Intent beats volume
Every search has an intent behind it. Match it or you won't rank, no matter how good the writing. The four classic types:
- Informational — "how to clean a cast iron pan" (wants an answer/guide)
- Commercial — "best cast iron pans" (comparing before buying)
- Transactional — "buy lodge cast iron skillet" (ready to act)
- Navigational — "lodge cookware site" (looking for a specific brand)
Read the SERP to confirm intent
Before writing, search the term and look at what already ranks. If the top results are listicles, Google thinks the intent is comparison — a single product page won't fit. Match the dominant format (guide, comparison, tool, video) and then do it better.
Map content to the journey
Plan a mix: informational content earns trust and traffic at the top of the funnel; commercial and transactional pages convert it. Internal links pass readers from one to the next. That structure — not one viral post — is what compounds.