What is search intent?
3 - Search intent
Search intent, also known as user intent or buyer intention, refers to the main goal a user aims to achieve when typing a query into a search engine. It's crucial to understand and address this intent when creating content to engage users effectively.
Search intent, what exactly is it?
Search intent (aka ‘user intent’ or ‘buyer intention’) is the main goal a user has when typing a query into a search engine.
Our job is to provide answers to that query.
The first question you should ask yourself when writing an article is: 'What is the user looking for in this article?'.
Getting this crystal clear from the start will help focus your article, keeping the bigger picture in mind. If you provide the user with the information that answers their query, they'll be much more likely to remain on your page and engage with your content.
The importance of search intent
Without using intent data, your website and content will likely get lost in the sea of B2B SaaS online marketing. Search is no longer simply about keywords, but increasingly about providing the right content to the right user at the right time.
Despite the constant movement, the bottom line is once you understand your searcher’s intent, you’ll be able to do two key things:
- Create content that meets the needs of search users, providing actionable solutions for their problems
- Effectively generate leads and revenue
💡 A top tip for acing user intent: Google the subject you're writing about, and take notes from the 'People also ask' dropdown.
Using ‘People Also Ask’
For example, I've searched “What makes a good copywriter?” These are the additional questions users often search for:
So, you can take this information and use it to create content that goes above and beyond to answer all the questions a person might have about the topic. By looking at the first page of Google results, you can decide on the key points you'll be including in your content.
As seen in dslx’s work
Here's an example from an article for TravelPerk, titled “The 5 best car rental companies in the UK”. The introduction directly addresses the user's pain point, and the reader knows that if they keep reading they'll access the answers they're looking for. In other words, the article's content is exactly what it says on the tin.
