{"id":5545,"date":"2022-11-28T10:52:52","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T15:52:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/?p=5545"},"modified":"2022-11-28T10:52:52","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T15:52:52","slug":"why-understanding-customer-intent-is-key-to-marketing-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/why-understanding-customer-intent-is-key-to-marketing-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Why understanding customer intent is key to marketing success"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"OverThe prominent Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist Andrea Bocelli once said<\/a>, \u201cAll that counts in life is intention.\u201d It’s undeniable that our intentions matter \u2013 and that holds true in the business world as well. Each time someone contacts your company or visits your website, they have a purpose \u2013 also known as customer intent or buyer intent, according to the Qualtrics article \u201cWhat is customer intent?<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

Marketers must understand what prospective clients are looking for and what they want to deliver a great customer experience (CX)<\/a> and bring in more leads. However, figuring out current and prospective clients\u2019 plans is easier said than done in many instances. Here\u2019s what you should know about the importance of paying attention to customer intent and how to pinpoint the purpose behind people\u2019s behavior.<\/p>\n

Why customer intent matters<\/h2>\n

If you can figure out what people want and deliver it to them when they want it, they\u2019ll have a favorable impression of your company and be more inclined to buy what you\u2019re selling. This can involve analyzing the tone of everything from the search queries of potential clients to feedback from current customers to learn how to better meet their expectations, according to Qualtrics.<\/p>\n

Intent analysis can have an especially significant impact in the realm of search engine optimization (SEO). More than half (53 percent) of shoppers always conduct online research before making a purchase to ensure they\u2019re making the best possible decision, according to Think with Google<\/a>. That means if you can discern the intent behind search queries, you can fine-tune your SEO strategy and marketing efforts, capturing the attention of individuals looking for your products and services during the information-gathering phases of their customer journey.<\/p>\n

For example, if you sell shoes, you might create a page targeting the longtail keyword \u201cbest winter boots\u201d with details about your best-selling pair and how they outperform the competition. Someone searching for that phrase is looking to make a purchase soon and weighing their options. Proactively targeting the right keywords will get you on their radar while they\u2019re researching. If you wait for people to reach out to you, you\u2019ll miss those opportunities.<\/p>\n

How do you identify customer intent?<\/h2>\n

Many companies attempt to extrapolate consumer intent based on demographics, Qualtrics explains. This approach often misses the mark, however. Marketers who target consumers based on demographic characteristics alone can miss out on more than 70 percent of potential mobile buyers, according to the Think with Google article \u201cWhy consumer intent is more powerful than demographics<\/a>\u201d by Lisa Gevelber, CMO of the Americas region for Google.<\/p>\n

\u201cIntent beats identity,\u201d Gevelber notes. Demographics don\u2019t give you an accurate view of the big picture. For example, while the stereotypical gamer is a young man, Google has found that only 31 percent of mobile searchers seeking video games are men aged 18 to 34.<\/p>\n

One way to investigate consumer intent is to leverage Google Trends<\/a> to investigate what people are searching for in your category\/industry. Based on the language searchers utilize, you can determine their intent in line with the following categories, according to SEMrush<\/a>.<\/p>\n