Understanding the search intent is the key to proper search engine optimization and can help you drive more qualified traffic to your site. Many opportunities allow you to attract leads and direct them to your business to convert, even if that may not have been their primary intent during a search. To do this, you need to know the different types of search queries and optimize your content accordingly.

 

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• Informational

 

The Internet was created to share information, and even now, the majority of the search queries are asked by users who wish to know more. Google has taken it a step further by offering an excerpt of the first ranking result at the top of the first page before the other relevant search results. 

 

To get your page to the top of the results for such searches, you need to offer top-notch SEO content that answers the query they searched for. If you want to rank higher for a specific informational search query, then:

 

• Write a blog post focused on providing tips 

• Publish how-to instructional videos 

• Write long-form, detailed guides 

• Include infographics in your content for reference

 

Your content should stand out from the other search results and positively impact the reader through the tone.

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• Navigational 

 

Search is the gateway through which people access the Internet. Those who already know what they are looking for use search to navigate the right website. These search queries are almost purely navigational and include terms users include to find specific web pages or websites. Instead of directly entering the URL in the address bar, many prefer to enter the website's name, let's say Facebook, and the action they want to perform, which may be login or sign up.

 

The intent-focused nature of navigational queries makes it difficult to target such queries unless people are actively searching for your domain, searches related to your industry or pages, or brand name. Users who perform these searches know what exactly they want, and anything else is not relevant. Google terms navigational searches as "go query" and has cut down the number of results to seven on the first page. The only way to dominate this search is to own the rights of your brand's navigation query and optimize them for better visibility.

 

• Transactional

 

Whether transferring funds, making payments, investing, banking, buying, or selling, the Internet has developed a central role in the global retail framework. Any queries involving monetary transactions, like the ones mentioned above, are a part of such queries. Generally, it involves purchases like "search engine optimization (SEO) services" or "order waffles near me." Both these searches involve a transaction soon after a result is selected. There are subsets of this category called vertical searches, which split up these searches and divide them according to their niche or industry.

 

By focusing on your organic search efforts like local SEO, product page optimization, or transactional queries, you can ensure that your page remains at the top of the results for such queries related to your industry. 

 

You can also leverage PPC to target transaction queries since:

 

• Google directs a lot of attention to product listings and sponsored ads.

• They offer a higher ROI opportunity due to their relevance.

• Sponsored results compose a substantial portion of transactional searches.

 

• Commercial

 

Commercial search queries are similar to transactional search queries, but there is no guarantee that they will end in sales. Since the Internet has completely transformed the commercial landscape, businesses of all sizes rely on the Internet to reach their customers. Mostly this happens through paid advertising, so they collaborate with SEO companies who can help them choose the right terms to structure their ads and ensure digital success. Commercial queries include search terms used in paid advertising strategies, depending on the business and its industry. 

 

If your website provides free relevant content to its audience and generates most of their ROI from paid campaigns, targeting commercial queries in your niche is advisable. You can analyze competitors' paid ads and identify the specific terms, which you can incorporate into your ads and optimize them to outperform your competitors.

By learning and understanding the intent behind each type of search, you can research and target the right keywords on Google to produce real results. Through this, you can guide your prospects through the sales funnel while satisfying their doubts through user-centric content. To ensure the surefire success of your keyword strategy, you can get in touch with our SEO specialists at Adaan Digital Solutions, a digital marketing agency in India.