If your pages aren't ranking, it's not because of a link or word more or less. Chances are you're just not meeting the user's search intent. Search intent is the big "why" of search in Google. If you better understand why a search query is being typed in, you'll also know better what content on your website goes with it. In this article, we'll discuss the different types of search intent, how Google understands what we are looking for and why search intent is so important for SEO.

How does Google understand what we are looking for?

Google always tries to provide the best results for the user's search query. Therefore, Google looks at several factors to determine which results are most relevant. One important factor is search intent. Google tries to understand what the user is looking for and why. Google does this by looking at the words the user uses in the search query and the context in which these words are used. This allows Google to determine whether the user is looking for information, a product or a service.

Why is search intent so important for SEO?

Search intent is important for SEO because it forms the basis of your content strategy. If you understand why people are searching for certain keywords, you can capitalize on it with the right content. For example, if you understand that people searching for "best restaurants Rotterdam" are looking for a list of restaurants, you can capitalize on this by writing an article with the best restaurants in Rotterdam.

What types of search intentions are there?

There are four different types of search intentions: informational, navigational, commercial and transactional.

There are four different types of search intentions: informational, navigational, commercial and transactional.

1. Informational
   With an informational search intent, the user is looking for information. For example, this could be an article about the history of Amsterdam or a manual for repairing a bicycle.
2. Navigating
   In navigational search intent, the user is looking for a specific Web site or page. For example, this could be a restaurant's website or a company's contact page.
3. Commercial
   In commercial search intent, the user is looking for information about a product or service. For example, this could be a comparison between different brands or a review of a product.
4. Transactional
   In transactional search intent, the user is looking for a specific action, such as buying a product or booking a vacation.

How can you use search intent in your content strategy?

To use search intent in your content strategy, it's important to first understand the types of search intent. Then you can tailor your content accordingly. For example, if you know that people searching for 'best restaurants Amsterdam' are looking for a list of restaurants, you can capitalize on this by writing an article with the best restaurants in Amsterdam. If you know that people searching for 'fix bike' are looking for a manual, you can respond by writing a clear step-by-step guide.

Conclusion

Search intent is an important part of your SEO strategy. By understanding why people search for certain keywords, you can capitalize on it with the right content. This will not only lead to better rankings in Google, but also to more satisfied users. It is therefore important to use search intent as the basis for your content strategy.
If you know the search intent, then you can work with that for your programmatic SEO