How To Reach All Three Types Of Searchers In One Page Of Content

Writing by Nick Stamoulis Tweet

If you weren’t aware of search taxonomy then you should probably read this article by WebProNews and follow the links to the other great articles it references. It’s good reading. But I have just a few thoughts on the three types of search queries and how you can reach the different types searchers using those queries.

So what are the three types of searches? The article defines them as such:

• Navigation – The user is looking for a specific site.
• Informational – The searcher is looking for specific information without regard to site specificity.
• Transactional – The searcher is looking to conduct a specific type of transaction (e.g. buy something, sign up for a newsletter, etc.)

Which Type Of Search Is Most Popular (And Which Is Most Profitable)
Obviously, you want to try to reach all three audiences if you can. If you do you’ll reach 100% of your audience. But that’s not always possible to do in one page of content. That’s why it is important to focus each page of your website on one particular goal. Then you can target each type of searcher individually. But you can capture all three types of searchers with one page of content? Yes.

First, let’s point out that the majority of searchers are information, the the tune of 68.41%. So if you focus your content on information that is relevant and valuable, you’ll capture the lion’s share of the search market for your niche. But that type of searcher is not necessarily the most profitable. Unfortunately, the study mentioned in the article doesn’t address that.

My hunch is that the transactional searcher is the most profitable. If someone is looking to buy something then they’re ready to buy it now. That’s why PPC advertising is so effective in converting. But can’t you get the same results from organic search? Of course you can.

How To Reach All Three Types Of Searchers
If you want to target all three types of searchers simultaneously with one page of content, the key is to style your page title and headline in such a way that they address the needs of all three market segments. That’s easier to do with informational and transactional queries, but if you brand your site properly then you’ll snag the folks who are specifically looking for you.

Here are three title formats that address all three search query needs:

1. How Search Engine Optimization Journal Captures 100% Of Its Target Search Audience
2. Three Types Of Searchers: Search Engine Optimization Journal’s Most Prized Trade Secret
3. Is SEOJ Right For Your Type Of Search?

Notice how each of these headlines promises a benefit. The first one makes a bold claim that the reader hopes will be backed up by reading the post. The second one promises to reveal a valuable and guarded secret by a successful brand in the niche. And the third query asks a question, which the reader hopes will be answered in the content on the page.

All three formats include a key phrase (“target search audience”, “types of searchers”, and “type of search”) as well as the brand name. If you style your page title and headline in such a way that they capture reader attention, promise a benefit that fulfills a need, and includes a key phrase a searcher will use for a search query, you can target your page content to meet all three types of searchers. And make yourself brandable in the process.