You’re starting a career in SEO. What’s the one thing you can’t afford to overlook?

Remember, SEO rankings are useless if they aren't converting. If you don't keep the user top-of-mind, you'll always lose to those who do. But, it's also important to understand WHY they're researching a keyword. That's why user intent is so important. If they're just looking for specific information, you're much less likely to increase product sales even if you rank in the first position.

Starting your SEO career? Forget keyword obsession – the one thing you can't overlook is understanding how search is changing. AI's Rising Role: Google's AI is now answering queries directly, impacting click-through rates. You need to master AI-powered content tools to stay ahead of the curve. Evolving E-A-T: Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness are still king, but the bar is rising. Go beyond backlinks – demonstrate first-hand experience, build relationships with authoritative figures, and prioritize user trust. User Intent Reigns Supreme: Keywords are just clues. Deeply understand what users are searching for and why. Craft content that solves their problems, answers their questions, and offers unique value.

To put it simply, user intent is analyzing what type of content is ranked for certain keywords. Let's take the keyword "best PC monitors 2023" as an example. The highest-ranking pages for that keyword are blog posts that list multiple monitor choices and the main features for each choice. If we had a product page and tried to rank for that keyword, we would have a really hard time ranking for it. This is because search engines understand what the visitors are looking for, and rank the pages that match the visitor's intent higher than other pages.

I started my career in 2019 by enrolling in digital marketing course after that I joined a company as an intern but real learning started after joining the company. I started doing things on my own and learn in my free time. If you are starting set up a blog and do things that you have learned. There's no secret SEO sauce and most people will not help you.

User intent in SEO is vital as it ensures your content aligns with what users are searching for, improving rankings, user experience, and conversion rates.

Search engines understand what the visitors are looking for when they search certain keywords. You can analyze the search results to understand user intent behind each keyword. When you align your SEO strategy with user intent, two things happen: 1. Search engines mark your content as relevant. 2. They rank your pages higher on SERPs. It's all about providing the visitors with exactly what they're looking for.

User intent is crucial for SEO because it's the underlying reason behind any search query. Understanding what users are looking for when they type keywords into search engines allows you to create content and optimize your website in a way that matches their expectations. This, in turn, leads to several key benefits: Relevance: When your content addresses the specific intent behind a search query, it becomes highly relevant to the user. This tells search engines like Google that your page is the best possible answer to the user's question, increasing your chances of ranking higher in search results.

Researching user intent is actually really simple: 1. Take a keyword you want to rank for. 2. Google that keyword. 3. Analyze what kind of pages are ranking highest. Are product pages ranking highest? Are category pages ranking highest? Are comparison posts ranking highest? Are product lists ranking highest? After you figure that out, you know what type of content you need to write if you want to rank for that certain keyword.

After you research the user intent for a certain keyword you want to rank for, you'll know if the intent is: - Informational (seeking information) - Navigational (looking for a specific page) - Transactional (looking to buy) - Investigational (research before purchase) After that, your next step is to create content that matches the user intent.

One thing that's frequently overlooked when starting an SEO career is how important experience is. You can learn a lot by watching courses, getting trained, and learning online. However, the best way to actually learn SEO is to get your hands dirty: 1. Start your own project website 2. Work hard to rank it on search engines 3. Take notes of what works and what doesn't 4. Experiment with new strategies and tactics. Some strategies will fail and some will win, and you will be able to see how SEO works in real-time. Another key part is that you're going to have the necessary experience and case studies to apply for future SEO jobs/projects

Be consistent, patient and open to change. SEO is a career that demands a growth mindset but trust that hard work pays off in the long run.