Search Intent: How Does it Help SEO?

Κωνσταντίνος Ρουμελιώτης on 22-10-2019. Modified on 25-10-2019
Search Intent: How Does it Help SEO?

Search Intent is translated as the intention of the search. By the intent phrase of the search we mean "Why we search". Want to learn something? Want to buy something?

For example we could search the query “seo techniques” .

- Why did we search? To learn the techniques of seo.

- Where do we want to end up? In a blog that will provide us useful information on seo techniques.

- Where we do NOT want to end up? On a page that sells us seo.

What is the search intent of the above query? I'm looking for a blog with info on seo techniques.

Another example could be the query “buy ecommerce template” .

- Why did we search? To buy an ecommerce template.

- Where do we want to end up? On a page that sells templates for ecommerce.

- Where we do NOT want to end up? On a page that talks about ecommerce in general.

What is the search intent of the above query? I'm looking for a site that sells ecommerce templates.

Successful search engines like google make huge efforts to return the right results for each query. To do this, they try to understand the search intent of each search. Want to buy or want to be updated for something?

Let's divide the search intent into 4 types

Informational Search Intent

At Informational Search Intent the user who searches is looking for information. The following keywords show that the user is looking for some information. Keywords: (How, what, who, where, why, tutorial, guide, resource, tips, ideas, learn, examples). An example of the Informational Search Intent  could be "How to build my own website".

Navigational Search Intent

At Navigational Search Intent the user has forgotten the url / link of a website and wants to find it by searching on the search engines. The keywords for navigational search intent are below. Keywords: (Brand names (apple), name of a product (macbook), name of service (cloudshop)) Example of navigational search intent search could be "eBay". is the page that the user wants to visit.

Transactional Search Intent

At Transactional Search Intent the user is ready to buy and search for a specific product or service. Keywords are: (buy, coupon, order, cheap, purchase, price). An Example of the transactional search intent search could be "price macbook pro 2015".

Commercial Investigation Search Intent

At Commercial Investigation Search Intent the user is almost ready to buy a particular type of product or service, but is looking for which brand is the best. Keywords are: (best, top, review, size, color, comparison). An example of the Commercial Investigation Search Intent could be "hotels in Santorini" = Which to choose ?, "review MacBook Pro" = Which is better to buy?

It's time for the practical track of Search Intent!

An example could be

I have an ecommerce that sells SEO products (products: seo silver, seo gold, copywriting). Also within ecommerce I have a blog that gives information to anyone who wants to learn how to implement seo.

Which types of search intent can I rank for?

  1. In Informational Search Intent because I have a blog with info on seo
  2. In Navigational Search Intent because anyone can search the query "Cloud OE" to reach
  3. In Transactional Search Intent because I have products and brands in my e-commerce
  4. In Commercial Investigation Search Intent because I have comparison articles like  "Backlinks: Which Backlink to Choose?" Or "SEO Company: How to choose among SEO companies?"

How do I find the keywords I want to rank?

Use Google Keyword Planner. We have detailed instructions in our article "How to Choose the Right Keywords?"

Provided that I have the keywords, then I must check which category each keyword belongs to.

  • content-type (product page, blog post, category page, landing page)
  • content-format (tutorial, list post, reviews, how-to guides, comparisons)

If, for example, I find a keyword related to my subject, like "seo techniques", obviously if someone searches for it, he will be looking for a Blog Post (search intent) or a how to guide or tutorial. What I can do to win the keyword and search intent is to write an article titled, "Best SEO Techniques 2019". This article would be a tutorial that presents seo techniques.

Another example of an ecommerce athletic apparel would be the keyword "adidas shoes", which will return if you search for "adidas shoes" listings (Search Intent). So you will need to make product lists with title "adidas shoes". Accordingly a keyword of the type "Adidas superstar" will return as product pages results, so you will need to create a product page called "adidas superstar".

In summary, after reading all of the above you understand how important it is to know the search intent behind each search. Select low-competition and high-traffic keywords and create pages according to the type that each keyword belongs to. Without the search intent the visitor will still arrive at your website, but once he sees that you are not providing what he are requesting (intent), he will leave it immediately without any conversion.

At Cloud OE we know exactly what is needed to optimize your website / ecommerce for search intent. Whether it is search engine optimization, website design or e-commerce, we are next to you with solutions that deliver real results.