Search Intent for Keywords: What Content Marketers Need to Know

Keywords are key.

An obvious statement, but we sometimes forget just how important they are to our SEO efforts and for generating a steady flow of organic traffic to our website or blog.

Search engine optimization helps us appear higher in the SERPs for a given query. And that’s important, too:

• Between 70-80% of searchers ignore the paid ads and focus on the query results
• Roughly 35% of global traffic is organic traffic from a search engine
• Organic SEO is 5.66x better than paid search ads
• The #1 result on a SERP takes an average 32.5% traffic share, while all results on the first page average 91.5% combined
• Just over half (51%) of all website traffic is from organic search

In short, search engines like Google and Bing drive the bulk of traffic to your site, so you need to take active steps to rank higher and better with them.

How? While the exact ranking formula used by Google is still a mystery, we do know that content and links are at or near the top.

Here it is in a nutshell:

1. Create high quality and valuable content that is keyword-optimized for search engines
2. The better the content and optimization, the higher you’ll rank
3. This leads to clicks (i.e. traffic), which demonstrates to the search engines that your content answers a searcher’s question or fills their need
4. Your rank improves as a result, generating more traffic and eyes on your content, which produces more engagement and backlinks, which improves your rank even further

Starting to see how this is all interconnected?

Keywords represent what your content is about at its most fundamental level, the ideas and subjects of your articles, blog posts, infographics, videos, podcasts, charts, landing pages, graphs, and everything else you create and share.

In terms of your SEO, your keywords should be the words and phrases – or search queries – people input to Google and Bing when looking for something. You want yours to reflect what people are actually searching for so the engines can connect you with them when they need you most.

If your keywords and SEO optimization hit the mark, the search engines will present your original content in the list of results for a given query. Refine and optimize until you hit as close to the top as possible. Be seen. Get clicked.

But all keywords are not created equal. Depending on your particular goals, you need to be very precise and specific so you get delivered to the right people at the right time. That’s Marketing 101.

Enter search intent for keywords.

Words, Words, Words

But first, a quick keyword refresher.

Keywords come in many different shapes and sizes: single word, many words, simple phrase, full sentence, and so on.

There’s a world of difference between searching for a single word – ‘dog’ or ‘vacations’ – and a series of words or phrases – ‘best dog parks in toronto’ or ‘cheap winter vacations jamaica february’.

The Keyword Curve

We can think of keywords in three categories:

1. Head: very broad, and typically just 1-2 words
2. Middle: sometimes called the chunky middle
3. Long-tail: very specific, and usually 4-8 words in length

As you can see in the graphic, head keywords account for close to 20% of queries, while the chunky middle for just over 10%.

But it’s the long-tail keywords that make up 70% of all monthly queries. It’s not the length that defines them so much as the search volume and specificity.

Head keywords like ‘dog’ are appealing because they get very high search volumes. But that means the competition to rank is fierce, and you don’t really know what the searcher is after. They’re too vague.

Long-tail keywords, on the other hand, have much lower demand, but that means you have a great chance of ranking for them. On top of that, you know precisely what the traffic wants. Something like ‘best dog parks in toronto’ leaves little to be interpreted.  

Grab the Tail

Put another way, the top 10,000 keywords represent only 18.5% of the total search traffic. Even if you conquered all of them – which would take a lot of time, money, and effort because of the competition – you’d be leaving 71.5% of the available traffic on the table.

Does that make sense? Work extra-hard at extra cost over a longer time frame to grab the smaller piece of the pie? Absolutely not.

Those long-tail keywords with the lower individual search volume? They can quickly add up, and half of all search queries are four words or more (i.e. long-tail). They’re easier, cheaper, and faster. That means more clicks, more traffic …

And more conversions if you know what you’re doing.   

General Keyword Research

Finding the keywords to target is done through keyword research, a cornerstone of online activity and SEO strategy. If you create content that you want people to see, you must be researching and optimizing for the appropriate keywords.

Most start with a handful of seed keywords. These are the head keywords that relate directly to your brand, industry, products, or niche. Create a list.

If your website has been around for a while, you’re probably ranking for a few keywords already. Head over to Google Search Console and check out Search Analytics from the lefthand side menu.

Identify the keywords that your competition is ranking for with a tool like Site Explorer or BuzzSumo. You can build upon, expand, and improve on them.

Look to the words used by visitors and customers on your site. Look at comments and on-site search data – available on Analytics under Behavior > Site Search > Search Terms – to collect even more seeds.

With a few seed keywords to work with, you can then start drilling down and exploring the long-tail options.

Google can provide some good ones. Enter your seed keywords, and pay attention to a) the autocomplete suggestions, and b) the ‘Searches related to’ list at the bottom of the page. These are invaluable lists of what people are actually searching for on a regular basis.

For example, with the seed keyword ‘vacations’, Google has several long-tail suggestions in the autocomplete dropdown menu:

Likewise in the ‘Searches related to vacations’ list at the bottom:

Free, cheap, and easy.

Another method is to enter your seed keywords into a dedicated research tool. These include:

• Moz Keyword Explorer
• Wordstream Keyword Tool
• Keyword Shitter
• Ahrefs Keywords Explorer
• Ubersuggest
• Answer the Public
• Google Keyword Planner
• Keyword Tool

Some are paid services, some are free, but all will instantly deliver a long and varied list of relevant long-tail keywords to consider.

These same tools can also provide data on keyword difficulty, search volume, those already ranking on the first page, the cost-per-click, and much more.

Choose wisely.

Be aware of SERP Features like knowledge cards and featured snippets that eliminate the need to click. Those are probably keywords best avoided.

And remember that a “decent” search volume depends on what you’re going to do with it, and where it fits into your sales funnel:

• The Awareness Stage? Aim for 10,000+ searches/month
• The Consideration Stage? 1000+ searches/month
• The Decision Stage? Look for 300+ searches/month

For maximum impact, you’ve got to map your content to the buyer’s journey. And that includes keywords, too.

The right long-tail keyword – even one with only a few hundred searches each month – will deliver highly relevant traffic.

But if you want to increase actual conversions on your site, you’ve also got to consider search intent.

What is the searcher hoping to do or find?

Search Intent for Keywords

Consider your own search engine usage. Sometimes you’re on a fact-finding mission, sometimes you’re looking for answers, sometimes you’re hoping to make a purchase that fits a need or want you have right then and there.

That’s intent. And just like keywords themselves, it comes in different flavors.

We use the internet for virtually everything, and a search query does not automatically indicate someone is ready to buy.

But it could.

That’s where intent becomes key. If you can identify those search queries that demonstrate someone is looking to buy, subscribe, call, contact, or whatever else, you’re that much closer to sealing the deal.

Remember: the right message to the right person at the right time.

The Search Intent Matrix

When dealing with search intent, there are 3-4 categories to consider:

1. Transactional
2. Informational/Investigational
3. Navigational

You might also see these represented by the catchier Do – Know – Go.

Either way, they’re the three main groups under which search intent can be segmented.

Navigational searches – as the name suggests – reflect the desire to find and go to a particular website or topic page. They want to ‘go’.

Informational or investigational searches demonstrate a desire to uncover additional details on something. To answer a specific question. To ‘know’.

Finally, transactional searches typically highlight a desire to buy, get, subscribe, reserve, or ‘do’ something.

These intent in search groups correspond quite nicely to the three main stages of the sales funnel: Navigational to Awareness, Informational to Consideration, and Transactional to Decision.

Customize your content – both type and topic – to match the level and intent.

Those indicating navigational and/or informational intent need infographics, blog posts, videos, podcasts, how-tos, webinars, and case studies.

Transactional intent searchers are ready to pull the trigger. Give them that last little nudge with endorsements, testimonials, and demos. Convince and convert.

Deep vs. Shallow Intent

If you look at the graphic above, you’ll see that Moz further segmented into what they labeled ‘Web’ and ‘Intelligent Personal Assistant’ (think Siri or the Google Assistant).

Others refer to this as deep and shallow intent.

Shallow informational intent, for example, is a question that Siri or Assistant will likely answer without the searcher having to read anything. Targeting shallow intent long-tail keywords is largely a waste of time.

Deep intent, on the other hand, requires the searcher to click a link, and either read, watch, or listen to something. That’s your content.

Go after deep intent. Target all three categories to provide adequate content for all stages of your funnel.

Intent Doesn’t Pay the Rent

Ultimately, though, you need to target and rank well for deep intent transactional keywords. You need searchers to buy. To spend real dollars.

Navigational intent searchers often rely on brand names and/or head keywords like ‘vacations’, ‘jeans’, or ‘financial planning’.

Informational intent is usually indicated via the 5Ws – who, what, where, when, why – combined with brand names or head keywords.

But transactional intent – which indicates they’re ready to do something – can present itself in a lot of different ways. Transactional intent can most readily lead to conversions, which means more money in your pocket.  

Generate a list of transactional indicator words and combine them with your seed and long-tail keywords. Examples include ‘buy’, ‘coupon’, ‘cheap’, ‘best’, ‘discount’, ‘free shipping’, ‘deal’, ‘reviews’, ‘top’, ‘compare’, and so on. Specific product names are good transactional indicators, too.

Obviously ‘buy’ is the golden goose, but the others can be almost as worthwhile.

If you target and rank for several transactional long-tail keyword phrases, the amount of nurturing you need to do is minimal. They’re ready to buy. Now.

You might also consider branded keyword phrases if you sell an alternative.

To come up with even more keywords to target, try this: type your transactional indicator + keywords + letter of the alphabet into the Google search bar, and the search engine will provide additional ideas via autocomplete. Start with ‘a’ and work your way through.

So ‘buy vacations b” gives us:

While ‘buy vacations c’ provides:

All the way to ‘buy vacations z’.

Another quick trick for finding strong transactional keyword phrases is to use a research tool and check the average cost-per-click. The higher it is, the better it suggests commercial intent. If others are willing to spend on it, it must have an excellent return-on-investment.   

Keywords matter. Find long-tail keywords relevant to every stage of your sales funnel. Create high-quality content that targets them to generate organic traffic. Never, ever resort to keyword stuffing.  

Optimize your site and keyword placement on the page – such as title, meta-description, first 100 words or so, subheadings (at least one H1 tag), your URL address, and image attributes – but only if appropriate and organic.

Focus more on high converting transactional intent long-tail keywords to put products in carts – and dollars in pockets.

Does intent play a role in your keyword strategy? Share in the comments below: