Maybe you are a provider with a product page ranking on page 1, and suddenly a review site has knocked you down in rankings. 

Or, maybe the opposite has happened – you have an informational resource page that previously performed well for a keyword, and now another competitor product page has shifted in rankings, changing yours as a result.

A mixed intent SERP is likely the culprit, and those are very common. 

In this article, we’ll discuss:

• What search intent is
• The most common types of search intent
• What a mixed intent SERP is
• How mixed intent SERPs can impact your rankings
• How to respond to those rankings impacts

What is search intent?

Behind every query, there is an intent. The user is looking for something, and Google does its best to serve up the most relevant, useful results. Sometimes, a query’s intent is pretty obvious. Queries that include “What is _____” are often informational and, therefore, Google serves up informational resources. Queries that contain, “_____ for sale” or “buy ______” are often transactional, meaning Google will serve up results that allow that user to buy something (E-commerce, local stores, etc.).

Search intent refers to the types of results Google returns for a particular query. If informational results make up most of a SERP, it’s an informational SERP. If it’s filled with transactional, product-focused queries, it’s transactional. While this might sound obvious now, it gets more complicated when looking at mixed intent SERPs and the types of queries that return those.

Before we dive into mixed intent SERPs, let’s take a quick look at informational and transactional SERPs.

Informational Intent SERPs

Informational intent for a keyword refers to keywords where a user needs an answer to their question with no apparent desire to purchase anything. These are often in the form of a question but don’t always have to be. SERPs for these keywords are often purely informational or return only informational results.

A good example might be, “what is fletching”. This keyword is pretty obvious in its intent: the user is looking for an answer to their question, so Google is serving up purely informational results to serve that query.

However, there are informational queries where you could likely argue that this person is about to be ready to purchase. These queries generally suggest that the person is conducting research for an upcoming purchase, such as, “What’s the best fletching”? We sometimes refer to these as “consideration” or “commercial investigation” intent, meaning the person is between the research and purchase phase (or researching for their purchase).

Transactional Intent

Transactional intent refers to queries where it’s clear that the user is trying to purchase something. These queries can be as obvious as to include phrases like “for sale,” “buy,” “cheap,” “near me,” among others. However, they’re usually a bit more subtle. These result in transactional SERPs where Google serves up local stores, E-commerce sites, product ads, etc.

Let’s take a look at the SERP for “buy fletchings,” a keyword that is obviously transactional because of the use of “buy”:

Here, we see nothing but buying options, ranging from E-commerce to local brick-and-mortar stores. These results very much serve the intent of the query. 

Mixed Intent

Now that we’ve had a quick refresh on two of the more basic search intents, we can talk about mixed intent. 

Mixed intent means that Google serves up a mix of informational and transactional results because the query intent is not entirely clear. 

Mixed intent SERPs often skew one way or the other. I tend to see 6/4, 7/3, and 8/2 splits. It’s rarely half and half. This is just based on my personal experience, though. 

Sometimes even the most subtle changes in a query can change the intent. Let’s take a look at the SERP for “fletching:”

This is a mixed intent SERP with a heavy skew towards informational, with a dictionary definition at the top, a Wikipedia knowledge panel, several informational guide-type pages, etc. What’s making this mixed is the Amazon transactional result at #3.

Now, this is where intent can get tricky. Let’s look at the plural version of the keyword we just looked at: “fletchings.”

Here, we have Wikipedia, followed by Amazon, and then 3Rivers Archery: an informational result, followed by two transactional results. This is another mixed intent SERP with a heavier skew towards transactional results. If we were to scroll further down the “fletchings” SERP, we’d only see one more informational result; everything else is transactional. So, in this case, 8/2 split with a skew towards transactional. 

The tricky thing about mixed intent SERPs is that they can be volatile and can lead to rankings shifts that are difficult to understand or explain.

When Search Intent Shifts Impact Your Rankings

Let’s go back in time to August 2022, when the SERP for “fletchings” had an even heavier skew towards transactional:

Here, we can see that 3Rivers Archery is in the #2 slot, right behind Amazon. Wikipedia, the first informational result in this SERP, doesn’t rank until #4. This is still a mixed intent SERP, but it has a much heavier skew towards transactional since positions 1 – 3 are all transactional. 

Fast forward to now, and 3Rivers Archery is in the #3 slot behind Wikipedia and Amazon. Wikipedia, Amazon, and 3Rivers Archery are still the top 3 results, but Wikipedia, an informational, non-business competitor, rose in rankings, which pushed 3Rivers Archery down.

Did it lose rankings? Technically, yes. But, if you think about it: it’s still the second transactional result in the SERP. So, it’s not like a business competitor has suddenly begun outcompeting them; Google has just suddenly shifted this SERP’s intent in favor of informational results. And, unfortunately, there’s not much we can do to change Google’s mind behind this shift.

Fortunately, though, there are tactics you can employ to try and regain your rankings.

How to Get Your Rankings Back for Keywords With Mixed Search Intent 

I mentioned earlier that search intent often shifts. Tomorrow or even later today, we could likely see Amazon back in #1 and 3Rivers Archery back in #2. So, sometimes, you don’t have to do anything to get your rankings back – it’ll just happen.

But, let’s say, for example, that this search intent is locked down. What can 3Rivers Archery do to regain their #2 spot or get to #1?

The way I see it, they’ve got two options: 

1. Become the #1 transactional result by outranking Amazon and, thus, becoming the #2 position behind Wikipedia.
2. Create an informational piece of content that’s worthy of the #1 position.

In this unique instance, both options will be challenging, considering we’re talking about outranking Wikipedia and Amazon, but these are the two solutions I’d start with in most cases.

If you’re exploring option number 2, you might have a couple of questions, such as:

Can a site’s transactional content rank alongside its informational content on page 1? Yes.

Will there be content cannibalization between the two pages that are targeting the same keyword? Not if it’s done correctly.

Let’s address the first question: 

Can a transactional and an informational result rank alongside each other from the same site for the same query?

I don’t see this a ton, but I have seen it.

For this part of the discussion, let’s change our keyword focus and look at “applicant tracking system.” SERPs for SaaS keywords like this are all kinds of mixed, and here’s a great example:

In this screenshot, there are at least two noteworthy things:

• Jobscan’s Applicant Tracking System product page ranks right next to its informational blog post. It is worth noting that this is back in 2021. So, maybe we don’t see this as much these days. 
• This SERP is all kinds of mixed: it contains purely transactional results (for instance, Jobscan’s product page), purely informational results (Wikipedia), and consideration intent results like G2’s reviews.

So, yes, transactional and informational content from the same site can rank on page 1 for the same query. However, we can also see that mixed intent SERPs can be complex, with Google serving multiple intents. 

And I mentioned volatility earlier. Just for fun, let’s look at the Ahrefs ranking history report for this keyword: 

Wow.

But will there be content cannibalization if you have two pages targeting the same keyword? 

As long as the two pages serve unique intents/purposes and the intents are clear to both Google and users, I say “no.” 

In fact, folks trying to target “applicant tracking system” with their product pages are likely missing a huge opportunity by not having an in-depth, informational resource dedicated to applicant tracking systems.

With a heavily mixed intent SERP as we saw above, either or both the product page and an informational resource could rank on page 1. Are they both worth having? Absolutely. They’re both likely crucial if you want to be competitive for this term.

Intent Changes Are Tough, but Not Impossible to Navigate

So, you’ve lost rankings, and a non-business competitor is pushing you down in SERPs.

Losing rankings is never fun, but this situation is one to expect and one that’s possible to address with the right tactics.

Don’t have time for all that yourself? Our SEO team sees this often and would love to help you get back on top. In fact, we’re a 4x SEO agency of the year, with experience achieving results for our clients, including:

• 500% Increase in SQLs for SMS Marketing Software
• +49% Organic Traffic Improvement from technical SEO
• 1125% ROI for an online retailer

The Impact that Search Intent Can Have on Keyword Rankings is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.

1. Be mindful of monthly search volume
2. Be clear on what you consider a competitor
3. Use the boom to your advantage

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1. Be Mindful of Monthly Search Volume

Most tools calculate monthly search volume over the past 12 months. That means that you can have 11 months of all 0s and then one month of 120 MSV and you’ll still come out with only 10 MSV. That kind of math isn’t exactly helpful when your industry becomes an overnight sensation and searches are through the roof. To add to that, a lot of third-party tools are fairly delayed in their MSV gathering, which makes understanding a keyword’s true potential even more complicated during a boom. Let’s take a look at a few graphs to demonstrate what I’m seeing:

Let’s start with the keyword “ChatGPT”. Via a third-party keyword research tool:This screenshot was collected on March 14, 2023, and shows 0 – 10 monthly searches. I, alone, have searched for this keyword more than 10 times in the past month. So, I know that there is more to take into account here.Next, let’s look at the source of all MSV data out there: Google Ads. 

Now, this is looking a little more realistic. But, you still have to keep in mind that the 12-month variable is still coming into play here. Let’s look at the MSV trended out over time:Now we’re talking: over 20 million searches in February. This is the kind of data we’re looking for if we really want to know the true search potential behind a popular product like ChatGPT that exploded overnight. Now, let’s take a look at how this may impact you and your current targeting strategy.

A popularity boom can impact your targeted unbranded keywords, too

Now that we’ve seen the importance of knowing how MSV works and what a true boom can look like, let’s apply that to a more applicable, unbranded keyword that’s seeing a spike thanks to ChatGPT: “AI writer”. This is a keyword that I’ve monitored and optimized for for quite a while. And, thanks, in part, to the popularity of ChatGPT, this keyword is seeing a bit of a boom as well. Firstly, in our third-party keyword research tool, we’re seeing 3.8K MSV. Now, compare that to Google Ads, and we’re seeing a slightly different story, with 22.2K average monthly searches and some significant highs in the past two or three months:This keyword was already on an upward trend due to a new, growing industry. But, from October (the month before ChatGPT launched) to January, this keyword’s search volume has seen a 309% increase from 14.8K to 60.5K. The delay in our third-party keyword research tool’s MSV gathering is clearly impacting this quite a bit and missing out on this recent boom.This is great to keep in mind for both opportunity and reporting purposes, because an increase in clicks and impressions for a keyword that’s seeing a boom like this may not always be due to an improvement in performance – sometimes it’s just an influx in demand and you were in the right place at the right time. Let’s take a look at how that can look in GSC:Average position? Pretty stable.

Clicks and impressions? Wildly increased.

This is what happens when you’re already ranking for a keyword that’s impacted by a tool like ChatGPT.

2. Be Clear on What You Consider Competition

With the explosion of a tool like ChatGPT, related products, like AI Writers are likely quick to call them a competitor. And, rightly so, as ChatGPT may be taking quite a few customers. But, when you work in a field like SEO, it’s important to keep your eye on the prize: unbranded keywords. And, in this particular situation, there is a variety of high-volume unbranded keywords that ChatGPT could but hasn’t began ranking for (as of mid-March). Let’s stick with the “AI Writer” keyword from earlier:

This SERP representation of “AI writer” shows that Open AI and ChatGPT are nowhere to be found in the rankings. For a big-picture look, you can also use a tool like Ahrefs’ Site Explorer > Organic Competitors > Top Competing Domains report to understand how much keyword overlap there is between a popular tool like ChatGPT and your site there are. And, in this case, I’m not seeing ChatGPT competing with any of the top AI writer tools out there. So, there’s not a whole lot to be learned from ChatGPT from just an SEO competitor standpoint.

So, is ChatGPT a competitor to the wealth of AI Writer tools out there? Yes, in a business sense. Are they an SEO competitor? I say, “No”. At least, not yet. Could that change? Absolutely.

3. Use the Boom to Your Advantage

We already saw what a boom in your industry can look like for relevant, unbranded keywords like “AI writer” above. This can have a positive impact on your site just by simply doing what you’ve already been doing (assuming you have an SEO strategy in place and are ranking for the right keywords). However, is there more you can do to leverage a boom like this to your advantage? Definitely.There are already ChatGPT-related keywords popping up with interest, such as “ChatGPT alternatives”. In February, this had over 6K searches. So, if you’re a ChatGPT alternative, this gives you the chance to target a growing, high-intent keyword. It should also reassure you that a tool like ChatGPT isn’t going to assert complete dominance over the industry. There are already people searching for alternatives.

Know Where Your Data Comes From

In summary, I encourage everyone to be mindful of where data comes from and to always remember to look past the numbers – especially when your service or product is trending. A ChatGPT-level boom like we’re seeing in the AI writer space is doing more than just shaking up the industry – it’s shaking up the data, too. So, it’s important to be mindful of that so that we’re telling an accurate and consistent story with our data.

3 SEO Tips for When Your Industry Sees a Boom is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.