Types of search queries
Search queries are the phrases or keywords people enter into a search engine to find information. There are three types of search queries: navigational, informational, and transactional.
Navigational search queries
What is a navigational search query?
A navigational query is a search query intended to find a specific web page on a site. You can use this to find websites or pages you know exist but don’t remember the exact URL.
Navigational search query example
For example, a user might enter “Amazon” into Google’s search bar to find Amazon site rather than entering the URL into a browser’s navigation bar.
True navigational queries come with very clear intent and, if you’re not the site they were looking for, you won’t be relevant to their needs.
Ensure your brand or company has control over its navigational query. For example, top organic results and sponsored listings should appear for your site in a search for your business.
How to optimize for navigational search queries?
You can’t specifically target navigational searches, but you can optimize your navigational search queries. For example, your business should appear at the top of these searches to get more visitors.
To check if your company is ranked, start by entering the business’s name on a search engine like Google. If it appears at the top of the search results, you’re good to go!
If you’re not already on the first page of search results, you may need to do some site optimization to get more relevant information about your company on Google.
Make sure your website contains information like your:
- Brand name
- Services
- Products
- Location
Informational search queries
Informational searches are used when looking for general knowledge or information about a topic. There are three types of informational searches: factual, procedural, and conceptual. Factual searches are when someone looks for specific facts about a topic or person. Procedural searches are when someone is looking for instructions on how to do something or how to fix something that is broken. Conceptual searches are when someone is looking for an explanation about a concept or idea in order to understand it better or learn more about it.
Informational search query example
Information-oriented searches have an infinite number of keyword combinations that can be used to find what you are looking for. They can be presented in question form like “How do I make coffee?” And they can also be presented with simple word combinations like “making coffee.” A word like ‘dog’ can turn into an information-driven request when entered into a search engine. Search engines will then provide general information about the searched keyword.
How to optimize for informational search queries?
To appear in informational search queries, consider creating high-quality content. To rank for these keywords, it is important to provide helpful content so users can find what they are looking for. You can create high-quality content like:
- Blog Posts
- Videos
- Guides
- Ebooks
- Infographics
If you want to rank in informational search queries, you can optimize by:
- Provide your audience with clear, concise information about your topic.
- You should try focusing your content on industries or topics related to your business.
When you publish content, you position yourself as an authority in your field. As a result, people will trust you and see your content as a reliable source of information.
Transactional search queries
Transactional search queries are the queries that are used to complete a transaction. They often contain “buy” or “sell,” but not always.
Some examples of transactional search queries are:
-Where can I buy a car?
-What is the price of a new iPhone X?
-How much does it cost to buy bitcoin?
People who conduct transactional searches are often on the verge of conversion, so they’re likely to turn into customers as soon as they search. This is why these types of queries are really valuable for advertisers on Google.
Can I target transactional search queries?
If you have a product or service relevant to a transactional search, you can reach people looking for these products or services by simply targeting the corresponding search query.
How to optimize for transactional search queries?
To help you be found when potential clients search for what you sell, make sure to optimize your product or service page. Always make sure you’re using relevant product/service keywords in your title tag, content, image alt tags, etc. Adding relevant and helpful information on product or service pages. You can do this by highlighting the product’s color, size, or material or the services’ features and prices. The best way to rank for most transactional Google searches is to ensure your product and service listings are comprehensive and informative.
Optimize for different types of searches
There are various keywords that people search for, for different purposes – transactional keywords could get someone ready to buy while informational ones could answer their questions. Optimizing your content ensures that you’re easy to find when someone searches for specific terms.
