There's a moment I always look forward to in discovery calls. It's not when we talk budgets or platforms. It's when I ask a new client what they want their website to do. Not just look like — but do, deliver, achieve. Often, they pause. And then they realize perhaps they hadn't thought it through beyond “get more leads” or “look better than the old one.”
That’s usually where our conversation about SEO begins.
Search engine optimization can feel intimidating for business owners. It's often painted as technical, cryptic, or reserved for the realm of marketing “growth hackers.” But I’ve found a better way to frame it: SEO is about being found by the people already looking for you, but don't know you exist yet.
In this post, we’re going to unpack one of the most essential — and emotionally misunderstood — parts of SEO: search intent. Specifically, we’ll explore how understanding search intent changes the way we design websites, write content, and structure not only online experiences, but the entire way a business shows up digitally.
This isn’t theory. This is about how people feel when they land on your site, what they were looking for when they Googled, and how aligning your messaging, UX, and content strategy with their intent can impact conversions, trust, and long-term brand equity.
When someone types a query into Google, they’re not just feeding an algorithm — they’re expressing a need, even if clumsily. Search intent refers to the underlying reason why someone performs a specific search.
Historically, SEO focused on keywords. But now, search engines have evolved. Google’s algorithms put enormous weight on whether the content of a page actually serves the purpose behind the search, not just whether it has the right words.
Here’s the truth — if your content or website speaks to the wrong type of intent, it doesn’t matter how good-looking or fast it is. You’re solving the wrong problem. You’re answering a question they didn’t ask.
In Franklin, TN, I recently worked with a local law firm that was getting decent web traffic, but the conversion rate was flat. The bounce rate told part of the story — but not all of it. After auditing their site and comparing their top-ranking pages to the queries driving traffic, we realized most of their top visitors had informational intent. They were landing on their blog posts, but the pages looked like end sales funnels.
Imagine Googling “What does a contract lawyer do?” and landing on a home page saying “Book a free consultation today!” It’s like asking a neighbor about general plumbing problems and having them immediately hand you an invoice. Premature, out of sync. That disconnect kills trust.
Your website should match the temperature of your visitor. Informational searches are curious and cautious. Transactional searches are warm and ready. If you welcome the former with hard CTAs and zero education, they bounce. If you welcome the latter with 2,000 words before a button, they leave frustrated.
Search intent should shape more than just blog topics. It should influence how your entire site is structured. This goes beyond SEO into what I think of as “experience architecture.”
For a business with an educational component (like a consultant, therapist, or coach), grouping resources into clear “learning paths” is a way to cater to informational intent. For example, a client of mine who offers financial coaching restructured their blog into categories like:
These aren’t arbitrary. They match how their prospects are searching — each intro page acts almost like a curriculum or a gateway to deeper trust.
For eCommerce businesses, intent mapping can mean creating separate landing pages for “Best [Product] Under $50” — great for commercial intent — versus “Buy [Product] Now” pages optimized for ready-to-convert buyers.
A small but growing gym I consulted had a single “Join Now” page and a few generic blog posts. We sat down and looked at their analytics to learn which queries were driving their site traffic: searches like “should I hire a personal trainer?” and “how often should I go to the gym as a beginner?”
None of their content directly addressed these questions. We created a series of informational posts optimized for local versions of those queries, and each included subtle pathways — not hard sells — leading to their intro session booking form. They saw a 38% increase in new consultations over three months, without running a single ad.
One of the biggest opportunities I see with clients is mapping high-intent keywords to specific landing pages designed to convert. It sounds simple. But too often, businesses rely heavily on their homepage to do all the heavy lifting.
Let’s say someone searches for “affordable branding agency in Franklin TN.” They’re likely in buying mode. If they land on a homepage with vague language like “We build beautiful brands you’ll love,” they may not stick around. But if they land on a targeted page that reads “Expert Branding Packages for Franklin Startups — Starting at $2,500,” trust is built, relevance is established, and action is easier.
Use these tools not just to find content ideas, but to decide what kind of content fits. If 8 out of 10 ranking pages are in-depth guides, your thin service page won’t make the cut.
There’s a secondary layer of intent that doesn’t often get talked about in SEO — emotional intent. That moment of discomfort, curiosity, or fear that triggers the search action in the first place.
For example, someone searching “how to leave a toxic job” isn’t just looking for steps — they’re looking for affirmation, courage, maybe even permission. If your blog post leads with cold facts and lists, it might feel clinical. But if you lead with empathy and relatability, it resonates deeper. They stay longer. They explore. Trust begins.
I worked with a trauma-informed therapist who had only a handful of static service pages. Together, we built a small library of blog resources framed around queries like “why do I feel anxious on Sundays” or “how to say no without feeling guilty.” These weren’t optimized just for Google — they were optimized for the person Googling it at 11pm, exhausted and conflicted.
Within months, over 70% of her client inquiries came through organic search — and several mentioned directly which blog post they read that made them decide to reach out.
While most people assume SEO is just about Google, thinking across platforms matters too. For example, YouTube searches have similar intent categories. And with platforms like Pinterest and even Reddit being indexed in Google, aligning cross-channel content can reinforce your authority.
A Nashville-based interior designer I teamed up with began posting photo-oriented case studies on Pinterest framed around “before and after small space transformations.” These aligned with commercial investigative intent. We linked them to corresponding blog posts that ranked for “studio apartment design ideas” and related local phrases. The traffic cross-pollinated. Bookings followed.
If you’re a consultant or designer like me, knowing this stuff is one thing — helping clients understand it is another. One analogy I use: think of your website like a storefront on a busy street. Search intent is the mood and needs of the person walking by.
Are they window-shopping? Lost and looking for a bathroom? Ready to buy new shoes? Your signage, displays, and interactions should match. SEO is how we attract the right people. Intent is how we earn their trust when they arrive.
Understanding search intent is one of those things that’s too easily dismissed as abstract. But the businesses that embrace it — not just as a tactic, but as a philosophy — build websites that work harder, feel more human, and earn deeper trust.
Whether you're a small business owner in Middle Tennessee or part of a growing team with national goals, start treating each site visit like a conversation, not a pitch. Intent is where that conversation begins. And getting it right is more than a ranking strategy. It's a trust strategy.
As you evaluate your own site or content, ask: Who am I really writing for? What emotional and practical need are they expressing through this search? And how can I meet them exactly where they are, in language and structure they recognize? That’s SEO with soul. And it’s where the best websites start.
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