Informational Keywords

Informational keywords are keywords that searchers use to find a piece of information. Unlike transactional keywords, which have a more commercial intent, informational keywords are used to gather knowledge.

As a general rule of thumb, any keywords that begin with an interrogative such as “how”, “what”, or “who” can be classed as informational keywords, along with terms with an explicit informational intent, such as “difference between griddle and plancha” or “black friday date this year”.

Informational keywords carry less buyer intent than commercial keywords, and though some may be used to research a particular kind of product, they’re all used to help educate searchers about a specific subject.

Pages that target informational keywords are mostly created to build authority around a certain niche, and enhance a brand’s relevance in the eyes of a particular audience segment.

Where and How to Use Informational Keywords

Though there are some exceptions, for example product comparison content, informational keywords should generally be used on content whose purpose to educate, and shouldn’t appear on hard sell content. Since searchers who use informational keywords aren’t usually looking to buy anything, it’s recommended that you reserve them for how tos, FAQs, thought leadership pieces, and similar content.

To get an idea of the content Google serves for these search terms, see how search results for informational keywords usually contain infoboxes with quick answers, knowledge boxes, and content carousels.

When mapping out your content calendar, informational keywords should be your go to for when you want to build brand relevance, educate your audience, and establish yourself as an industry expert. For instance, if your brand deals in gaming computers, you might want to target informational keywords with a guide to how graphics cards work and the impact they have on the player’s experience.

Though it’s fine to have some kind of channel leading visitors from your informational content towards purchasing your product or service, this shouldn’t be the primary purpose of any content you build around informational content. Like with many things you do in SEO, the most important part of creating content targeting informational keywords is ensuring it’s accurate, authoritative, and valuable to the kind of audience you’re targeting with it. Algorithms are much more intelligent than ever before, so keep an eye on your keyword density and avoid outdated, forced keyword stuffing tactics. Always provide content for your users, and let the search engines catch up – if they haven’t surpassed us yet, they most likely will soon.