In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing and SEO, understanding your audience’s search intent is crucial for crafting content that resonates and ranks well on search engine results pages (SERPs). If you’ve ever seen one of our keyword reports, you’ve likely taken notice that the keywords are categorized by search intent.
The SEO tool we utilize is called Semrush, and it offers comprehensive features that help to decode a user’s intent and optimize your strategies, by categorizing search intents into four main types. Let’s explore each of the four main search intent categories and how we can help you leverage these intents to enhance your SEO strategy.
What is search intent?
Search intent, also known as user or query intent, refers to the reason behind a user’s search query. It’s the purpose or goal they have in mind when they type a search term into a search engine. Understanding the user’s search intent by analyzing the purpose of a keyword helps us create higher-quality content that directly addresses what they are looking for, thereby increasing relevance and improving your search rankings.
For example, local keywords have specific geographical qualifiers that are pertinent to the user’s search, like “best romantic restaurant near me,” or “best coffee shop in L.A.” Long-tail keywords are search terms that are generally longer and more specific. They also may or may not have geographical qualifiers in order to find results for a specific location. Some examples of long-tail keywords are “dog-friendly vegan restaurants in Southern California,” or “women’s trail runners with a wide toe box.”
In Semrush, search intent is categorized into four categories: informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional. Here’s more information about each.
Informational intent
Informational search intent happens when a user is seeking knowledge or answers to specific questions. These queries often begin with simple query words like “how,” “what,” “why,” or “best ways to.” For example, someone might search for “how to bake a pie,” “who were the Incas”, or “what is blockchain technology.” In other words, the user is trying to learn something.
Navigational intent
Navigational search intent occurs when users are looking for a specific website or page. These types of searches usually involve distinct brand names or specific web pages, such as “Facebook login,” “Amazon customer service,” or banking or investment websites. In these scenarios, a user already has an idea of where they want to go, but they use a search engine to get there since it’s less complicated than typing a specific or lengthy URL.
When it comes to navigational queries, the ultimate goal is to ensure that your website is easily accessible and ranks high for these specific terms. By using Semrush we help you monitor the performance of your branded keywords and provide insights into how well your site is optimized for these searches.
Commercial intent
Commercial search intent happens when users are in the market for a certain kind of product or service but are still in the process of researching that particular item or service. At this point, users are considering a purchase but want to make sure they are making the best purchase decision by comparing options, reading reviews, or learning more about the products or services in question, before ultimately making a decision.
These queries might include comparisons with similar products, reviews, or specific brands, such as “best DSLR cameras 2024,” “most reliable hybrid SUV”, or “iPhone vs Samsung Galaxy.”
Transactional intent
Transactional search intent occurs when users are ready to make a purchase or complete a specific action, like ordering a physical product, downloading a digital product, or signing up for a service. These queries often include words like “buy,” “order,” “discount,” or “promo,” such as “buy Nike running shoes,” “order pizza online, “or “iPhone 15 promo code.”
Transactional keywords are very valuable because they display the strongest intent to take immediate action and are used by someone who is in the last stage of the purchase funnel.
Other ways we use Semrush
Semrush is a multifaceted SEO tool that is designed to give you a comprehensive view of your digital marketing landscape. Here’s a closer look at how it works:
Keyword Research: Enter any keyword into the Keyword Magic Tool to see a detailed analysis of its search volume, keyword difficulty, and related keywords using a database of over 25 billion keywords. This helps you understand what your audience is searching for and how competitive those terms are.
Site Audit: The Site Audit tool scans your website for SEO issues, offering recommendations to improve site health and performance. This ensures your site is optimized to meet search engine standards and user expectations.
Competitor Analysis: With tools like Organic Research and Keyword Gap, SEMrush allows you to spy on your competitors, understand their strategies, and find opportunities to outperform them. Organic Research lets us find keywords or phrases that are not pay-per-click (PPC) keywords and that are paid through advertising. These are found naturally on a website or an organization’s online material. The Keyword Gap tool analyzes your competitor’s keyword rankings to see where there is keyword overlap, where they might be outperforming you, and where you might be outperforming them.
Content Optimization: The SEO Writing Assistant evaluates your content based on key SEO metrics, including readability, keyword usage, and originality. This ensures your content is both engaging and search-engine-friendly. By using this tool, you also keep a consistent tone of voice across your brand, forging a deeper relationship with your audience and engaging them more assertively.
Link Building: Backlinks are links that appear on other websites that direct traffic to a page on your website. The Backlink Analytics and Backlink Gap tools help identify and acquire high-quality backlinks, boosting your site’s authority and search engine ranking.
Rank Tracking: The Position Tracking tool monitors your site’s rankings for target keywords over time, providing insights into how your SEO efforts are paying off as well as when and where adjustments may be needed in order to maintain or improve visibility on search engines.
We have access to the tools you need
By understanding and leveraging search intent with SEO tools like Semrush, we can help you create targeted, high-quality content that meets your audience’s needs and drives more organic traffic to your site. At Redefine, we always bring the right tools for the job along with the insight and experience you need to succeed in the always-evolving digital landscape. To speak with one of our friendly team members about your SEO needs, feel free to reach out to us here.
