Understanding User Intent and What It Means for Your Practice

Do you remember how we accessed information before the age of Google? Most people don’t. Google has enabled us to search for everything and anything we want in mere seconds, and this means that the businesses working the hardest to provide users with valuable information are the businesses finding success. You want your medical practice to be one of those businesses! So, where do you begin? With understanding user intent.

An Introduction to Intent

Whether you operate a dental, cosmetic, or plastic surgery practice, you need to identify what consumers want and need. This requires identifying their intent. User intent is the purpose behind an Internet user’s search queries; it is the driving force that causes somebody to access Google and begin typing. Though SEO techniques often emphasize the use of keywords, the behavior of Internet users is dictated by intent, which in turn creates keywords.

As Neil Patel, the co-founder of KISSmetrics, explains, “There’s no such thing as people typing in random queries without a reason for typing in those queries. A searcher must have intent.”  

Recognizing Intent

Intent occurs in a few different ways. Users with navigational intent are searching for something specific, like a local pediatrician. Users with informational intent, meanwhile, are completing research and gathering information, such as a user who wants to understand the different anti-aging treatments available to reduce sun damage. The last type of intent, transactional intent, occurs when a user has a credit card in hand and is ready to make a purchase.

Use Intent To Your Benefit

If you can keep user intent at the forefront as you manage your website and social media practices, your company is sure to benefit. First, when optimizing for keywords, keep in mind that your consumers are most likely to search in the form of questions like “what is a root canal?” or “what are the benefits of microdermabrasion?” By optimizing keywords with attention to intent, you will more efficiently target your users’ needs.

But don’t worry – you don’t need to master all of this on your own! It is your job to focus on keeping your customers satisfied with your products and services. Let a professional medical SEO company like Best Edge SEM handle the management of your online marketing strategies. From backlinks and local search marketing to social media and more, Best Edge SEM can do it all. Call (813) 321-5695 to get started.