When developing campaign strategies, SEO marketers generally understand the importance of keywords. Merely implementing search terms, however, isn’t enough to propel a campaign across the finish line. Equally important is getting inside a searcher’s head – i.e., understanding a user’s objective. Known as user intent, this objective drives each search. What exactly does the user want to find or do? User intent answers this question. But the answer isn’t always apparent; serious research is required to uncover the truth.
The marketing world divides user intent into several convenient categories. To ensure optimal SEO results, strategists must know which category to target. One of the most prominent types is navigational intent, which is brand or website specific. People driven by this motivator seek content related to certain products or services.
Transactional intent, on the other hand, is conducted by people itching to make a purchase or carry out some other type of transaction. SEO marketers can identify this motivation by the keywords used in searches. Phrases like ‘buy a yacht’ or ‘hire a roofer’ or ‘order a book’ are commonly encountered. Content geared to these searchers should by direct, simple, and overwhelmingly product oriented. Having user-friendly checkout options also helps.
Arguably, the top dog in this field is informational intent. As the term suggests, people driven by this motivator are info hungry. Across the board, they crave high-value data about a particular topic. To bring in this user, target content should establish authority and expertise in the subject of interest. This is a golden opportunity to build a content empire, merging the accumulated material into an online library of high-value, sought-after knowledge. Done right, this informational storehouse establishes your brand as the go-to master in a chosen field. Always a good place to be when luring search engines to your doorstep.
If you have questions or comments about identifying user intent to optimize SEO results, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way.
You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #4033 or bart@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest brand marketing news and tips.