Search intent: How to satisfy users and increase positions in Google?

What is search intent?

The search intention is the need that users have when they write their queries in Google to be informed.

For better understanding, I’ll give you an example: imagine a user typing the query Mushroom Risotto in Google.

Behind this search there is, in fact, the attempt to receive various information:

How to make a mushroom risotto? Which are the ingredients? How many calories does a mushroom risotto have? What kind of mushrooms is used for risotto?

All these questions were not asked of Google. The person searched for the main keyword, but did not list all the information that he expected to get for this query.

Google, then, with its knowledge of semantics and the constant improvements of its algorithm, will show the person those contents that come as close as possible to answering those “indirect” questions that they have for their query.

Hence the importance of knowing and taking advantage of the search intention:

By understanding what the user wants when they ask a certain question about your industry, you can create content that is perfectly tailored to the needs of your audience.

Therefore, Google will recognize that you offer something that fits like a glove for certain queries and will reward you with better positions among the results. 

How is keyword research related to search intent?  

Whatever your SEO project , keyword research is essential to know which words to optimize your pages and articles for.

Ahora bien, distintas keywords supondrán distintas intenciones de búsqueda, así que es muy importante conocer la intención para cada palabra clave a la hora de discriminar entre una y otra.

 Now, different keywords will imply different search intentions, so it is very important to know the intention for each keyword when discriminating between one and the other.

For example, let’s go back to mushroom risotto. Let’s imagine that when búsqueda de keywords with the tool of our choice, the results are these:

If the content already exists, the best keyword to optimize it will not only depend on the search volume and the difficulty of each phrase.

Instead, the main criteria should be to ask yourself which query your article or video is most aligned with or a better match for.

If the content does not exist yet, then you can be guided by search volumes and difficulties in deciding how to approach the future article or video.

What kind of searches can be done on Google?

In the field of SEO, the type of searches are divided into four specific groups:

Informative searches

In informative searches , the user’s objective is to expand their knowledge on a certain topic. That is, these searches are not oriented to the purchase of products or services. 

Therefore, we expect to find these queries being answered by blogs, editorial portals or news sites. Some examples for this type of search are:

• How to cook a lasagna
• How long is the distance between Caracas and Madrid?
• Stylish shoes

In this case, the user could simply search for news or information that can be related to a future purchase, so the conversion rate is usually very low.

In addition, the user is still a long way from understanding what exactly he wants and that is why his search is so broad.

Companies often develop their content to respond to these types of searches in order to increase their awareness or brand awareness.

This type makes up the vast majority of all searches and is made up of generic keywords.

Navigational searches

In this type of search, the user makes a query already knowing what he wants to find and therefore expects to quickly receive a relevant answer. This type of request includes a brand, product, URL or domain name.

On average it has a very high traffic value and high conversion rates, because it refers directly to the brand. Examples of a navigation search could be:

• Netflix site
• Login to Facebook
• Official Adidas website

Navigation searches almost always coincide with brand searches, that is, when the user types only the brand name.

Users typically perform browsing searches with the intention of reaching a website that they already know, but whose domain they do not remember exactly. 

The conversion rate with browsing search intent is very high if it is about your brand. For example, the Adidas Store search will have a high conversion for the Adidas site, while it will be lower if they are resellers, such as El Corte Inglés. 

Commercial searches

In these searches, if the user wants a specific product or service, but has yet to make a final decision about which solution is right for him.

Commercial intent or research falls between informational and transactional intent.

Chances are you are looking for reviews and comparisons and still weighing your options. Some examples would be:

• iPhone vs. Samsung
• The best restaurants in Paris
• LG TV Reviews

Business searches often take the user to price comparison sites, product category pages, or review aggregators.

Transactional searches

Transactional searches are searches made by users who know what they want to buy and are only looking for the best store to make the transaction.

Thus, the person is not looking for information, but is ready to conclude a transaction and purchase a product.

For example:

• Buy Iphone
• Small electric coffee maker
• black jeans for women
• Beach hotel accommodation

In this case, the conversion rate is very high: ranking with transactional queries allows us to generate both traffic and income, regardless of our brand reputation.

The conversion can be the achievement of the sale of a product or service, but also the subscription to the newsletter or the download of a file.

These people have already gone through the informative stages of researching what they need and now they are looking for a solution to achieve what they want.

The results of these queries are almost always commercial pages.

Summary of search types

How to satisfy users with my content and master search intent?

Now that you understand the different intentions of people when googling such or which terms, let’s go with the process that you must follow to get the most out of it and improve your organic positioning.

Preselect keywords aligned with the content you will offer

To find the keywords with the most suitable search intent for your website , you need to analyze the keywords in your industry.

Which ones are most sought after? Which ones correspond to your business interests? Which ones do you want your customers to find you with?

To answer these questions, you need to do some initial keyword research .

The result of the search will be hypotheses of keywords with which you would like to work the rest of the procedure.

Remember that you can rely on Google Suggest, that is, the search suggestions when you start typing a word in the search bar:

It is clear that the queryer is probably interested in having the recipe and knowing the ingredients of the dish: so here are two keywords that are useful for our search intent strategy!

Check that the currently ranking content matches what you plan to create

After having a list of keywords that preliminarily correspond to the content that you will offer, it is time to check the hypotheses.

Keep in mind that an attractive keyword, perhaps because of its search volume, can be too broad to help position your article or page to be published.

Take each shortlisted query, search for it in incognito mode, and see what Google offers for each:

Are they long articles? Instructional guides? Infographics? Videos?

Evaluate if you can adapt to what is ranking, or if, on the contrary, you should get a keyword where the results offered are precisely what you plan to produce.

Create optimized content for the chosen keywords

Let’s do it! Now that you know which keyword will satisfy your users’ intent, you can get down to creating content optimized for that query.

To respond to requests for information ( information searches ), write blog articles on topics related to the services offered.

For business searches , instead, create comparative articles on yours and your competition’s products.

When it comes to transactional searches , focus on optimizing your product and service pages. The characteristics, details, photos, and videos, if possible, must be present in the product file.

Remember:

To attract the Google algorithm and satisfy users, the content you offer must provide them with real added value. 

If you offer useful information, but you don’t have a good experience on your site, Google will not consider it as highly as it should.

In any of the cases, include the central keyword in the most important SEO fields (title tag, meta tag, H1 and subtitles) and see how the magic of positioning happens before your eyes.

How to take advantage of the search intent of your users?

Studying search intent allows you to identify the why behind each query your target audience makes on Google.

It should become an integral part of your keyword research to maximize the results of your SEO efforts.

In addition, it must also be at the center of your digital strategies, since Google’s motto is always to put users first and we can follow that example to please the search engine.

By analyzing the SERP results, related searches and the “People Also Ask” section (or People Also Ask boxes), you can discover the motivations of the people behind the queries.

If you have any questions or if you need help to improve your SEO strategies, do not hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to support you and help you position yourself among the best Google results!