SEARCH INTENT

March 1, 2021

The way in which we use keywords and achieve the positioning of a website has evolved a lot over the years. We jump from just using keywords without measure, to depending on different factors that determine if a site deserves to be at the top. And of all these, search intent plays a key role in meeting this goal.

But what is it? How can I use it to my advantage? You can answer these questions through this entry. Thus, you will be able to educate yourself about the subject, and improve the ranking of your page on the internet.

Search intention, the reason for a Google query

If this is the first time you read about it, it can be defined as the reason behind a query. That is, the primary reason why the person has made this search.

In other words, it is what the user expects to find on Google or search engines in relation to the query made.

The more specific the data, the better results you will get through search engines. Although, if not, it is usually solved by means of a very ingenious formula, which allows Google to determine later what it was that the Internet user was trying to find.

Search Intent Types

In order to understand or interpret search intent correctly, it is necessary that you know the types that exist of it. So you can use it correctly for the different niches that develop on the web.

1. Informational intention

Informational intentions, as the name implies, are generated to find an answer to a question. It can suggest simple facts like who is the queen of England? Or something more complex like what is ribonucleic acid? Specifically, do an information search about something.

However, not all queries of this type are generated from a question, so the following examples can be considered of the same nature:

Direction of the Bernabéu.
How should I cut a chicken?
Argentina elections results.
Champions 2020/2021 matches.
Planet Jupiter.

2. Intent of navigation

In this case, the user already knows where he wants to go, although he probably thinks that he can get to this site much faster by means of a query. On the other hand, you may not remember the exact URL of the web, but you do remember the name of the web, so searching on Google is the most viable option. These would be some examples of this type of intentions:

Facebook.
Twitter
Google Ads.
RicharBetaCode canal
YouTube.

3. Transactional intent

Transactional search intent occurs when the user (s) are looking to buy something, be it a property or a pair of sports boots. In this case, it is likely that the person already has in mind what he wants to buy, and is only looking for the ideal place to complete his purchase.

It may also happen that they are inquiring about a generalized article, and that it responds to a specific characteristic, such as “children’s shoes”. Here are some examples of it:

White Adidas boots.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10.
Cheap Redmi 9A.
Buy ASUS X299
Motherboard

4. Intent for commercial research

Here the Internet user is looking for a specific service or product to help him solve a problem. However, he is in a dilemma, trying to determine which of these alternatives is ideal for him, in short, he is analyzing his options. Here are some signs of this type of search:

The best programs for keyword research
Top 5 anti plagiarism apps
io review
Cheapest hotels in Barcelona

How to interpret search intent

When you know the type of intentions that users can have, it is much easier to interpret them and know what results they wanted to obtain through them. Furthermore, if you consider that the answer to what the user intended is implicit in the same keyword used to make the query.

For example, if you used the keyword “buy MacBook pro” it is clear that you are interested in the market for Apple devices. So your query would be of the transactional type, by including the word “buy” in it.

That said, the search intent can be interpreted from certain key words within the search. Another example that can be used is “How to make fried chicken” which can be considered as an informational intention (because it seeks an answer).

On the other hand, here we show you a series of “modifiers” that will help you better identify the type of search intention:

Informational: how, why, who, when, where, ideas, tutorial, learn, examples, tips, guide.
Navigation: product names, brand or website names, service names.
Commercial research: the best, analysis on, top X of or only top, analysis, review, comparisons, attributes about a product (such as color, size, among others).
Transactional: Buy, coupon, cheap, discounts, price or prices, offers or any semantic variation of the aforementioned.

Can I deduce search intent from keyword research?

If you have a tool for SEO analysis, such as Ahrefs or SEMRush, it is likely that it can more easily determine the search intention of a keyword. These platforms or programs tend to lead a better interpretation of them, and provide better results, although that does not mean that you can do it yourself.

The most important of all this is that, through this reading, you can take advantage of this information to direct the content to a suitable audience. In addition, they will help you understand what type of results are expected from one or more keywords, and thus know if they should be used on your site.