Query
In the context of digital marketing and SEO, a query is the term or phrase that a user enters into a search engine, and can range from a single word to longer phrases or specific queries.
The term “query” comes from the Latin word “quaere,” which means “to ask;” in the IT context, a query is a request for information from a database, while in the context of search engine queries precisely means the question or phrase that a user enters into the search box to find information.
Queries can be classified into different categories based on the user’s intent or search intent, which is what the user hopes to obtain as a result of his or her search. The main types of intent are:
- Informational. The user is looking for information on a particular topic. For example, “how to change a car tire” or “recipe for pasta carbonara.”
- Navigational. The user searches for a specific website or page within a website. For example, “Facebook login” or “Trenitalia train schedule.”
- Transactional. The user intends to perform an action, such as buying a product, downloading an app, or signing up for a service. For example, “buy iPhone 12” or “download Spotify.”
- Commercial. The user is interested in collecting data and information before making a purchase choice, such as in the case of “best 4K TVs” or “SEOZoom review.”
- Local. The user is searching for a resource that is geographically close to his or her current location (or stated location), such as “plumber [near me].” In almost all cases, though, this type flows into the broader category of business intent.
Understanding users’ search intent is critical for SEO and digital marketing, as it allows content to be optimized to meet users’ needs and, consequently, improve ranking in search results.
Moreover, from an SEO perspective queries are closely related to keywords: in fact, keywords are the elements that search engines use to understand what a page is about and to decide whether it is relevant to a particular query. Therefore, to optimize a piece of content, it is necessary to understand which queries users might use to answer their intent, which then become the keywords to be included in the SEO strategy.