Leveraging Search Intent to Capture Target Audiences
Keywords are the bread and butter of SEO-driven content. Incorporating the words that users search on Google organically into your website’s copy will help it rank in search engine result pages (SERPs) and drive traffic. But keyword optimization isn’t as simple as just placing a key phrase into the copy — the page and its content need to align with the search intent behind that keyword too.
So, what is search intent? In this article, we look closer at what search intent is and how brands can use it effectively to capture the right audience.
What Is Search Intent?
Search intent — sometimes called user intent or audience intent — refers to the purpose of a user’s online search. It’s not just what they’re searching but why. It comes down to this: what is the audience expecting to see when they type in the keyword?
There are four types of search intent.
Navigational search intent: These keywords indicate that the user is looking for a specific website or page, for example, ‘Chanel login’ to access a customer profile, or ‘Dior perfumes’ to explore the fragrance page.
Informational search intent: This type of keyword indicates that the user wants to learn more about something. They are usually question-based, and the user will likely click on whichever search result best answers their question. This could be something like ‘how to curl hair’ or ‘flowers in season’.
Commercial search intent: Users with commercial search intent are conducting research before making a purchase. They want to read reviews and compare products. Searches look like ‘best day spa NYC’ or ‘Tiffany ring review’.
Transactional search intent: This is the step above commercial search intent. These customers are ready to complete a purchase. They already know exactly what they want to buy and just need to access the relevant product page. For example, ‘Tom Ford 50ml Black Orchid eau de parfum’.
Why Is Search Intent Important?
Search intent is important for two key reasons.
First, Google (and other search engines) cater SERPs to the user’s search intent to provide them with the most relevant content that matches their expectations. You’d be disappointed if you searched for ‘buy Tom Ford 50ml Black Orchid eau de parfum’ and, instead of being taken to a retail site, were shown YouTube video reviews about the product or a digital magazine article about famous actors who wear this fragrance.
Second, ranking in SERPs is key to building your online presence and thus driving organic orders. Nearly 8 in 10 consumers (78%) research products online before they buy, so having a strong SEO strategy tailored towards both the keywords your target audience is searching for and the intent behind them can significantly impact your bottom line.
That means that when you perform keyword research and build your SEO strategy, you need to ensure the keywords you’re targeting on each page and the accompanying content you’re producing are aligned. For example, you should target navigational keywords on your homepage and category pages, informational keywords in blog content and guides, and transactional keywords on product pages.
How to Optimize Content For Search Intent
Here are four main steps to optimize your content effectively.
PERFORM KEYWORD RESEARCH
Any good SEO campaign starts with thorough SEO research to identify exactly what your audience is searching for.
For more about keyword research — what it is, why it’s vital, and how to conduct it — take a look at our blog post How to Find the Right Keywords for Your Luxury Brand.
DETERMINE THE INTENT
Consider why users are turning to Google. Look at the four types of search intent (navigational, informational, commercial, and transactional) and determine which best fits the keywords you identified in step one.
If you’re targeting the keyword ‘how to clean jewelry’, the user likely wants to discover all the different ways to clean jewelry. They have no intention of purchasing yet. But if the keyword is ‘ultrasonic jewelry cleaner’, it’s likely that they’re in the commercial or transactional phase. They either want to compare ultrasonic cleaners or purchase one.
SELECT YOUR CONTENT TYPE AND FORMAT ACCORDINGLY
Imagine how frustrating it would be if you searched for ‘how to clean jewelry’ and received ten results about buying an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. So consider this: what is the audience expecting to see when they type in the keyword? Would the most helpful format be a landing page, a blog post, a tutorial video, or something else?
For example, when a customer searches ‘how to clean jewelry’, they’re either looking for a tutorial or a list of cleaning options. To match their intent, consider creating a ‘Jewelry cleaner recipes’ blog or ‘The X best ways to clean jewelry’ guide suggesting DIY recipes, chemical solutions, at-home tools, and professional jewelers as options.
BUILD OUT SECONDARY CONTENT
Once you’ve conducted your primary keyword research, nailed down search intent, and picked the best format for your content, you can then create secondary content to flesh out your online presence.
Using the above example, you could create blog posts around specific jewelry types, brands, or services like ‘How to clean silver jewelry’, ‘How to clean [brand name] jewelry’, or ‘The top ten jewelry cleaning services in New York’.
It’s a great way to flesh out your content strategy with relevant keywords that align with your target audience’s searches and intent.
We Understand Search Intent
Leveraging search intent is an important aspect of any SEO strategy — and requires a specialized approach for luxury brands. Block & Tam is a marketing agency tailored toward luxury brands. Get in touch with our team today for help with your SEO and search intent strategy.
