The different types of keywords are informational, navigational, commercial and transactional.
That is if you categorize your keywords based on the type of search intent.
That is, the general purpose of the user’s search:
- Informative : Search engines want to find information
- Navigational : Search engines want to find a specific site or page
- Commercials : Search engines want to research brands, products or services
- Transactional : Searchers want to complete an action (e.g. make a purchase)
There are other categories of phone number lead keywords used in SEO. For example, local keywords are used to find products or services nearby. And long-tail keywords are very specific search terms.
But analyzing keywords based on intent can be especially useful. It helps you understand how to compete in search engine results pages (SERPs).
The type of intent assigned to a keyword can tell you whether a searcher wants to buy something soon, compare prices, or gather information.
Let’s look at each of the search intent categories in more detail.
1. Informative
Informational keywords are search queries used by people who want to learn something.
Here are some examples of informational keywords:
- Coffee calories
- National Coffee Day
- What is the difference between cold brew and iced coffee?
Informational keywords often (but not always) take the form of interrogative keywords . This means that they often begin with “what”, “why”, “how”, etc.
Google results for informational searches often contain featured snippets , which offer searchers quick answers.
For example, here’s the featured snippet for the informational keyword “what’s the difference between cold brew and iced coffee”:
Informational keywords are typically higher up in the marketing funnel . This means people reach the buying stage sooner and are less likely to take action (e.g. make a purchase).
As a result, informative content tends to have a lower conversion rate. But it can help you build brand awareness. And become an authority in your niche.
2. Navigational
Search engines use navigational keywords to find a specific site or page.
When someone types the name of eshop and instagram marketing smart tips to make it take off a website or brand into a search engine, they are performing a navigational search.
Here are some examples of navigation keywords:
- YouTube
- Semrush Blog
- Where is Angelino’s coffee?
The people behind these searches already know your company or product. And they want to find the right website or physical location to reach your products or services.
These keywords can be useful sources of organic traffic when the brand or site is well-known and popular.
Naturally, you should rank highly for keywords that contain your brand name.
3. Commercial
People use commercial keywords to research specific brands, products or services. They may want to check reviews, compare products or look for discounts.
You can target these keywords with comparison articles, list articles, reviews, or how-to articles. Depending on the specific keyword.
Here are some examples of commercial keywords:
- Free coffee
- Dunkin Iced Coffee Flavors
- Peet’s coldbrew vs starbucks coldbrew
These keywords reveal a person’s intention to purchase or engage in some type of commercial activity in the future. This can help you reach high-quality potential customers.
4. Transactional
Transactional keywords are those that show a higher intent to purchase or take imminent action.
These keywords can be targeted with paid ads and highly optimized product pages . Or other landing pages where users can take immediate action on a site.
Here are some examples of transactional keywords:
- Buying Cryptocurrencies Online
- Sandwich places near me that deliver
- Truck for sale
These searches can occur after someone b2b reviews has already searched for information, made a decision, and is determined to take a specific action or make a purchase now.
Transactional keywords typically include words like “buy,” “subscribe,” “for sale.” Therefore, their SERPs often have Google Shopping Ads .