Internet marketers and content creators are learning to embrace a new shift in how content is optimized for today’s searcher. The key? Search intent optimization.

1. Intent Optimization

2. Lead Generation
Agenda
• Search Intent Definition
• SEO Evolution
• Analysis Process
• Search Queries & Types
• Client Case Study
• Resources

3. Lead Generation
Search Intent - Definition
Search intent optimization helps to identify primary topics, needs, and questions users are looking
to answer when searching for “XYZ”.
The optimization process includes creating or updating content to address the user’s needs on the
targeted landing page, and/or updating the title and description in the search listings.
Through an in-depth analysis of top ranking pages for targeted keywords, we gain insight into the
primary topics and questions Google expects quality resources to address.
Styling your page to take full advantage of your customer’s intent helps to ensure more engagement,
increased rankings and organic traffic, and better conversions.

4. Lead Generation
Search Intent - Queries

5. Lead Generation
Search Intent - Searching
 Intent vs Keywords
 15% of daily keywords haven’t been seen before
 What users mean versus what they say.
 Content that people are interested in and serves a need. Not content formulated around keywords.
“People communicate with each other by conversation, not by typing keywords — and we’ve
been hard at work to make Google understand and answer your questions more like people do.”
– Amit Singhal, Head of Google Search

6. Lead Generation
SEO Evolution
Keyword-Based Optimization
Optimization Action: Incorporate keyword
“XYZ” into page copy and important on-page
elements.
Intent-Based Optimization
Optimization Action: Identify the primary topics
and questions users are looking to answer when
searching for “XYZ” and create content to
address the user’s needs on the targeted landing
page.

7. Lead Generation
SERPs vs Pages
• High Traffic Pages with High Bounce Rate – For people who arrive via
external links (e.g. Google search)
• High Traffic Pages with High Exit Rate – For people who come from an
internal link
• High Traffic Pages that Share Both Bounce Rate & Exit Rate Issues
• High Traffic Products with Poor Conversion Rate
• Pages with High Rankings, High Impressions, Low Click-Thru Rate (CTR)
in Google
• Keywords with High Impressions but Low Click-Thru Rate (CTR) in
Google – For search listings that may indicate a disconnect between
search query and title/description in Google.

8. Lead Generation
Query Types

9. Lead Generation
Query Modifiers

10. Lead Generation
Case Study Analysis
• Beard Oil
o Searcher intent isn’t clear on this phrase as there’s an even mix of transactional
products, and informational articles (including DIY) and reviews.
Modifiers include: Buy, Use, Review
• Best Beard Oil
o Mainly informational reviews of beard oils, with one transactional product ranking
and that’s Beardbrand!
• How to Apply/Use Beard Oil
o Purely informational with videos being top results. Urbanbeardsman and
Beardbrand’s YouTube are both ranking well here.

11. Lead Generation
Case Study Analysis
Query Intent Content Note
What is Beard Oil Informational Pass This is directly asked/answered on the page.
How to Apply Bear Oil Informational Pass This is directly asked/answered on the page.
How to Use Beard Oil Informational Pass This is directly asked/answered on the page.
Informational Commercial Investigation Mixed/Transactional
What is Beard Oil Oil for Beards Beard Oil(s)
How to Apply Beard Oil Natural Beard Oil
How to Use Beard Oil Best Beard Oil

12. Lead Generation
Case StudyRecommendations
The beard oil link (to tag page), that changes the results slightly, causes confusion to search engines and users
http://www.beardbrand.com/collections/beard-oil/beard-oil. By having a link, on a beard oil page, that says “beard oil” that’s telling a search
engine that there’s a better page for the “Beard Oil” keyword.
Remove the link

13. Lead Generation
Case StudyRecommendations
•There is good content on the page but none above the fold/products. Move the “Our Unique Bear Oil Recipe”
content above the products.
•Do you offer free shipping, money back guarantee, 24/7 support? If so, declare it on the page.
•Increase stickiness and engagement on the page by embedding a how-to beard oil YouTube video on the page as well.
•Test increasing prices by $4.99 and doing free shipping (noted in the title tag).
•Add “buy” to the title tag to reflect that this page isn’t about product reviews.
•Put “Sold Out” on the thumbnail image of sold out products as not to avoid a disappointed click. (even though “Sold
Out” is in red text below the image.)
•Don’t put the most expensive product ($79.99 Black Marble) first as it can cause sticker shock.

14. Lead Generation
Resources
• Is Your Content Strategy Guided by Audience Intent (or Just Keywords)?
• Keywords to Concepts: The Lazy Web Marketer's Guide to Smart Keyword Research
• How To Use The Keyword Funnel To Understand Searcher Intent
• Building SEO-Focused Pages to Serve Topics & People Rather than Keywords & Rankings

15. Questions?