The success of your contracting business relies on effective digital marketing. Creating a website is only part of attracting future customers. Running effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) means understanding how search engines rank pages and matching homeowners with your services.
A key element of SEO content is understanding how to use keyword research and applying the proper keywords across your digital media.
One of the most common elements of SEO content is defining the difference between keywords so you can write to your target audience and perform well in organic searches.
Understanding the differences between transactional and informational keywords is crucial to your marketing strategy’s creation and success.
There are many keyword types to consider, but to understand the core concept of SEO and apply these principles to your content, transactional and informational keywords are the most important to define.
9 Most Important Types of Keywords
Keywords reveal the intent of users. Search engines are designed to provide the most relevant answer to users searching for solutions.
Broad Match Keywords
Broad match keywords encompass general terms or phrases, such as “HVAC,” which don’t explicitly articulate the user’s search intent. These search queries usually produce broad results that help ascertain and define the searcher’s interest.
However, these keywords can be an excellent starting point for individuals beginning their search journey. Since the user intent is vague, a website optimized for broad match keywords can cater to diverse queries, boosting website traffic.
Transactional Keywords
Transactional keywords are often called commercial intent keywords and represent a deeper level of search intent. Take the keyword phrase “emergency plumber near me.” This phrase shows strong intent toward a specific action—finding a plumber and booking a service call.
SEO strategies often focus on these transactional keywords as they target prospects at the bottom of the sales funnel, creating a rich pool of homeowners ready for a service call.
Informational Keywords
Informational keywords signify the intent to gather detailed information about a specific subject. An example would be “What causes a leaky faucet” or “How to fix a running toilet,” where the intent is clearly to learn more.
Sites optimized for these keywords position themselves as helpful resources, attracting homeowners in the information-seeking stage. Over time, these visitors build trust in your expertise and may become future customers when they need professional help.
Geo-Targeted Keywords
Geo-targeted keywords include a geographical location, such as a city, state, or region. These are instrumental for contractors that appeal to specific service areas. By optimizing for geo-targeted keywords like “plumber in Denver” or “HVAC repair Austin,” you tap into location-specific searches and drive traffic from homeowners in your service area.
Branded Keywords
Branded keywords are search terms that incorporate a specific brand name. For example, “Smith Plumbing emergency service” is a keyword that shows the searcher’s familiarity with your brand. Optimizing for branded keywords enhances brand visibility and targets homeowners who already know and trust you, increasing chances of conversion.
Commercial Informational Keywords
Combining informational and commercial intent, these phrases may contain service names, brands, and modifiers. Users in the consideration phase of the buyer’s journey may search “best HVAC companies in Chicago” or “licensed plumber with reviews.”
By optimizing for these keywords, you position your site as a valuable resource for homeowners making informed decisions about hiring a contractor.
Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords often represent a fusion of various keyword types, such as informational and geo-targeted keywords. These phrases are usually specific and less competitive, catering to niche search queries like “24-hour emergency plumber in Portland” or “best-rated roof repair near me.”
By integrating long-tail keywords into your SEO strategy, you tap into highly targeted traffic from homeowners with specific needs, often resulting in better conversion rates due to the specific nature of these queries.
Latent Semantic Indexing Keywords (LSI)
LSI keywords are those semantically related to a primary keyword. For instance, an article about “roof repair” may incorporate related keywords like “shingles,” “leak,” “roofer,” and “home maintenance.”
Search engines use LSI to discern relationships between words and concepts within the content. Utilizing LSI keywords in your content enhances its depth, relevance, and visibility, boosting your overall SEO strategy.
Navigational Keywords
Navigational keywords refer to a specific website or service. Navigational search queries are search terms users enter into a search engine to find a specific business or webpage, like “Johnson Electrical contractors near me.”
Typically, users have a clear destination when using navigational queries. When users search for your name or services directly, they’re already interested and more likely to convert into customers.
Optimizing your website for navigational queries ensures that your site ranks higher in search results and provides a seamless user experience, fostering brand loyalty and repeat visits.
Why Keywords Matter in SEO
Search Engine Optimization encompasses techniques and best practices to improve your brand’s online visibility. Design, web development, creative, and content strategy all consider SEO when planning new websites and running changes to existing pages.
An overwhelming number of homeowners begin their search for a contractor with Google. More than 75% of people consult search engines before hiring a contractor. Search engines are the tools people use to ask questions and seek solutions to their problems.
The best SEO strategies consider two critical moments in your marketing efforts. The first moment occurs when your content ranks highly in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). The second moment is when a homeowner clicks through search results and visits your website.
Understanding how to create content that focuses on your audience’s search intent is vital. Just as vital is building strategies that appear in native SERP—unpaid results—not just paid ads. Organic SEO refers to any of the unpaid results on a search.
Most commonly, SEO targets the top 3 positions of the search results. Many businesses pay to appear in SERP ads, but more than 70% of overall click-through rate (CTR) occurs from organic results. Notably, over 92% of users do not go past the first page of search results.
In short, your business grows when homeowners can find you. Nearly every service inquiry begins with a search engine query. Search engines won’t display your website to homeowners if you don’t use the right keywords. Executing keyword research and applying the proper techniques across your content helps earn search visibility.
Basic Keyword Strategies for SEO
Valve+Meter considers every element of search engine algorithms within an overall marketing strategy. These strategies include capturing every native position available, including SEO for Google’s local map pack, images, video, and featured snippets.
If you set up SEO on your website and other digital media, you’ll begin optimizing your content to include keywords.
Understanding the differences between transactional and informational keywords is crucial to keyword research. One of the worst practices in SEO is using the wrong types of keywords for your target audience. Choose keyword phrases that align with the search intent of your target audience.
If your content is a detailed explanation of roof repair basics, seek out the best informational keywords. Your primary or focus keyword should always align with the intent of the content.
More importantly, all of your LSI keywords should include informational intent keywords. Often, a blog post is designed to be helpful content. Title tags, headers, and URL structure should reflect this to earn organic traffic.
Just as important as choosing the right keyword is avoiding the wrong keyword. In the case of a service page or pricing page, your keyword research is more likely to focus on transactional keywords like “emergency plumber near me” or “HVAC repair cost.”
If the page’s purpose is to provoke immediate action, find commercial keywords that appeal to search engines and homeowners. Replacing an informational keyword with a transactional keyword on a service page helps optimize the content.
The ultimate goal of every webpage is to increase website conversions and phone calls. You work toward this goal when you align keywords with search intent.
Informational Keywords and Searches
Properly optimizing your content marketing for informational content has incredible benefits. Informational searches are often the first step toward a service inquiry.
If you’re answering a question that homeowners commonly search on Google—like “How do I know if I need a new water heater” or “What causes low water pressure”—your page filled with helpful, people-focused content is more likely to earn a higher ranking in SERP. Informational keywords often earn the featured snippet and “People also ask” positions within SERP.
From the homeowner’s perspective, choosing your target keywords creates credibility and authority when you answer the How, What, Why, and When questions. Homeowners engage with your website and may be more likely to convert to paying customers in the future.
A blog article that uses question-based keywords and provides answers is more likely to rank higher than content that blends transactional keywords with information. This type of content marketing also creates valuable opportunities to re-market and re-target. You can use this content in social media, email, and sales materials.
Characteristics Of Informational Search Queries
Informational search queries typically seek answers to questions or solutions to problems. They’re not focused on a specific contractor or service and often contain phrases like “how-to,” “guide,” “tutorial,” or “what is.”
These queries are usually longer and more specific than other query types. “How do I know if my air conditioner needs repair” is longer and more specific than “AC repair.”
Importance Of Informational Search Queries For SEO
Informational queries are critical for SEO for several reasons. First, they make up a significant portion of overall search volume. Second, they represent an opportunity to build brand awareness and authority by providing valuable information. Third, by ranking well for informational queries, you drive organic traffic and increase chances of conversion.
Commercial Informational
Consider commercial informational phrases if you include a call to action in this type of content. Homeowners using search queries like these are likely closer to the middle and bottom of the sales funnel.
If you have content that compares contractors or services, commercial informational keywords can signal search engines that your content addresses buying decisions. This type of content is a hybrid and likely combines both informational and transactional keywords on the same page.
Using commercial informational keywords in the title and headers is best when considering ranking factors. “Best Water Heater Options for Your Home” is a commercial informational headline.
Landing pages are a common example of commercial informational content. The content provides answers to homeowner pain points and shows that your company hsolution. You may compare service options or explain outdated versus modern solutions. Commercial informational phrases are a passive appeal to both homeowners and Google, signaling this page is designed to convert search users interested in hiring a contractor.
Transactional Keywords and Searches
When your page is designed for conversion, appeal to your target audience with clear and concise commercial keywords.
Transactional searches use Buy, Purchase, Service, Hire, and Emergency keywords. These terms don’t need to be reserved for advertising campaigns because many homeowners seek to hire using organic search. Over 70% of website conversions come from organic results.
Keywords reveal the transactional intent of homeowners, so your website—including service and pricing pages—needs to be rich in transactional keywords. Running transactional keywords, rather than informational keywords, is crucial to making sure your content meets the needs of your audience.
Find transactional keywords that support your service names and service categories to increase your rankings. “Emergency plumber near me,” “Roofing repair estimate,” and “HVAC maintenance service” are all high-intent transactional keywords.
Differences Between Transactional and Informational Keywords
The difference between transactional and informational keywords lies in the user’s intent. Transactional keywords are used by homeowners ready to book a service call or hire a contractor. Informational keywords are used by homeowners looking for answers to specific questions or wanting to learn more about a topic.
Transactional keywords have high commercial intent, meaning homeowners using these keywords are more likely to convert into paying customers. These keywords are action-oriented and indicate the homeowner is ready to transact. For example, if someone searches for “emergency plumber in Austin,” they’re likely ready to call a plumber today.
On the other hand, informational keywords have low commercial intent. Homeowners using these keywords are looking for information and may not be ready to hire a contractor. These keywords are knowledge-oriented. For example, if someone searches for “how to unclog a kitchen sink,” they’re likely looking for a DIY solution rather than ready to call a plumber.
Transactional keywords are important for contractors that want to convert website visitors into paying customers. By optimizing your website for these keywords, you attract homeowners who are already interested in your services and increase your chances of booking a job. Create service pages that make booking a service call easy for visitors.
Informational keywords are important for contractors that want to establish their authority in their industry. By creating high-quality, informative content answering common questions, you attract homeowners interested in your industry. Over time, these visitors may become loyal customers who trust your brand and value your expertise.
The difference between these two types of keywords and to use them strategically in your SEO efforts.
Balancing transactional and informational keywords attracts homeowners at different stages of their decision journey and increases your chances of booking a job. Remember to create content that provides value to the reader, regardless of whether it’s transactional or informational in nature.
Understanding Search Queries
As homeowners increasingly turn to search engines for contractor information, search queries have become an integral part of the hiring process. Whether searching for information on a topic, looking for a specific service, or trying to find directions to your office, search queries help homeowners find what they need online.
What Are Search Queries?
A search query is a question or phrase a homeowner types into a search engine, such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo. The search engine then uses an algorithm to provide a list of results relevant to the query.
How Do Search Queries Work?
Search queries use an algorithm that analyzes the words in the query and matches them to relevant web pages. The search engine then displays a list of results based on the relevance of each web page to the query.
The Importance Of Search Queries
Search queries are important because they help homeowners find the information and services they need online. They’re also important for contractors because they drive traffic to your website and increase visibility in search results.
Factors That Affect Search Queries
Several factors affect search queries, including the user’s location, search history, and device type. Search engines also use algorithms to personalize search results based on a user’s past behavior and preferences. A homeowner searching on their phone gets different results than one searching on a desktop.
How To Optimize For Search Queries
To optimize for search queries, What types of queries your target audience is searching for and to create relevant content. This can be done through keyword research and by creating high-quality content addressing the homeowner’s needs.
The Future Of Search Queries
As technology evolves, search queries will likely become more personalized and tailored to individual users. Search engines may use more advanced algorithms to provide more relevant search results. Visual search and AI-powered overviews are changing how homeowners search for contractor information.
Common Misconceptions About Search Queries
One common misconception about search queries is that they’re only important for businesses with an online presence. However, even local contractors benefit from optimizing search queries by providing accurate, up-to-date information online. Your Google Business Profile and local citations are all tied to search query optimization.
Best Practices For Optimizing Search Queries
To optimize for search queries, follow some best practices, including:
- Conducting keyword research to identify relevant search queries your target homeowners use
- Creating high-quality, informative content addressing the homeowner’s needs
- Using keywords naturally and not overstuffing content
- Using descriptive and relevant titles and meta descriptions
- Providing accurate and up-to-date information online
Using Transactional and Informational Keywords in Your Content
To effectively use transactional and informational keywords in your content, you must understand your target audience and their needs. Use informational keywords to create high-quality content answering common homeowner questions. Use transactional keywords to create service pages that make hiring you easy for homeowners.
When creating content, use a conversational tone that engages the reader. Keep personal pronouns simple, but don’t sacrifice specificity or context. Use active voice and keep it brief. Incorporate rhetorical questions, analogies, and metaphors to make your content more engaging and relatable to homeowners.
How Valve+Meter Approaches Content Optimization
Valve+Meter is a full-service marketing firm that delivers quality leads to contractor clients through SEO, PPC, email marketing, web development, and more.
On-page optimization is one of the most effective ways to improve SEO. By analyzing the purpose of each page, you can apply the proper keywords to match the search intent of your target audience.
Most contractor websites benefit from all three keyword phrases, but delineating transactional and informational keywords is the first step to building a clear and effective SEO content strategy.
Contact our team if you want to learn more about how Valve+Meter Performance Marketing helps contractors increase search visibility through content and technical SEO, including inbound link strategy and website audits. We provide free marketing assessments with a unique approach to data-driven marketing.