Do you think that SEO is purely technical because it deals with bots, code, and algorithms?
This part of optimization is essential for ranking. But there is a more human and subjective stage that underlies the entire strategy: understanding people’s search intent.
Users go to Google because they want to find answers. So, all research carries the intention of solving a doubt.
However, these intentions are not always el salvador phone number data evident, as each person uses different words to try to find an answer.
That’s why one of the great efforts of search engines is to understand human language to unveil people’s search intent. With this understanding, robots can search the index for content that best meets users’ needs.
And that’s where the subjective part of your SEO and Content Marketing strategy comes in.
You also need to understand people’s search intent to deliver what they want to find so that Google recognizes that you have the best answers and deserve the best positions.
Do you want to understand what the search intent simplify your sales process is and how to interpret users’ searches? In this article, we’ll talk about:
- What is search intent?
- How does search intent influence SEO?
- How to unveil the search intent behind a keyword?
- How to optimize content from the search intent?
- Final Words
Keep reading and learn how to create more efficient strategies with this knowledge!
What is search intent?
Search intent is what the user wants to find when using search engines.
A search for “yoga for beginners” brings with it the intention to find classes, tips, and postures for those who want to start practicing yoga.
They are not advanced tips or Muay Thai classes because that is not what the user is looking for.
That may seem obvious, but understanding betting email list what’s behind the search terms allows you to plan the content production that matches the buyer persona’s needs.
This understanding holds for Google and other Digital Marketing channels with a search engine, such as YouTube and social media. In all of them, the person types a keyword in the search bar, which intends to find answers to their questions and needs.
Search engines serve to resolve doubts about the prices of a product or the best restaurant nearby. Each survey brings with it the aim of finding some answer. In general, we can divide these intentions into three main types.
Navigational
The user already knows where they want to go but uses the search engine as a shortcut to get there. That happens, for example, when they type the name of a brand to reach its website.
Informational
The user wants to get information and learn about a subject. On a buying journey, this type of research takes place at the beginning, when the consumers are trying to understand their needs.
Transactional
Transactional research is directed towards conversion after the user has already asked for information to solve their needs.
How does search intent influence SEO?
In the examples above, you could see that Google offers results in different ways for each search.
That’s because the search engine strives to understand users’ search intent, not just the keywords they type.
Then, the search engine delivers responses with the content and format that are most relevant to users.
This effort by Google is evident in its algorithm updates. BERT was the last update in this sense, representing a significant evolution of the algorithm in the processing of natural language, understanding how humans express themselves.
From now on, it understands the meanings of words, the relationships between them, and the nuances of human language.
With this update, it’s clear that what matters to the search engine is not exactly the keywords that users use but the meaning that they build together. This sense is what evidences the users’ search intention.
You can consider this change from Google in your SEO strategies. After all, professionals in the field usually optimize content with keywords in mind.
The mission was to identify the words that people used to find certain content and know the ideal volume of repetition of those terms on the pages.
Thus, Google would match the user’s search with the content and prioritize that page in the ranking.
Notice how this approach leaves the user aside to focus on the robots. It turns out that Google doesn’t want that anymore.
If the search engine no longer attaches so much importance to the matching of keywords, but to the meaning they express, SEO’s focus must also change.
From now on, you must ask yourself what does this user wants to find when doing this search? People want answers, not keywords. So, you should meet the user’s needs, not the bots’.
This issue should guide your Content Marketing planning for SEO from keyword research and setting guidelines for content production.
