2 Main Types of Search Intent
Behind
every keyword is what’s called “search intent.” To understand search
intent you need to put yourself in the shoes of the person searching
for the keyword you’re considering for your SEO. Then answer the
question, “What is
this person really looking for?”
As
you go through this exercise you’ll find that most keywords fall into
two categories of search intent:
1. Research-intent
2. Buying-intent
As
you can guess, research-intent keywords are the phrases people
type into Google when conducting research. For example, when my
Achilles tendon started to hurt as I increased my marathon training, I
searched for “achilles tendon pain.” That search led me to several
articles about the causes and cures for Achilles tendon pain.
Buying-intent
keywords are the phrases people type into Google in order to find
products or services to buy. In my example, it didn’t take long before
I learned there are products like Achilles supports and braces, as well
as services like podiatrists. I didn’t need those products or services,
but if I did then I would search again for “Achilles supports” or “NYC
podiatrists.” See how those 2 example keywords have much more
buying-intent than my original search for “achilles tendon pain”?
OK,
now that we understand search intent, we need to adjust our SEO
strategy based on this information.
Initially, Focus Your SEO on Buying-Intent Keywords
Ultimately,
the goal of SEO is to drive sales, not to rank in Google. With that in
mind, it’s best to focus your SEO efforts on the buying-intent keywords
rather than research-intent keywords.
Again,
the worst case scenario with SEO is that you invest time and money to
rank your website for keywords that don’t drive any sales.
Now,
this does not mean you should ignore research-intent keywords. There
can still be a lot of value in ranking for those keywords as well, but
I recommend you focus initially on ranking for the relevant
buying-intent keywords. To do this, you will optimize your product or
service pages so they are 100% relevant for the buying-intent keywords
you want to target.
After
you’re done optimizing your product or service pages for the
buying-intent keywords, it’s time to expand to research-intent keywords
using a slightly different approach.
Widen Your Marketing Funnel With Research-Intent Keywords
As
mentioned above, targeting buying-intent keywords is straight forward
because you simply optimize the relevant product or service page on
your website. To target research-intent keywords, you’ll likely need to
create new pages. In many cases, it’s best to create a new section on
your website (which we call a “Resource Center”) that includes relevant
and informative articles optimized for research-intent keywords in your
industry. If you don’t want to create a resource center, then a blog
will work as well.
By
targeting these additional keywords, you will effectively widen your
marketing funnel so you capture prospects earlier in the sales cycle.
For example, when I was researching my Achilles tendon pain, I didn’t
know about all the different Achilles braces and wraps on the market.
After
I completed my research, then guess which product I’m more likely to
buy if I determine I need additional help? You got it, I’m more likely
to purchase from the business that published the helpful information
that I was reading. In other words, by publishing information optimized
for research-intent keywords, you’ll be able to reach prospects before
they even know they need your product or service.
Of
course, there is a catch to make this work…
You Need a Lead Magnet
To
effectively convert research-intent SEO traffic into sales, you’ll need
to capture the contact info of those visitors and follow up with a
pitch for your product or service. If you fail to capture contact info,
then you may end up educating a prospective customer who then leaves
your website to make a purchase from a competitor.
The
best way to capture contact information is to use what we call a Lead
Magnet. A lead magnet is a valuable piece of content like a guide or
checklist (for example, our SEO checklist), or a coupon that is
only available by completing a form. Once you’ve collected the
prospect’s email address, then you can follow up with more information
about your product or service to try to close the sale.
As
you can see, your approach to SEO depends on the search intent of the
keywords you want to rank for. First, optimize your product or service
pages for the buying-intent keywords. Then optimize informational pages
for research-intent keywords and use a lead magnet to convert
researchers into buyers.
Need Help with SEO?
If
you’d like help ranking higher in Google, contact us today for a free
SEO quote.
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