The primary purpose of digital marketing is to help a site get more visibility when people search things online. A website optimized for certain keywords has a higher chance to show up on top search results, leading to possible conversions for the site owners. In general, digital marketing is meant the most common forms of search intent for users:
- providing relevant information
- providing directions about information found in specific pages (works for encyclopedic sites like Wikipedia)
- promoting a product or service to potential buyers
- facilitating purchases online
These aren’t the only reasons why people use search, however. Site owners should understand that many users go online to meet other needs; doing so can help them better leverage their brand and cover a wider audience more effectively. Let’s look at five other types of search intent that can be helpful in digital marketing.
DIY Information
One of the most common types of short-form content these days is the do-it-yourself instruction post. These types of posts provide simple-to-follow methods for everything, from simple handicrafts to kit cars. This search intent isn’t restricted to enthusiasts, either; just about anybody would go looking for DIY instructions if it makes things more convenient. You can look into this share of the search environment if your brand covers items like home improvement, self-care, food, and the like. If you can still find ways to make this relevant to your brand even if you don’t normally handle DIY topics, then it’s a plus.
Trying to Remember
These days, people would go online to find something that suddenly pops into their mind or is reminded of. For example, when they hear a random tune on the radio, see an interesting picture, or look at a landmark, they may immediately go to a search engine to help them remember what those items are. Things have become much easier in this regard thanks to improvements in search algorithms; just typing in a few bits of lyrics a person remembers from a song or giving a brief description of a place or landmark can easily lead to the right answer on the first search.
Get the News
People don’t need to wait for the late-night special edition newspaper or the morning radio to get their news. Everything is available hot off the presses at the press of a button. The continuously-evolving mobile environment also means that news accessibility on-the-go also continues to improve. You can connect with this segment of the search environment by using some of your blog post slots to write news relevant to your market. For example, if you’re an aftermarket car parts supplier, you can write some news items about car shows or new vehicle parts regulations from time to time.
Learn More
One can simply go online to learn just about anything and everything under the sun these days. Want to learn a new language? Curious about the history of a place’s name? Interested in international relations between non-country entities? All of that and more are just a click away. Your brand can leverage these through daily trivia posts, or you can go further and reserve a couple of posts a month to interesting facts related to your target market.
Connect the World
Translation programs are becoming more complex by the day. It’s becoming easier to convert longer and longer sentences, allowing for longer and more meaningful conversations between people from different cultures. Connecting people across the globe is easier more than ever, thanks to easier access not just to online translator apps, but to language resources and teaching materials as well. This can provide another avenue for brands to establish their presence in their market, via understanding what common translation queries people use. Knowing the local language norms can go a long way to better serving your audience.
Search intent comes in many forms, meeting a variety of needs for different people. If you can understand why people search for different things online, you can better utilize your digital marketing resources to hit the right audience.