What's SERP Intent? Think Bigger Than Keywords
This article explains the difference between keyword intent and SERP intent, and why understanding both is critical for SEO success.
Keyword Intent vs SERP Intent
SERP intent is not to be confused with keyword intent. Mapping intent — the traditional way — helps us understand what type of page we should create for each keyword. However, identifying keyword intent alone is not enough.
Why SERP Intent Matters
If you search Google for "How to get rid of pimples," every result in the SERPs is about "how to get rid of pimples fast." If you don't adjust your content to be focused on "fast," you will never rank for your target keyword. SERP intent reveals these critical nuances that keyword intent alone misses.
Intent Types
Intent refers to what the searcher is really looking for when using keywords. Intent is critical because it represents the user's state of mind and it gives you insight into what type of content you want to rank for with that query. The key intent types include:
- Navigational — User is looking for a specific website or page
- Informational — User is looking for information or answers
- Commercial — User is researching before making a purchase
- Transactional — User is ready to buy or take action
The Critical Extra Step
You'll spend hours identifying and mapping keywords, but if you don't take it one step further to find SERP intent, your content might never rank. SERP intent will let you know exactly how to target that blog post to match what Google wants to rank.