2. Analyze search intent

Understanding search intent means figuring out what the searcher is looking for. You need to do this because your chances of ranking are slim if your content doesn’t align with it.

The keyword itself often reveals intent. For example, it’s clear that people searching for “SEO tips” want a list of SEO tips. But it’s less obvious for other keywords, so it’s best to use the top-ranking pages as a proxy. In other words, infer intent from what’s already ranking.

To do this, analyze the top-ranking pages for the three Cs:

1. Content type. Are they blog posts, product pages, landing pages, or something else?
2. Content format. Are they tutorials, listicles, how-to guides, recipes, free tools, or something else?
3. Content angle. Is there a dominant selling point, like low prices or how easy it is?

For example, the top results for “neapolitan pizza dough” are all recipe blog posts. And authenticity is the dominant angle.