Marketing in the Age of Google: Your Online Strategy IS Your Business Strategy, Revised and Updated

QUERY TYPES

One way search engines derive intent is by classifying queries into intention categories. Each search engine group queries slightly differently, but for our purposes, a good classification system is:

• Navigational: With this type of query, the searcher is looking for something specific. These are often one-word queries that have a high likelihood of a single meaning. Many, but not all, navigational queries are branded. Some examples are [Volvo], [amazon.com], and [Twitter Vanessa Fox]. Approximately 18 percent of search queries are navigational.2
• Commercial (also called transactional): These searches are likely purchase-related, and the search engines tend to favor results that enable the searcher to buy something, such as e-commerce sites. Some examples of this type of search include [buy shoes online] and [book vacation rental in Greece].
• Informational (also called research): This query tends to be more generic and noncommercial. Search engines tend to favor results that are not commercial in nature. Examples include “when was Abraham Lincoln born” and “highest mountain in the world.”
• Prepurchase research: For our purposes, it’s useful to consider this subset of informational queries in which the searcher is doing research with a high likelihood of a later purchase. Some examples of this type of search include “digital camera reviews” and “what cars get the best gas mileage.” This category of searchers is useful to seek out because it’s an audience that is not yet ...