The Secret Power of High-Intent Keywords
If you’ve been here before, you know I love my secrets! I only share them with those near and dear to my heart- you included! Let’s discuss the power of high-intent keywords and the opportunities they provide.
What are High-Intent Keywords?
High-intent keywords are words that indicate a strong intention to take action. They reflect a potential client’s desire to complete a specific action. These actions can be transactional, informational, commercial, navigation, or local. I’ll explain how they all work in the next section.
Effective copywriting is only possible if you use the right intent for your business. For example, if you have an e-commerce business, most of what you say to clients is with the intention of making a sale. It would not serve your business well if you simply informed potential clients about your products without saying why they need them. (Olivia’s tip: If you’re looking to generate sales, it will help to use language that evokes urgency. This causes a site visitor to feel more inclined to act quickly.)
Types of High-Intent Keywords
Understanding the “why” is an important step in understanding the “how.” Knowing the reason as to why a user is searching for information helps you structure your content to be seen and make people want to stick around. They might even make that purchase. Here are the four primary intentions behind a keyword:
Transactional: the user wants to buy something
Phrases such as “buy,” “discount,” and “order now” are prime examples of transactional keywords. Prioritize these keywords when crafting content aimed at driving sales.
2. Informational: the user wants to know more about a topic
These keywords are used by searchers seeking knowledge or solutions to specific problems. Phrases like “how to,” “best tips for,” or “what is” indicate that users are in the research phase but may still be open to conversion.
3. Commercial: the user wants to conduct research on brands or services
Content such as comparisons, reviews, or how-to articles can target these searches. For instance, someone searching “Stanley vs. Yeti” wants to buy an insulated cup but wants to narrow the decision down. An article that compares these two will most likely attract this user. If you’re one of the options they want, this is great opportunity to explain how you’re different.
4. Navigational: the user is trying to find a specific page or website
Users searching for terms like “Nike official site” or “Amazon login” are typically familiar with the brand and want to navigate directly to it. While these keywords may not always lead to conversions on the content you create, they are crucial for brand recognition and maintaining a strong online presence.
5. Local: the user is trying to find somewhere local
If your business has a market limited to those around you in your city or state, your language should strictly speak to them.
Effective high-intent keywords create content that not only attracts traffic but also converts visitors into loyal customers. We love to see that!
How to Identify High-Intent Keywords
Think of identifying high-intent keywords as the recipe for the Powerpuff Girls. It requires the perfect balance of different ingredients, such as understanding your target audience, research, and analysis.
Target Audience
Understanding your target audience is crucial when understanding how to speak to your ideal client. Imagine speaking Japanese to someone who only understand Swahili; the principle is the same. A person’s age, location, occupation, race, and other factors are all something to take into account. Once you know pretty much all there is to know about your ideal audience, you’ll have a full customer avatar to work with.
Research
You’ve already accomplished the first step by visiting our blog for SEO research insights! Now we need to go even deeper-for some time we’re going to act as private investigators. You know all the fast facts about your audience but what about their pain points? What problems do they have? Being able to solve problems and answer questions for your audience attracts the right people and gives you leverage against competitors
Analysis
Once you’ve identified your target audience and gone full detective with researching them, its time to analyze! Analyzing keywords ensures that you are accurately match your words with the intent. So even if you can’t speak Italian fluently quite yet, you’re making it a point to learn the greetings and casual conversation. To learn keyword intentions, tools like SEMrush and Ubersuggest are very helpful. I prefer Ubersuggest because it has a free version and still gets the job done.
Including High-Intent Keywords into Copywriting
Now we’ve reached the part where the magic happens- incorporating your high-intent keywords into your copywriting. The key is to do so in a way that feels natural and enhances the overall quality of the content. Start by integrating these keywords into your headlines and subheadings to not only grab attention but also signal search engines to rank you higher. A compelling headline with a high-intent keyword can also significantly improve click-through rates.
Strategically place them in the introduction, conclusion, and throughout the text, ensuring that they flow organically within the context. Avoid throwing in too many keywords through your content, as this can distract from the readability of your content. Too much of a good thing is not a good thing. Focus on crafting sentences that naturally incorporate keywords while still providing value to the reader.
Wrap Up
High-intent keywords are essential if you want to have better chances at connecting with clients and increasing conversions. Remember to understand your target audience, research about them, and analyze the best communication methods. From there, just implement all you’ve learned into your copy!, Talk your audience’s language, and you will be well on your way to improving traffic and conversions. Buona Fortuna!