Understanding who’s visiting your website (and why) is one of the most powerful things you can do to improve it.
You may well have a beautiful homepage, a blog full of helpful advice, and a decent amount of web traffic. But… who are all these people landing on your site?
Are they ideal clients? Just curious readers? Or somewhere in between?
Knowing the intent behind their visit is key to making smart, strategic improvements that support your business goals.
A couple of months ago I published a guide on how to use Google Search Console to find out what people are searching for to find your website.
Now I want to show you how to go a step further, to understand the different types of searches, and what that tells you about your website visitors.
Informational, commercial, and navigational searches
Not all traffic is equal.
The words people type into Google give us a clue about where they are in their decision-making process.
There are three main types of search queries, and understanding the difference can help you figure out what your visitors need, and how your website should respond.
Let’s break it down with an example:
Informational search queries
Problem-aware but not ready to buy yet
An informational search is when someone’s using a search engine to understand a problem. They’re not looking to hire anyone - they just want answers.
Let’s say someone adopts a dog that’s highly reactive. Every walk is stressful.
They might head to Google and type:
“why does my dog lunge at other dogs”
They’re not ready to book a dog trainer yet… they just want insight.
This is where helpful, well-optimised blog content can do the heavy lifting. Articles that answer common questions can rank well and start to position you as the go-to expert.
If you see lots of informational search queries when coming up when looking at your Google Search Console, it means your website visitors likely have the problem you solve, but they’re not quite ready to buy.
👉 Make sure that problem-aware people know what you offer. Draw attention to your services in your highest ranking blog posts, and add links to your service pages.
⚠️ Blogging as an SEO strategy is less useful than it used to be. More and more people are asking platforms like ChatGPT instead of turning to search engines and blogs. And when they do use Google, AI overviews often show up first, meaning fewer clicks through to your actual post.
Read my guide on how AI search is changing SEO, and what to do about it.
Commercial search queries
High-intent and ready to buy
A commercial search is when someone knows they need help, and now they’re deciding who to hire.
In this case, our stressed-out dog owner might search:
“dog trainer in Bristol” or “online dog behaviourist”
If you see lots of commercial search queries coming up, these visitors are comparing providers and looking for the best fit. They’re likely to land on your service pages, and they’re looking for clarity and reassurance.
👉 Make sure your service pages are clear and concise, and address any concerns or hesitations a potential client might have. Add relevant FAQs (here’s a guide to creating a relevant FAQ section), and add your pricing if appropriate.
Navigational search queries
They’ve already heard of your business
A navigational search is when someone specifically wants to find your website.
Let’s say our dog owner is chatting to a friend, who recommends an excellent local dog behaviour consultancy called ‘Paw and Order’.
So they hop over to Google and type: “paw and order dog behaviourist”.
That’s a navigational search.
If you’re getting a lot of navigational searches, great - it means brand awareness is working. People are hearing about you and seeking you out.
👉 These visitors will likely land on your homepage, so you need to make sure your homepage immediately lets visitors know exactly what you offer and who it’s for. It should be engaging and attractive, with a clear next step - usually to check out your core services or get in touch.
But here’s a gentle warning:
If almost all of your search traffic is navigational, it might be time to review your SEO strategy. You’re showing up for your own business name (which is easy), but missing opportunities to get in front of people who don’t know you yet.
One final thing: Google search console doesn’t show you everything
The way we search is evolving. Search queries are becoming longer, more conversational, and more detailed.
Instead of typing “dog behaviourist Bristol”, someone might now type:
“which dog trainers in the south west of England specialise in helping reactive dogs?”
That kind of search query might still lead to your website, but it’s less likely to get picked up in Search Console.
These longer, natural-sounding searches are becoming more common, but right now, they’re creating a bit of a blind spot in your data.
Until Google catches up, we won’t always see the full picture.
If you want to find out more about this, SEO expert Nikki Pilkington wrote an excellent article on this exact subject. Read Nikki’s article here.