Search intent: choose the right format before writing

SEO editorial · 6 min reading

To choose the right format, start from what the person wants to accomplish after their research: understand, compare, buy or find a company. The search intent describes this need. Then examine the pages offered by the engine and how they respond to them. You will be able to decide whether your subject calls for a guide, a comparison, a category or a product pages, before starting writing.

Key points

• A request is an indication of the need, not a complete brief.
• Page type, format and angle are different decisions.
• The research results guide the analysis, without requiring you to copy the competitors.
• An ambiguous subject deserves to be clarified before becoming an article.

Identify the need behind the words

In a small business, the reflex is sometimes to transform each keyword idea into an article. However, a person who is looking for an available product does not necessarily expect an explanation of how it works. Conversely, a reader looking to understand a problem doesn't just want to see your catalog.

Ahrefs distinguishes four main intentions : informational, commercial, transactional and navigational. This grid helps to formulate a hypothesis, but the same request can combine several needs.

• Understand: obtain a definition, explanation or method.
• Compare: examine options and their selection criteria.
• Act: purchase, reserve or request a service.
• Find: access a brand, a site or a specific page.

Write a simple sentence: “This person wants to be able to…” Complete it with an observable action, such as choosing a dimension or checking compatibility. If the sentence remains vague, your topic probably is too.

Observe the results without taking them as instructions

Identify what the pages allow you to do

Launch the search in the language and geographic context of your customers. Open multiple relevant results instead of stopping at headlines. Note the type of page, the questions addressed, the elements of comparison and the proposed action. Distinguish ads from other results so as not to confuse an advertising presence with an editorial response.

Record your observation: query, context, pages viewed and formats encountered. It’s not about measuring search volume or proving that a format will rank. You look for clues to decide what to produce.

Process mixed results

If you find both guides, products and videos, don't look for a single label at all costs. Go back to the need that your business can actually meet. A more specific query may clarify the subject. You can also choose a main format and add a useful addition, without bringing all the formats together on one endless page.

Choose the page type, format and angle

The Ahrefs method separates these three dimensions. For an e-commerce team, this distinction avoids asking the blog to replace the catalog.

• The type of page: article, category, product pages, service page or video.
• The format: tutorial, comparison, list of criteria or short answer.
• The angle: the point of view or the specific help that the content must provide, for example helping a professional to choose according to their transport or storage constraints.

A comparison must help to decide, with explicit criteria and limits. A tutorial must allow you to perform a task. A category must facilitate the exploration of the offer. Don’t choose a format just because it’s easy to produce with your tool.

Also plan the information that you are able to provide. Google recommends useful content to Internet users and invites them to check that it allows them to achieve their objective. Reformulating the pages already consulted is not enough to construct an original response.

Fictional example: a computer bag store

The following queries and choices are illustrative. They do not come from a study of results or measured volumes.

• “How to choose the size of a computer bag”: offer a guide to checking the dimensions and compartment.
• “Backpack or computer bag”: offer a comparison based on transportation, access to content and reader habits.
• “Buy a computer bag”: consider a category to compare available models.

The store therefore does not order three similar items. It first examines existing pages: the category may already meet the purchasing need, while a guide or comparison provides different help. No product testing or model advantage needs to be invented to fill these pages.

Checklist before starting writing

1. Formulate the reader's need in one sentence.
2. Note the chosen query and the observation context.
3. Open the relevant pages and note their functions.
4. Separate page type, format and angle.
5. Check if an existing page already performs this function.
6. List the information and evidence actually available.
7. Define what the reader will be able to do at the end.

Limitations and common errors

The results consulted do not represent all readers and may change. A one-off observation remains a working hypothesis. Copying a competitor's plan, choosing a comparison without comparable information or creating a page for each variation of vocabulary are shortcuts to avoid.

Another error: forcing a commercial offer before having met the need. A relevant sequel may be offered, but the reader must first obtain the advertised help. This method does not guarantee any position in search engines.

Frequently asked questions

Can we determine the intent with the request alone?

It provides a first clue. Check it against the pages viewed and questions from your customers, especially when the terms are broad or ambiguous.

Should we always adopt the dominant format?

No. This is a clue to examine. Another format remains possible if it clearly meets the need and provides information that you can support.

Is a paid SEO tool essential?

No for this first editorial decision. A manual search and an observation sheet are enough to frame a hypothesis, without claiming to measure demand.

Next step

Take a planned subject and fill out a form: need, type of page, format, angle, available information. Have it proofread before ordering the text. You will thus be able to validate the function of the page before investing in its writing.

Sources and resources

• Ahrefs: Search Intent in SEO, for categories of intention and the distinction between type, format and angle.
• Google Search Central: create useful and reliable content, for the priority given to the reader's needs.