Since customer intent is the driving force behind new content creation, digital marketers need to be aware of it when developing new website materials.

A few months ago, SEMRush added a data column that displays customer intent data in their organic research results. Their new update caused many questions here at Algorithmic Global, like:

• How did they determine a customer’s intent without access to Google Analytics?
• Was their search intent data based on the content or the customer?

Fortunately, the team at SEMRush did release more information regarding their search intent column, but there are still some things that they did not cover, which is why we put together this blog post. This article will discuss additional noteworthy information regarding the new intent column on the SEMRush platform.

Why do some customers search with broad and general terms while others are specific?

Before diving into customer intent, let’s think about the internet and how most people search the top search engines like Google. Of course, not everyone searches the internet in the same way; as a matter of fact, some people speak into their mobile devices and receive their desired content. 

No matter how a customer receives their content, as marketing professionals, we must consider every possible way a customer may execute a search query. 

Put yourself in your customers’ shoes while reading the information below about customer intent, and think about what terms they can use while searching on the internet. This combination of customer intent, paired with typical search behavior, provides a clear picture of the content your customer needs from you!

The four types of customer intent

Since user intent is an important factor for digital marketers, it’s essential to know the different types of customer intent. By understanding customer intent, you can create content that better meets the customer’s needs.

Customer intent data uses a four-part classification system:

1. Navigational intent – Customers looking for a specific website or web page. The most common type of navigational customer intent will be when customers are looking for a specific brand.

2. Informational intent – Customers looking for information about a particular topic. The most common area you will find informational customer intent will be on blog posts that answer question queries.

3. Transactional intent – Customers want to buy a product or service. Accordingly, transactional customer intent will be located on product and service pages.

4. Commercial intent – Customers are looking to investigate a product or service. Pages in this intent are often dedicated to helping a customer in the “research phase.”

Now that we have covered customer intent let’s look at the new data column on the SEMRush platform: SEMRush displays search intent data for any website you are researching. You can even do keyword research based on the customer intent goal!

Our content creation process for customer intent

When it comes to customer intent, our content creation process is simple. We start by brainstorming all the possible customer intents a customer may have when searching for a specific topic. We then group user intent ideas and develop a plan to create content that meets customers’ needs.

After identifying the customer intent, we will develop a customer persona to understand the targeted customer better. Understanding the targeted customer will help us create a journey, a map of all the customer’s interactions with you and your content. The customer journey will help us create content that meets the customer’s needs at every stage of their interaction with the specific piece of content.

For example, when writing a blog post like the one you are currently reading, we design it to be as informative as possible—informative intent. It is common for blog posts to fall under the informative intent umbrella, but other website pages may accomplish the same goal.

Here is a list of different types of pages that can be found on a single website:

• Landing pages
• Service/product pages
• Blog posts pages
• Contact pages
• Home page

Take a look at these pages on your website, determine which intent they serve, and optimize the content accordingly!

Wrapping up

We hope you found this blog post helpful. Day in and day out, the professionals at Algorithmic Global are optimizing their client’s website content for search intent because we understand how vital customer intent is for search result rankings. We specialize in digital marketing services for property restoration companies and have been serving clients since 2017. Our employees are highly trained and educated to provide the best services possible to our clients.
Please reach out to us via our contact page if you have any questions or are interested in a future partnership.