Keywords are an essential component of any SEO strategy and choosing the right keywords can be a difficult process. There are many different fields of thought as to how you can choose the right keywords target and for those new to keyword research, it can often be difficult to understand what the best approach might be. Ultimately, there is no magic formula when it comes to keyword research and in many cases, there can be a lot of trial and error involved. However, over time, you will start to see patterns emerge as to what types of keywords work best for your website, niche and audience.
When it comes to choosing the right keywords to target, the key is to put yourself in the shoes of the person that is conducting the search. Understanding what products, services or information they are looking for will help you to select the optimum keywords for you to target in your website and blog content moving forward. Thinking about the intent that the user has when they enter a search term into Google is vital. When you understand what it is that the searcher is trying to achieve, it is much easier to select the right keywords to focus on. This is the concept behind keyword intent.
Below, we will dive further into keyword intent and look at how you can optimise your keyword usage while keeping intent in mind.
Keyword Intent Types
When people enter particular keywords or phrases into the search bar, they can have different intentions. Depending on the keywords they are entering, they will usually be trying to solve a particular problem. Understanding what their intent is, can help you to get into the minds of visitors to your website, putting you in a much better position to provide them with the information they are looking for. Some of the different types of intent include:
- Navigational Search Intent
This is when someone is trying to find a specific website online. For example, someone may type “Instagram” into the search bar so they are directed to that particular domain. - Informational Search Intent
When people are seeking out information or trying to learn something, this is known as informational intent. For example, the search term “how to lose weight” would be a search term entered by someone looking for information about getting in shape. - Commercial Investigation Search Intent
In many cases, people are in the market for a particular product or service but are still in the research phase. Search terms such as “best hair dryers under $50”, or “Adobe Photoshop software review” show that the user is looking for information but is not ready to complete their purchase just yet. - Transactional Search Intent
If a person knows what they want to buy and has decided on the exact product, they will have transactional search intent. In this case, search terms such as “buy MacBook Air” will be used as the user wants to find somewhere to buy this specific product.
Optimise For Keyword Intent
Understanding keyword intent can be very powerful for website owners. With this knowledge, you can gain a much better understanding of what information searchers are looking for and ensure that you deliver what they are looking for. In turn, this will give you a better chance of securing their business.
To optimise for keyword intent make sure that you include navigational keywords in the titles and meta descriptions of your pages so your site can be found easily. Include informational intent keywords in the blog posts that you write and ensure that you provide your visitors with well-researched, high-quality content that will answer any questions that they might have. Finally, transactional keywords should be included on any product pages, service-specific pages or other landing pages you have that are optimised for conversion to generate more sales from your website moving forward.
Consider Keyword Intent In Your SEO Strategy
To get the best possible return on your SEO efforts, it’s important that you give keyword intent some real consideration when you are formulating your SEO strategy. The key to any successful business is understanding the needs of your customers and keyword intent will help you to do just that. To ensure that your SEO strategy is optimised for keyword intent, get in touch with our team of SEO experts at Trafficon today. Our team will help you to choose the right keywords for your site, and highlight exactly how you can optimise your website to get the best results from your SEO efforts.
