Why matching intent matters more than matching words.
THE TYPES
- Informational: someone wants to know something. "How to point a domain"
- Navigational: someone wants a specific site. "ZillionKingHost login"
- Commercial: someone is comparing before buying. "Best web hosting Nigeria"
- Transactional: someone is ready to act. "Buy .com.ng domain"
WHY IT MATTERS
A page selling hosting will not rank for an informational query, and a guide will not rank for a transactional one, regardless of keywords.
Search engines have already decided what kind of result satisfies each query. Look at what currently ranks; that tells you the expected format.
MATCHING IT
If the results are all guides, write a guide. If they are all product pages, a guide will not rank. If they are all local listings, you need local presence rather than content.
THE PRACTICAL METHOD
Search the query yourself. The top results show what the engine considers appropriate. Produce something of that kind, better.
THE COMMON MISTAKE
Targeting a high-volume informational query with a sales page, then concluding SEO does not work.
