Discover How To Leverage Keyword Research & Intent

To get the most out of your content, you need to discover the relevant keywords and intents. It plays a vital role in SEO and PPC.

In this article, you will learn how to leverage keyword research and intent analysis, what they are and how they can help enhance the visibility of your online presence.

Contents

Identifying your target audience and the customer journey

Before any research, do you know who is looking for your products and services? Answering this question could be the first step to success.

Your target audiences are the group of people most likely to be interested in your products or services. To figure out who they are, take a look at their demographics (age, gender, location, etc.) and their interests.

Knowing which words and phrases your target audience use to search on the internet can help you craft content that will attract potential customers to your website.

Their customer journey can tell you whether they are ready to buy or still researching information. Use the AIDA model to plan your potential customers' cognitive stages.

For example, if your new year's resolution is to start running, you may need good running shoes. At this stage, you know that you will buy running shoes but are not ready to purchase them. In this case, you are at the awareness stage, which means: you are aware of a problem that needs a solution.

What Are The Benefits Of Keyword Research?

It helps identify the words and phrases your target audiences use. By understanding what words people use to search for information, you can craft content that speaks directly to their needs.

It enables you to create content tailored to your target audience – allowing you to reach more potential customers and build trust with your existing ones.

It also helps you optimise content by incorporating relevant keywords into headlines, page titles and meta descriptions so that they appear in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Furthermore, keyword research allows you to track trends and changes over time to stay ahead of the competition.

What Is Search Intent?

Search intent, also known as keyword intent, is the idea that different queries have specific intentions.

The four main categories are: navigational, informational, commercial and transactional.

Navigational searches are when users look for specific websites or webpages by typing in the exact name or URL.

Transactional search intent refers to users looking for products/services to buy them as soon as possible.

Commercial search - visitors are ready to learn more about specific brands and services.

Informational queries are used to find answers and solutions to problems without necessarily wanting to purchase something immediately.

Back to our new year's resolution example, when you decide which shoe would best fit your requirements, you would use a commercial intent keyword to express your willingness to purchase the shoe.

How to optimise keywords for SEO and PPC?

Optimising your keywords for SEO and PPC can significantly improve online visibility. You are ready to create content when you implement the three factors mentioned above (keywords, intent, and buyer's journey).

- Determine target keywords: Identify keywords related to your business, industry, and target audience.

- Utilise long-tail keywords: Target longer, more specific phrases to reach a highly-qualified audience and drive more targeted traffic. Did you know that only 8% of search queries are phrased as questions?

- Assess keyword intent: Research the meaning behind each keyword (e.g. informational, navigational, commercial, transactional) to better understand user motivation.

- Analyse keyword competition: Use tools to determine the level of competition for each keyword and prioritise those with lower competition.

- Create content around keywords and the customer journey: Develop ad copy, blog posts, product descriptions, and landing pages optimised for your target keywords and their intent.

- Monitor keyword performance: Regularly track your keyword rankings and adjust your strategy as needed based on performance. Remember, ranking on search engines takes time.

Consider voice search: Optimise content for voice search by using natural language and including conversational keywords. For PPC, you are probably after to drive commercial traffic to get a quick ROI - which means that using commercial intent is highly recommended. Example: Buy Nike Zoomx Vaporfly.

For SEO, you can utilise all keyword intents mentioned before. You can write a how-to article using informational keywords to help users find answers to their questions (Example article). Landing or sales pages are perfect for commercial intent keywords.

Conclusion: Keyword Research & Intent

In conclusion, keyword research and intent identification are essential for successful search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC). By understanding your target audience and their customer journey, you can effectively research keywords to gain a better understanding of the search intent.

Keyword research is a must for any SEO or PPC campaign. If you want to make sure you use the right keywords and need a second opinion, do not hesitate to contact me.