Camera with the intent to take a picture that focuses on the word SEO.

SEO and Search Intent

First, a brief SEO crash course. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. The purpose of SEO is to use different strategies to appear on the top options on search engines and yes your company can benefit a great deal from achieving this. One of the most vital things to know when starting your SEO journey is your viewers search intent. A query is the content that is typed in the search engine. They are different from key words and to learn about those differences click here. The three reasons for searching for something online are navigational, informational, and transactional. Knowing the user intent can help target viewers with SEO that fit the purpose of of your website.

SEO for Navigational Queries

It is important to note that the purpose of navigational queries is the maneuver directly to a website. To better understand this let’s use a keyword example, a user may search something along the lines of “forever 21”. The user intent here is to find the Forever 21 website. The benefit of this type of search query is that we immediately know the search intent. Unfortunately, these customers usually have high brand awareness and we want to be able to bring in new customers as well.

SEO for Informational Queries

Just as the name suggests informational queries are meant to find information. Users here want answers to their questions. A keyword example for this type of search would be “Do I need SEO?” or “Does SEO work?“. With this search we can understand their goal is to get information regarding the benefits of SEO. From their search, users will obtain information about how SEO can help increase traffic on their website. These types of searches are more specific and tend to have more words than navigational. If you optimize website content you have a higher chance of answering these informational concerns and increasing your conversion rate (helpful conversion rate details). here’s potential for these searches to become even more specific after they gather information.

SEO for Transactional Queries

Transactional queries do not happen as often, but they have the best traffic value of the three. The search intent here is to complete a transaction. A transactional search does not just mean to purchase something, it can include picking a restaurant for lunch, opening an Instagram account, and so on. A user with the intent to find an SEO company may search “SEO in Salt Lake City”. Specific search content will be found with this type of entry. Viewers want to potentially find a company that can help optimize their search results.

The Query For You

Different website have different goals. You may want to get user to purchase your product, visit your location, browse through your information, or maybe even to follow your blog. Knowing why users are searching helps you realize which customers you wish to target. Your business may be better of targeting transactional users, because the purpose of your website is to get customers to sign up for your subscription goody box. Your goals to optimize search results can be achieved. The research you are currently doing is a step in the right direction.