What is an Informational Query?
Searching for news, specific website, upcoming movies and events – Google is used for so many things!
One of the most common reasons people use Google is to get an answer to a specific question or query. It is informational with the goal to find facts, data, details or knowledge. It is one of 4 different types of queries which include Navigational queries, Transactional queries and Commercial queries.
Google Search Quality Raters Guidelines refer to this as “know” queries. There are also “know simple” queries which are informational queries that are used to find highly specific and factual information about a topic.
For example: What is the weather on the Sunshine Coast Weather for August or What is the population in Australia 2023
Identifying Informational Queries
Identifying informational queries is pretty simple. If the users isn’t looking for a specific website or making a purchase a search query can be informational.
Most informational queries contain words like:
- When
- Why
- How
- What
- Where
- Tips
- Advice
- Guides
- Step-by-step
- Tutorial
- List
- Ideas
With that said, advancements is Google’s technologies have made it easier to recognise the intent behind a the search even if it doesn’t have these terms. For example: Sunshine Coast weather or Australia population 2023
Why Are Informational Queries Important?
Did you know that informational queries make up a majority of internet searches? When it comes to SEO, informational queries can offer a lot of value.
Informational queries also provide rich opportunities to create valuable content that answers specific questions or solves problems. This helps in attracting users who are interested in learning more and engaging with your content.
By providing well-researched, accurate, and insightful information can position your site as an authority in your niche. While these queries may not provide immediate conversions, this does build trust with users and encourages them to view your site as a reliable source of knowledge.
Search engines like google also prioritise high-quality, informative content that addresses users’ needs. By optimising for informational queries, you enhance your chances of ranking higher in search results and improving your overall SEO performance.
Unlike time-sensitive promotional content, informational, evergreen content tends to continue to attract visitors over time and leads to higher engagement rates. When users find valuable answers on your site, they are more likely to stay longer, interact with other content, and return in the future.
Best Practices for Optimising Content for Informational Queries
Understanding the intent behind a user’s search is more important than ever. SEO is no longer about ensuring your content has as many keywords as possible – it’s about providing value.
While there is no one-size-fits-all strategy, the best way to ensure your content resonates is to think like a user. What are they asking? What do they want to know?
- When writing content, it is important to consider who your audience is. Are they beginners to the subject or do they have existing knowledge. This will help you determine the tone depth of certain subjects.
- Keep it easy to read and navigate. Don’t clutter the content or have too many large blocks of text.
- Include relevant facts and figures. This ensures that you know what you are talking about and are a trustworthy source.
- Use headings! This helps break up content and communicates the main topic and related sections.
- Don’t forget to link to other relevant content of your website. This helps users find related topics and encourages them to explore.
