Once upon a time, SEO marketers could grab a batch of keywords, throw them into the hopper, and pack them into their search strategies. But that’s yesterday’s news. In the current environment, strategists must gauge user intent before committing to a set of search terms.
Basically, user intent defines exactly what an individual seeks during a search. It describes the goals they’re trying to reach or problems they’re attempting to solve. Ascertaining this information enables SEO marketers to choose and implement keywords best matched to their customer’s mindset.
Identifying user intent is particularly useful when differentiating between the subtleties of search. For instance, your search term might be ‘starting a new business’. This term, however, doesn’t zero in on what a user really has in mind. Maybe the individual seeks general info about launching an enterprise. Or perhaps the goal is to promote a website devoted to hopeful entrepreneurs. Or any of the other possible action-spurring intents. It behooves marketers to incorporate user mindset with chosen keywords. If, say, your content provides information on starting a new business, spell it out in the search term.
No matter what your content promotes, merging intent and search term better targets the people you’re after -- and connects them with the material they seek. Your brand becomes wonderfully helpful in their estimation. At the same time, you become gold for search engines, which will boost your ranking thanks to undeniable relevancy. It’s a win-win all around.
Research, of course, is necessary to pinpoint user intent. Fortunately, marketers have abundant research-facilitating tools. One of the most basic is the ‘try it yourself’ method. To put it to use, simply enter your chosen keyword into a search box and scan the results. Repeat as necessary. As you evaluate each page of results, select the highest-ranking keywords that include your targeted intent.
You can expect some welcome help from the related searches box Google displays at the bottom of each results page. Who knows? All this may inspire you to dream up new keyword suggestions for your campaign. And from there, the sky’s the limit.
If you have questions or comments about gauging user intent, 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.