Search Intent Optimization: It Is Not As Simple As It Seems

Search intent optimization is key for organic search visibility but how to do it right?

When Google just started, they were using exact-match keywords, i.e. they took a search query and matched it verbatim to that phrase in the documents in their index. So an effective SEO strategy was about creating multiple pages that would include all kinds of keyword variations.

This has created hundreds of thousands of low-quality content ranking high for long-tail queries.

Exact-match keywords are no longer used by search engines the way they used to. These days, search engines also understand the intent and context behind each query and match those searches to the documents that cater to the user's needs. It’s very common for Google to rank a URL that doesn’t have an exact keyword in the title or anywhere on the page.

So when creating content, optimizing for search intent is key.

And yet, it is not as simple as it sounds, because intent optimization goes far beyond informational, navigational, or transactional intent optimization. It is about learning from Google what it has found to be useful for the majority of its users.

Last week my daughter came to me asking which house was Harry Potter in. I couldn’t remember, so I searched Google [harry potter house] fully expecting a quick answer. Instead, I got a quiz ranking on top:

Google guessed one thing behind my intent: It was about Hogwarts House but it failed to give me a quick answer. I turned to my friends and followers asking them how they would perceive that query. The responses varied:

• The house he lived in on 4 Privet Drive.

• The name of the school he went to

• The house that was used as an external set in the movies

• Hogwarts Castle Lego sets

Overall, many people agreed it was likely a mixed intent (different people may mean different things when searching for this).

ChatGPT also agreed on the mixed intent:

When someone searches for "Harry Potter house," they could be looking for information or resources related to several topics within the Harry Potter universe and its fan community. Here are some common intentions behind such a search:

1. Sorting Quiz: They might be interested in taking a quiz to determine which Hogwarts house (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin) they would belong to based on their personality traits. These quizzes are popular among fans of the series.

2. House Characteristics: The searcher could be looking for details about the characteristics, values, and notable members of each Hogwarts house to understand them better or for personal identification with a house.

3. Merchandise: They may be looking to buy merchandise related to a specific Hogwarts house, such as clothing, accessories, or collectibles.

4. House Histories and Lore: The person might be interested in the lore, history, and background of the Hogwarts houses within the context of the Harry Potter universe, including their founders and their legacies.

5. Fan Communities: They could be seeking online communities or forums where fans of a particular house gather to discuss Harry Potter-related topics, share fan art, or participate in house-specific activities.

6. Decor and Themed Rooms: The searcher might be looking for inspiration or items to decorate a room or organize an event themed around a Hogwarts house.

7. Educational Content: Teachers and educators sometimes use the concept of Hogwarts houses to create group activities, class management strategies, or themed educational content, so the search could be for resources in this vein.

8. Fan Fiction and Role-Playing: They could be seeking fan fiction or role-playing groups where members assume the identities of students from specific Hogwarts houses.

Google’s SGE focused on the generic information about all four Hogwarts houses, which is well expected because SGE is simply a summary of organic search.

What should this quick exercise tell us in terms of on-page SEO?

• Don’t assume you know what the search intent behind your target queries is.

• By all means, search Google prior to creating a page targeting any query. Google has years of SERP interaction data to know who is searching and why.

  • Browse Google’s SERPs to get some clues as to what topics, angles, and formats it considers useful and helpful to searchers

• Use AI to better understand possible search intents behind any query. I have a custom GPT to help with that.

• Create additional pages to support different search journeys and intent (this will help you to be highlighted in SGE answers too)

• Stop blindly keyword-matching. You still need keywords on your page, as Google confirmed. For example, it is a good idea to use the main keyword in the title of the page and meta description to increase the likelihood of them appearing in the search snippet. The main thing here is: don’t repeat those keywords to a point when your copy seems repetitive and/or unnatural.

Finally, use these SERP extractors to analyze search results and get more ideas on how to optimize your content:

SEO Search Simulator  (Google Chrome extension)

• Simulate search results from any country

• Easily locate any domain and identify its actual position within target SERPs

• Check rankings of several domains within a single search result page

• Save searches for easy access to target SERPs in the future

SEO Minion (Google Chrome extension)

• One-click option to copy the whole SERP

• Adjust the number of URLs to copy by changing Google settings

• Copy URLs from non-organic sections of SERPs (e.g., video carousels, shopping results, local 3-packs)

SE Ranking (SERP analysis feature)

• Export top-ranking URLs together with SEO data like title, meta description, backlinks, and estimated organic traffic

• Allows analysis and export of 10 to 50 top-ranking URLs for any query

• Analyze both mobile and desktop SERPs

SERP help (Google Chrome extension)

• Copy Google Autocomplete suggestions to a “bucket”

• Store keywords in one place from many searches

Keywords Everywhere (Google Chrome extension)

• Easily copy all related keywords from "Related searches" or "People also search for" sections 

• Premium version adds search volume and cost-per-click data