Marketers usually work with clients from opposing industries. Although their approach and strategies couldn’t be more different, some of their clients share a common dilemma. Their content is outstanding. Yet, they can’t seem to rank based on their target keywords. More often than not, the reason for this situation is simple. The search intent and content created with the right keywords mismatch. Because of this, the website loses relevance, and the SEO strategy falls through. In this article, we’ll discuss the connection between search intent and SEO in greater detail.
Conversion Funnel and Reach
There are many reasons why a user searches for a query. For example, they’re looking for a specific website or contact information for a particular business. However, not every search intent is this straightforward. In this case, designing a content strategy that targets their search intent is hard. To overcome such an obstacle, you don’t need to look any further than your conversion funnel.
As the customer moves through the funnel, they’re exposed to different types of content. The content aims to guide them through the phases and convince them to take a certain action. The more relevant and specific the content you create is to various search intents, the wider the audience you can reach throughout the funnel. Some of them are waiting to discover your brand. Others are at the point of converting. When you match their search intent, you’re more likely to reach both the users and marketing and sales goals.
Impact on Rankings
Google uses countless factors for ranking websites. The factors are usually segmented into groups depending on their relationship with different types of SEO. However, three of these factors stand out more than all the others — authority, user experience, and relevance.
Although backlinks condition a website’s authority, you should always have an internal linking strategy. For better rankings, it’s necessary to cover all the basics regarding a specific topic close to your brand. It shows Google you’ve got plenty of knowledge in the field and are willing to share it with the right audience. You’re also improving your brand’s overall authority, online presence, and website by satisfying multiple intents.
User experience is closely connected to the amount of satisfaction your content generates for the target audience. Working towards marketing goals is futile if the content doesn’t have enough value to the users. That’s why the content should reflect the topics the brand is familiar with. Only then will the brand be able to ensure the relevance needed for meeting the users’ needs.
Relevance stresses the user’s behaviour, unlike other ranking factors. If your content is relevant to their search intent, it’s more likely they’ll stick around the website. Otherwise, they’ll bounce off and allow your competitors to satisfy their needs.
Thanks to the knowledge of key ranking factors, it’s easier to understand why it’s necessary for keyword targeting to reflect search intent and how it impacts the rankings.
Search Intent’s Value
Do you know why Google is the most used search engine in the world? It’s because its goal is to systemize information internationally and make it useful and convenient for everyone. For this reason, it’s going to great lengths to show users the most pragmatic results for their queries.
Owing to this mission, their ads are more efficient than ads on any other search engine. Take Bing as an example. Users rarely use it because the results it shows are mostly unimportant or trivial. As a result, the search engine generates low profit from ads.
In terms of SEO, quality and relevant content are imperative for being prominent in the results. In other words, Google knows what users are looking for while searching for a query. They want information or facts in the form of blog posts, infographics, charts, or videos.
Therefore, the first step towards positioning your website at the top of the results page is aligning search intent and relevant content. If the search engine shows irrelevant results for the query, Google immediately detects a discrepancy regarding the intent. Consequently, it affects the website’s rankings and its SEO strategy.
Conclusion
Although your clients belong to different industries, some of them have similar concerns. You should check the search intent when their rankings are low despite high-quality content. Once the content and intent align properly, it’s only a matter of time before the website ranks as expected.
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