Is the internet reading your mind?
It certainly seems so sometimes. You can put in a fairly vague search term and often get results that are spookily close to what you were looking for.
Type in ‘sage’ and I get the accounting software, not the herb. Type in ‘amazon’ and I get the company, not the river. Type in ‘beef’ and I get the Netflix series, not the meat.
Is it mind-reading?
Magic?
A miracle?
Nah. Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s more likely the search engines and AI search learning what you’re most likely to want to see.
Search engines use a range of signals and ranking systems to assess each search query and decide which results are likely to be most useful and relevant. They can consider the query itself, the context and the content of pages. Plus other factors, like how current the information is and where in the world it’s coming from.
What is search intent?
As it sounds, search intent is about what a user is intending to accomplish when they do a search online. It’s the bridge between what someone searches for and the results they’re given.
Yoast has identified four main types of search intent. These aren’t definitive and there can be some crossover, but the majority of searches are represented here.
The four types of search intent
1. Informational intent
When a user has informational search intent, they’re looking for information.
That could be anything from wanting the opening times of their local supermarket to wanting the answers to deep and meaningful questions. What is the meaning of life?
2. Navigational intent
When a user has navigational search intent, they’re looking for a specific website.
Virgin, Three, Sky and Apple are all words that have meanings in their own right. But when users search for them, Google knows they’re looking for the company websites and not the definitions of the words.
3. Commercial investigation
When a user is doing a commercial investigation, they’re doing their research before making a purchase.
For example, they might be doing searches like:
- Best value TV and broadband package
- Most energy-efficient oven
- Easiest smartphone for over-80s
- Most weather-resistant outdoor furniture.
4. Transactional intent
When a user has transactional search intent, they’re looking to buy something.
This is why when you enter a product into the search bar, you typically get shopping results showing first.
Search intent on search engines
Traditional search engines would generate a list of web pages containing words that matched or related to the search query. To an extent, they still work this way, but they can also recognise and understand search intent by looking at the way search queries are phrased.
For example a search with:
- Informational intent might be phrased as a question: “What is the pension triple lock?”
- Navigational intent might include context: “Direct Line insurance”
- Commercial investigation might start with something like “Fastest…”, or “Most reliable…”
- Transactional intent might start with “Cheapest…”, or end with “Near me”.
If a search query is vague, search engines may use a range of signals to decide which interpretations and results are most relevant. If a search query is ambiguous and has several plausible interpretations, they may display several kinds of content in the search results.
Search intent in AI-powered search
AI is more sophisticated than traditional search engines. Its Large Language Models (LLMs) can identify relationships between words and concepts, including synonyms and implied meanings.
If you use Google, its generative AI search is something you will have become used to seeing at the top of the SERP. It uses these LLMs to interpret your search queries then pulls information from a source, or different sources, to assemble a response. It provides links to these sources so you can get more information if you choose to.
Synonyms in AI-powered search
Modern search systems can recognise that different words and phrases may express the same or closely related concepts. Language models are one technology that can help with this kind of understanding.
Synonyms are words that have the same meaning. Like small and tiny, for example. AI understands this.
This means two different people, both using AI search, could submit queries that are worded differently, but asking the same question. And AI will understand that both search queries have the same search intent and are looking for the same answer.
Implied meanings in AI-powered search
AI can also pick up on search queries that the user is not explicitly asking, but that would make plausible further questions based on the original query.
For example, let’s say a student is searching for “best tablet university £1,000”. Where a vague or ambiguous search string is given, AI can expand the search to include additional criteria or pre-empt the search intent by rewriting the question.
- Which tablets under £1,000 have a long battery life?
- Which have the best apps for university students?
- Which are the lightest and sturdiest for portability?
- Which have attachable keyboards?
- Which come with a stylus?
How SEO copywriters use search intent
It’s the job of search engines and AI search to understand what users are looking and present the best and most relevant results/answers.
It’s the job of SEO copywriters and content writers, like me, to produce the best and most relevant content, that satisfies user search intent, so it gets listed and mentioned in those results/answers.
So, how do I do that?
For me, there are a number of steps involved. But I tend not to work in a linear fashion, so I’ll work on them all at the same time until I have everything lined up and know your content has the best possible chance of working.
Research what the user is trying to accomplish
As an SEO content writer, it’s my goal to create content that gives the people what they want. So the first step for me is understanding what your audience wants to read about and what they’re actively searching for online.
For example, do they:
- Need ideas or inspiration?
- Have a question they need answering?
- Need to understand how something works?
- Have a problem they need to solve?
- Want to understand what their options are?
- Need expert advice or guidance?
This will come from learning more about your audience, where they are in the customer journey, and how much they already know.
Decide on the content and format
What does your audience need from your content to accomplish their goal? And what format will work best for that?
For example:
- A styling guide might contain a lot of images showing different colours and textures
- A how-to guide might need to be step-by-step and in sequence
- A lot of information on a topic could be split into handy sub-articles
- A comparison guide might need easily comparable, tabled data.
Find out how the user is searching online
I need to understand how your audience is searching online for the thing they want to accomplish.
How are they phrasing their search queries? Are they using the correct terminology or language that’s more familiar to them? Are they using one or two main search terms, or a lot of synonymous ones?
For this, I use a combination of an SEO keyword research tool and Google’s SERP data.
My keyword research tool gives me the average number of searches a particular keyword receives each month and whether that number has been consistent month-to-month. It gives me an idea of the user’s search intent when they use this keyword and an idea of how easy or difficult it will be to rank for it. And it gives me a list of alternative keyword options that might also be relevant.
Google’s SERP data backs this up by showing me the results Google is returning for the keyword I’m looking up. This shows me how Google is interpreting the search query. If the SERP results are in a similar vein to the content I want to produce, I know I’m on the right track. If not, I know I need to think again.
Research what additional information might be needed
I’m an inquisitive person, so, as I’m researching the topic for the content, I’m always considering the additional questions or concerns your audience might have. If I can address those too, it means they won’t need to go looking elsewhere for that information and we’ll be able to keep them on your page.
Some of this information can be included in your article to make it as comprehensive as it can be. Some information might be venturing off-topic. This could link to a different article on your blog or highlight the need for a new one.
Benchmark the content against the competition
While the previous steps can cross over, this is always the last one.
When the article is written, I’ll check it against the top ranking content it will be competing with to make sure it has every chance of competing effectively and ranking highly.
If I feel it needs more at this point, I’ll add it.
Do you need an SEO content writer who will give your audience what they need?
Allow me to introduce myself.
I’m Jenny Lucas, a freelance copywriter who’s been writing SEO content for more than 17 years. And who’s helped many businesses make blogging work for them.
You can find out more by:
Visiting my Content Writing page >>
Learning more about my content-writing process >>
Contacting me directly to discuss your content needs >>
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