How can you read someone’s mind if you don’t even know them? That’s what happens when you try to do digital marketing, including SEO and social media, without doing this important research. Unfortunately, doing keyword research and trying to optimize your website as best as you can doesn’t cut it anymore. What you need to discover is the search intent of your potential customer. WHY are they searching for what you have to offer? Put yourself in your target’s shoes.
You can blame AI for this new development. Google and the AI search tools attempt to answer searchers’ questions as best as possible with the information they find online. Here is a sample Google AI Overview. Note what it says under “Treatment for acne scars” — “From sources across the web“.
So, if you offer any treatments for acne scars, you’d better have some good articles or videos that AI can find. Many paid advertisers are losing clicks due to what’s called the “Zero-click” search results in the AI Search Engines, like ChatGPT. The searcher simply finds the answer they needed in the AI Overview or in an AI search tool, which often doesn’t include links, and they’re satisfied.
Nevertheless, some searchers want more information. They want to dig deeper. Then you have to consider what their buying stage is.
Content Marketing is Still the Answer!
The challenge is to create blogs and/or videos that grab your potential customers’ attention, as well as the AI Search bot. What the AI bot is looking for is HELPFUL content, answers to questions, and advice. You need to know your target’s Search Intent.
What is Search Intent?
Search intent—aka user intent or keyword intent—is the primary goal of a searcher when entering a query into the search box. It’s the WHY behind the search: whether the person is looking to learn something, find a specific website, compare options before a purchase, or complete a transaction.
For example, someone searching for “best running shoes” is likely in the research phase. They are gathering information, reviews, and comparisons. Moreover, a search like “buy Nike running shoes size 10” signals a clear readiness to make a purchase. This subtle but crucial difference determines the type of content that will best satisfy each query.
Understanding search intent is key for both search engines and content creators. Google and other search engines use sophisticated algorithms that incorporate semantic search. Their goal is to determine the underlying goal of a query. By matching content to these specific intents, search engines can return more relevant and satisfying results.
What’s the Trick?
The trick is to align content with search intent. Therefore, you must tailor your pages and blogs to answer exactly what the user is seeking. In other words, it’s detailed information, visiting a particular site, reviews in the commercial space, or transactional pages that lead to purchases. This strategy not only improves user experience but also increases the likelihood of higher rankings in search result pages (SERPs).
Four Broad Types of Search Intent:
- Informational: The user is seeking knowledge or answers to specific questions.
- Navigational: The user intends to visit a particular website or page.
- Commercial (Investigational): The user is researching options and comparing products, reviews, or services.
- Transactional: The user is ready to complete an action, often a purchase — convert.
These help shape SEO and content strategies, ensuring that each piece of content is designed to meet the expectations and needs of its intended audience.
SEO Strategies to Work with Search Intent
Effective SEO strategies for matching search intent begin with a deep understanding of why users conduct a given search. Recognizing what type of query it is allows you to tailor your content precisely to meet the user’s needs. This foundational insight means dissecting the search behavior behind keywords and mapping them to clear user goals. For example, if someone queries “quick kale recipes,” your content should immediately deliver a fast, straightforward answer rather than a lengthy cooking lesson or affiliate sales pitches and ads.
Once you grasp the intent behind search queries, effective keyword research is the next step. Instead of simply targeting high-volume keywords, drill down into long-tail variations and modifiers that clearly signal user intent. Look for subtle cues in the query language—words like “how,” “best,” “buy,” or “cheap” indicate different intents.
Align Your Content with Your Target’s Intent
- For informational queries, produce in-depth articles, guides, or videos that offer comprehensive answers.
- For commercial or navigational queries, design product pages or landing pages with clear calls-to-action and easy navigation.
- Transactional queries should lead to pages where searchers can easily buy a product, get a quote, or sign up for a service.
Use rich media like images, infographics, or videos to enhance the experience. Obviously, this ensures that your content doesn’t just match the search intent but exceeds user expectations.
Optimize Your Pages and Posts
On-page optimization plays a crucial role in reinforcing that alignment. Craft engaging meta titles and descriptions that signal to both search engines and users that your page contains exactly what they are looking for. Incorporate structured data and schema markup to help search engines understand the content context better. This may help you get into the AI Overviews. Focus on your user experience and interface — your UX and UI.
A Bad UX Will Cost You Sales!
Finally, continuously monitor user engagement and technical performance via Google Analytics.
Samples From Clients’ Search Intent Research
Here are a few samples of search intent research I’ve done for some clients…
A Commercial Cleaning Service in Yuma, AZ…
| Audience Segment | Characterization | Likely Need State When Searching | Example Search Terms |
| Realtors | High-pressure real estate professionals who are focused on facilitating property sales or leases, ensuring properties are aesthetically appealing, and making properties market-ready or occupant-ready quickly. Their reputation and transaction speed are tied to property presentation. They value reliability and speed to secure the best presentation for listings. | Pre-Sale/Lease Presentation & Transaction Efficiency: They need properties to be immaculate for showings, open houses, or tenant move-ins/move-outs, aiming to maximize appeal, secure quick sales/leases, and ensure smooth transitions. Realtors are typically under tight deadlines to prepare homes for showings or open houses. They need a cleaning service that delivers fast, first-impression-worthy results. | pre-listing cleaning Yuma AZ, Real Estate cleaning services Yuma, move-out cleaning for home sale Yuma County, open house cleaning Yuma, post-sale deep clean Yuma AZ, realtor cleaning partner Yuma, move-out cleaning Yuma, Real Estate cleaning company Yuma, showing-ready cleaning service Yuma |
| Short-Term Rental Owners | Property owners who rent out their units on a short-term basis (e.g., Airbnb, Vrbo), heavily reliant on guest satisfaction, positive reviews, and efficient turnovers to maintain profitability and high occupancy rates. | Efficient Turnover & Guest Experience Optimization: They require fast, thorough, and reliable cleaning services between guest stays to ensure impeccable guest experiences, maintain high ratings, and maximize booking potential. | Airbnb cleaning Yuma AZ, vacation rental cleaning Yuma County, short-term rental turnover cleaning Yuma, reliable Airbnb cleaner Yuma, deep clean Airbnb Yuma, post-guest cleaning service Yuma, rapid cleaning service for rentals Yuma |
| Multi-Family Building Owners and Managers | Professionals overseeing residential apartment complexes or condominiums, responsible for maintaining common areas, ensuring tenant satisfaction, complying with regulations, and managing property assets efficiently. | Common Area Maintenance, Compliance & Tenant Retention: They seek consistent, high-quality cleaning for shared spaces, efficient unit turnover cleaning, and specialized services to ensure a safe, habitable environment that meets legal standards and keeps residents happy. | apartment complex cleaning Yuma AZ, common area cleaning multi-family Yuma, janitorial services apartment buildings Yuma, move-out cleaning apartments Yuma, post-construction cleaning multi-family Yuma, block cleaning services Yuma, turnover cleaning for apartments Yuma |
| Commercial Office Building Managers | Individuals responsible for the upkeep, operations, and maintenance of office spaces, focused on providing a clean, safe, and productive environment for employees and presenting a professional image to clients. | Workplace Hygiene, Professional Image & Operational Efficiency: They need comprehensive cleaning services to maintain a healthy and productive work environment, ensure compliance with safety standards, and project a professional image, often balancing quality with budget. Or when an office needs regular maintenance or deep cleaning after events, aiming to boost employee productivity and client impressions. | office cleaning services Yuma AZ, commercial janitorial Yuma, office deep-cleaning Yuma, window cleaning commercial Yuma County, post construction office cleanup Yuma, disinfection services Yuma office, commercial office cleaning Yuma, professional office cleaning Yuma, janitorial cleaning service Yuma |
| Property Managers (General) | Professionals managing a diverse portfolio of residential and/or commercial properties for owners, handling everything from tenant relations and maintenance to financial oversight and vendor coordination. They require comprehensive cleaning solutions for everything from common areas to individual turnovers in both residential and commercial settings. | Comprehensive Property Care & Emergency Response: They require a versatile cleaning partner capable of handling routine maintenance, tenant turnover, specialty cleanings, and urgent situations across various property types to protect assets and ensure tenant/owner satisfaction. | property management cleaning Yuma AZ, rental property cleaning Yuma County, commercial property cleaning Yuma, emergency cleaning services Yuma, post tenant cleanup Yuma, full service cleaning Yuma property, building janitorial service Yuma, turnover cleaning services Yuma, |
A Company that Offers Online Video Editing Training…
| Audience Segment | Characteristics | Need State | Search Terms |
| Absolute Beginners | These users have little to no prior experience with video editing software. They are looking for fundamental knowledge and guidance. They are often overwhelmed by the complexity of the software. | Overwhelmed and seeking basic understanding. They need clear, step-by-step instructions and introductory material. They may be unsure which software is right for them. | “learn video editing for beginners” “what is video editing software” “how to edit video on a Mac” “final cut pro for dummies” “Davinci resolve free tutorial for beginners” “motion 5 basic training” “video editing basics explained” “best video editing software for beginners Mac” “free final cut pro trial tutorial” |
| Hobbyists/Enthusiasts | These users edit videos for personal projects, such as family videos, travel vlogs, or social media content. They are looking to enhance their skills and explore more creative techniques. Mostly older retired folks. | Driven by passion and a desire to improve their personal projects. They seek inspiration, creative techniques, and intermediate-level tutorials. | “final cut pro transitions tutorial” “Davinci resolve color grading tips” “motion 5 text animation tutorial” “video editing tips and tricks” “how to make a cinematic video” “best free video editing plugins” “learn video editing for YouTube” “how to edit travel videos” “motion graphics tutorials for beginners” |
| Career-Focused Editors (Aspiring Professionals) | These users are looking to build a career in video editing, whether as freelancers or within production companies. They need advanced skills, industry knowledge, and portfolio-building resources. | Motivated by career advancement and professional development. They are looking for in-depth training, advanced techniques, and industry best practices. | “final cut pro certification training” “Davinci resolve advanced color grading” “motion 5 visual effects tutorials” “video editing jobs training” “freelance video editing tips” “video editing portfolio examples” “best online video editing courses” “learn professional video editing” “Davinci resolve fusion training” |
| Small Business Owners/Marketers | These users handle their own marketing and need to create video content for social media, websites, and advertising. They prioritize efficiency and practical application. | Focused on practical application and achieving marketing goals. They need quick, actionable tutorials and templates that can be easily implemented. | “how to edit videos for youtube marketing” “video editing for social media ads” “final cut pro tutorial for business” “davinci resolve for marketing videos” “motion graphics for business presentations” “easy video editing software for small business” “create promotional videos tutorial “video editing templates for marketing” “how to make engaging social media videos” |
| Software-Specific Learners | These users are already committed to a specific software (Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Motion) and are seeking resources specifically for that program. | Focused on mastering a particular tool. They need tutorials, tips, and resources tailored to their chosen software. | “final cut pro x tutorial* “davinci resolve 17 training “apple motion 5 tutorial” “final cut pro effects plugins” “davinci resolve color management” “motion 5 keyframing tutorial” “final cut pro keyboard shortcuts “davinci resolve audio editing” “motion 5 particle effects” |
Get the idea? One was a local business, the other an ecommerce site.
A lot of what’s here is Technical SEO. You may be thinking, “What’s Schema Markup and Structured Data?” Yeah, it’s a bit over my head, too! However, I had to learn not only what it is, but how it works, and which tools make it easy to implement it on a website — especially for local and ecommerce businesses.
What You Need To Do NOW
- Define Your Target Market(s). Start here with this FREE workbook! (You can have more than one target, as you can see by my samples.)
- Then take a step back and think of their WHY for searching for what you have to offer. Think of every FAQ — frequently asked question — your customers ever asked.
- Make a list of 10 of your keyword terms and use the Google Keyword Tool to find the high-volume keywords.
In summary, you can blame AI for all this extra work you’re facing if you want to be found. Not just that, but beat the competition! If you have a formidable competitor, you have to deal with this, or you might as well close up shop.
If you’d like help with your target market’s search intent, let’s schedule a FREE 15-minute Zoom consult, and I’ll review your website and current efforts.
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