Are you an SEO that is frustrated when it comes to ranking your client’s or brand’s website on the SERPs?
If yes, then this article will help you understand the secret sauce which can power your SEO performance and success.
Oftentimes, SEOs are not able to figure out what is going wrong. They have the best content, they are using niche and quality guest posting sites, and their keyword research looks spot on.
However, in spite of doing everything that all major SEO experts and influencers have stated, they are still unable to get the results.
This is where Google’s secret called ‘Search Intent’ steps in. The problem lies in the fact that the keywords in those highly curated pieces of content simply do not reflect the audiences’ search intent.
In this article, we are going to look at search intent and help SEOs and marketers understand this better.
Search Intent: Defining it in better and clearer terms-
Chocolate Cake
This is a keyword that has traffic volume in the millions. However, when users search for chocolate cake, they might be doing it for diverse reasons-
- How to bake a chocolate cake
- What ingredients are there in a chocolate cake
- Chocolate cake delivery near me
In other words, what you need to understand is the fact that every time a user is using Google’s search bar, he or she has an intent behind it. This means that they are searching for a specific type of answer or solution to their query. Where SEOs lack is the fact that the keywords, they use do not necessarily address the user’s search intent and expectations.
For Google’s algorithm, a website that is able to address the search intent of the users will be given priority in terms of rankings, organic traffic, and other health metrics. If a user comes to your website and tries to look for something exact and you are unable to provide the same, for Google that is a downvote as far as search intent is concerned.
To understand search intent better, learn more here.
Three Major Ways Understanding Search Intent can help Improve your SEO Performance
In this section, we are going to list down three major benefits that SEOs and websites can expect when they are leveraging search intent in their strategies-
- Relevance-
For Google, if the user comes to your website and is able to satisfy their expectations, you are doing a stellar job. This means that you are providing relevant and reliable content and this will be reflected in your CTRs and Bounce Rates. If the user presses the back button and goes to another platform (pogo-sticking) it means that your search intent is lacking.
- Authority-
From an SEO point of view, covering all major topics, questions and issues surrounding a single element is important. It means that the user does not have to go anywhere else to get a holistic and comprehensive view of the topic. This established search authority and builds credibility not only in the eyes of the user, but also of search engines.
- Satisfaction-
At the end of the day, if you are able to make your web users happy and satisfied, your SEO goals have been accomplished. Every SEO strategy should be directed in a way that it satisfies the expectations of the users. In simple words, it needs to provide value to what the users are seeking. This is at the core of a user’s search intent. If I am getting what I want, I am happy.
Can Search Intent help in Driving Sales and Revenues?
The simple answer to this question is- YES!
You need to know that great SEO strategies are directed towards catching the attention of users at different stages of their journey. For example, a user will never buy a car the first time. They are likely to research and compare models, pricing and more before they book online.
This means that if your search intent and content creation is able to address the expectations and queries of users at specific points in their buyer’s journey, you will be able to make sales and generate revenues.
- Discover
- Convince
- Convert
A sound SEO strategy that focusses on search intent is able to target these three consideration points in the user. This is how you can make search intent the engine which powers your SEO strategies and executions.
The Final Word
In this article, we have tried to list down some important areas that can help SEOs understand search intent better. If you would like us to address any specific point mentioned in the article, please let us know in the comments below. We would be more than happy to help you out with all your queries on search and user intent.
