Search intent is the heart of SEO. Understanding why users search is crucial for creating content that delivers what they want. A well-crafted answer can lead to higher rankings and increased website traffic.
Published on September 25, 2024
SERPs (search engine results pages) have now evolved into a dynamic digital landscape, affected by several factors. The most crucial being search intent. While it has a heavy focus on what a user is searching for, it’s also essential to understand why they are searching.
This could be a question they need answered, a need for a specific item or service, a plan of action, or a location. It’s all down to a final solution. When an online user finds themselves clicking away at a keyboard or mouse trawling through Google at that very moment, there is definitive intent: Give me what I want…and now.
SEO is a complex, ever-changing strategy. Its success hinges on a website’s ability to deliver an appealing answer to what the user is searching for. Understanding search intent is vital because it helps you create content that directly addresses the user’s needs and improves your chances of ranking higher in search results.
The Nuances of Search Intent
Search intent can differ significantly based on several factors; they are…
Keywords
Keywords can have different intents depending on the context. For example, a keyword such as ‘shoes’ can have information intent (e.g., ‘how to clean leather shoes’), commercial intent (e.g., ‘best running shoes’), or transactional intent (e.g., ‘buy Nike sneakers’).
Location
The location where the search is conducted plays a crucial role in shaping the user’s intent. For instance, a search for ‘restaurants’ in Auckland is likely to yield results that focus on local eateries, while a similar search in a remote area of New Zealand may lead to results for franchised eateries, grocery stores, or even home cooking tips.
Device
Often, the device a user is utilising will impact the intent. Individuals using a laptop or desktop computer generally conduct in-depth research, while mobile users and those using tablets are on the hunt for quickly accessible information or local results for their search.
The Five Primary Search Intents
To better understand search intent, it’s helpful to categorise it into five primary intents or a search intent funnel, for example…
- Informational: Users seeking information or knowledge. (Example: “types of shoes for running“)
- Commercial: Users researching products or services for possible purchase. (Example: “best women’s sneakers for walking“)
- Transactional: Users are ready to make a purchase. (Example: “buy Nike Air Jordan 1“)
- Local: Users looking for businesses or services near their location. (Example: “shoe stores near me“)
- Navigational: Users trying to find a specific website or page. (Example: “Adidas shoe website“)
How SERP Features Vary by Intent
The SERP features that appear for a given query can vary and depend on the underlying intent of the user.
For example…
- Informational queries: You might see knowledge boxes, quick answer snippets, and articles from trusted websites.
- Commercial queries: May include product listings, shopping ads, and review snippets.
- Transactional queries: You’ll see pages for products, shopping carts, and checkout options.
- Local queries: May feature Google Maps results, local business listings, and reviews.
- Navigational queries: Directly link to the intended website or page.
The following is the SERP example for Auckland…
Creating a Winning Content Strategy
Keyword Research
Keyword research aims to do more than just find related words. Different words can have various meanings and uses. When your content fits with what people are looking for, you’re more likely to rank and turn visitors to your website into loyal customers.
Top tip: Some of the best keyword research tools for SEO include Google Keyword Planner and Mangools KWFinder.
Content Creation
When you’ve finally pinpointed the intent behind your target keywords, create content that directly addresses that intent. Provide the information, solution, or product/service users are looking for.
Here’s how to craft your content to appeal to each phase of a user’s online journey…
- Informational: Create content that provides clear, informative answers to the user’s search query. Think of detailed guides, tutorials, or blog posts that answer the user’s questions.
- Commercial: Content should highlight product or service features, benefits, and customer reviews.
- Transactional: Transactional content is focused on driving conversions, whether it’s a purchase, a sign-up, or another desired action. It’s designed to persuade users to take a specific step. Focus on facilitating a seamless purchase experience or opportunity for users to get in contact with you by calling or completing an online contact form.
- Local: Remember to optimise your content for local SEO and include relevant location information. Another tip is to list your business on a variety of online business directories and create a Google Business Profile.
- Navigational: Incorporate a search bar to help users quickly find what they are looking for when entering a specific word, descriptive labels for menus, buttons and links and a logical, easy-to-follow structure that leads users to the content they are searching for.
Top tip: Track online user behaviour and what content works the best using Google Analytics. Hotjar is another great tool to visualise how users interact with your website.
On-Page Optimisation
Want to know how to improve SERP results? Optimise elements within your website to improve your search rankings and user experience by placing relevant keywords within your title tags, meta descriptions, headings, and content, with clear calls-to-action that encourage users to take a desired action.
For example, if the keyword focus was ‘hiking shoes for women’…
- URL: www.outdoornz.co.nz/waterproof-hiking-shoes-for-women
- Title tag: Waterproof Hiking Shoes for Women | Comfort Fit | Outdoor NZ
- Meta: Discover our women’s waterproof hiking shoes with comfort fit. Great for outdoor adventures in New Zealand!
- Image alt text: A pair of brown waterproof hiking boots for Women with Gore-Tex lining, ideal for women’s outdoor adventures, available from Outdoor NZ.
Title tags and meta descriptions must be mobile-friendly when implemented. This will stop any title tags and meta descriptions from being cut off and not appearing correctly in SERPs. You can check this using Mangools SERP Simulator, as pictured below, to give you a clear guide on when you exceed pixel and character limitations. Remember to select the ‘mobile view’ before starting.
Top tip: If you run a website via WordPress, you can improve your content using Yoast SEO, a plugin designed to help you optimise your content for search engines. Alternatively, you can monitor website performance and optimisation opportunities using Google Search Console and address technical SEO issues using Screaming Frog SEO Spider.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO is the behind-the-scenes parts of your website that influences how search engines crawl, index, and rank your web pages. This includes factors like website speed, mobile-friendliness, and proper XML sitemaps.
Top tip: Create an XML sitemap to help search engines understand your website’s structure and ensure your website is easy to use on mobile devices.
SERP Analysis
Monitor the search engine results pages for your target keywords to understand how search intent among online users is changing over time. SERP analysis can help you determine new trends, opportunities, and potential threats.
Top tip: Analyse the “People Also Ask” section to understand related questions and develop your content.
Here is an example of a “People Also Ask” snippet if we still focus on our keyword ‘ women’s waterproof hiking boots nz’.
SERPs FAQ
How does a Search Engine determine which Pages to Show and how to Rank them?
Search engines like Google and Bing use complex algorithms to determine which websites to rank. Algorithms factor in a handful of things, some of the most important being…
- Relevance: How well does the content on the page match the search query?
- Authority: How reputable and trustworthy is the website?
- User experience: How easily can users find information on the page?
- Backlinks: This is like a vote of confidence from other websites. The more websites link to your page, the more credible and trustworthy your content appears to search engines.
- Technical optimisation: Is the website optimised for search engines, including page speed and mobile friendliness?
What’s the Best SERP Tracker for SEO?
- Ahrefs: Offers a comprehensive suite of SEO tools, including SERP tracking, backlink analysis, and keyword research.
- SEMrush: Provides in-depth keyword research, competitor analysis, and SERP tracking capabilities.
- Moz: Known for its suite of SEO tools, including Moz Pro, which offers SERP tracking and other features
Why is SERP Ranking Important?
SERP ranking is important because it directly affects your website’s visibility and traffic. The higher your website ranks in search results, the more likely it is to be seen by potential customers.
More Traffic, More Leads
Don’t let your website get lost in the search results. Contact Found today to learn how we can help you improve your search engine rankings and drive more qualified traffic to your website!