What is Search Intent? | Seer Interactive

The screenshot below showcases an example of informational search intent.

Why informational intent audiences are pertinent to your bottom line

Awareness is the first step. Because high funnel consumers often make informational intent searches, consider if high funnel marketing is important to your business.

For many, high funnel marketing practices are where a company makes its first impression. High funnel tactics are often about getting your name out in front of potential consumers at the right time and in the right place.

If you do not target high funnel consumers in some of the ways we mention below, you will risk them never learning about your brand or your products and services.

Pay close attention to what people are looking for when targeting keywords with an informational intent and create or optimize content in the correct format.

Blogs, for example, allow you to create/optimize posts for informational purposes because they are inherently informational. Blogs also allow you to build trust with your audience and become an authority in your industry (and with search engines).

Here is an example of an article that ranks for virtual interview outfit:

Commercial intent explained, including examples

Commercial search intent keywords come from someone considering investing in something. High-to-mid funnel consumers often make these types of searches — as these people know about a specific product or service and want to learn more about it and others like it.

Results that appear for commercial queries frequently cover multiple topics, or product features more detailedly. Examples of commercial intent keyword modifiers include:

The screenshot below showcases an example of commercial search intent.

Decisions lead to conversions. Someone looking for information about a product or service, and comparing them with others, is more likely to convert. Putting yourself in front of a mid-funnel consumer and effectively giving them the information they are looking for will help them convert.

If you aren’t targeting commercial keywords, you are missing out on opportunities to get in front of the consumers who are most likely to convert. Ultimately, that is revenue you are NOT gaining.

Much like informational keywords, you must know what information someone is looking for when targeting commercial keywords.

Product, solution, service, or blogs are often the landing pages that rank high on SERPs for these queries. These forms of content align with the users’ intent to discover more about a product or service and/or to learn why they might want to purchase it over others.

Aggregator websites, sites that gather information from other sources and organize it in one place, frequently appear in SERPs for these types of queries. We can infer that this happens because most users (and, in turn, Google) view them as the most reliable source when it comes to these matters.

💡 Think of it this way: If you are looking to buy a new dishwasher and you have your decision narrowed down to brand A and brand B, would you go to brands A’s website to see how it directly compares to B? Or would you go to a third-party website (that isn’t trying to sell you a TV, or at least trying to sell you both) for a direct comparison?

Here is an example of an article that ranks for samsung vs lg dishwasher:

Transactional search intent keywords come from someone ready to act! People making a transactional search are low-funnel, meaning they know what they want and are nearly prepared to convert.

These modifiers can be a telltale sign of a transactional query:

Depending on the product or service someone is searching for, local results can be prevalent in SERPs for transactional searches. This happens because, in most cases, it is what would be the best experience for a user.

The screenshot below showcases an example of transactional search intent.

Be there when people want to convert. Transactional intent-based users are looking to take action, and if they can not find you with these types of searches, you are missing out on a conversion.

Regardless of which page you optimize for transitional keywords, it would help if you were using transactional language throughout your website. Transactional language encourages users to take action, whether by clicking through to a form fill, sharing a post, or making a purchase.

💡 Learn about improving Ecommerce page design from our Creative team.

Here is a product listing page that ranks for cheap chevy malibu in my area:

Navigational intent explained, including examples

Navigational keywords come from someone looking for a specific thing (website, product, social media account, address, phone number, hours, etc.).

There is not any specific query modifiers to highlight for transactional searches because of their specification. This is best demonstrated with examples:

• Logitech mouse
• McDonald’s
• Target hours
• Peloton

People making navigational searches vary within the sales funnel; someone could be searching for a brand name at any point. Each of those examples demonstrates this.

Someone searching Logitech mouse could be ready to buy a new Logitech computer mouse, or they could just be wanting to find more information about them. Someone who searches McDonald’s could wish to drive to the nearest Mcdonald’s, or they could want to go to their website.

Navigational queries drive action. People with navigational intent are ready to take action, whatever that might be.

They are looking for something specific, so if they are looking for your brand, you are in luck — if they aren’t, you might not rank as well. It could be argued that high-funnel marketing and digital PR dive many navigational queries.

First-party domains often rank well and receive the best click-through rates for navigational searches because they are the most relevant to people.

💡 Think, if you are searching for Apple, to get to their website, why would you go to another website?

To win some of these features, keep all relevant business listings up-to-date. See the screenshot below for an example.

Determining the intent of every single query your site might rank for is fluid; it changes from person to person and situation to situation. The exact keyword could be used by two different people with two different intents.

Someone searching Titleist (a popular brand of golf equipment) could have just heard the name and is trying to see what they do. Another person could be looking for a new putter and want to shop on their website. The first person is trying to see what Titleist means and what they do has an informational intent. The other is trying to shop on their website has a navigational purpose.

However, specifying which keywords could be used by people with varying intent is vital to understand in coordination with your website’s architecture and when determining keyword governance.

💡 Use the following steps to help guide you:

1. Examine SERPs
2. Make a note of SERP features
3. Review top-ranking pages

Aligning your content strategy with search intent is critical for both your target audience and search engines.

✔️ Ensure that you answer relevant questions and provide helpful information when people are looking for information.

✔️ Help those making a decision make the best decision for themselves.

✔️ Trust that your offerings are worthly of earning customers over time by leading them in the right direction.

All of this can be achieved with a comprehensive SEO strategy, but understanding search intent is just the beginning. Additional keyword research and audience insights must be obtained throughout time to build a plan to help you achieve business goals.