Everyone has a reason for doing the things they
do. The same psychology works for user intent and online access. SEO is all
part of understanding that psychology. SEO is a numbers game. Metrics play a
role too, factoring in things like search volumes, rankings, and organic
traffic levels. Understanding the rules and the metrics is all part of the
game. There are rules that come with this game. You need to learn the rules of
the game in order to accomplish your end goal.
Psychology 101: Understanding Why the User Searches for One Thing and
Not Another
I majored in psychology in college, so I
understand the how and why a little bit more than others do. You need to
understand a user's behavior online. Every user has two search goals in mind
when putting in their keywords. They either want an exact search, or they want
a more general search.
The first choice is the one users go to most.
Why? Searches online can be exhaustive. Users today do not have the time or the
interest in spending hours online searching for just one thing. Search engines
have always been trying to read a user's psychology. Some of them get and
others do not.
Google Hummingbird and Yandex’s Korolyov are two search
engines that are getting better at understanding the basics of a user's
psychology.
A User's Intention
I can sum this up in an example. Todd wants to
look Walmart online to see if they have a product he needs. He does a general
search and comes up with a wide array of choices. Todd is feeling overwhelmed
and frustrated. Todd wants to see if the Walmart near him has the product he
needs. Todd chooses to redirect his search, looking at a more direct approach.
He types in Walmart and his zip code. His store pops up and begins his search.
Todd's intent is only one example of how the
psychology works. Search engines can tell a lot about a user based on the
keywords they use. Those who use ambiguous searches are not showing clear
intent. Users cannot expect the search engine to read their minds. A user has
to speak out and ask for what they want or they will not get it. I learned that
during my first semester of Psychology.
Multiple Intentions
Different words have different meanings. I will
use the term "Apple". The term can mean a piece of fruit or an
electrical product, such as Apple Computer.
1) The dominant interpretation is when a user uses
a clear and concise search to find what they are looking for.
2) The common intrepretation is another word for a
general search.
To find more terms related to a keyword search,
such as minor queries, click here.
Mobile and Voice Search
Some users will not get their needs met with a
general mobile search. The voice search comes in handy when this happens. A
voice search clarifies things more for the search engine, giving the exact
results the users want.
Conclusion
I learned in psychology class to ask a lot of
questions. I also learned the more you understand yourself, the more you will
know what you are after. The same thing works with an online search. You need
to have a better understanding of what you want before you can search for the
results. You will start using the right keywords and the right search engines
once you figure your needs out.
