Not everyone lands on your website for the same reason. Some might be browsing topics out of curiosity, while others are seeking a practical solution to a problem they’re facing.
Regardless of why a customer searches a particular topic, how you structure your webpages to answer that search intent is a critical element to carrying out a successful SEO campaign. Knowing how to do this effectively means you’ll need to research and understand high-intent keywords and their impact on user interest.
Below, we’ll cover exactly why understanding the intent behind user searches is so important and how you can use them effectively in your digital marketing initiatives.
Why High-Intent Keywords Matter for Your Business
While any type of keyword research can be valuable to some degree when trying to establish a more visible web presence, keywords that express intent are even more so. Below are the reasons why:
Impact on conversions and ROI
Knowing which visitors on your site are less likely to purchase can help a business prioritize its marketing resources effectively. Additionally, by redirecting advertising resources toward these individuals, the company is more likely to experience increased conversions and improved ROI.
Role in Attracting Qualified Leads
When accurately identified, high-intent keywords can serve as a natural filter for web traffic. Building content structured around these targeted words and phrases means that the organic traffic being built is for visitors who are likely to stay on the site longer and potentially turn into business leads.
Importance for SaaS, Ecommerce, and Service Industries
For some businesses, high-intent keywords may not have the same level of importance as for others. However, for SaaS, Ecommerce, or service-based industries, these keywords can be a goldmine for helping them to sell their products or services directly from their website. These keywords often come from users who are ready to make a purchase and have already done their preliminary research before starting their final search.
Helps Establish Authority and Industry Expertise
Focusing web building efforts around high-intent search terms often pushes businesses to explore more niche topics in their industry and design deeper, more meaningful content to support those needs. This naturally helps to build better authority as a brand and expresses to search engine crawlers and site users that the business is a credible source of information.
Understanding Search Intent and Its Types
It’s essential to remember that not all search intent results in a final purchase. There are varying types of intent behind specific keywords, and it’s important to understand what these categories are when designing content to support them.
Overview of Search Intent Categories
- Informational - Informational search implies that a user is simply looking to learn more about a particular topic. They may need to answer a general knowledge question or be at the very beginning of a purchasing journey.
- Navigational - A navigational search typically happens when someone already knows where they need to go, but they don’t have the URL. They’ll then use Google Search to find exactly what they’re looking for - whether it’s a login address for their bank account or a social media platform.
- Commercial - Commercial intent is when users have entered a deeper phase of the purchasing cycle and are starting to compare different products or services. This is usually signified by keywords that associate a comparison between brands or “best of” lists.
- Transactional - Transactional intent is the strongest indicator of readiness to buy. The user is at the final stage of the buying process and is looking to complete a specific action immediately. Keywords are often action-oriented and may include terms like "where to buy," "hire a consultant," or "book a flight to [city].”
While every type of search intent has a certain amount of value, from a direct ROI standpoint, commercial and transactional intents are considered "high intent." These two categories represent users who are most likely to become customers. Focusing your efforts here allows you to connect with people who are actively in the market for what you sell.
How to Identify High-Intent Keywords
Knowing Your Audience’s Purchasing Behavior
The only way to identify higher intent keywords is by first understanding your audience’s behavior when making a purchase. Consider what types of challenges they’re faced with in your industry and how they would likely look for a solution. Putting yourself in their shoes can help you identify common words or phrases you would use to locate a solution to that problem.
Using Keyword Research Tools
Most modern keyword research tools now have specific features to help you look for high-intent keywords. Look for filters that allow you to shortlist words identified with commercial or transactional intent. Alternatively, you can also sort keywords based on their Cost Per Click (CPC), as a higher CPC rate signifies that these keywords tend to be more valuable for brands selling direct to their customers.
Analyzing Competitors’ Performance Data
Another helpful way to locate high-intent keywords is to have a look at what your competitors are doing. Take the time to research top competitors in your industry and analyze their own sites. See what types of keywords they’re ranking for and how they structure their content on higher-ranking pages. This can help to inform your own SEO strategies.
Consider Long-Tail Keywords
Often, the most valuable high-intent keywords are long-tail phrases. These are longer, more specific queries like "buy insulated hiking boots for winter" instead of just "hiking boots." While they have less search volume, their conversion rates are typically much higher because the user's intent is so specific and clear.
Balancing Search Volume With Keyword Difficulty
Finding the best keyword to track and target takes a balanced approach. You want to find a keyword that has a high intent, but also that isn’t too difficult to rank for. This helps to make sure that the efforts you put into ranking for these terms will actually pay off by bringing you in additional organic traffic instead of being buried in the rankings.
Incorporating High-Intent Keywords in Your SEO Strategy
Using Keywords Naturally On Your Website
One of the most important things you can do when targeting high-intent keywords is to always write for your reader, not Google. While there are many SEO principles that support this, it can be easy to get into the trap of wanting to spam your content with specific terms to try to rank higher. However, this is a wasted effort.
Instead, focus on weaving chosen keywords into content only where it’s appropriate. Use these terms to help you create direct answers to questions and back up your answers with thorough topic research.
Place Keywords Appropriately
There are a few key places you should make sure your keywords appear. For example, meta titles and descriptions are your first impression that users will see in search results, so make them count.
Include your primary keywords in these places as well as throughout your content where it makes sense. Whenever possible, use the keyword in your main H1 title and variations in H2 or H3 subheadings to give the page a clear, logical structure.
Google Business Profile
If you’re a local business trying to attract more foot traffic to your storefront, updating your local profiles is crucial for improving the business’s searchability on Google.
Add your business details to the description fields and keep it relevant by optimizing your profile or updates with high-intent, location-based keywords. This helps you appear in local search results and capture customers looking for businesses like yours in their immediate area.
High Intent Content Marketing Strategies
Leveraging Content That Converts Well
When optimizing your site for high-intent keywords, certain types of content tend to yield better results in terms of web traffic than others. These can include:
How-to Guides
A how-to guide is a great way to connect informative materials with solutions or services that support users. By placing more of your focus on providing helpful answers to questions while looking for subtle ways to incorporate brand messaging, you can build a much better reputation as a business that cares for its customer base. This builds trust and often makes the subsequent purchasing steps much more natural and not forced.
Listicles
Listicles are a good opportunity to incorporate your products and services by comparing them with others in the industry. For example, a "10 Best Project Management Tools" page that offers some helpful comparisons of products in your industry, while even including your own in the list. This format is easy to scan and helps people in the evaluation stage of their journey. It also provides the perfect opportunity to highlight where your product excels.
Product Reviews
Reviews are a crucial resource for users who are on the verge of making a purchase. People look for them to gain additional confidence before they decide to go with one brand or the next. Publishing authentic user reviews on your website can help answer any lingering questions or doubts and encourage them to take the next steps.
Optimizing Technical SEO and Site Performance
Your website's technical health is the foundation of your content strategy. Even the most structured and SEO-optimized articles won’t matter if your site is slow-performing. It’s crucial to ensure your site’s structure is easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, and loads quickly. By offering an uninterrupted user experience, it can help you convert as many of your site visitors as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is high-intent marketing?
High-intent marketing is a targeted strategy that focuses on potential customers who are already close to making a purchase. Instead of trying to reach a broad audience, it places more priority on attracting individuals who are actively looking for a solution like those you sell.
How to distinguish high intent from other keyword types?
You can usually tell by certain trigger words being used. High-intent keywords often include action-oriented or comparative terms like "buy," "get," "vs..," or "best." Informational keywords are typically questions, such as "what is" or "how to," indicating the user is still in the learning phase.
What are some examples of high-intent keyword types?
- SaaS: "best CRM for small business," "project management tool pricing," "Trello vs. Asana"
- E-commerce: "buy running shoes online," "discount codes for laptops," "where to buy iPhone 17"
- Service Industry: "plumber near me," "hire a freelance writer," "get a free quote for lawn care"