SEO Keyword Intent Explained

7 min readJan 21, 2024

Discover how to use keyword intent to improve your SEO strategy and drive more traffic to your website. Our expert tips and tricks will help you rank higher in search results and boost conversions.

In search engine optimisation (SEO), keywords are words or phrases that users type into a search engine to find specific content or information. The intent behind the keywords is to understand what the user is looking for so that search engines can display the most relevant results. This helps to improve the user experience by providing them with information that is relevant and useful to them.

The intent can be informational (searching for information), navigational (searching for a specific website), commercial (searching to buy a product), or transactional (searching to complete a transaction). Understanding the intent behind the keywords used in a search query is crucial in developing an effective SEO strategy.

Keyword intent refers to the purpose behind a user’s search query. Understanding keyword intent can help marketers and website owners create more relevant and effective content that meets the needs of their target audience.

In this article, we'll discuss in more detail the different keyword intent types and provide examples, tips and tricks to help you use them in your SEO marketing efforts.

Understanding SEO keyword intent

Optimising for each type of keyword intent requires different strategies and techniques, such as providing detailed product information for commercial/transactional keywords and clear calls to action for transactional keywords. By understanding keyword intent and using the right strategies, marketers and website owners can improve the user experience, increase the chances of ranking well in search engines, and achieve their marketing goals.

1: Informational Keyword Intent

Informational keywords refer to keywords that are used when someone is searching for information on a particular topic. These keywords are often used by people who are in the early stages of their research or decision-making process.

Examples of informational keywords include:

“How to bake a cake”
“Types of sushi”
“What is SEO”
“History of basketball”

To get a head-start on keyword research and content creation using informational keywords, it’s helpful to consider the following:

Identify the problem: When researching informational keywords, it’s important to understand the problem or questions people are trying to solve. This will help you create content that is relevant and helpful to your target audience.
Use keyword research tools: Use keyword research tools to identify popular informational keywords related to your industry. Some popular tools include Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Ahrefs.
Create comprehensive and in-depth content: When creating content using informational keywords, make sure to provide in-depth and comprehensive information. This will help establish your website as an authority on the topic and increase the chances of your content ranking well in search engines.
Optimise for user experience: Ensure that the content you create using informational keywords is easy to read and understand. Use subheadings, bullet points, and images to make the content more engaging and accessible to your audience.
Use internal linking: When creating content, make sure to link to other relevant pages on your website. This will help users find additional information on the topic and also improve the user experience.

2: Navigational Keyword Intent

Navigational keywords are keywords that are used when someone is searching for a specific website or brand. These keywords are often used by people who are looking for a specific destination or have a particular brand in mind.

Examples of navigational keywords include:

“Amazon”
“YouTube”
“Facebook login”
“BBC news”

To get a head-start on keyword research and content creation using navigational keywords, keep these things in mind:

Use brand keywords: Make sure your website is optimised for your brand name and other variations of it. This will help increase the chances of your website appearing in search results when someone is searching for your brand.
Optimize website navigation: Make sure your website navigation is easy to use and intuitive. This will help users find the information they’re looking for more quickly, resulting in a more positive user experience.
Ensure consistent branding: Make sure your website and all other online assets are consistent with your brand. This will help build brand recognition and make it easier for people to recognise your website.
Use schema markup: Use schema markup to provide search engines with information about your website, such as your brand name, logo, and contact information. This will help search engines display more information about your website in search results.
Monitor brand mentions: Use tools like Google Alerts or BrandMentions to monitor mentions of your brand on the web. This will help you identify any negative or incorrect information about your brand and take action to correct it.

3: Commercial Keyword Intent

Commercial keywords are keywords that are used when someone is searching for a product or service with the intent to purchase. These keywords are often used by people who are in the later stages of their research or decision-making process.

Examples of commercial keywords include:

“Best laptops under £1000”
“Buy Nike shoes online”
“Red dress for sale”
“Lawnmower for small gardens”

Tips to get a head-start on keyword research and content creation using commercial keywords:

Use product-specific keywords: Make sure your website is optimised for product-specific keywords related to the products or services you offer. This will help increase the chances of your website appearing in search results when someone is searching for those products.
Optimize product pages: Make sure your product pages are optimised for search engines and provide detailed information about the products you offer. This will help search engines understand what your website is about and improve the chances of your product pages ranking well in search results.
Provide product reviews and ratings: Provide product reviews and ratings on your website to help users make informed purchasing decisions. This will also help improve the user experience and increase the chances of your website ranking well in search engines.
Use high-quality product images: Use high-quality images of your products to help users better understand what they’re looking at. High-quality images make sense in a commercial setting since they build desire and encourage purchases. Original images can be a ranking factor, so may help you get higher rankings.
Offer promotions and discounts: Offer promotions and discounts on your products to incentivise users to make a purchase. Promotions and discounts can be good ways to attract more interest and encourage social sharing of your brand and offers. Social sharing is a ranking signal, so the knock-on effect is potentially higher rankings.

4: Transactional Keyword Intent

Transactional keywords are keywords that are used when someone is searching for a specific product or service with the intent to purchase. These keywords are often used by people who are in the late stages of their research or decision-making process and are ready to take action.

Examples of transactional keywords include:

“Buy iPhone 12”
“Book a flight to Paris”
“Order pizza delivery”
“Download music album”

To get a head-start on keyword research and content creation using transactional keywords, consider the following:

Optimize for transactional keywords: Make sure your website is optimised for transactional keywords related to the products or services you offer. This will help increase the chances of your website appearing in search results when someone is searching for those products.
Use clear calls to action: Use clear and prominent calls to action on your website to encourage users to take action and make a purchase. This will improve the likelihood of people taking the desired action if presented in a clear and concise way.
Provide detailed product information: Make sure your product pages provide detailed information about the products you offer, including specifications, pricing, and availability. This will help users make informed purchasing decisions and improve the user experience.
Use high-quality product images: Use high-quality images of your products to help users better understand what they’re looking at. As previously mentioned, good images offer a number of benefits.
Offer promotions and discounts: Offer promotions and discounts on your products to incentivise users to make a purchase. Regular offers and discounts will build interest on your product pages, resulting in higher rankings, potentially.

Summing up

Keyword intent is a crucial aspect of search engine optimisation (SEO) and should be considered when conducting keyword research and creating content. Understanding the purpose behind a user’s search query and optimising for the right type of keyword intent can help improve the user experience, increase the chances of ranking well in search engines, and achieve marketing goals.

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This article was first published on AIO Spark: SEO Keyword Intent Explained