Most internet users carry out searches to find out relevant information about a particular topic. Matching users’ search intent by curating relevant, high-quality content can help a business drive suitable leads. To attract leads to a business using search engine optimization (SEO), you need to optimize the content according to the user intent.
While some take the help of an SEO agency, others prefer to go the DIY route. In this guide, we would discuss user intent and discuss why it matters and what happens when you do not satisfy it.
What’s User Intent?
User intent is the reason why people tend to search online. The main reason behind a search is what user intent is all about, and this has become one of the significant factors to determine the SEO ranking of a site.
In the past few years, Google algorithms have improved, and it is now better able to determine user intent. Google ranks web pages higher if they fit the search term and match a particular search query’s user intent. This is one reason why a post or page needs to be created while keeping the users’ search intent in mind.
What Happens When You Don’t Satisfy User Intent?
Many might claim that there is no harm in adding more information than what users are looking for. However, one should not forget that you have limited time to capture the attention of the reader. This also means that you cannot risk wasting this time. When a user lands on your web page, they should know that they have arrived at the correct place within a few seconds. Users also need to know that they can easily find the answer to their queries on your web page.
In case the users first see something that they are not looking for, they might immediately leave. This would not only hurt your bounce rate but can also affect your SEO ranking. In case you want your website or blog post to get more traffic, you can’t afford to miss this part up.
Different Types of User Intent
It is essential to understand the different types of user intent before you can work on optimizing it. The four different types of user intent are as follows:
- Navigational intent: When people want to visit a particular website by searching for it, it is referred to as navigational intent. Most people who search for Twitter want to visit its website.
- Informational intent: If users search for a specific term or topic for gaining more information about it, the user intent is ‘informational.’ It can be about any topic, like weather education, SEO, etc.
- Transactional intent: When users want to buy a particular product or service and, thus, search the internet to find it before completing their purchase, it is referred to as transactional intent.
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Commercial investigation: The last type of intent, commercial intent, is when a user wants to buy a specific product or service shortly and conducts research about it. Such users also require more time and convincing.
Why Search Intent Matters for SEO?
User intent is the reason why people search for something on the internet. Since Google has got a lot smarter, one needs to shift focus to user experience and display results to fulfill user intent. Search intent is also essential for enhancing a website’s SEO. The main reasons why search intent matters for an SEO campaign are as follows:
1. Fulfills the needs of the users
Meeting the user intent helps in fulfilling the needs of the users. It also helps the users in obtaining the information that they need. This way, the content would even rank higher on search engines, and more people would be likely to see and engage with it. This would also help in increasing traffic to your site while improving the SEO ranking of the website.
2. Boosts brand awareness
Having relevant content can help your website ranking higher in the SERP. This helps in driving a greater number of leads to the site. This also ensures that more visitors spend time on your blog or website and get to know your brand. If more visitors learned about your brand, it would improve your brand image over time, and users would choose your brand over others.
3. Potential leads go to a single source
Giving information to the users relevant to their search intent is an amazing way to ensure that users come directly to your website. Have complete information on your site to ensure that the users do not need to visit multiple websites to complete the data. Also, if users stay on a website for a long time and engage with its content, it can boost their ranking on search engines. Such an improvement in SEO ranking can help your business get more potential leads and a higher conversion rate.
Takeaways
User intent is an important ranking factor when it comes to SEO. If you’re unable to provide the users with what they need, your SEO ranking will be affected, leading to fewer leads to your business. Thus, it is vital to ensure that a website and its content meet the user search intent. You can also take the help of an SEO agency if you’re unable to do it yourself.
