Digital Marketing

How User Intent Impacts SEO

By Just Digital Team
User Intent and SEO

SEO is not just about choosing the keywords you think your company should be ranking for.  If you want to attract the right traffic to your website, you need to start thinking about user intent. At the end of the day, intent plays a vital role in determining which keywords are important and what type of content works for each one of them.

Not all visitors will end up making a purchase from your website, but if you focus on the user intent, you can increase the possibility of conversions.

 

The 3 Types of User Intent

When people navigate the internet, and especially when they use search engines, they are usually looking for something specific. The fact that they are looking for something is what we call intent, and there are 3 different categories of intent:

  1. Informational User Intent: These are users who are looking for information about a particular topic or subject. They want to learn more, or find something specific.
  2. Navigational User Intent: In this case, users are trying to access a particular website without typing the exact address in the URL bar because they probably don’t know what the URL is.
  3. Transactional User Intent: This is the category that the majority of brands and companies are interested in, users with transactional intent generally are ready to make a purchase or decision.

 

 

Why Intent Matters for SEO

User intent, also known as search intent, plays a crucial role in your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) efforts. Here are the key reasons as to why identifying user intent for keywords is crucial for content optimization:

  • It allows search users to get a better match for their search queries.
  • It helps search engines classify content.
  • It can attract high-quality, targeted traffic to a website.
  • It is better adapted for mobile search.
  • By attracting high quality leads with higher conversion probabilities, you can decrease ad costs!

Aligning Your SEO Strategy With Search Intent

User intent is important and can have a positive impact on your SEO strategy and conversion results. So ,how do you make sure your SEO strategy is aligned with user intent?

We suggest following these five steps:

1. Target Transactional Search Terms

It is a well-known fact that creating content for transactional search terms can help generate revenue. These terms have been the focus of SEO for years, and it should remain that way.

This step takes some creativity. Put yourself in the shoes of your potential customers and think about what they might search for online if you are ready to make a decision or purchase. Make a list of all the potential keywords, and then use a tool like Ahrefs to see the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) for each query. This will give you a good idea of what type of content people are looking for when they search those keywords.

2. Target Informational Search Terms

Although transactional search terms are every company’s dream, they can be competitive and difficult to rank for. This is why you should also be targeting informational search terms that are closer to the middle of the funnel. At this stage, most users are not ready to purchase, instead, they might be looking for information about products and services to make an informed decision later on.

Creating great informational content can leave a positive impression on the user, so they keep you top-of-mind once they are ready to make a decision. Additionally, it can help you earn backlinks as other websites refer to your content.

3. Understand the Customer Experience on Your Website

Make a map of the steps and actions you want users to take on your website based on where they are in the marketing funnel. The goal of every page they visit should be to take them one step closer to a purchase.

If they are in the awareness phase, they are probably looking for general solutions to their problem. This could lead them to a blog article you created on general solutions to their issues. Make sure you include a CTA within the article that can take them to a next step where they can start learning about the specific solutions you offer instead of general solutions. This way you help them move down the funnel.

4. Adjust Your Appearance In Search

Your appearance in Google’s search results pages should align with the user intent. The title tag and meta descriptions you write for each of your pages are key influencers here. For example, if you are targeting a transactional search term, then the meta description should use persuasive and purchase driven vocabulary.

On the other hand, if you target an informational search term, make sure that the meta description and title show the user that you can help them find exactly what they were looking for.

5. Do Not Forget Local Search 

If it makes sense for your company, make sure you optimize for local search results. This way, Google will give more visibility to your products or services whenever someone is searching for a similar solution in your geographic location. According to Google’s own data, 76% of people who conduct a local search on mobile end up visiting a business within 24 hours. Better yet, 28% of those searches end in a purchase!

There are many reasons why companies should have a Localized Marketing strategy, make sure you don’t miss out on making these optimizations to get great results.

 

Making the Most Out Of User Intent

Your SEO strategy should revolve around identifying the user’s intent and generating relevant content that matches their targeted keywords and phrases. The better you get at aligning your content to user intent, the better results you will get, both in terms of SERP ranking and conversions.

Just Digital is a top-rated digital marketing agency specializing in paid advertising, strategy, web design and development. We help established businesses up their digital marketing game through tried and tested methods. If you are ready to improve your results, contact our team today!


With Just Digital,
Success is Easy-Peasy Lemon-Squeezy.

When life gives us lemons, we generate results. Contact us today and we can start making lemonade.

Get Started