The process of categorizing a query (e.g., commercial, informational, navigational).
Ever feel like you are creating a lot of content, but you are not sure if it is a good fit for what people are actually looking for? I know that feeling. It is a common problem, but I am here to tell you that there is a way to make sure your content is a perfect match for your audience. I am going to talk about something called Query Classification. I have been in this game for 15 years, and I have learned that understanding this is the key to creating content that actually gets seen and gets you business. By the end of this guide, you will have some simple, actionable tips to make your content work smarter for you.
So, what is Query Classification? It is the process of figuring out what a person’s goal or intent is when they type a query into a search engine. Search engines classify queries into different types, like informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional. By knowing what a person’s intent is, you can create the right kind of content to match it, which is the secret to good SEO.
For example, if someone searches for “how to fix a leaky faucet,” their intent is informational. They want to learn something. If they search for “plumber near me,” their intent is commercial. They are looking to hire a service. By understanding this, you can create a blog post for the first search and a service page for the second. This helps you give the user exactly what they want, which makes Google happy and helps you rank higher.
How Query Classification Impacts Different CMS Platforms
The principle of Query Classification applies to every website, no matter the CMS. Your platform is just the tool you use to create and organize the content. I am going to show you how to think about this with a few popular platforms. The goal is to make sure every piece of content you create has a clear purpose and a clear intent behind it.
WordPress
WordPress is a great platform for handling Query Classification because you can easily separate content types. I recommend you use blog posts for informational queries, like “what is a good diet for dogs.” For commercial or transactional queries, you can use dedicated pages, like “dog food brands for sale.” This helps you create a clear content strategy.
Shopify
For Shopify, Query Classification is all about your product pages and blog. Your product pages should target transactional and commercial queries, like “buy men’s running shoes.” Your blog should be used for informational queries, like “how to choose the best running shoes.” This helps you attract people at every stage of the buying process.
Wix
Wix makes it easy to create different kinds of pages, which is perfect for Query Classification. You can have a blog for informational content and a separate page for each of your services. I would recommend you use a clear title and a simple structure for each page to make sure it is a perfect match for a user’s intent.
Webflow
Webflow’s design freedom allows you to build highly targeted landing pages that match specific intents. For example, you can have a page for “web design services for startups” (commercial intent) and a blog post titled “how to choose a web designer” (informational intent). This helps you attract the right kind of visitor with the right kind of content.
Custom CMS
With a custom CMS, you have the most control to build a system around Query Classification. You can create a system that forces your content creators to tag each piece of content with its intent. This ensures that every piece of content you publish has a clear purpose and targets a specific type of searcher, which is great for SEO.
How Query Classification Applies to Different Industries
The concept of Query Classification is the same for every business, but the way you apply it changes depending on what you do. It is all about figuring out what your audience wants and giving it to them. I am going to show you how to do this for a few key sectors.
Ecommerce
In ecommerce, queries are often transactional. They want to buy something. You should use your product pages for these searches. You can use your blog for informational queries, like “how to clean your shoes.” This helps you attract people who are just learning about a product and then guide them to a sale.
Local Businesses
For a local business, queries are often commercial and transactional. People are looking to hire someone. I recommend you use your service pages to target commercial queries, like “plumber Sialkot.” You can use a blog for informational queries, like “signs of a leaky pipe.” This helps you show up for people at every stage of their search.
SaaS
For a SaaS company, queries can be informational, commercial, and transactional. You can use a blog for informational queries, like “what is cloud computing.” Your pricing page should target transactional queries. I also suggest you use a landing page to target commercial queries, like “best project management software.”
Blogs
For a blog, queries are almost always informational. People are looking to learn. I suggest you create very in-depth, helpful articles that answer a specific question. You can use the “People also ask” section in Google to find questions that have a clear informational intent, and then write a post that answers them perfectly.
FAQ Section
What is the difference between informational and transactional intent?
Informational intent is when a person is looking to learn something, like “how to bake bread.” Transactional intent is when a person is looking to buy something, like “buy bread machine.” You need different kinds of content for each type of search.
How can I find out the intent of a query?
The best way is to do a Google search for the query yourself and see what shows up. If you see a lot of blog posts and articles, the intent is likely informational. If you see a lot of product pages and category pages, the intent is likely commercial or transactional.
Can a single page target more than one intent?
It can, but it is often better to create separate pages for different intents. For example, it is better to have a blog post on “how to bake bread” and a separate product page for your bread machine. This makes your content very specific and helps it rank better for each type of search.
What is “user intent” and is it the same as Query Classification?
Yes, they are very similar. User intent is the reason a person is searching for something, and Query Classification is the process that search engines use to figure out that intent. By understanding user intent, you can create content that fits into the correct classification and helps you rank higher.
