Intentional SEO
In 2020, searching online has changed. And Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has changed along with it. It’s no longer stuffing keywords into a page or creating as many links as you can. Instead, SEO in 2020 is back to first principles of customer experience. Give the answers they want and give them someone they can trust. If we do that, we’re golden. But what does that really look like? Let me introduce you to one of the key concepts to understanding the next generation of SEO and what it means for your business. It’s called “search intent.”
It’s About Intent
When you type in “pizza” to Google, you most likely don’t want a history of pizza. What you actually want is “where is the closest and best pizza to my current location.” You didn’t type all that in, but Google has spent the last 10 years trying to understand search “intent,” or the underlying assumptions beneath your simple search queries. And they’re getting pretty good at it.
Stuffing a page with the word “pizza” over and over and creating a bunch of spammy links to that page will not get you where you want to go. Instead, the search engines want your business to engage with the customer’s intent. They are looking for things like:
- proximity to their location – so it’s vital that we are consistent and thorough in stating address and name.
- accuracy of expectation – so we’ve got to nail that we have exactly what the customer is looking for, and we know what we’re talking about.
- quality of experience – so it’s important that we let them know other customers rated and reviewed the business highly.
Intentional Web Sites
Web sites must be organized around the search intent of our potential customers. Are we answering the kinds of questions they are asking? Are we presenting the information they need to make informed choices? Or are we just regurgitating old marketing material we wrote 10 years ago that focuses on what we think is important?
Writing content that answers customer queries and search intent with direct, helpful responses is the start. You’re signaling to Google that you get it and that your company is helpful to people. Then as users interact with that content by sharing it, liking it, or linking to it, that reinforces the message. The more helpful you are, the higher your ratings and reviews. Do that consistently over time, and your search rankings (and therefore your business) will be rewarded.
If you’d like to talk about SEO and see where your site is, the first step is usually an SEO Audit. We go through your site and look at the backend technical aspects as well as the customer-facing aspects to get a clear picture of exactly what’s working and what isn’t. You’ll leave with actionable items to improve your SEO right away. Contact bizmktg.com today to schedule a free SEO consultation.
