Navigational queries
Definition
Navigational queries are searches that are intended to help users find a specific website or web page. These types of searches often include the name of the website or the brand associated with the website, and they are typically made with the goal of navigating directly to that website.
Examples
For example, if a user wants to visit the website for the online retailer Amazon, they might search for Amazon or Amazon.com. Similarly, if a user is looking for a specific page on Wikipedia, they might search for Wikipedia [page name].
Navigational queries in use
Navigational queries can be an important source of traffic for websites, particularly for well-known brands or websites with unique or distinctive names. However, it's important for websites to also rank well for informational and transactional queries, which are searches that are made with the intention of finding information or making a purchase, respectively.
Navigational queries in SEO
Navigational keywords can be an important part of an SEO and content strategy for a few reasons:
- Brand visibility: By ranking well for navigational queries, you can increase the visibility of your brand and make it easier for users to find your website.
- Traffic: Navigational queries can be a significant source of traffic for your website, particularly if you have a well-known brand or a unique or distinctive name.
- User intent: Users who make navigational queries are often looking for a specific website and have a clear intent to visit that site. By ranking well for navigational keywords, you can capture this traffic and potentially convert more of these users into customers.
Navigational queries in content strategy
To optimize for navigational keywords, it's important to ensure that your website is well-optimized for search engines and that it is easy to find through search results. This may involve optimizing your website's metadata, such as the title tags and meta descriptions, and ensuring that your website is well-linked from other sites.
Navigational keywords can be an important part of a content strategy because they can help users find your website and provide them with the information they are looking for. Here are a few tips for incorporating navigational keywords into your content strategy:
- Identify relevant navigational keywords: Use tools like Google's Keyword Planner or Answer the Public to identify the navigational keywords that users are searching for to find websites like yours.
- Use navigational keywords in your website's metadata: Include navigational keywords in your website's title tags and meta descriptions to help search engines understand what your site is about and to make it more attractive to users in search results.
- Organize your content around navigational keywords: Use navigational keywords as the basis for your website's navigation and organization. This can help users find the information they are looking for and can also help search engines understand the structure and content of your site.
- Use navigational keywords in your headings and subheadings: Use navigational keywords in your headings and subheadings to help users and search engines understand the content of your page.
- Include navigational keywords in your content: Mention navigational keywords in the body of your content to provide context and to help search engines understand what your page is about.
By incorporating navigational keywords into your content strategy, you can help users find your site and provide them with the information they are looking for. This can help improve the user experience of your site and can also help improve your search rankings.
Related links
Search Intent in SEO: How to Create the Right Type of Content