A complete guide to using high-intent keywords in your strategy
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High-intent keywords are an integral part of any SEO strategy… but where and how is the best way to use them?
You’ve come to the right place.
In this guide, some of our marketing experts will offer advice and give you everything you need to know about using keywords with high intent to build a successful SEO strategy for your business.
What are high-intent keywords?
A high-intent keyword is a search term that indicates the consumer has a high likelihood of converting.
It falls under transactional search intent.
Understanding search intent
Search intent – sometimes referred to as user intent – is the reason why someone uses a search engine.
There are three main types of user intent:
Search intent |
Reason |
| Navigational | To find a particular page on a website |
| Informational | To gain information |
| Transactional/ Commercial | To buy a product or service |
Businesses may use some or all of these intents within their online strategies depending on their business goals.
Should you use high-intent keywords?
Like any good SEO, it depends.
The aim of high-intent keywords is to reach consumers at the bottom of the customer journey effectively.
Basically, those who are going to convert.
So, if your business goals are to:
- Increase conversions
- Boost visibility
- Improve credibility
Then absolutely, you should be using keywords with high intent in your SEO strategy.
Examples of keywords that have high intent
The easiest way to recognise keywords with high intent is to look for common phrases, such as:
- Buy now
- Discount/ deal/ affordable
- Product/ service search
- Near me
- How to
- Best…
- Vs/ Comparison
- Review
However, it is important to note that these keywords are usually very competitive and have high keyword difficulty.
How to find high-intent keywords
When undertaking keyword research for your SEO strategy, you can use tools such as Ahrefs to discover high-intent terms.
For example, you can search for your term and filter the results to include phrases such as affordable, how to, near me, etc.
If you’re not sure which phrase to choose, put yourself in your customer’s shoes. What would you search for?
You’re a consumer just like anyone else, so trust your gut!
Where is best to use these keywords?
So, now you understand high-intent keywords and why they need to be part of your strategy, it’s time to discover where to use them.
Local SEO
High-intent keywords are perfect for local SEO!
For example, if you have a physical store and would like to rank for local search results – such as ‘Italian restaurant near me’ – take a look at near me or best phrases.
Creating content
There’s a reason content is king.
Content focused on high-intent keywords can help guide the user through their buying journey and be the final push they need to convert.
Different channels
High-intent keywords aren’t just for SEO. PPC is another channel that can target these keywords.
But how can SEO and PPC work together? Our PPC Lead, George Noon, explains:
By working together, both channels can target a range of keywords to expand your keyword – and audience – reach.
What’s more important – higher intent or higher search volume?
Sure, high intent is important for keywords, but sometimes they don’t have the biggest search volume.
If you have to get sign-off from senior members of a team, it can be very hard for them to understand why choosing lower search volume keywords but higher intent would be better.
But sometimes, it really is the best strategy.
Our Senior SEO Account Manager, Claire-Marie Wilder, says:
“When conducting keyword research, it’s important to consider both intent and search volume.
“It’s always great to rank for a higher search volume keyword, however, if the intent is wrong, it can be pointless. For example, there is no point in Embryo ranking in position 1 for “dog food” despite a high search volume of 20k.
“Even if we were in position 1, anyone finding out the website would bounce straight off when they realised we don’t sell dog food.
“If I had to choose, I would choose intent, as knowing the type of content the search results show helps you write helpful content for that term, and SEO isn’t just about bringing traffic to a website, it’s about bringing the RIGHT traffic to a website.”
What are the benefits of using high-intent keywords?
Despite the fact that search volume may be lower for these keywords, the intent is higher, which leads to a number of benefits, such as:
- Increased conversions
- Improved credibility
- Boosted search visibility
Therefore, keywords with high intent should be an integral part of your strategy.
Should you just use high-intent keywords in your SEO strategy?
Saying that you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket. You never know what updates Google has in store, so it is essential your SEO strategy is diverse in the keywords you choose. A range of keywords with varied intent, difficulty, and search volume ensures you reach various audiences through different keywords.
Get in touch with our SEO experts!
If you are interested in hearing more from our SEO experts to help you reach your business goals, get in contact with us today.
