Search intent – the key to good website traffic?

If you have too little traffic on your website and the conversion rate is pretty poor, then you may not have hit the search intent correctly. You have already optimized the keywords and still did not get the desired performance improvement? Then it is worthwhile for you to take a look at the search intent or the user intent.
Here are the top key facts on why good website traffic depends on search intent. We explain what types of search intent there are and how you can adapt your content to the respective search intent. We’ll also take a sneak peek at Bing’s new AI search. Do you have questions or need help with SEO optimization and content creation for your website? We are happy to help you! Just arrange a non-binding consultation and ask us your questions!

What is a search intent?

Search intent refers to the goal a user has when he enters a search query in a search engine such as Google. Depending on whether the user only wants to research information or perhaps wants to complete a transaction, the search engine also decides which pages are displayed to the user in the SERPS. Thus, the search intention is an important point in SEO topics.

Which search intents are there and how are they differentiated?

Search intents are differentiated between know-searches, know-simple-searches, do-searches, website-searches, visit-in-person-searches and multi-intent-searches.

Know-searches

In know-searches, the user wants to learn more about a specific topic, for example “digital marketing”.

Know-Simple Searches

Know-simple searches are similar to know-searches, but they are even more specific. Here, the user searches for a fact or a diagram, for example. The answer is presented completely in 1-2 sentences. An example of this would be the search query “marketing funnel”, where an explanation is displayed directly in 2 sentences.

Do searches

In Do searches, the user wants to take an action. This action can be a purchase, but also a download or call. Other interactions on a website that do not involve a purchase are also included here.

Website searches

With the website search, the user wants to search for a specific website. So as soon as keywords like “Amazon”, “Zalando” or “Facebook” appear in the search query, it is this type of search intent.

Visit-in-person searches

Visit-in-person searches involve the user asking for a location, such as a gas station. Google works heavily with Google Maps here and searches for appropriate nearby or the requested location. This search query takes place primarily on cell phones.

Multi-intent searches

In multi-intent searches or multiple user intent searches, the search intent is not clear. There are websites where multiple search intents are covered. For some search queries, however, different intents may be meant. Here, the user must decide for himself which information is most useful for him.

How are search intents determined?

If one is unsure what kind of search intent was meant, there are several methods to determine it.
First of all, you can perform a SERP analysis. Here you can see how Google’s search algorithm identified the query. You can also see which Google Ads were displayed and what the organic results look like.
You can also use a keyword tool, such as Sistrix. Here one learns the corresponding search intent for the respective keywords.
Finally, Google Ads can be used to analyze bounce rates. If the bounce rate for a website is exceptionally high, a change of the focus keyword could be useful under certain circumstances.

The Focus Keyword

A focus keyword is the main keyword for your content. Search engines and their crawlers quickly recognize what the content of the website is about. The focus keyword is the generic term for all other keywords. That is why it is very important that the focus keyword reflects the content of the website correctly.

How to get better and more suitable search intents?

In order to catch the optimal search intents on your website, you should consider the following points.

1. The type of website strongly influences the search intents. For a blog, keywords that ask for information are very useful, while shopping websites should rather include words like “buy” or “store”.
2. Next, the purpose of the website should be determined. Here it should be found out what search intent is desired, that is, whether it is an informative know search or one of the more interactive search intents.
3. Then the focus keyword should also be checked in more detail. This is possible with the Google SERPs. If it turns out here that Google recognizes a different intention than expected for the selected focus keyword, it should be revised again.
4. Finally, it should be checked whether the content of the website also fits the focus keyword and the corresponding search intents. If necessary, the content should be adjusted again.

What is the situation with Bing?

The new Bing search recently added an AI chat. According to Fabrice Canel, the Principial Product Manager at Microsoft, the customer’s search intent determines whether the normal search or the AI chat is used. After all, if the user knows exactly what they are looking for, such as using website searches, then they can get by with traditional search. If the intentions are uncertain, the AI chat is used.
In order to be displayed high up in Bing searches as well, it is important that the website is up-to-date. For this purpose, one should use IndexNow, because this will notify search engines about new content. It is also important to set the lastmod of the sitemap to the last date the website was modified and not to keep the creation date.

Conclusion

A user’s search intent for a query is an important aspect of search engine optimization. In total, there are different types of search intent and various methods can be used to determine search intent. To intercept the right one on a website, it is important to consider the type of website, the purpose of the website, the desired focus keyword and the content of the website. In addition, with the Bing search engine, the most important thing to look for is up-to-date content in order to show up as a result in the new AI chat search.
Do you want to learn more about search intents or do you want to optimize your website? We are happy to help you! Simply arrange a non-binding consultation and ask us your questions!