Google keeps changing its algorithm every now and then and keeping up with all these changes may just not be the answer to Search Engine Optimization any more. User-friendly marketing should be your goal which automatically increases your conversion rate. The only way to do this is to focus on the ‘User Intent.’
When a user types in a search phrase or a keyword on the search engine, he has a specific goal in mind. This goal is what we know as the user intent. The intent behind typing such a keyword could be to:
- DO Something
- KNOW Something
- GO Somewhere
There can even be multiple intents behind a single query. For instance, if a user searches for ‘SEO company India,’ he may be looking for an Indian SEO company that might cater to his requirements or he may be an SEO professional looking for a job in an SEO company India.
Understanding the user intent as well as conversions is very important as it not only improves your conversion rates but also increases your ranking. Here is a reading list that refers to five articles on user intent along with a key takeaway that can prove very useful:
Sanctuary’s article on SEO and user intent: This article explains how Google intends to provide relevant search results to the users as per the keywords that are typed by them. They have used a valid example that makes the reader understand what exactly is the user looking for, when he types a particular keyword such as “pizza.” The chances are that he might be looking for a place that might deliver pizza within his locality.
Key takeaway: “It is important to create content that actually answers the question that is implied by the keywords that are used by the user.”
Marketecture’s article on Google’s focus on user intent: This article prompts the reader to think about SEO in terms of user intent. As per the article the search results will have to understand the conversational language of the searchers.
Key takeaway: Content is useful only when it answers the questions of real-life.
Unbounce’s write-up on why you might lose money through Adwords if you do not identify the user intent behind the keywords: As per this article the keywords are of three types which can tell you if the user is just looking for something, seriously shopping or has already made up his mind to make that purchase. You can use these on your landing page to improve conversions.
Key takeaway: “The Key to successful PPC campaigns is to have the same message on your landing page as is seen in the call-to-action line of your ad.”
Make it Rain’s article on why you should consider user-intent as your new keyword research: This article throws light on how you can understand the user intent through the keyword that users use for searching. It makes you aware of the four kinds of user-searches namely navigational search, informational search, commercial search and transactional search. Each of these relate to a different user-intent and a different stage of the funnel of conversion. You will be able to distinguish keywords that have high probability of conversion from the rest.
Key takeaway: Looking at the flaws in your keyword strategy from the conversion funnel perspective helps you sort users into various stages of conversion.
PPC Hero’s article on how analytics reports can help you understand user-intent: This article helps you visualize the behavior of the users on your website through Google Analytics and understand the user-intent.
Key takeaway: “Check if the users that land on your website navigate away from your site or start looking for something else. This can give you a clear idea about the user-intent.”
