Commercial Intent
The number one mistake most people make when developing keyword lists is focusing on the wrong metric. They’re usually looking at search volume thinking the more traffic the better. That’s wrong – you need to focus on commercial intent.
Generally, most “search volume” based keywords are informational in nature meaning they will generate a lot of interest but they’re actually harder to convert into paying customers. By focusing your attention on intent you can easily find keywords that actual buyers use to search which makes turning this audience into leads and sales a breeze.
Keyword Classes
Keyword ClassesDifferent keywords represent different levels of interest and intent. Using the Las Vegas Hotel example:
Example:
“las vegas”
“las vegas hotels”
“las vegas budget hotels”
“las vegas budget hotel deals”
“las vegas budget hotel deals new years eve”
You can easily see that some search terms are used by people in the early stages of research while others are closer to a conversion.
In the graphic below, you can see it makes more sense to invest your time and money in keywords closer to a commercial intent (where can I get it?) rather then general interest keywords (how does it work?). Only after you have fully exploited the volume from those commercial keywords should you branch out to more informational keywords.
1 – Buying Keywords
When people are ready to make a purchase, they typically search with “Buy Now” type keywords – these are the easiest keywords to convert. They’ve already done their research, know what they want and are ready to make a purchase. Generally, these keywords will not generate a lot of search volume, but click through and conversions will make up for that.
By using “buyer intention” terms like: Buy, Coupon, Discount, Deal, Shipping, etc. you can literally jump in front of buyers with their credit card in hand.
Example:
“brianhead discount code”
“las vegas budget hotel deals”
“santa monica beach hotel promotion”
You will only get so much search volume from these terms so you’ll want to start using product keywords once you’ve exhausted your options here.
2 – Product Keywords
Product Keywords focus on a specific product category, brand name, service or what problem it solves. Depending on how diverse your products or services are these keywords could develop into a huge list.
People searching for Product Keywords tend to be a bit earlier in the buying cycle than people using Brand Keywords and your cost per action (CPA) will usually be higher than for buying terms. In other words, they convert well…but not quite as well as Buy Now Keywords.
These keywords include terms like: Review, Best, Top 10, Specific brand name (“Nike” or “Toshiba”), Specific product (“Macbook Pro” or “Samsung Galaxy”), Product category (“Wordpress hosting” or “tennis shoes”), Cheap, Affordable, Comparison, etc..
Example:
“cheap samsung galaxy”
“best budget smartphone”
“top 10 urban bikes”
Don’t be fooled by terms like “cheap” and “affordable” – these types of keywords can convert well. For example, someone searching for “cheap samsung galaxy” has already decided that they want a cell phone… now they’re looking for one in their price range.
3 – Informational Keywords
The majority of searches are “informational” in nature – people looking for more information. As you can imagine, these types of keywords will drive a lot of search traffic but they do not convert very well. With that understanding, you can not ignore them because they will comprise the majority of keywords in your niche.
Information Keywords tend to include words like: How to, Best way to, What is the, etc..
Example:
“how to program samsung galaxy”
“best way to visit europe”
“what is there to do in las vegas”
The best way to leverage these types keywords are to find ones that have high search volume and low competition. Then, generate as much of that traffic as possible. At least you’re getting visitors to your site, building brand recognition, consumer trust, market authority and hopefully be on their mind when they do decide to buy something.
4 – Looky Lou / Tire Kicker Keywords
These searchers are VERY unlikely to convert – they are looking for freebies and will rarely become a customer – EVER.
These types of searches include keywords like: Watch Online, Free, Torrent, Download, PDF, BHW, etc..
Example:
“watch the walking dead online free”
“download microsoft office”
“the martian torrent”
A keyword like “watch the walking dead online free” is a classic Tire Kicker Keyword and you’ll have a tough time getting these searchers to buy anything (or even click on an ad)! However, keywords like “buy the walking dead tv episodes” – “Buy Now” keywords or “Product keywords” – will get you paying customers.
Use Objective Data in Determining Commercial Intent
As you can see, using keyword classes can get you closer to buyer intent – usually. There’s nothing more frustrating than having a top ranking position for a keyword only to find out that it generates pennies…
Here are two easy techniques to determine how valuable your keywords are:
AdWords Suggested Bid
AdWords Suggested Bid (AKA “Average CPC” bid) is a simple way to determine the real world value for a specific keyword. The more an advertiser is willing to bid (pay per click), the more you know that the traffic generated by that keyword is valuable… And if you can rank that keyword in search you’ll have an easier time converting that traffic into email signups, affiliate commissions and paying customers.
Look at the difference between these two keywords. The keyword “web hosting” is a Product Keyword that boasts a Suggested Bid of $31.77 and “what is web hosting” is an Information Keyword with a Suggest Bid of $15.98. This is because people searching for “what is web hosting” are in the early buying cycle and advertisers are only willing to pay $15.98 per click for that traffic.
Grouping your keywords into different classes will definitely help you focus on the right intention, but nothing beats real world data on what the market is willing to pay for a click. Suggested Bid is probably the single most accurate gauge of commercial intent.
AdWords Competition
AdWords Competition is another piece of real world data that will help you gauge keyword value. As you’ve learned, the more advertisers bidding on a keyword, the more potential that keyword has.
You can check the Competition by looking at this column in the Google Keyword Planner: With only three levels of competition (Low, Medium and High), the metric isn’t precise, but it does represent another piece of real world data to help you evaluate commercial intention.
You can also check your competition with Google Search. Type your keyword into Google and see how many AdWords appear on the results. You know you’ve got a high converting keyword if you see a lot of advertisers competing for the same term. This is probably a keyword you should include in your SEO and marketing efforts.