Content Relevance and User Intent

Your customers' search intent—not keywords—should drive your content strategy and CTA messaging. Misalignment frustrates your customers and wastes marketing dollars. As Google evolves toward AI-driven search, understanding and targeting user intent is critical to maintaining visibility and relevance. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼: Start with clear, actionable search intents (phrases beginning with verbs, e.g., "compare travel rewards cards"). • Keywords: Select keywords matching intent. • Content format: Choose formats (comparison guides, interactive tools) aligned with intent. • CTA messaging: Craft CTAs aligned with intent ("Compare Cards," not "Sign Up Now"). Aligning content and CTAs to intent reduces friction, improves engagement metrics, and increases conversions, helping you prove the ROI of your SEO. 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: Intent-driven content and CTAs help you confidently prove content marketing effectiveness, overcoming skepticism and securing buy-in from the C-suite.

Dear CEOs and Founders, Seeing Google Search Console impressions up but clicks down? It's a common SEO puzzle! This often means your content is visible, but not compelling enough to click, or Search Engine Results Page (SERP) changes are at play. Key Reasons for this trend: 1. SERP Feature Changes: Google frequently updates the SERP layout with features like video carousels, image packs, featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes, and ads. These can push your organic listing down, reducing visibility and clicks. 2. Featured Snippets and AI Overviews: A featured snippet (position zero) or AI Overview can answer a user's query directly on the SERP, eliminating the need to click through to your site. This leads to higher impressions but fewer clicks. 3. Google Ads: More paid ads above organic results decrease visibility and lower your Click-Through Rate (CTR). 4. Irrelevant Keywords and Content Mismatch: Ranking for irrelevant keywords or having a search snippet that doesn't accurately reflect user intent can deter clicks. 5. Low Ranking Position: While impressions may increase from ranking for more keywords, appearing in lower positions (e.g., on the second page) significantly reduces clicks. 6. Unappealing Titles and Meta Descriptions: Poorly crafted or truncated titles and meta descriptions fail to attract users. 7. Competition: Stronger or more compelling search results from competitors can draw clicks away. 8. Structured Data Issues: Errors can remove rich snippets, reducing visual appeal and CTR. What you can do to improve clicks on your website? 1. Analyze your data: Use Google Search Console's Performance report to identify specific queries and pages with high impressions but low clicks. 2. Optimize titles and descriptions: Craft engaging, keyword-rich meta titles and descriptions that accurately reflect your content and encourage clicks. Consider using numbers or emotional triggers. 3. Improve ranking position: Focus on SEO strategies to achieve higher rankings for relevant keywords, as higher positions generally yield higher CTRs. 4. Use schema markup: Implement schema markup to enable rich snippets, making your search results more visually appealing and informative. 5. Match search intent: Ensure your content aligns with the intent behind your target keywords. Provide comprehensive answers for informational queries or strong product pages for commercial ones. 6. Monitor and adapt: Continuously observe your CTR and other key metrics in Search Console. A/B test different titles, descriptions, and content formats to see what resonates best with your audience. By carefully analyzing your data and implementing strategic changes, you can improve your CTR and drive more qualified traffic to your website! Drop a comment below if you're doing something different to improve clicks on your website from search engines. Thank you!

Search intent is NOT a one-time thing you figure out and forget. It changes constantly. What worked last year might NOT work today. For example, let's assume Google was ranking mostly listicle blogs for the keyword "best mobile phones under 20,000". Then suddenly, the algorithms realize that e-commerce category pages (collection pages) satisfy user intent much better. They start prioritizing these pages instead. In this scenario it doesn't matter: - How perfect your on-page SEO is - How EASY the keyword seems - How many backlinks you build If you're still trying to rank a listicle blog, you're fighting a losing battle. Something very similar happened to one of our clients. We noticed that 5 pages that we had deployed about 6 months ago were NOT ranking for any target keywords. This was unusual because all other pages for this client were ranking exactly as projected. Here's how we tackled this situation: 1. Analyzed the SERPs thoroughly to understand how the landscape had shifted 2. Discovered our content type wasn't aligned with current search intent 3. Identified that our content format needed adjustment 4. Developed a completely new angle to rework on the content. Once we implemented these changes and boom within a week it started showing up on the first and second page (check screenshot). Now we wait and will start a link building campaign for it. The bottom line is that there's no room for set-and-forget strategies in today's search environment. You need to give searches what they want, the way they want. If you fail to do that, your chances of ranking are slim to none. How has your experience with search intent shifts been?

If your blog’s goal is just to rank on Google fast… You’re missing the whole point. Because the real power of blogging isn’t in ranking. It's relevance. At least, that’s what I’ve seen working with my clients in wellness startups:🚫 They didn’t need more blogs. They needed the right blogs, built on two things: ✅User Search Intent ✅Customer Problems When you write with search intent, you answer the questions people are already Googling but not finding great answers to. → That’s how we helped a skincare brand become the go-to for “ritual-led aromatherapy.” When you write for your actual customers, you make them feel seen. → That’s how we helped a wellness founder retain 70% of her blog readers month-on-month. The result? ✨ You attract new leads (with search-friendly content) ✨ You build trust with your existing users (with emotionally honest content) ✨ And your site ranks without obsessing over keywords every second Here’s the truth: When your blog content solves real problems, ranking is just a bonus. Want your blog to grow traffic and loyalty? Let’s build it on strategy, not shortcuts 🤝

I've watched 100+ outbound campaigns FAIL at ColdIQ. Most of the time, it wasn't the copy, timing, or offer. It was THIS... They were aimed at people who were never going to buy anyway. Here's what I mean: Too many companies still run outbound like this: → Pull a lead list from their CRM → Hope and pray something sticks → Fire off 100 cold emails/week to "hit quota" They have no idea why prospects are on their list in the first place. If you're not starting with the right inputs, it doesn't matter how good your cold email is. It's still a shot in the dark. One way to fix this is through intent data: Here are some signal plays we run for ColdIQ and our clients: 1️⃣ First-party intent: Who's visiting your website Not everyone fills out a form, but that doesn't mean they're not interested. We use tools like Instantly.ai and Vector 👻. They track anonymous visitors and identify who's checking out our content, landing pages, or product pages. This gives us a warm list of people who are already aware of us. Even if they haven't raised their hand yet. First-party intent can also come from: → Product usage (Common Room, Pocus) → Social engagement (Teamfluence™, Trigify.io) 2️⃣ Second-party intent: Champion job changes Let's say someone loved your product at their old company. They just switched jobs. Now they're in a new buying position, possibly with budget and urgency. Tools like Common Room and Unify help us track job changes across our network and historical CRM contacts. We can re-engage with a hyper-relevant message, right when they're getting settled in. Second-party intent can also come from: → Review sites (G2, Capterra) → Affinity signals (Crossbeam, WorkSpan) 3️⃣ Third-party intent: Research at scale Most often, you need to go outbound into entirely new territory. That's where third-party data comes in. Pulling insights from: → Hiring trends (LoneScale, Mantiks, PredictLeads) → Tech stack changes (BuiltWith, Similarweb) → Funding rounds (PitchBook, Crunchbase) OR from custom AI agents (Relevance AI, Claygent) We use Clay to build many of these workflows: → Filter for buying signals → Enrich contacts in real-time → Combine multiple data sources → Score and segment dynamically The result? You're increasing your odds of reaching out to the right person, with the right message, at the right time. Better targeting = better reply rates = better pipeline. Whenever your outbound is underperforming, start by reviewing your data strategy. What intent signals are you tracking in your GTM motion right now? 👇

From SaaS to Ecommerce to Local SEO, the difference between Page 1 and Page 10 often comes down to how well your title speaks to search intent. It’s not just about inserting keywords. It’s about matching search intent, creating clarity, and sparking interest. Let’s look at what the top-ranking pages have in common: - They reflect what the searcher is actually looking for. Whether it's a SaaS tool, a product, or a local business, the top result speaks the user's language and answers their need. - They use power words sparingly but strategically. Words like “best,” “awesome,” or “high-level” add emotional weight or set expectations. - They avoid brand-first headlines, unless the brand is the reason to click. Unknown brands leading with their name waste valuable real estate. - They cut the jargon. If your title sounds like internal software documentation, you’ve already lost the reader. The examples span SaaS, ecommerce, local, and informational/landing pages but the principles stay the same: title tags must combine clarity, relevance, and value. If your page isn't ranking or if it's ranking but not getting clicks, start by asking: Would I click on this title if I didn’t know my brand?

Bounce rate isn’t the villain. It’s the smoke. The real fire? Irrelevance. We don’t fix bounce by tweaking CTA colors, shifting layouts, or adding popups. We fix it by getting brutally honest about content quality, intent alignment, and delivery precision. ➞ In most client audits, I’ve seen the same frustrating trend: Traffic looks good - sometimes even excellent, but traction is weak. Why? Because the content didn’t earn its right to hold attention. It didn’t provide clarity, relevance, or value fast enough. The harsh truth? Most bounce problems aren’t caused by bad design or wrong audiences. They’re caused by content that didn’t match what the user came for. ➞ Here’s how I reframe bounce rate using a Relevance Score lens inside GA4: 1. Engagement Time > Bounce Rate: ↳ Engaged Sessions (GA4) are much more honest. ↳ They factor in scrolls, time, and meaningful activity - not just a fast exit. ↳ I track engaged time by landing page and traffic source to understand what actually connects. 2. Intent Signals Matter: ↳ Did they trigger a meaningful event within the first 10 seconds? ↳ Did they scroll past 60% of the page? ↳ Those are real signals of interest - far better than just time on page. 3. My 3-Metric Fit Stack: ↳ Avg. Engaged Time. ↳ Conversion Event Rate (micro + macro). ↳ Scroll Depth vs Exit Page. If two out of three miss? You don’t have a bounce issue. You have a relevance issue. I’m not an agency. I run lean, go deep, and focus on performance that lasts. Because bounce rate doesn’t kill funnels. Disinterest does. ➞ When someone bounces, do you: A) Blame the user? B) Blame the content? C) Check the signals first?

Most people still treat SEO like it’s 2015. Pick a keyword. Stuff it in. Hope to rank. But here’s the reality in 2025: Google doesn’t reward keywords. It rewards intent. That means every query is a puzzle: – “Pool” → Swimming or billiards? – “Cookies” → Recipe or browser data? And if your content doesn’t solve the right intent, you don’t just fail to rank, you lose traffic, leads, and conversions. Here’s what matters now: 1️⃣ User intent vs. Contextual intent Not just what they want (learn, compare, buy) but where and when they search (mobile at 10am vs desktop at 9pm). 2️⃣ Types of intent – Informational → guides, FAQs, tutorials – Transactional → product pages, comparisons – Navigational → logins, pricing, brand searches 3️⃣ Matching format to SERP – If Google ranks lists, write a better list. – If Google ranks videos, create the video. – Format is half the battle. 4️⃣ Authority comes last Intent → Relevance → Authority. You can’t build authority if you ignore the first two. Bottom line: SEO in 2025 is less about tricks and more about alignment. Align with the real question behind the query and you’ll win traffic Google can’t take away. 👉 Question for you: When you publish content, do you check if it truly matches the search intent or just the keyword? ♻ Repost this so others stop wasting content. ➕ Follow Sam for SEO frameworks that actually work in 2025.

“If you’re reading this, it’s not too late to fix your content marketing strategy.” Happy Monday ☕ Here’s a reminder for my SaaS founder friends! Because we marketers get plenty throughout the week. 🚨 Not every spike in traffic is a success. Yes, growth marketers will promise 10x traffic. Yes, the graph might look beautiful in a pitch deck. But here’s the real question: Did it convert? Let’s take programmatic SEO as an example. Remember when everyone suddenly had a “Best X Tools for Y” directory on their site? Thousands of new pages. 10,000% jumps in traffic. But also... → 0 demo requests → 0 leads → 0 pipeline influence And eventually, 0 pages left after the next Google update. Here’s the reality: 📉 Vanity metrics won’t grow your MRR. 📈 Relevance, intent, and quality content will. Not all keywords are worth chasing. The best marketers on the internet will tell you this - dig deeper into MOFU and BOFU. Top-of-funnel traffic is great, but it’s your middle and bottom-of-funnel content that actually drives conversions. So, this is your Monday nudge: → Stop chasing every shiny growth hack. → Focus on what your ICP actually searches for. → Build content around buyer journeys, not just bots. → Prioritize relevant, intent-rich keywords over broad volume wins. And please - check conversions before calling a strategy “successful" and sharing it on social media - be the 'good influence' 💁♀️ If you want your strategy to last, stop 'hacking' your way through it. What's the point of having to rebuild or rehash your entire marketing strategy every time a new update rolls out? #SaaS #B2BMarketing #ContentMarketing #SEOStrategy

SEO isn’t dead. But it’s definitely evolved. (Save this if your 2020 strategy feels outdated in 2025.) Most people still optimize for rankings. But AI Search doesn’t rank; you get chosen, not listed. This shift has a name: AIO (AI Optimization) And it's changing the entire playbook. If you're still chasing head terms and backlinks blindly, you're not just outdated… You're invisible to LLMs. I ran a deep dive into what still works (and what doesn’t) in AI Search—and here’s your 5-minute update: ✅ What still works? → Fast, mobile-friendly, crawlable pages → Topic clusters and internal linking → Clear, helpful writing that answers user questions → Schema markup and structured data → FAQs, how-to guides, and modular content ❌ What doesn’t work anymore? → Keyword stuffing without real user value → Fluffy content built for bots, not humans → Broad terms like “CRM” with no context → Blind backlink chasing → Ignoring tone, nuance, and user mindset Here’s how to fix it fast ↓ 🧠 Think like an LLM. → Structure content with clear H2s that ask the question. → Answer it clearly underneath. No fluff or BS. → Target ultra-specific, scenario-based queries. → Build “intent clusters” around user needs, not just keywords. 🔧 Tools I use (free tiers and 14-day free trials available): → Semrush Keyword Magic Tool → Semrush AI Toolkit → Semrush Content Toolkit 📌 The takeaway: → SEO was about getting found. → AIO is about being chosen and cited by AI. It’s not about “rankings” anymore. It’s about relevance, clarity, and trust. 💬 Want the full swipe file + my AIO checklist? Drop “AIO” below, and I’ll send my AIO and GEO vault. 📥 Save this for your next content update. ♻️ Repost if you’ve seen traffic drop post-AI Overviews. 🤜 Follow Anish Singh Walia for AI × GEO/AIO playbooks that scale in 2025 and onwards.