What is user intent? User intent refers to the specific needs and interests of your audience. When you optimize your content for a particular type of user, you make it more relevant and engaging which will result in higher click-through rates and longer visitor stays.
This article will provide tips on how to identify the types of users visiting your site, what they’re looking for, why they visit our site, and how to create content that addresses their needs.
1. Know your audience
To optimize your content for user intent, you first need to know who’s visiting your site. Consider the following:
- What type of person is likely to visit our website?
- What are their ages and genders?
- What other sites do they visit?
- How often do they visit them?
This will give you an idea of what types of people are coming to your site, their interests, and where else they relate with content like yours.
2. Know why users are visiting your website
Once you understand the type of person who typically visits our website. It’s a good idea to find out what their purpose is when coming to our site in order to determine what pages on your site they’re visiting.
You can do this by tracking your users’ paths through the website with a tool like CrazyEgg. This will show you what pages of your site they’re visiting and how much time they spend on each page.
Another way to find out is to keep track of your keywords and notice what’s ranking and converting well (or not). This can be done by using a keyword tool to see what people are searching for when they visit your site.
3. Create content that matches user intent
Once you know why users are visiting your site and what type of people they are, you can start creating content that matches their needs.
For example, if users are typically visiting your site after searching for “how to get rid of ants in my garden” or “garden ant removal” then it would be a good idea to create an article about how to get rid of ants.
4. Determine the questions users are asking
Once you know who’s visiting your site and what their purpose is, you can begin to answer the questions they’re asking. This will help determine what type of content to create that will address their needs and how to position it on your site.
As a home improvement website, all of our visitors will have a unique set of needs and goals. You can determine what questions users are asking by looking at the keywords they’re using to find your site.
5. Optimize for what matters to users
By determining who’s visiting your site, their purpose when they visit, and the questions they’re asking, you can create content that is more relevant to them. This leads to higher click-through rates and a longer average stay which will, in turn, improve your rankings.
Additionally, it’s important to provide opportunities for users to engage with your site. This includes adding the ability to like, share, or comment on content as well as optimizing pages for social sharing.