Attracting visitors to your site is great, but are they actually buying? If not, you may be targeting the wrong terms. Your solution lies in commercial intent. In this blog post, Mega Digital will help you find the most valuable keywords and use them to attract customers! Let’s get started!
Contents
What Are Commercial Intent Keywords?
Commercial intent is one of the four main types of search intent. They are used when potential customers are already in the mood to make a purchase.
Commercial intent keywords examples could be “best cameras” or “cameras review” which bring in searchers looking for insights into the products, comparison, and customer feedback. These keywords imply the buyer’s interest in cameras and preparation for purchasing.
Why Are Commercial Intent Keywords Important?
Businesses rely on commercial intent to attract high-intent traffic, making them essential for boosting conversions and sales. Here are the key reasons why they matter:
1. More Valuable Than High-Volume Keywords
High-traffic keywords are often highly competitive and mainly attract informational searches. Consequently, they don’t always translate into actual sales.
In contrast, despite lower search volumes, commercial keywords attract users who are more likely to make a buying decision.
For instance, someone searching for “compare running shoes” is far more likely to convert because he/she has already identified a need, knows what type of product they want, and is actively evaluating options.
2. Easier To Attribute ROAS
Focusing on commercial search intent keywords makes it simpler to measure ROAS compared to more general search terms.
Suppose you sell products for pets. A keyword such as “dog food” can attract visitors by the volume of searches, but it helps little in assessing the purchase behavior. Meanwhile, a keyword with commercial intent like “best dog food for allergies” will attract shoppers who are currently researching this specific option.
Then, you can easily identify potential buyers and track their journey from the moment they search to when they complete a purchase on your site.
3. Less Competition Than Top Of The Funnel
While major brands compete for general search terms, commercial keywords tend to be overlooked. Therefore, brands using commercial keywords can secure higher rankings, attract qualified leads, and boost conversions.
However, rankings in this space can fluctuate due to Google algorithm updates, such as product reviews or content guidelines. To stay ahead, optimize for features like image and video search results, which can improve visibility and provide a competitive advantage in your industry.
What Can You Use Commercial Keywords For?
Commercial keywords are powerful tools for reaching potential buyers at the right moment. Let’s explore the different ways you can use them effectively!
1. Paid Advertising
Commercial intent keywords are highly effective for running paid search campaigns. Since users searching with these terms already have a clear idea of what they want, ads targeting these queries are more likely to drive qualified traffic and higher conversions.
For example, an online store can use “buy digital cameras” in headlines and descriptions, ensuring their ad appears when shoppers search for that specific product.
2. Email Content
Since email marketing relies on audience segmentation, it is an excellent channel for integrating commercial intent keywords. Hence, providing targeted product information can nudge specific subscriber groups who have shown purchase interest toward conversion.
For instance, an electronics retailer could send a personalized email to users who browsed laptops. The email should feature an article optimized for “best budget gaming laptops”, along with exclusive offers to encourage a purchase.
3. Identifying Competitors
Conducting a Google search for your key commercial intent keywords can help uncover your top competitors.
After analyzing which brands dominate search results or paid search ads, you will know more about their content strategies and positioning. This approach allows you to understand how other businesses attract your target audience, what solutions they emphasize, and how they differentiate themselves.
4 Types of Commercial Intent Keywords
Not all commercial intent keywords serve the same purpose. Let’s break down the four key types and how they guide potential customers through the buying process!
1. Product-Focused Keywords
Product intent keywords signal users’ active investigation of a product or product category. While they might not be ready to buy just yet, the user is close to making a decision.
These types of keywords fall into 3 following categories:
- A specific product name (e.g., “iPhone 16”)
- A broad product category (e.g., “project management software”)
- A brand name without an associated product (e.g., “Apple”)
To avoid competition, keywords should be used with more descriptive modifiers such as “with” or “for.” For example, “weather stations with lightning detectors” specifies the search intent, providing less competition and a better chance of ranking well.
2. Investigative Keywords
Investigative keywords indicate the user is looking into different options and actively comparing alternatives. Common types of investigative keywords include:
- Best (e.g., “best running shoes”)
- Vs (e.g., “trail shoes vs racing flats”)
- Review (e.g., “Adidas review”)
- Alternatives (e.g., “Adidas running shoes alternatives”)
Such keywords become valuable when the searcher has passed the awareness stage. A person searching for “best running shoes” is no longer wondering about what running shoes are. They already know about the pros and cons and are weighing them as they approach a decision.
3. Local Commercial Keywords
When a user plans to purchase a product or service in a certain location, he/she looks for local commercial keywords. Such searches are valuable since they usually come from customers who are actively searching for nearby businesses.
Examples of local commercial intent keywords include:
- “Near me” searches (e.g., “restaurants near me”)
- Location-based queries (e.g., “best coffee shop in Chicago”)
Since these searches often indicate immediate buying intent, optimizing for local SEO can help businesses capture high-converting traffic from nearby customers.
4. Buy Now Commercial Intent Keywords
The keywords indicate that the potential buyer is ready to buy and searching for the best ways to complete the transaction.
Since this intent is in the last stage of the funnel, targeting “buy now” keywords provides high conversion rates, even if their search volume isn’t that high. A few examples include:
- “Buy” searches (e.g., “buy running shoes”)
- Discount-related terms (e.g., “Adidas discount”)
- Coupon-related searches (e.g., “Costco coupon”)
- Shipping incentives (e.g., “Adidas free shipping”)
- Gift card queries (e.g., “Amazon gift card”)
How to Find Commercial Intent Keywords?
Finding the right commercial intent keywords is key to attracting buyers who are ready to take action. Check out the best methods to discover high-value keywords!
1. Use a Keyword Research Tool
Using a keyword research tool is essential for identifying commercial intent keywords. These tools help uncover search terms with strong purchase intent, assess competition levels, and track search trends.
Several reliable keyword research tools include:
- Google Ads Keyword Planner: The tool then generates a search trend graph for a simple keyword like “buy iPhone”, revealing seasonal spikes for the product. It also shows you a list of keyword suggestions and their competitive values.
- Google Analytics: You can use GA4 to determine which keywords drive conversions. Navigate to “Acquisition”, click on “Google Ads” and tap “Keywords”. Then, you’ll see your top-performing keywords and their impact on your conversion goals.
- SEMrush: Offer keyword difficulty scores, competitive analysis, and commercial intent insights.
- Ahrefs Keywords Explorer: Help analyze keyword potential, search trends, and ranking opportunities.
- Ubersuggest: Provide keyword ideas, search volume, and CPC estimates.
2. Analyze Your Google Search Console Data
Your content may already gain impressions for relevant search queries, even those you didn’t specifically target. Thus, Google Search Console can help uncover these hidden keyword opportunities.
To find commercial keywords, you should:
- Open Google Search Console
- Go to Performance, click Search results
- Click New, then select Query
- Apply filters to identify commercial keywords
3. Leverage Google Autocomplete with Modifiers
Google Autocomplete feature is a simple yet effective way to uncover commercial intent keywords. If you’re not using paid keyword tools or don’t have Search Console data, this method is a great starting point.
Simply enter a broad search term related to your product, such as “dog food”, and add a modifier like “best”. Google will then suggest real user search queries, not just predictive text. You can repeat with different modifiers like “review,” “vs.,” or “alternatives” to find additional high-intent keyword opportunities.
4. Work with Sales to Gain Customer Insights
Your sales team interacts directly with potential buyers and understands their common questions, concerns, and needs. You should collaborate with them to uncover key phrases and topics that customers frequently mention.
This knowledge allows you to adjust your keyword strategy based on real buying behaviors. For instance, if customers frequently inquire about fast shipping, you might optimize for terms like “one-day delivery” to attract high-intent search traffic.
How to Leverage Commercial Intent for Faster ROAS?
Maximizing ROAS requires targeting users who are ready to buy. By strategically using commercial intent keywords, you can attract high-converting audiences and boost ad performance. Here’s how to make the most of them:
1. Understand User Journey
Businesses must define the customer journey and critical decision-making touchpoints to capitalize on commercial intent. For instance, in the consideration stage, a consumer will enter “best wireless headphones under $200.” However, one will type, “buy Sony WH-1000XM4 with discount” at the last stage before making a purchase.
Hence, businesses should monitor these queries and segment them by intent tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, and SEMrush. Also, session tracking tools like Hotjar can show navigation behaviors that indicate potential drop-off positions or areas of engagement.
2. Tailor Your Content
To maximize the impact of commercial intent, brands should create content that addresses the high-intent searcher. For instance, a tech e-commerce site may create dedicated product comparison pages, such as “iPhone 14 vs. Samsung S23: Which One to Buy”, to the attention of shoppers in the decision phase.
Brands should integrate user-generated content into all phases of their marketing platforms to build trust. For example, a skincare brand could use testimonials from real users to help establish credibility and thus possibly conversions.
For ad copy, you should give stress to convenience, affordability, and urgency. Such phrases as “Limited Stock! Order Now” or “Fast & Free Shipping” can nudge users into making that purchase.
3. Focus on “Near Me” Searches
Local search optimization is crucial for generating instant sales. Therefore, work on your Google Business Profile and ensure your address, working hours, and contact details are accurate, which allows for visibility in local search results.
Keywords related to location should be included in the content used for advertising, like “
Facebook Ad Budget
4. Optimize Your Bidding Approach
To optimize for returns, bid higher on audience groups where strong commercial intent is indicated. Spend more on keywords with particular purchase intent, such as “buy”, “best price”, or “discount” to your item.
For example, an online retailer selling home appliances might allocate more budget to searches such as “buy washing machine online with discount” rather than broader terms such as “best washing machine”.
You should try automated bidding strategies like “Maximize Conversions” or “Target ROAS”, which use real-time data to adjust bids based on expected conversion rates.
5. Do Retargeting
Potential customers often browse several websites and compare different options before taking the final step to buy. Hence, retargeting helps bring them back and complete the purchases.
Next, segment users based on their site interaction and search behavior. For instance, if someone searches for “best-running shoes under $100” and goes to your product page but doesn’t buy, you should retarget them with ads featuring the exact shoe model they viewed, similar styles from the same brand, or a limited-time discount on that product.
Wrap Up
Leveraging commercial intent keywords is key to driving high-quality traffic and maximizing conversions. Businesses should understand their value, identify the right ones, and strategically incorporate them into your content and ads. Then, you can attract buyers who are ready to take action. Start optimizing today and watch your ROAS grow!
