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Why create content if you’re not focusing on answering the questions or providing the information people are really looking for. Ask yourself this: Is my company providing relevant information to those looking for it?

This is where “intent” comes in.

Intent has been a buzzword-on-the-rise as of late. Just recently, we talked about the importance of localized intent when creating content.

Let’s look at the concept of intent a bit broader.

Creating SEO content is not merely about keywords anymore. Your company might be missing potential customers or providing users with a poor experience by not giving them the information they’re really looking for. And you want to be relevant and helpful because relevant and helpful translates into potential sales.

A focus on intent means moving away from two things: One is simple keyword-based content creation, and the other is demographic-based marketing. It’s no longer enough to create content for audiences that fall into your target demographics. Companies should be creating content that solves problems and is there for people in their moment of need.

But what do we mean by intent? Simply put, intent is the goal of a person conducting a search. What are they searching for? It could be several things. Let’s look at four different types of searches to determine a user’s intent.

1. Information Hubs: A user wants to land on a hub of information such as a website. This includes news outlets, university websites, and major content portals such as YouTube.
2. Seeking Answers/Information: A user wants to find answers to questions, both general and specific. This includes product reviews, “What is XYZ?,” “Where do I…?”, “How to ….”
3. Localized Search: A user is looking to make a purchase or for a service in a specific location. This includes restaurants, gyms, lawyers, and autobody shops.
4. Purchases: A user is looking to make a purchase or for a service in which location is not a factor. Examples include subscriptions, online retail, and insurance quotes.

First, we must determine what a user is looking for and then we can optimize content based on these factors. Is someone looking for information? Provide them with general information at a high level. Is someone looking for a product or service? Offer these users information about pain-points and deep-dive into your solutions. Is someone looking at how to do something? Perhaps he or she isn’t quite ready to buy something from you, but it’s still valuable to provide the answers to these questions. Searching isn’t just about buying things. Research plays a big role on the journey to purchase.

And, in the same way that we’ve discussed location-specific content needs, it is important to consider seasonal or holiday-based content needs for which your company could be providing solutions related to your products or services.

 

Users need to work out details in advance in order to reduce anxiety.

While everyone’s journey is unique, one thing Google has told us is that research and patience are key. Think about the searches that lead a user to buy a pair of headphones, for example. Perhaps the user begins by searching for “why do I have head pressure?” and wants to learn more about the various causes and treatments. Next time, that user intent might be different, this time addressing a key physical ailment and asking a question: “why do I feel like my head is heavy?” The user now wants even more information. A company should be prepared to address that question with informative (dare we say even non-promotional) content.

What kind of company should be doing this? In the example provided by Think With Google, we see another search conducted by the same user. This time for “headphones headache.” What can we extract from this journey? The user was feeling pressure in his or her head that caused it to feel very heavy and then began looking for information around headphones and headaches. Were previous headphones causing headaches? Are they looking for headphones that can be worn if you suffer from headaches and will not worsen symptoms?

In any case, a company that makes or sells headphones would be winning if it was creating content around this topic—solving a problem with content related to head pressure and the ailments someone’s head or ears might suffer from. Then, with additional content, deeper in the journey, promote headphones that solve or do not worsen this occurrence.

And that is where it pays to be the answer to someone’s question and why creating content that meets the user’s need, even if it does not gain immediate sales, benefits companies.

How Meaning Making Helps Companies Meet User Intent

How does your company stack up when it comes to Intent? Have you been wondering if you’re meeting the needs of your customers? There’s only one way to find out. Perhaps users are searching for content and landing on your website but not getting the information they’re looking for. This could be a poor user experience.

As one of the lead meaning making companies in the country, assisting Fortune 100 companies and small businesses alike, Insomnicat Media dives deep into your keywords and resulting pages to let you know exactly what you’re doing well – and what needs improvement. We make meaning out of all the data you’re inundated with and provide a path to success. In addition, we let you know exactly what you should be creating to answer the questions that matter most to your potential buyers. Because what’s the point of creating great content if it’s never read or never helpful.

Learn more about Meaning Making and contact Insomnicat today to find out how to better understand your website and content data.

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