When it comes to SEO, understanding the different types of keywords is essential to creating content that matches what users are searching for.
One crucial type of keyword that often flies under the radar is informational keywords. These are terms that people use when they're seeking knowledge, answers, or learning more about a topic.
In this blog, we’ll examine informational keywords, compare informational and transactional keywords, and explain how to use informational keywords to enhance your SEO strategy.
What Are Informational Intent Keywords?
Informational intent keywords are search terms people use when seeking answers to specific questions, instructions, or general information about a topic.
Users who type in an informational search aren’t necessarily looking to buy something. Instead, they’re hoping to learn more or solve a problem.
For example, searching “how to fix a leaky faucet” is a classic informational search. The user wants to solve a problem and is seeking knowledge.
Similarly, “what is SEO” is another example of an informational intent keyword because the user is trying to understand a concept.
Why Informational Keywords Matter for SEO
In SEO, not every keyword needs to lead directly to a sale. Informational keywords are crucial in helping businesses attract visitors who are still in the early stages of their journey through the marketing funnel.
Users who start with informational searches often become loyal customers, especially when they find your content helpful.
By targeting these keywords, you build trust and authority in your field. This can lead to future conversions, even though the user's initial search intent was not transactional.
Crafting content around these keywords brings organic traffic, increases your site's relevance, and helps you establish a presence in your niche.
Transactional vs Informational Keywords
Before discussing how to use informational keywords, it’s important to understand the difference between informational and transactional keywords.
While transactional keywords focus on searchers who are ready to take action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service, informational keywords target people who are gathering information or learning.
Transactional Keywords: Indicate a desire to buy or engage (e.g., “buy iPhone 15” or “subscribe to SEO service”).
Informational Keywords: Show the intent to learn or understand (e.g., “how does SEO work” or “best iPhones for photography”).
Both keyword types are vital to a well-rounded SEO strategy. You need transactional keywords to convert visitors into customers, but you also need informational keywords to build your audience, especially when creating educational or informative content like blog posts.
Informational Keywords Examples
Here are some informational keywords examples that help illustrate the concept:
- "What is content marketing?"
- "How to start a blog"
- "Best practices for email marketing"
- "Benefits of yoga"
- "Steps to build a website"
- "What is the difference between HTML and CSS?"
These queries show that the user is looking for knowledge and not necessarily ready to make a purchase.
Crafting content around these types of searches allows you to provide relevant information to your target audience and establish yourself as a trusted source of information.
For example, all the below keywords are informational for the search 'how to start a blog'.
Building an Informational Keywords List
Creating an informational keywords list is one of the most effective ways to ensure your content targets users with informational intent.
To create this list, you'll need to start by using keyword research tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Keyword Planner.
Follow these steps to build a solid list of informational intent keywords:
1. Identify User Intent
Think about the types of questions or search terms your audience might use when looking for information about your products or services. For example, if you offer gardening tools, users might search for “how to plant tomatoes” or “best time to water plants.”
You can tell the keyword intent for 'how to plan tomatoes' is an informational search as all the results show long-form blogs.
2. Use Keyword Research Tools
These tools allow you to discover the search volumes and competition levels for specific informational searches. Enter a few broad topics into these tools, and they’ll provide you with a range of related keywords.
3. Look for Specific Questions
Many informational keywords are framed as questions. Include phrases like “how to,” “what is,” “why,” and “benefits of” in your search to uncover more targeted terms.
Some marketing software has a feature to look for questions related to a keyword.
4. Sort and Prioritise
Not all keywords are created equal. Once you have your informational keywords list, you need to prioritize them based on search volume, relevance, and how well they align with your content goals.
How to Use Informational Keywords in Your Content Strategy
Once you’ve identified your target informational keywords, the next step is to create content that answers the specific question or solves the problem users are searching for. Here’s how to effectively use these keywords:
1. Create Valuable Blog Posts
Blog posts are the perfect format for addressing informational-intent keywords. By crafting detailed, well-researched content that provides actionable advice or helpful insights, you can easily target multiple keywords.
For example, if your target keyword is “how to start a blog,” you can write a comprehensive post that walks readers through each process step. You can also add visuals or videos to improve the user experience.
2. Focus on User Intent
When crafting content, it’s essential to consider the user intent behind the search. Users who search for “what is digital marketing” don’t want to be bombarded with offers to purchase services.
Instead, they’re seeking relevant information. Ensure your content matches their expectations and provides value before pitching products or services.
To create valuable content, also make sure you understand the differences between navigational, commercial, transactional, and informational keywords.
3. Offer Different Types of Content
Some users prefer reading articles, while others may find videos, infographics, or podcasts more engaging. As part of your content strategy, consider offering multiple types of content to target different preferences.
For example, you can create an in-depth guide on “how to start a vegetable garden” as a blog post and a video tutorial.
Have a look at videos and images to see what kind of content your competitors are looking for.
4. Optimize Your SEO Strategy
When optimizing for informational intent keywords, pay attention to key SEO factors, such as the title tag, meta description, and headers.
Make sure your target keyword appears naturally in these areas, and keep the content easy to read. A strong SEO foundation ensures that your content ranks well and reaches the right audience.
5. Internal Linking to Transactional Pages
Even though informational keywords don’t usually lead to immediate conversions, you can still guide users further down the marketing funnel by incorporating internal links.
For instance, a blog post that explains “how to create an SEO strategy” could include a link to a product or service page offering SEO tools or consultations.
Informational Searches in the Marketing Funnel
Informational intent often sits at the top of the marketing funnel, where users explore topics and try to solve a problem.
They may not yet know what specific product or service they need, but they’re starting their research journey.
At this stage, you should provide high-quality, helpful content that addresses the user’s query.
The goal is to build trust so they’re more likely to return when they’re ready to make a decision or purchase.
Increasing Your Conversion Rate with Informational Content
While informational searches don’t always lead to immediate conversions, they can still contribute to your overall success.
By targeting informational keywords, you’re building awareness and trust, which can increase your conversion rate over time.
As users move further through the marketing funnel, they may eventually turn to you when ready to take action.
To further boost conversions, ensure your informational content includes strong calls to action (CTAs).
For instance, after answering a user's question about a topic, you can encourage them to download a free guide or sign up for your newsletter.
This helps keep them engaged with your brand, even if they’re not ready to buy.
Using Keyword Research Tools to Find Informational Keywords
As mentioned earlier, keyword research tools are invaluable for finding informational intent keywords. When using these tools, look for keywords with high search volume and low competition.
You can also analyze what your competitors are doing to find gaps in their content strategy.
Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and SEMrush allow you to filter by search intent, making it easier to find the exact keywords your target audience is using.
In the example below, Semrush allows you to apply a filter to reach keyword intent.
Informational Keywords and Navigational Keywords
You may encounter navigational keywords in addition to informational keywords. While informational keywords are about learning, navigational keywords are used when users already know where they want to go.
For example, searching for "Facebook login" or "Amazon homepage" is a navigational search because the user has a specific website in mind.
Though navigational keywords aren’t as crucial for building content, they still help users find a specific brand or site.
Tracking the Success of Informational Keywords
To make sure your strategy is working, you need to monitor your site’s performance regularly.
Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console help you track which informational searches are driving traffic to your site.
Monitor bounce rates, time spent on a page, and overall engagement metrics to see how well.
Conclusion
Informational keywords are a critical part of any well-rounded SEO strategy, helping you attract users in the early stages of their search journey.
By targeting keywords with informational intent, you can create content that educates your audience, builds trust, and positions your brand as an authority in your field.
Though these searches may not lead to immediate conversions, they are essential for driving traffic and guiding users down the marketing funnel toward future purchases.
By understanding the difference between transactional vs. informational keywords and using the right keyword research tools, you can optimize your content to match user intent and meet the needs of your target audience.
Ultimately, this will help you increase visibility, foster long-term customer relationships, and improve your overall conversion rate.
Ready to unlock the full potential of your SEO strategy? Visit SerpSuccess and let our expert keyword research services and copywriting services help you identify the right keywords and create great content.
We've got you covered whether you're aiming for informational or transactional keywords. Get started today and watch your business grow.