly what most people mean when they use this query, you may very well be targeting the wrong keyword intent or providing the wrong type of information.

While there is no tool that will tell you exactly what searchers are looking for when they use a particular keyword, there is a process you can use that will give you a pretty good idea.

But before we jump in, let’s look at the four main motivations or intentions behind keywords.

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Four main types of search intent.

The process of determining the type of keyword search intent will begin by figuring out which category of search query your keyword falls into. There are four primary types of queries: commercial, informational, transactional, and navigational.

Commercial Intent Keywords

Commercial search intent keywords are used by people who are ready to make a purchase. Otherwise known as “commercial investigation keywords, the user may be looking for something specific, such as "buy a red dress" or just researching a product, like "red dress reviews."

Basically, these folks are looking to fill a particular need but don't know–quite yet–which product or service will do that for them.

Informational Intent Keywords

Queries where people are looking to gain knowledge. They often use words like 'how to,' 'why,' and other question-related words. An information version of the keyword above would be something like "How to hem a red dress?"

Typically, people using informational keywords are not looking to buy something, but–if done correctly–they can be convinced. This is also a great opportunity to solve a potential customer's basic problems so that they will think kindly of your brand when it is time to solve their more complex problems.

It's interesting to note that the majority of web-based content is informational in nature. In fact, research has even indicated that around 80% of all queries are informational, with the remaining 20% being split evenly between navigational and transactional.

Transactional Intent Keywords

Queries where people are looking to take a specific action using the web (e.g., purchase a specific product). Similar to Commerical Intent, users are looking to buy something, but they typically have a specific product name, travel destination, or model in mind (e.g., "buy Kate Spade Floral Lace Red Dress").

These users know what they want to buy, but they're not sure who to buy it from.

Navigational Intent Keywords

These are queries where people are looking for a specific location, either a website (e.g., amazon.com or “Walmart”) or a physical address (e.g., Kate Spade store near me).

Essentially, these are the “how do I get there” keywords, often associated with navigational search intent. Users with navigational search intent are looking for direct links to a website, an address, or specific pages, often associated with branded queries.

These are very important keyword types, as the user is typically looking to visit and purchase from your client, so make sure that everything is coded into the website (including address details, phone numbers, etc.) to make sure that the SERP satisfies search intent.

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Once you have an idea of a keyword you'd like to rank for, you can begin the process of determining search intent for that keyword. 

Researching your audience’s search intent is–in essence–understanding how people find your content, website, or ads so that you can target them more effectively. Start by looking at the context around the query (when applicable). Are there different questions being asked that are related to the key term? If so, then this could be a sign of informational intent. Are there many searches with 'buy' in them?

That would indicate commercial search intent. 

Check out related searches or search suggestions on popular search engines to get additional insights into what people are looking for when using certain keywords. This will help you determine which type of keyword intent your chosen word falls into, as well as what other keywords you can use to reach your audience.

Once you determine the search intent associated with your chosen keyword, it's time to create content or ads that will resonate with potential customers. Keep in mind that people may be looking for different types of information depending on their search query. Tailoring your content accordingly will ensure better targeting and higher engagement rates with your audience. 

The following are three steps you can use to better understand what people are looking for.

Step 1: Examine the SERPs

While you may not immediately know the intent behind a certain word or phrase, Google's search algorithm usually does. This means that studying the SERPs—Search Engine Results Pages —can give you key insight into a searcher's intent.

Every element in the SERPs gives us a clue as to search intent. Remember to pay attention to:

Organic listings

Knowledge graph results

Here's an example: let's say you're thinking of optimizing a product or category page for "toaster oven." While you may assume (and rightly so) that anyone searching for this term is looking to buy a toaster oven, there are actually a number of possibilities. They may be looking to:

Compare different toaster ovens

See images of toaster ovens

Find out where to buy a toaster oven locally

Find top-selling or highest rated toaster ovens

Buy a toaster oven online

As you might imagine, the content and search engine optimization of your client's page will be quite different depending on the actual intent behind the query.

Fortunately, Google already has a handle on what people want to see when they search. We just need to plug in our keyword and look at the first page of the SERPs:

Looking at the SERP features for "toaster oven," it's immediately clear that most users will have strong commercial or transactional search intent when using this query. The ads from big box stores are category pages for toaster ovens, and there are product images (ads) all the way down the right side of the page.

In fact, Google even tells us that they think we are trying to find a product:

Do we see this same intent in the organic results? Let's take a look:

The top three organic listings are product category pages from big box stores (along with some toaster oven images thrown in). In fact, every single listing on page 1 of the SERPs is a product category.

Clearly, there is commercial intent behind this keyword. This is a great indication that most people who search for a toaster oven aren't just looking for information or images but are looking to browse for and/or buy toaster ovens.

But can we dig any deeper to further analyze commercial intent? Can we find out how close people are to making a purchase when they use this keyword? Let's take a look.

Step 2: Use Google Ads To Determine the Extent of Commercial Intent

While your team may have no intention of bidding on this keyword, even if you're creating organic content, it’s always helpful to know what others are willing to pay and how competitive it is.

Generally speaking, the higher the suggested bid and competition, the higher the commercial intent.

Here's what I found using Google's Keyword Planner :

As you can see, the suggested bid for "toaster oven" ranges from $0.31 to $0.91, and the competition is high. The high level of competition suggests high commercial search intent.

Looking at the section below, we can compare the levels of commercial intent based on the suggested bids for a variety of related keywords. While this isn't an exact science, it does give us a pretty good idea of how successful advertisers have been with these particular keywords.

For instance, we can see that "best toaster oven" has a suggested bid of only $0.45 to 1.19, but the suggested bid range for “mini oven” is $0.18 to $0.49, which is nearly half the bid for toaster oven.

This may indicate that people searching for "mini oven" are at the research/comparison (commercial investigation) stage of the buying cycle, so they are less likely to buy.

Here's another related keyword I found with a suggested bid range of $0.46 to $2.50:

Again, while ranking for this keyword isn't a guarantee that your visitors will actually convert, it does give us a good indication that people using this term are in buying mode. And this information comes in very handy when optimizing Google Ads search campaigns .

Agency Tip: Typically speaking, the higher the dollar value of the product or service, the higher the bid range. That’s why some keywords can have bid ranges in the $20 - $50 range. 

Step 3: Analyze Your Analytics

The two steps above can be used regardless of whether you're creating new content or optimizing old content. Step 3, on the other hand, will help you determine if your existing content is properly optimized for user's search intent.

Understanding whether your content marketing is meeting the expectations of your visitors is key: instead of having to constantly create new content to drive conversions, you can save time and money by tweaking existing content.

Perhaps the most important metrics to check here are your bounce rates . High bounce rates from search engine referrals may indicate that your content isn't matching up with searcher intent.

Among the visitors who found your site via search engines, how high are your bounce rates? If these rates are considerably higher than your other traffic sources (social media referrals, direct traffic, etc.), the issue may be that the keywords your page is ranking for don't match up with your content.

Here's how to access this information in AgencyAnalytics:

Enable the Google Analytics integration

From your dashboard, click on Analytics > Google Analytics

Select Acquisition > Organic Search

Enable Bounce Rate from the list of metrics

This will give you the bounce rate of each search term as well as other key metrics such as Pageviews, Exits, and Session Duration.

You can also see how individual pages performed based on their traffic source (in this case, search engine referrals) under Pages > All Pages:

While there can be other reasons for high bounce rates (not being mobile-friendly, having a confusing or cluttered design, etc.), a single page with higher-than-average bounce rates is more likely to signal an issue with search intent.

Which Type of Search Intent Should You Optimize For?

While it may seem that transactional queries are preferable since they're more likely to lead to conversions, answering this question really depends on your goals. For instance, if you are managing a content-based site and are mainly interested in increasing pageviews, you'll likely want to focus more on informational queries. These will tend to be easier to rank for and cheaper to bid on if you're using paid ads.

If, on the other hand, you are working with an eCommerce site and are looking to sell products, you'll want to focus largely on transactional (and commercial investigation) queries.

Keep in mind all sites can benefit to some extent from ranking for informational and navigational queries. While these searches may not immediately lead to sales, they may provide the opportunity to gently guide visitors through the sales cycle – from awareness all the way through to purchase.

How To Optimize Your Content for Search Intent

Now that you understand the importance of keyword search intent and how to determine what queries your audience is using, it's time to optimize your client’s website or ads for these keywords. 

Start by creating quality content around the primary keyword associated with each type of search intent. This means writing articles, blog posts, product descriptions, and ad copy based on commercial, informational, transactional, and (if appropriate) navigational queries. If you’re targeting multiple types of keywords within a single article or ad, be sure to separate them into distinct sections so readers can quickly find what they're looking for. 

Agency Tip: Anchor links can also be very handy for this kind of separation, as Google will often link directly to that section of the page when it matches a search query. 

In addition to producing relevant content around the chosen keywords, incorporate natural language in your copywriting–for ad text and meta titles or descriptions–so that readers get an immediate understanding of what they will find if they click on your link. Avoid using generic or misleading titles and descriptions, as this will only lead to higher bounce rates and decreased engagement. 

For example, a Title about “How to Sew a Red Dress That Will Wow Your Friends” that leads to a product page for a sewing machine will likely be met with dismay–in the form of a nearly immediate click on the back button. 

Finally, optimize the URL structure of your site based on what people are searching for and their search intent. This makes it easier for potential customers to find and navigate through a specific website .

For example, information content can all be placed in a /resources/ or /blog/ folder while product descriptions can fall under /shop/ to make it clear which are the informational vs. which are the transactional parts of your client's website. Doing so also helps search engines better understand the content of your site, leading to improved rankings in SERPs. 

By following these simple steps, you can ensure that your SEO and PPC campaigns are targeting the right audience with the right content—improving engagement rate and driving more revenue for your client's business!

How To Make Sure Your Client’s Content Aligns With the Search Intent

Search intent optimization is the process of ensuring that your content is aligned with the search intent of a specific query.

Here are five steps to follow for optimizing existing content to ensure that it aligns with search intent.

1. Determine Search Intent Match

Understand the user's search intent behind the search query by looking at the search results, analyzing the types of content that rank high, and comparing that to your client's content. Next, you want to look at the engagement of your client's content by looking at the time on page, bounce rate, etc., as these are often indicators of a match between the content and the search intent of the keyword used to get there.

2. Analyze Existing Content

Review the existing content on your website and identify gaps between the user's search intent and the content on your site. Determine what changes can be made to better align the content with the user's intent. For example, if the search intent is information, you may need to add additional tips and tutorials on the topic rather than jumping immediately to a product sales pitch.

3. Optimize Content

Update your content with new sections, keywords, and phrases that better align with the user's search intent. Make sure the content is well-structured and easy to read, it is unique, and it provides value to the user.

4. Use Schema Markup

Use schema markup to provide additional context to search engines about the content on your website. This can help your content appear in rich snippets and other types of search results.

5. Monitor Performance

Monitor the performance of your updated content over time to see if it is meeting the user's search intent and generating more traffic and engagement. Adjust your content as needed to continue to optimize for search intent.

Wrapping Up

When you create new content for clients—whether that's blog posts, product descriptions, or category pages—ask yourself what you hope to accomplish with that content.

Are you looking to drive pageviews, or do you want people to buy? Either way, figure out what people are actually looking for when they search, and then create content that best matches that search intent, rather than creating content with more word count just to compete with your clients' competitors.

Automate your SEO reporting and house all your clients' SEO KPIs in one place. View our keyword rankings report template and try AgencyAnalytics free for 14 days!

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SaaS Keyword Research: A 5-Step Process

• Content Marketing
• Aug 13, 2024
• 10 min read

Farzad Rashidi

Lead Innovator at Respona

Keywords are one of the main pillars of search engine optimization. 

But there are millions of niche keywords literal billions of people search for every single day. 

How do you know which ones to optimize for? 

In this article, we’ll be breaking down the 5-step process of keyword research, for SaaS specifically.

Why is Keyword Research so Important for SaaS? 

Types of keywords, user intent, keyword score, 5 steps for doing saas keyword research, wrapping up, frequently asked questions (faq).

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Keyword research is the cornerstone of a successful SEO (in addition to off-page and technical SEO) strategy, and this holds particularly true for the SaaS industry. 

Because new SaaS products are popping up every single day.

To stand out in such a crowded market, your SaaS business relies heavily on online discoverability by potential customers who are actively searching for solutions like yours.

Effective keyword research helps you identify the exact terms and phrases your target audience is using, so you can optimize your content accordingly. 

Without it, your site might not appear in Google search results, and you could miss out on valuable traffic. 

Properly optimized content, on the other hand, is much more likely to rank higher than your competitors, meaning YOU are the first thing the user will see. 

Moreover, keyword research lets you know the user intent behind their searches, helping you understand whether your audience is looking for information, comparing different products, or ready to make a purchase.

To sum it up, proper keyword research not only boosts your visibility on search engines but also aligns your content with the needs and wants of your audience. 

Keywords generally fall into two categories: short-tail and long-tail.

Each serves a unique purpose in your SEO efforts .

Long-tail keywords consist of four or more words and are usually much more specific. Examples include “ how to find someone’s email on linkedin ,” “email outreach software for link building” or “email marketing automation for e-commerce.” 

These keywords attract lower search volumes but come with significantly less competition, making them easier to rank for. 

While fewer people search for these terms, those who do are often closer to making a decision, which means they’re more likely to convert into leads or customers. 

And, even if they are purely informational keywords, the traffic led through these searches is extremely targeted. 

For example, only SaaS SEO agencies and SaaS business owners would would search for “SaaS keyword research” – which is perfect for us as B2B SaaS tool designed to help people with SEO.

Focusing on long-tail keywords allows you to target niche segments of your market, providing valuable, specific content that meets the precise needs of your audience. 

Over time, these focused efforts can help establish your brand authority and improve your overall search engine ranking, making long-tail keywords an essential component of a balanced keyword strategy.

Both short-tail and long-tail keywords have their roles, but incorporating a mix of both can help you capture a broader audience while still targeting highly relevant traffic.

Short-tail keywords, also known as head terms, are broad search queries typically made up of one to three words.

Examples include “link building,” “SEO software,” or “email marketing.” These keywords have high search volumes and are often associated with broad topics. 

With volume comes competition, making it difficult to rank for them, especially if you’re a newer or smaller SaaS company.

User intent refers to the purpose behind a user’s search query and can be categorized into four main types: navigational, informational, transactional, and commercial investigation.

Navigational Intent

Users with navigational intent are looking for a specific website or page. Their goal is to reach a particular destination, such as “Facebook login” or “HubSpot blog.” 

These searches often include brand names or direct website addresses. 

For SaaS companies, targeting navigational keywords might not be the primary focus, but ensuring your own brand name ranks high in search results is crucial for brand visibility and trust.

Informational Intent

Informational intent is when users are seeking information about a particular topic. 

These queries often begin with words like “how to,” “what is,” or “best way to.” 

For example, “how to improve email open rates” or “what is skyscraper link building”.

For SaaS businesses, creating comprehensive, informative content around these queries helps attract users who are in the early stages of the buyer’s journey, laying the groundwork for future conversions.

Transactional Intent

Users with transactional intent are ready to make a purchase and are looking for a place to buy a specific product or service. 

Keywords like “respona subscribe” or “respona free trial” are prime transactional queries – also known as BOFU keywords. 

As in, bottom of the funnel. 

For SaaS companies, targeting these keywords with optimized product pages and strong calls-to-action is essential to capture these high-intent users and drive conversions.

Commercial Intent

Commercial is a step before transactional. 

Meaning, users are in the research phase and comparing products or services before making a buying decision. 

Some good examples would be “best link building software” “ahrefs alternatives” or “hire an SEO agency” 

Types of content best suited for commercial searches:

• Comparison pages
• User reviews and case studies
• Landing pages, demo videos, etc. 

So, you have prepared your list of both long-tail and short-tail keywords that satisfy all four types of search intent. 

Now what? 

Before you can start optimizing existing content and creating new pages, you have to prioritize keywords to go for first. 

You can do that based on their potential to drive meaningful traffic and conversions – indicated by three metrics. 

This metric indicates how hard it is to rank for a keyword. 

The lower the difficulty, the better, as it suggests fewer competitors and less effort required to achieve high keyword rankings.

Traffic Potential

This represents the estimated number of visits a top-ranking page might receive for that keyword. 

Higher traffic potential means more people are searching for that keyword, making it a more valuable target.

CPC (Cost-Per-Click)

This metric indicates how much advertisers are willing to pay for a click on an ad triggered by that keyword. 

A higher CPC often signifies that the keyword has strong commercial intent and potential for conversions.

Our Opportunity Score Formula

One effective way to bring these three metrics into a single score is by using this formula. 

(1/difficulty) * traffic potential * (CPC+1) = Opportunity Score

Note: this is not a be-all-end-all formula, it’s what we use for our own keyword strategy. 

Using this score will help you quickly find keywords with low difficulty, decent volume, and good CPC. 

Okay, now that we’ve walked through the theory behind keyword analysis, let’s apply it in practice. 

1. Pick your Main Keywords

The first step is to identify the core terms and phrases that best describe your SaaS product or service – also known as a “seed keyword”.

These are your main keywords, and they should be closely aligned with your unique value proposition. 

Start by brainstorming a list of keywords that potential customers might use to find solutions like yours. 

For us, keywords like “link building software” – and anything related to email outreach would be the right keywords to go for.. 

Use a keyword research tool like Ahrefs, SEMrush, the Keyword Magic Tool or Google Keyword Planner to evaluate these keywords for search volume, competition, and relevance. 

Don’t forget to consider both short-tail and long-tail keywords to cover broad and specific aspects of your offering.

2. Semantics and secondary keywords!

Once you have your primary keywords, delve deeper into their semantics to uncover related terms and phrases. 

These semantically related keywords, also known as LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords, can help you enrich your content and make it more relevant to search engines and users alike. 

Tools like Google’s “Searches related to” feature, as well as specialized software like LSI Graph or SurferSEO, can provide a valuable insight into related keywords your target audience is searching for. 

We personally prefer Ahrefs’ keywords explorer because for every phrase you check with it, it suggests dozens of keyword ideas just below it. 

Incorporating these related terms will help you build a more comprehensive content strategy that addresses various facets of your main keyword topics.

3. Competitor analysis

Once you’ve picked the keywords you want to rank for, the next step is to get a feel for what your competitors are already ranking for. 

You know, so that you don’t waste your time optimizing for a keyword that you’ll never outrank them for. 

Start by making a list of your main competitors—those that offer similar SaaS products or services and target the same audience. 

Heavy emphasis on the same audience. For example, our ICP (ideal client profile) is SEO agencies and other SaaS Businesses doing link building. 

Our pricing reflects that: it’s higher than other email outreach tools that target solo users and freelancers. 

What I’m saying here is even if there’s another SaaS product offering similar features to your but going for another slice of the audience, they’re not necessarily a competitor. 

Go to the Ahrefs website and log into your account. If you don’t have an account, you will need to subscribe to one of their plans to access their SEO keyword tool.

Enter Competitor’s Domain

Navigate to the “Site Explorer” tool on the Ahrefs dashboard. Enter the URL of one of your competitor’s websites into the search bar and click on the magnifying glass icon to initiate the scan.

Navigate to Organic Keywords

In the left-hand sidebar, look for the “Organic search” section and click on “Organic keywords.” This will display a detailed list of all the keywords that your competitor’s site ranks for, along with their positions in search results.

Here, you will find a table showing each keyword’s search volume, ranking position, traffic estimate, and keyword difficulty. 

This data helps you understand which keywords are driving the most traffic to your competitor’s site.

Use Filters and Sorting

To refine your results, use the available filters at the top of the page. 

You can sort the keyword performance by metrics such as search volume, ranking position, or traffic. 

Export the Data

Click on the “Export” button to download the keyword data into a CSV file, which you can then manipulate in Excel or Google Sheets.

Run a Content Gap Search

Keep in mind that you will have some overlap between the sheets – different competitors ranking for the same keywords, or even something you’re also ranking for. 

To avoid it, you can also use Ahrefs’ Content Gap:

Here, you can stack your website against multiple competitors and export already-filtered lists of ONLY keywords that your competitors are ranking for but you are not.

After pasting your competitors in the upper fields and yours in the bottom one, click “Show keywords”.

From here on, you can once again filter by volume, difficulty, CPC, and so on.

When ready, export the list and add the keywords to your overall keyword sheet. 

Assign Keyword Scores

Once you have your master sheet of all keywords you want to rank for along with your competitor keywords, it’s time to review and assign scores to them. 

We recommend using our opportunity score formula we described above to save time. 

After you’ve applied the formula to your keywords, take a step back. 

It also helps if you have multiple team members working on your keywords – one to research, and one to review and approve/disapprove them. 

Most likely, you’ll end up with several hundred keywords – and you won’t really need all of them. 

Also, keep in mind that our formula focuses solely on “hard” metrics and you’ll still need to look at the actual keywords and decide whether it makes sense for you to go for. 

For example, an article about “ link juice ” made perfect sense for us as a SaaS link building tool. 

One about affiliate marketing trends, on the other hand, has nothing to do with our target audience of link builders.

Optimize content and make new pages!

After you’ve got your list of keywords, it’s time to start optimizing existing content and planning out your calendar for future pieces based on the research you’ve just done.

Of course, you can just take your target keyword and gauge everything “by eye” – meaning just look at your content and implement your target keyword variations where it makes sense. 

But since sales are on the line, we suggest using a content optimization tool to help you with keyword suggestions. 

There are many such tools available, such as MarketMuse and SurferSEO.

So, to sum it up, the SaaS keyword research process involves finding your main seed keywords, its semantics along with other niche-relevant keywords, as well as phrases your competitors are ranking for. 

Then, assigning these keywords scores and picking ones that really make sense for you to go for. 

Respona also offers AI keyword suggestions to help you find more relevant prospects for your link building outreach. 

Don’t hesitate to start your 14-day free trial and take it for a spin!

What is SaaS keyword research and why is it important?

B2B SaaS keyword research involves identifying and analyzing the keywords your target audience uses when searching for software-as-a-service solutions. 

It’s crucial because it helps you optimize your content to rank higher in search engine results, driving qualified traffic to your site and boosting conversions.

How do I find relevant keywords for my SaaS business?

Start by brainstorming main keywords related to your product, then use keyword research tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Analytics Trends to find related search terms, their search volumes, and competition levels. 

Make sure to consider both long-tail and short-tail keywords, as well as user intent.

What’s the difference between short tail and long tail keywords?

Short-tail keywords are broader search terms with high search volume but also high competition, consisting of one to three words (e.g., “CRM software”). 

Long-tail keywords are more specific, usually four or more words, attracting lower search volume but less competition (e.g., “best customer relationship management software for small businesses

How can understanding user intent improve my keyword strategy?

User intent helps you tailor your content to meet the specific needs of your audience, whether they’re looking for information, ready to make a purchase, or comparing options. 

By aligning your keywords with the correct search intent, you increase the likelihood of attracting and converting the right visitors.

How often should I update my SaaS keyword strategy?

It’s advisable to review and update your SaaS keyword strategy at least once every quarter. Search trends and user behavior can change, so regular updates ensure your content remains relevant and competitive.

Farzad Rashidi is the lead innovator at Respona, the all-in-one digital PR and link-building software that combines personalization with productivity. He also runs the marketing efforts at Visme, where he helped the company gain over 12 million active users and pass 2M monthly organic traffic.

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11 Must-Try ChatGPT Prompts for SEO Content Writing

The marketing world is buzzing about artificial intelligence (AI) — namely, ChatGPT. Not only is it the biggest of the AI bunch, but it’s also (so far) the most impactful. 

Yes, it can generate content. But the real value? Search engine optimization (SEO). With an arsenal of well-crafted prompts and a healthy dose of human creativity, ChatGPT can make your brand more visible than ever before. 

What Makes an Effective Prompt?

ChatGPT is a wonderful companion for countless SEO tasks . However, without an effective prompt, it can generate invalid, inaccurate or irrelevant content. 

Think of a ChatGPT prompt like you would a homework assignment. Just like in school, broad instructions invite a wide range of answers — many off-base or straight-up wrong. 

Here are some tips to make your SEO prompts deliver Grade A results:

• Offer context: ChatGPT generates content based on the data it’s trained on and any information it can process. So, the more context you provide, the better the output. Include relevant details to help it understand what you need — background info, facts, target audiences, etc. This will ultimately make AI-generated content more accurate and useful.
• Use reference material: Looking for a certain tone? Give it an example. As of GPT-4, you can upload documents, like brand guidelines or blogs, to demonstrate what you want. GPT-4o can also browse the internet, so paste links to anything you’d like it to reference. (Note: These features are limited without a ChatGPT Plus subscription.)
• Provide guardrails: Search engines have preferences for character limits and word counts, which sway SEO performance. The best prompt will account for these variables. For example, if you’re writing a meta description, tell ChatGPT to act as an SEO expert and keep it within 155 characters. Likewise, if certain topics are off-limits to your brand, ask it to avoid them.
• Specify format: The newest GPTs can deliver outputs in different styles, like a list, table or snippet of code. Be direct about what format you want. For content writing, you might need concise, detailed paragraphs.
• Iterate and refine: If the results aren’t quite on the mark, adjust your ChatGPT prompt and try again. You can directly tell the model what you didn’t like about the response, which can help it generate a better outcome. Also, keep the same chat thread going for future uses. The model maintains a “memory” of the past instructions, allowing it to retain context and improve responses. 

ChatGPT Prompts for Keyword Research

Keyword research is the rudder that steers your entire SEO strategy. Skip this step and you’re more than likely headed in the wrong direction. 

The good news? ChatGPT can help. Here are two ways it doubles as an SEO tool for smooth-sailing keyword research:

1. Seed SEO Keywords

A seed keyword is a short, generic term highly relevant to your niche or target audience — a broad category they’re probably searching for. It’s typically only 1-3 words long.

Here’s a ChatGPT prompt you can use to identify seed keywords.

Prompt: I need help conducting seed keyword research. Suggest 15 unique SEO keywords topically relevant to the main category: “content marketing.”

Want to narrow your choices? Ask ChatGPT to identify the most important keywords based on relevance to your target audience. Have it include explanations to understand why those terms are especially significant. 

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2. Long-Tail SEO Keywords

Whereas seed keywords are shorter and highly competitive, long-tail keywords are usually the opposite. They may have a lower search volume, but fewer domains target them. In other words, you have a stronger chance of landing on Page 1 of the search engine results page (SERP). 

Here’s an example… 

Prompt: Using “content marketing analytics” as the seed keyword, suggest 15 long-tail keywords. 

As you can see, they’re longer and more specific than “content marketing analytics.” 

Here’s a tip: Use another SEO tool, like Semrush, to confirm search intent and monthly volume. These are critical factors to consider when choosing a target keyword. Once you have this information, return to ChatGPT and use it to simplify data analysis . 

ChatGPT Prompts for SEO Content Writing

When we asked our audience how they use ChatGPT for search engine optimization , 58% of respondents said content creation — which isn’t surprising. 

Why? Because content writing takes time. The average blog post takes nearly four hours to write, or about 60% longer than a decade ago. That’s not factoring in keyword research, content ideation or outlining. 

Luckily, AI can streamline the effort. Here are a few of the best ChatGPT prompts for to augment your SEO content creation process:

3. Content Ideation

Being a content creator is hard when you’re short on content ideas. Sometimes, we need a push in the right direction — or any direction — to generate momentum. 

Think of this next prompt as the jumper cable that starts your creative engine. 

Prompt: Suggest five content ideas for SEO-optimized blog posts targeting the keyword “benefits of AI in healthcare.”

Pick an idea, combine it with another or don’t use any — the choice is yours. At the very least, this exercise gets your wheels turning; at most, you’re off to the races with a great SEO topic. 

4. Outline Creation

Once you’ve brainstormed ideas, ChatGPT can help you visualize the content in more detail with a fairly robust outline, complete with subtopics, messaging points and more. For example, here’s how I used it to outline the content ideas from the previous exercise… 

Prompt: I’m writing a blog post titled “The Future of Healthcare: Potential Benefits of AI Innovations.” Draft an SEO-friendly outline with a logical and sequential structure, noting key topics to cover throughout the article. 

Not bad, right? Now we know what the blog could look like, how it might flow and which subtopics we definitely need to research. 

5. Intros and Conclusions

I’ll admit it: Writing introductions and conclusions isn’t always easy. Even with a solid outline, piecing together an engaging intro takes time. This next ChatGPT prompt can help ease the process with a helpful example — or, with the right instructions, a ready-to-go paragraph. 

Prompt: I’m writing a blog post titled “The Future of Healthcare: Potential Benefits of AI Innovations.” Write an engaging and SEO-friendly introduction that includes the keyword “benefits of AI innovations.” Keep the intro short (less than 150 words) and avoid cliches or repetition.

Not too bad! It needs a little work, but we’re on our way to a full-fledged blog.

6. Content Writing

Perhaps the greatest advantage of content marketing with ChatGPT is its ability to streamline the content writing process. In a matter of seconds, you can generate an entire blog post or landing page to aid your SEO strategy. 

But be warned: Inputs always dictate the outputs. The better your instructions are, the better your copy. See how I gave ChatGPT all the necessary information to write an SEO-optimized blog:

Prompt: You’re an expert in AI technology and its healthcare applications. Based on this outline, write a 1,500-word blog post on “The Future of Healthcare: Potential Benefits of AI Innovations.” Incorporate the following keywords throughout to boost search engine optimization. 

And with that, our work is done, right? Wrong.

It’s never OK to publish AI-generated content without human oversight. ChatGPT isn’t always right and has no moral code, so you must always check its output for bias, quality and factual accuracy. 

7. Google Ads

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and search engine optimization are often considered opposites. But in reality, PPC boosts SEO performance. How? Driving targeted traffic to a website can lead to higher engagement and improved organic rankings as search engines recognize the site’s relevance and popularity.

Here’s an effective prompt for generating ad copy … 

Prompt: You are a Google Ads expert. Write engaging ad copy that adheres to Google Ads specifications, promotes [ insert project details ] and incorporates these keywords: [ insert list ]. 

Best ChatGPT Prompts for SEO Content Optimization

Aside from the content itself, other elements impact SEO performance. Here are some of the best prompts for optimizing these components:

8. Title Tag

A title tag is an HTML element that specifies the title of a web page, displayed on SERPs as the clickable headline. It significantly influences both user click-through rates and search engine rankings by providing a concise summary of the page’s content.

Prompt: Write an SEO-friendly title tag for the blog post. Stay within character limits and incorporate the keyword “digital marketing strategies.” 

9. Meta Description

Similarly, a meta description sits below the title on a SERP and informs users with a short summary of what the page is about.

Prompt: Based on this article, write a meta description that incorporates the target keyword “digital marketing strategies” and follows SEO best practices. 

Best ChatGPT Prompts for Technical SEO

Technical SEO refers to your website’s backend architecture. Every site has different technical components that make it easier for search engines to crawl and index them. Let’s look at two SEO prompts that can simplify this process:

10. XML Sitemaps

An XML sitemap is a file that lists all the URLs on your website and tells search engines which ones to index. Creating them takes a long time, but this prompt can speed up the effort:

Prompt: My website is: [ insert link ]. Create a valid XML sitemap for the following pages: [insert all webpage links]. 

For the purposes of this exercise, I used just three links from Brafton.com. Regardless, the results should look like this: 

11. Robots.txt Files

A robots.txt file tells search engine crawlers which URLs they can access on your site. For instance, you might not want Google indexing a staging environment because it’s used for testing and development purposes. It could contain incomplete or unpolished content that isn’t ready for public viewing. If indexed, this could also dilute your SEO performance. 

ChatGPT can help generate a file that mitigates this risk:

Prompt: Create a robots.txt file that prevents indexing development or staging environments.

In turn, search engines index only the pages you want them to, which can boost technical SEO. 

Start Practicing Your Prompts

Prompt engineering is a must-have skill for modern content marketers. Hopefully, these SEO prompts are exactly what you need to get started. As you experiment with ChatGPT for content marketing, remember to keep an eye on the output. 

(And maybe throw in a “please” here and there — just in case.) 

Christopher Whitbeck

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Chris Whitbeck a senior writer based in Boston. When he's not writing, you can find him buried in a good book, walking to the nearest coffee shop, listening to a podcast or (loudly) cheering for the Boston Celtics.

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How 16 agencies are using ai to optimize ad campaigns.

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Marketers face a complex array of variables at play when trying to optimize ad campaigns, from audience demographics to platform algorithms. With the media landscape in a constant state of evolution, it’s difficult to keep up with every new trend and technology that could impact ad performance. Moreover, consumer behavior is often unpredictable, requiring marketers to continuously test and refine their strategies to achieve the best results.

Given such wide-ranging challenges in tracking and adjusting ad campaigns today, artificial intelligence can provide invaluable assistance in addressing a variety of these issues. Below, 16 members of Forbes Agency Council explore the ways their agencies are integrating AI tools and resources to facilitate ad optimization and how these approaches are working for them.

1. Creating Customized Personas

We use AI to create customized personas that mirror target audiences our clients are hoping to reach. Like a virtual focus group, these personas communicate and respond to prompts to better inform how audiences may respond to a campaign in real life. With these insights, we are able to optimize the actual ad campaigns to reach these human audiences more effectively. - Dani Mariano , Razorfish

2. Personalizing Prospect Emails

We leverage AI to personalize emails for client acquisition. Especially if you are striving to connect with executives, hooks that are personalized according to prospects’ interests through AI offer a way to differentiate. - Cem Hasoglu , Puzzle Agency

3. Identifying Customer Trends

An effective way we’ve utilized AI to optimize ad campaigns is through data analysis and trend recognition. These systems can help identify repeating patterns and trends in customer behavior, which ultimately leads to more efficiently structured campaigns. - Jordan Edelson , Appetizer Mobile LLC

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Harris will propose $25,000 in down payment aid for first-time homebuyers as part of economic agenda, fc barcelona first team star misses training and is ‘close to exit’, 4. filtering intent data signals.

AI gives our agency powerful filtering capabilities, along with speed and scale, when using intent data signals to fuel targeted programmatic advertising campaigns for clients. With billions of digital intent signals processed weekly, AI saves us time and resources and enables us to uncover deep insights around preferences and interests to improve campaign targeting and personalization. - Paula Chiocchi , Outward Media, Inc.

Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?

5. Breaking The Rules

AI has broken down all of the barriers that once limited the potential of the creative process. The power now lies in the hands of the creators, rather than with the technicians who assist the creators in achieving their vision. Think of how Adobe Photoshop gave power to art directors, only with a much higher level of capabilities. We use AI for concepting, generating assets and breaking the rules. - Terry Zelen , Zelen Communications

6. Doing A/B Comparisons Of Ad Copy

AI is great for doing an immediate A/B comparison of different copy for advertisements. It’s simple to tell a large language model to pretend to be your audience, and then you can use it to provide interesting insights on which copy is likely to perform the best. We’ve created custom GPTs to give us feedback from different personas. Although it’s not always right, neither are human copywriters! - Mike Maynard , Napier Partnership Limited

7. Analyzing Competitors’ Ads

We have an AI specialist in-house who developed an AI tool that aggregates data from Facebook Ad Library and TikTok Ad Library. This tool analyzes competitors’ ad spend, frequency and creative variations across platforms. By synthesizing this data, we can pinpoint optimal budget allocation, identify underutilized ad placements and refine targeting strategies for our clients. - Frederik Bussler , Bussler & Co

8. Hyper-Personalizing Messaging

Instead of relying on an existing AI, we created our own. It can examine a customer’s implicit and explicit behaviors and, through behavioral analysis, predict and create messaging that can prompt the customer to take action. This level of hyper-personalization has been incredibly effective for our clients. - Roger Hurni , Off Madison Ave

9. Identifying Underperforming Segments

For a recent campaign, we used AI to optimize our ad spend across multiple channels. The AI identified underperforming segments, and we were able to reallocate the budget to higher-performing areas. It also suggested new audience segments that we had not previously targeted—resulting in about a 25% increase in conversion rates and a 25% reduction in cost per acquisition. - Goran Paun , ArtVersion

10. Finding Keywords For Google Ads

AI can help come up with keywords to target and write copy for Google Ads based on these keywords. You can feed it the page you are sending the ad to, and it will come up with the best keywords to target from there. - Trey Robinson , Story Amplify

11. Testing For Maximum ROI

With the rise of AI, we can now quickly test to see which creative is working best for clients’ digital advertising campaigns, enabling us to avoid spending too much of their digital advertising budget while still achieving amazing results. Combined with a detailed level of reporting, this allows us to scale our clients’ companies like never before. - Adrian Falk , Believe Advertising & PR

12. Adjusting Targeting Parameters

Instead of focusing on smaller things, one effective way our agency uses AI to optimize ad campaigns is through predictive analytics. By educating the AI on key performance indicators and user journey data, we are able to optimize ad campaigns by ensuring targeting parameters on our website are adjusted, enhancing engagement while reducing the cost per acquisition. - Ajay Prasad , GMR Web Team

13. Selecting And Analyzing Influencers

We use AI to select influencers and analyze their metrics. The number of influencers is growing, and searching manually and analyzing each one takes a lot of time that could be spent on developing a creative concept for launching an advertising campaign. Also, with the help of AI, the outcome of a campaign becomes more predictable. - Michael Kuzminov , HypeFactory

14. Creating Copy For Paid Media Ads

We’ve utilized AI to help create copy for paid media ads. We have expert-level marketing and search engine marketing professionals review the AI-suggested copy and finesse it accordingly so that it’s relevant, more impactful and matches our agency’s creative tone, as AI can only do so much. - Isadora Marlow Morgan , Isadora Agency

15. Pushing Divergent Thinking

We use AI to push and condition divergent thinking under condensed timelines and go-to-market pressures. It enables creators to explore more lines of original thought in pursuit of interesting connections in less time. But, as with any tool, it requires a skilled hand. Don’t let AI think for you. Leverage it to bounce, build, vet, stretch and go after those big, bold campaign ideas rooted in strategic decisions. - Shanna Apitz , Hunt Adkins

16. Quickly Developing Creative Variations

We've used AI to develop dozens of ad creative variations in minutes and then run predictive A/B testing analysis to determine the most effective visuals, headlines and calls to action. This has subsequently increased our conversion rates and decreased our cost per lead across all of our ad channels. - William Gasner , Stack Influence

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