How to write content for informational search queries

In this blog post you are going to learn what are informational search queries and how to write content to target such an audience.

Informational search is when people search for your content to get more information about your product or service. They might not be ready yet to purchase from you, but they need more information.

Take for example my content writing services. May be right now you’re not ready to hire me (or any other content writer) but you are seeking more information. You want to educate yourself. You want to be in a better position to make an informed decision.

Maybe you just want to know why hire a professional content writing service at all.

You carry out informational search.

You may search for: “How can content writing help me improve my SEO?” or, “How can content writing help me grow my business?”

Right now, you’re not looking for a content writer who can help you improve your SEO for the purpose of hiring him or her. You are not looking for a content writer who can help you grow your business. You’re simply looking for information because you want to educate yourself.

Wikipedia content is a good example of informational content. People access the Wikipedia content merely to gain knowledge and to educate themselves, whether you find this information reliable or not is up to you.

Content writing targeting informational search queries

Although you can never be sure whether the person coming to your website after an informational search query will become your paying customer or client, majority of traffic on search engines happens through such search queries.

So, if people are simply looking for information, why should you target them through content writing?

Many reasons. Many solid reasons.

You generate goodwill and authority by writing content to inform

When I’m sharing my content writing and content marketing experience and insights with you, what am I achieving?

I’m generating goodwill.

You may use the tips and insights that I’m sharing through my blog posts to do your own content writing, hire your own content writer and train him or her according to the content on this blog, or one day, hire me as your content writer.

If one day I publish a book on content writing and content marketing, since you have already been getting valuable information on my website, you will also like to purchase my book.

If I request you to promote one of my links, you will readily do it because you appreciate the work I’m putting in here.

So, you’re not directly purchasing my services at the moment, but you are helping me expand my presence and this in turn generates more business for me.

You will improve your search engine rankings

Continuously publishing informational content improves your search engine rankings because Google prefers content that educates and informs people.

If you publish high-quality information content, some people will bookmark it.

Some people will share it on their social media accounts.

Some people will link to it from their own blog posts, web pages and articles.

Some news publications and media publications may also pick these informative blog posts and articles and link to them, further increasing your search engine rankings.

Your bounce rate will decrease because people spend more time when they are accessing informational content. When your bounce rate decreases, it has a direct, positive impact on your search engine rankings.

Informational content improves your conversion rate

Your conversion rate improves when people spend more time on your website or blog and your informational content helps you keep them there.

The content that you publish to educate and inform your audience is mostly well-international content. It is meant to provide answers to particular questions, very specific questions and hence, you will receive highly targeted traffic.

Targeted traffic is more likely to convert.

How to write content or generate content for informational search queries?

Content for informational search queries can be of 2 varieties: “time-limited” and “evergreen”.

Time-limited content can be something like real-time updates on an ongoing event, a conference or a sporting event happening that has a direct or indirect impact on your business.

Evergreen content is like the “how-to” content you find on this blog or on other websites and blogs that teaches you to do things. For example, how to set up a WordPress blog, or how to create a content marketing calendar.

But basically, when you want to write content for informational search queries, you want to publish blog posts, articles, videos and infographics that provide solutions to people’s problems.

Suppose you provide insulation services.

You can create blog posts or videos on topics such as “How much insulation is needed for your house?” or “How to insulate my outer walls?” or “Which is the best insulation material?”

You may think why you should provide this information to people? After all, wouldn’t they do the job themselves without hiring you if you provide all the instructions through your blog posts and videos?

The point is, people who don’t want to hire you right now, anyway, are not going to hire you.

Even those who hire you, would like to get themselves educated so that they can see how well you’re doing your job. In fact, this is the reason why many people carry out informational search queries – they want to know more about the job being done by the professionals they have hired.