{"id":56653,"date":"2022-10-14T14:52:54","date_gmt":"2022-10-14T11:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/?p=56653"},"modified":"2023-10-12T04:16:24","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T01:16:24","slug":"what-is-search-intent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/what-is-search-intent\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Search Intent? A Complete Guide for Beginners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is search intent<\/strong>? You can think of it as a way to provide your audience with the content they want when they want it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see, when most people think of creating SEO content, they think of keywords. While keyword research is essential, it alone doesn’t answer an important question \u2014 why is your market searching for that particular phrase? <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Search intent will help you answer this question, and with it, you will be on your way to higher rankings as well as increased traffic and leads<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd0d Below, we’ll discuss what it is<\/a>, why it’s essential<\/a>, and the different types<\/a> there are. We’ll also share detailed tips on how to create content with user intent in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n

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What is search intent?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Search intent (aka user intent) is the goal a user has in mind when they type in a certain search query. In a nutshell, it describes what the person is looking to find on the search results page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, let’s say you’re trying to get back into shape and want to start working out every morning. But you only have 15 minutes to spare for each workout session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, you head to Google and type in “15-minute workout videos.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the results come back, you might click on a video and find it’s 30-minutes long. But that’s not what you’re looking for, so, you’ll quickly leave that and head to the next option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the following search result is a 10-15 minute workout video, that’s the one for you! So, you’ll click on it and stay there for your workout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udfa5 The more people who search for “15-minute workout videos” click on the same video you chose, the higher Google will rank this video.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Why is search intent important?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In a nutshell, Google wants to ensure that people get what they want from search queries, and it uses RankBrain<\/a> to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RankBrain is a machine learning algorithm that analyzes factors like location, past search queries, and the combinations of words used whenever a query comes in. After examining these factors, RankBrain helps Google return the most relevant results to the user.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using the above workout query example, let’s say you’ve done some keyword research and have decided to target “15-minute workout videos.” But, you choose to create a blog post about this topic and title it “How to make the most out of 15-minute workout videos.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could be great content with really insightful tips on this topic, but this won’t rank because the users don’t want to sit and read a blog post. They want a workout video. This means that no matter how well-written or optimized any of your content is, it simply won’t rank if it doesn’t meet search intent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, creating content that meets user intent is the perfect way \ud83d\ude0e to work with (and not against) Google and rank higher.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Four different types of search intent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are four main types of search intent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Navigational<\/a><\/li>
  2. Informational<\/a><\/li>
  3. Commercial<\/a><\/li>
  4. Transactional<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    \n\t\t \t\tWhat is #SEO search intent? A complete guide for beginners \ud83e\udd14 \ud83d\udcc8<\/a>\n\t\t \t<\/div>\n\t\t \t
    \n\t\t \tClick To Tweet \n\t\t \t\t<\/span>\n\t\t \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Let’s go through them…<\/p>\n\n\n

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    1. Navigational intent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    A navigational query happens when someone is looking for a particular website. They’ll just type in a brand’s name and search for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So, instead of typing in the full URL (e.g., www.themeisle.com), which is time-consuming, a person can just type in Themeisle<\/em> and hit the search button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Some navigational intent users may also be looking for a particular page. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For instance, if you type in “Themeisle blog,” Google will recognize that you’re not searching for Themeisle’s website in general but our blog page. And so, the top result will display that.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    \"Search<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Navigational queries are also helpful when someone doesn’t know the correct spelling of the brand. Google can recognize this wrong spelling and give them search results for what they want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It’s almost impossible to outrank a brand’s name for these type of navigational intent queries (nor is it particularly valuable to do so in most situations), so you’ll typically want to avoid it or find long-tail variations that do let you rank and have more favorable search intent.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    2. Informational intent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Informational queries are specifically for people who want to learn more about a topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These people may type in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n