branded keywords<\/a> (and you should definitely consider using them!).<\/p>\n\n\n\nExample SERP display for navigational content:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commercial Content<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nExample:<\/strong> A query such as “Best beef brands 2023” indicates a commercial intent, potentially looking for product reviews before making a purchase<\/em>. Google will look for reviews, lists, and product comparison tables to help people learn more about what and who they can buy from. Commercial intent is often interpreted to have informational intent and\/or transactional intent, as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\nExample SERP display for Commercial Intent:<\/strong>\n\n
The way Google interprets search queries and determines search intent is flexible and fluid, and search queries don\u2019t need to fit in one box. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You should always be aware of how Google interprets a keyword you wish to target – Creating informational content for a keyword Google views as having transactional intent probably means your content won’t be considered a good match<\/span> for SERP displays for that keyword.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWith this understanding, let’s dive into the journey from a user’s search query to the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Journey for Search Query to Search Results<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s tie everything we\u2019ve looked at together so far by mapping out the journey from search query to search results. Let’s connect the dots and explore the journey from a search query to the displayed results. Remember, this is a dynamic process shaped by user interactions, and the content Google presents in SERPs evolves based on how users engage with previous results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nSearch Query:<\/strong> A user enters a query, for instance, “best ways to cook beef.”<\/li>\n\n\n\nGoogle’s Interpretation:<\/strong> Google interprets the query, categorizing it as a “Know” type with Informational intent.<\/li>\n\n\n\nAlgorithmic Processing:<\/strong> Algorithms process the query against indexed content, looking for informational content that is high-quality and relates to cooking techniques for beef.<\/li>\n\n\n\nSearch Results:<\/strong> The SERP displays results tailored to the informational intent, such as recipes, cooking methods, and tips for preparing beef.<\/li>\n\n\n\nUser Interaction:<\/strong> The user interacts with the results, scrolling through Google\u2019s search features, clicking links, and\/or interacting with on-page content. The user may end their search or navigate back to the search results page to keep scrolling or start a new search query.<\/li>\n\n\n\nAdaptation to User Behavior:<\/strong> Google learns from user interactions with search results to continuously refine and enhance future SERPs for the same and related queries.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n\n
How search queries become search results.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Practices for Search Intent Optimization<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Before you create new content, you should give some thought to how keywords, content structure, and user intent will all come together. Your content will be interpreted by search engines and<\/em> users, so you want to create content with both<\/em> in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\nGeneral Approach:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nHow much time you put into content planning may vary, but you should always make a basic effort to understand the user intent your content is meant to match. A simple way to do this is to test your keyword and example content title out in a Google search. The SERPs for your target keyword\/content title will show you what Google is already <\/em>delivering for that specific search query. If the search results match your<\/em> intent, you can take inspiration from existing results to optimize your content for similar success. If the results differ from your expectations, it signals that Google interprets your keyword differently, and you can adjust your approach before you start producing the content.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOptimization Tips:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Keyword Analysis:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\nTest your target keyword with a search query and evaluate whether the results indicate informational, transactional, navigational, and\/or commercial intent.<\/li>\n\n\n\n Explore variations of your keyword using Google\u2019s auto-suggest and People Also Ask for free keyword ideas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nSERP Analysis (Do this to plan content <\/strong>after<\/em><\/strong> figuring out keyword intent):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\nLook at what type of content Google deems relevant based on top-ranking results: Videos? Images? Product Listings? Blog Articles?<\/li>\n\n\n\n Analyze what <\/em>ranks in the top 10; identify common themes for content types.<\/li>\n\n\n\nExamine who<\/em> ranks for your target keyword. Try paying attention to who ranks 4th and 5th for highly competitive searches – you have a greater opportunity to outrank them than Number 1.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nUser Experience (During and After Creating Content)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\nEnsure your content aligns with the user intent suggested by the keyword.<\/li>\n\n\n\n Use clear titles, avoid fluff, and refrain from keyword stuffing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n Communicate with a 5th-grade reading level and use visuals to explain complex topics.<\/li>\n\n\n\n Include a table of contents in written content and chapter markers in video and audio content for easy navigation. <\/li>\n\n\n\n Use internal links to other content on related topics (don\u2019t try to cram everything about a related topic in one article: it will confuse users and search engines).<\/li>\n\n\n\n Make sure your content delivers the outcome users are looking for.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nContinued Optimization & Updates:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Improve your content over time by adding relevant media, removing outdated information, and updating internal links. Periodically check keyword SERPs for significant changes in how Google interprets pages or the featured content type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n In this guide, we\u2019ve covered:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\nHow search intent works<\/li>\n\n\n\n How Google matches user intent with relevant content<\/li>\n\n\n\n Example SERPs for each type of user intent<\/li>\n\n\n\n How you can enhance SEO and content quality through best practices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nSome of these concepts are things I took for granted and didn\u2019t know proper terminology for for quite some time. Learning by doing has always helped me grasp a concept, so if you\u2019d like to check out free and simple tutorials and how-to content, make sure you subscribe to my YouTube Channel to keep learning<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This guide does more than define terms: it breaks down how Google interprets search queries, determines user intent, and decides what content is relevant and worth delivering to a user. If you want to understand why content does or doesn’t make it into SERPs, this is the guide to read.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2308,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[24,14,108,107,13],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kattwagner.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2295"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kattwagner.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kattwagner.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kattwagner.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kattwagner.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2295"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/kattwagner.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2295\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2309,"href":"https:\/\/kattwagner.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2295\/revisions\/2309"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kattwagner.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kattwagner.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kattwagner.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kattwagner.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}