Understanding User Intent for Search Marketing

One of the overlooked keys to unlocking a successful Digital Marketing campaign is understanding what your target audience is searching for in relevance to your company’s products or services. There are more than 2 trillion Google searches every year, and the more you’re able to tap into what the average consumer intends to find with every Google search they make, the more your digital marketing content will be able to cater to their consumer needs.

On this episode of Triton Commerce’s ‘___ Near Me’ local marketing podcast, we analyze what it means to understand and cater toward user intent. We’ll try to step inside the consumers’ shoes to break down how you can better market your business toward their needs, and get the most out of your advertising budget in the process. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when taking user intent into account when developing your digital marketing strategies.

How Your Digital Marketing Strategy Targets User Intent

Walk in Your Customers’ Shoes

Depending on what industry your business serves, you should be able to gauge just how familiar and knowledgeable your average customer is in regards to the industry you work within. For example, if you’re an HVAC business, it’s probably safe to assume that most of your customers are relatively in the dark about the basic understanding of the parts and labor that goes into fixing HVAC appliances, otherwise, well… Why would they need your services?

The bottom line is that it’s safe to assume that practically every customer you deal with is somewhat unfamiliar with all the in’s and out’s of your industry. Which is why it’s important to avoid using industry jargon or technical terms that your target audience probably unfamiliar with all of your digital marketing content. Instead, your website copy, social media posts, or paid advertisements should condense your services or products as thoroughly as possible, while still offering an accessible and motivational call-to-action for them to take advantage of.

For starters, you can approach creating digital marketing content through the lens of addressing the most common questions, concerns, and interests associated with your average customer. Be sure to incorporate your Unique Value Propositions (UVPs), or what makes your business stand out from the competition, with every piece of content you create.

In addition to providing answers to your target audience’s basic questions, you need to provide solutions as well, so be sure to conclude every advertisement with a call-to-action that clearly explains how the consumer can contact you to benefit from the services you offer.

Consider the Keywords

The most important aspect of understanding user intent relates to keywords: What are keywords? How do consumers use them? How do keywords impact your marketing budget?

Keywords are the words and phrases that consumers type into a search engine to come across your products or services. Conducting keyword research is a fundamental aspect of digital marketing, specifically in regards to implementing successful SEO Strategies into your virtual content. When it comes to stretching your digital marketing budget out as wide as possible, you need to get precise when approaching which specific keywords to utilize, especially in broader industries.

Let’s use roofers as an example for approaching proper keyword strategies. First there’s the basics of roofing-related keywords, which can include:

• Roofing company near me
• Roof repair
• Local roofing company
• Commercial roofing
• Residential roofing
• Roofing contractor near me

The list can go on and on for commonly searched roofing keywords. While these keywords are certainly relevant with the high number of queries consumers use to search for roofing services, catering to only these keywords will quickly max out your SEO-spending budget.

This is why it’s important to utilize ultra-specific, precise keywords that will better allocate your digital marketing budget. For starters, be sure to add your location next to any commonly used keywords (example: ‘Minneapolis residential roofing contractor’), which will help you rank multiple pages for any ‘roofer near me’ or ‘roofing company in…’ searches. In addition to geographic keywords, incorporate keywords that specifically relate to common consumer inquiries in your industry, such as:

• Free roof repair estimate
• Repair or replace a roof
• When should you replace a roof?
• Signs of leaky roof
• Best roofing warranty
• Metal roof repair services (or any type of specific roofing material)

You should also consider the usage of ‘negative keywords’ when establishing your keyword research, which will eliminate certain search terms from your digital marketing campaigns, so you only implement the keywords that truly cater to your target audience, while boosting your return on investment (ROI). Remember, keyword strategy is a critical component of understanding user intent because it forces you to create content that caters to consumers searching with the intent to buy or enlist your services, not just research about them.

Straightforward SEO Strategies

It may seem reasonable to load your web pages or digital advertisements with text to incorporate as many relevant keywords as possible, but the opposite couldn’t be more true. Aside from Google algorithms flagging content for ‘keyword stuffing’ practices, the bottom line is that the vast majority of consumers don’t want to read blocks of text when it comes to them trying to enlist a company’s services online.

For many industries, the less text, the better, especially for businesses that cater to customers who are urgently seeking out assistance when searching for relevant services. Say you run a pest control company. Do you think someone with a pest problem is willing to scroll through paragraph after paragraph, page after page of explanations as to why your pest control company is the best in the area? No! They want a Web Designe that immediately comes across as credible and prompt, with immediate solutions and accessible means of communication to help rid them of their pest problem.

At the end of the day, your SEO strategy needs to strictly consist of relevant, searchable, and easily digestible content that within a thirty-second to one-minute read, checks off all the consumers’ inquiry boxes and ultimately compels the reader to act, contact, or purchase. When marketing on a limited budget, you only want to spend advertising money on consumers who have an intent to buy rather than wasting resources on those who wish to research.

Cater to Your Target Audience with Triton Commerce

Understanding user intent is an essential element to creating a successful digital marketing campaign. At Triton Commerce, we work directly with clients from dozens of industries, which means we have the experience and resources necessary to better understand your target audience and connect you with them.

When you need custom digital marketing solutions, contact Triton Commerce today to get started on developing your free Digital Marketing Plan. Be sure to also stay on the lookout for new episodes of our weekly podcast ‘___ Near Me’ for insider information on all the latest trends and happenings in today’s digital marketing world!