SEO Keyword Research Step 3.4: Assess Keyword Intent

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 | SEM, SEO

How targeted is the keyword in question? Is it going to capture the web traffic you want – visitors who want what your site offers, and are thus primed to convert (i.e., make that sale, leave a comment, request more information, whatever action you want them to take)?

First, think about the page you’re trying to optimize. In my post “Taking Stock,” I mentioned that we want to consider the intent behind keywords – whether the person is seeking information, shopping or actually buying. Your pages should be geared toward one of those. So whatever page you’re currently optimizing, which is it?

It’s an important question because you want the keyword intent to match the subject of the page.

This is doubly important for product or service pages where you actually make the sale because you want keywords that will convert. The best keywords to convert are those that are used with the intent to buy. Make sense?

We’re going to use the MSN for Detecting Online Commercial Intent tool. The truth is, though, this step is more about critical-thinking than raw data collection.

MSN Tool for Detecting Online Commercial Intent

To begin:

1. Create a new column on the spreadsheet entitled Intent.
2. Go to http://adlab.msn.com/Online-Commercial-Intention/Default.aspx.

This tool estimates how likely it is a person using a particular search phrase means to buy, versus just looking for information. High commercial value means conversion is more likely.

3. Select Query beneath the search box.
4. Enter the first term from your keyword list and click Go.
   

   MSN Commercial Intent Tool

5. Record the result in your spreadsheet. However, note that sometimes the tool returns Commercial Intention, and sometimes Non-Commercial Intention. It’s kind of annoying, but on the bright side, it forces us to stop and think, which is the main point of this step.
   

   Commercial Intention

   

   Non-Commercial Intention

6. Repeat for the other terms in your list.
7. That’s it. Pretty simple.

I don’t always agree with the result. But frankly, that’s the point. Because the human value of doing keyword research is to think about the keyword.

I don’t know the exact factors that go into MSN’s proprietary formula, but I like that the tool makes me question the words and phrases. Keyword research is not as simple as adding the value of different data points to select the best keyword. You must think critically about the keywords under scrutiny. This is why people rather than machines or programs choose keywords.

Ask yourself:

1. Why would someone use that particular keyword in a search?
2. What are they likely looking for?
3. What is their likely intent in using that keyword?
4. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Would you use that keyword to find a site like yours?

Assessing Keyword Intent Indirectly

Note: Doing this step at this point is optional. We’ll also look at it a couple of steps from now, close to the end of our research.

You can also assess keyword intent indirectly through a simple search engine search.

Remember, search engines are designed to lead people to their desired destination. The search engines do their best to look at the search phrase and deduce the kinds of sites the searcher wants to find. No search engine is perfect, but on the whole, they’re all pretty good at the job.

Search for the keyword phrase and look at the sites that come up. Think critically. Are the sites similar to yours, or qualitatively different?

Because the search engines are good at what they do, you can (mostly) assume that any given search phrase will return websites that match the original intent of the phrase.

Organizing the Keyword Research

1. In the new Intent column you can either record the MSN Tool’s score directly, and then make any appropriate comments in the Notes column.
2. Or you can enter a subjective score in the Intent column based on your personal conclusion, which considers:
   • The MSN tool score
   • Search engine results
   • Your own personal thoughts and impressions

So now we have an additional data point on our spreadsheet, and better yet – we’re actively thinking about the keywords. Yay!

But what now?

1. Leave the list as-is and go to the next research step.
2. Or take another pass to see if you can eliminate some more keywords. Use the same “pair comparison” methodology I described in the “Whittle the Keyword List Down” step.

If I’m optimizing for a sales page, I usually do look through the list and pay attention to the keywords whose commercial intent is low (around .5 or lower, give or take). I look at the keyword in question and ask myself, is this a really targeted keyword? If it’s not, and the commercial intent is low, I might go ahead and eliminate it. I might also consider combining it with another keyword to create a new keyword phrase. It just depends on the situation and your comfort level.

Next up: researching keyword difficulty.

Richard Goulde is a professional writer and SEO who combines compelling copy with Internet savvy -- sales, educational, PR and creative. He's based in Dallas but his words go global, so whether you're in Peoria or Paris, contact him to talk about how his work can serve your business needs.

Tags: Keyword Research, Keywords, MSN Commericial Intent Tool

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