Why Thought Leadership is a Key Marketing Tool
When marketers think of thought leadership, there are names rather than ideas, that tend to spring to mind.
Read moreUser search types can be grouped into three different categories: informational, transactional and navigational.
Each of these categories requires a slightly different form of SEO.
Informational searches account for approximately 80% of all searches, with the remaining 20% being divided equally between navigational and transactional searches.
Around 70% of Internet users employ a search engine to help them navigate to the required web resource, and all of the major search engines try to determine the intent of the search being carried out by analysing the search query and matching it with previous search behaviour.
An informational search, as the name suggests, is carried out by a user who is seeking information on a specific topic or fact, and this covers quite a broad spectrum of searchers.
Initially, the searcher will be seeking as much information as possible on a given subject with the purpose of gaining knowledge. He will rely on the search engine to serve up as much relevant information as possible.
Optimising for keywords or phrases that are not just mainstream is important. Experimenting with a variety of niche and brand-related keywords will eventually produce the best results.
A navigational search is generally carried out by a user who is trying to locate the URL for a particular website. Assuming the search engine has done a good job in the SERPs, these are usually the fastest searches because, once the user has seen the link they are looking for, there is no need for them to search further.
Sometimes a navigational search is carried out to find an individual web page, perhaps one that the user has seen before but does not know the URL for, or simply because it is easier to enter part of the URL into a search box than to enter it accurately in the address bar.
To improve for navigational SEO, label pages individually, and in accordance with their exact content, including the title tag, heading and meta description.
A transactional searcher is seeking information with a specific outcome in mind, such as purchasing a product or service. Transactional searchers have most likely completed all of their research, so they are ready to make a buying decision.
This type of searcher is the most important of all to optimise for. They will be more willing to look through several search results than another type of user – and they want to buy, not learn.
The ideal way to optimise for transactional searches is to use persuasive language, highlight deals, include strong calls to action and optimise for the most relevant keywords.
Not all searchers are equal, and the types of search conducted may well overlap.
Clearly, it is important to engage and encourage all types of search traffic to your website.
If you fail to optimise for all three types of searcher, you could be missing out on valuable traffic and conversions.
More articles you might be interested in:
When marketers think of thought leadership, there are names rather than ideas, that tend to spring to mind.
Read moreThe UK market has been waiting with bated breath for Google’s Vehicle Ads release – so where is the update? Learn more.
Read moreWith the release of GPT-4, how revolutionary will this tool be? Alan Rowe takes us through it...
Read moreTo help prompt you to consider your approach to organic search integration, Dr. Dave Chaffey gives some practical tests you can apply to review your...
Read moreLearn more about the importance of understanding the user journey to create a content strategy that is on point.
Read morePerformance Max is one of the easiest ways to tackle the full Google network, but are you maximising results? Dr. Dave Chaffey explores. Read more.
Read moreGoogle's change in guidance could transform the way content is created in the future, but how does it affect SEO and content creators going forward?
Read moreGoogle are launching their own chatbot to strengthen their AI capabilities, but what is it, and why is it exciting for searchers and SEOs alike?
Read more