Today on AdsWirt, we analyze the user intent that drive users when looking for products or services on search engines. Specifically, we delve into understanding the search intentions of users when they input a keyword. Behind each keyword, users express a direct intent, and it falls upon the digital advertiser to discover that “something.” Therefore, it is crucial to understand people’s intentions and provide exactly what they are searching for.
One of the best ways to decipher what lies behind a Google search is to understand the type of intent. Not all searches have the same intent, and they don’t lead to the same results. For this reason, keywords are categorized into four main groups: Navigational, Informational, Commercial Search, and Transactional. Let’s explore in detail what distinguishes these search terms.
Navigational Keywords:
Users employ navigational keywords to directly reach a website or web page. They don’t need any suggestions and are already in an advanced stage of the conversion funnel.
Informational Keywords:
Users use informational keywords in the early phase of their buying journey. At this point, they seek preliminary information to initiate their research and purchasing process. The answer users are looking for is the quickest: a phone number, an address, news, or information. Typically, this type of search, being in the initial phase of the buying process, involves the use of very generic terms. This type of search also occupies a percentage post-purchase. If a user, after purchasing an item, needs more information, they will use informational keywords.
Commercial Search Keywords:
This type of keyword is used when users are closer to the end of their buying journey. They are searching for reviews, price comparisons, and often include words like “price,” “best,” and “cheap.” It is highly likely that a user using this type of keyword will make a purchase shortly for the services or products they are searching for. This is precisely the type of keyword that digital advertisers pay the most attention to.
Transactional Keywords:
These are the keywords users use to purchase a service and are characterized by the presence of words like “buy,” “offer,” and “discount.” The user doesn’t yet have a clear idea of where to buy the service or from whom (otherwise, they would have used a navigational keyword), but they are very close to the final purchasing stage. Using these keywords, digital advertisers can build specific landing pages.
The importance of keywords also stems from a condition that Google must address: semantic coherence. In practice, when a user asks a question and types a keyword, Google needs to return content that aligns with what they are seeking. This is what has made Google one of the most widely used search engines globally. For every user’s query, Google can provide a precise answer by returning results from web pages that can address the user’s question.
Therefore, in addition to creating content containing relevant keywords, it is essential to produce content that answers specific questions posed by users. One of the most useful tools to understand the most frequently asked questions by users is a specific tool: Answer The Public. This tool collects all the questions asked online. It is important to anticipate the questions users may have and create content that can coherently respond to user intent.
