What is Search Intent and How Should Wedding Pros Use It?
How to blog about things your audience actually wants to read
“Yeah, cool. I know I have to blog. But how do I know what I’m writing about is something my audience wants to read?”
It’s a question I get from wedding professionals all.the.time.
Because let’s be real - you don’t have the time to waste trying to figure out what to do. You just don’t.
There’s one thing you NEED to understand when analyzing a potential blog topic: search intent. Keep reading to find out what it is, how to use it, and how it applies to your blogging strategy as a wedding professional.
Let’s ditch the guesswork and do the damn thing!
Why blogging is essential for wedding professionals
We all know the importance of blogging as a business owner. But does blogging actually work for the wedding industry?
Here’s a look at what the experts are saying, with numbers in case you’re type A like me:
"Wedding-related content generates more than 1.5 million daily searches." (Source: The Knot)
"More than 50% of brides-to-be read wedding blogs every week." (Source: BrideBox)
What does this mean for you? If you’re not blogging (or not blogging correctly), you’re missing out on leads.
Here’s where many experts get it wrong: as a wedding pro, you don’t need to generate a million leads. Whereas a skincare brand may need hundreds of thousands of purchases to make money, you’re physically limited by time.
This means you need fewer leads than consumer businesses, and your booking rates are higher than other industries. The wedding industry average is around 82% for wedding pros that get on a call with couples.
So let’s figure this out. Say you work 36 weddings annually, and your booking rate is 70%. That would mean you need 52 inquiries per year.
Factor in the average conversion rate for inquiries (4%), and you’re looking at 1,300 eyeballs. That’s how many people need to read your content, follow you on Instagram, visit your website, see you at a bridal show, or hear about you from a friend or vendor to book out for the year.
Compared to hundreds of thousands? 1,300 is nothing.
And if you blog consistently, those 1,300 people could come from reading your blog posts alone.
The biggest obstacle wedding pros face with blogs is getting people to find and read them.
And even though I literally made a career out of writing, I’ll be the first to tell you that if you’re not writing blogs properly, you might as well not write them at all.
And the most significant piece of that puzzle? No, it’s not SEO. It’s search intent.
What is search intent, and why does it matter for the wedding industry?
Search intent is a fancy industry term for the purpose behind a person’s online search. It’s the WHY behind a couple’s search query, directly impacting their search keywords. And it's what search engines use to determine what results to show you when you search.
By understanding what couples are looking for when they search online, you can create relevant content that meets their needs.
This directly impacts Search Engine Optimization (SEO), because valuable, relevant content can decrease bounce rates. Why? If your target keywords match user intent, when people get onto your website, they're actually consuming the information on the page.
This will help you ensure the content you’re spending so much time on will bring in serious couples.
There are 4 types of search intent:
Informational Intent
When a person is looking for information on a specific topic or question.
Examples:
“What is a wedding planner?”
"Best wedding venues in Austin, TX"
“How much do weddings cost in NYC?”
“Real vs. fake wedding flowers”
Navigational Intent
When a person is searching for a particular website or webpage.
Examples:
"The Knot wedding website"
“Vogue Weddings”
“Brilliant Earth wedding bands”
“Minted save the dates”
Transactional Intent
When a person is ready to make a purchase or take action.
Examples:
“Wedding planner in Los Angeles"
“LGBTQ+ friendly wedding photographer”
“Wedding officiant in Chicago”
“Furniture rental for wedding in DC”
Commercial Intent
When a person is researching products or services intending to purchase in the future.
Examples:
"Wedding dress prices in Atlanta"
“Wedding planner vs. day of coordinator”
“Unique veil ideas”
“Blue wedding heels”
As a wedding pro, your main website pages should focus on transactional search intent. Use keywords that describe your title or service and the region you serve. But don't be discouraged if these aren't your top-performing pages! In many cases, blog posts are actually the top-performing pages because they rank easier.
For your blog, focus on informational intent and commercial intent because your blog's primary goal is to educate couples who need to know more before reaching out to hire you. But don't let the type of intent trip you up: your readers are humans, and they may search with mixed intent. Maybe they're both looking for the best wedding dress styles AND looking to find a boutique to purchase from.
The most important thing is to include actionable advice that will help your readers do something with the new information you've given them.
How to check search intent
You may think you can figure out search intent based on your industry knowledge, but don’t skip this step!
You’re right: you are an expert. But the couples you want to work with aren’t. The phrases they use to search might differ from those you’d use because their knowledge level is much lower than yours.
To ensure the phrase you’re using aligns with what couples are searching for, head over to Google and follow the following steps.
Start with your brainstormed phrase.
This is the organic way you’d phrase your search query if you were looking for more information on the topic you’d like to write about. First, type your phrase into the search bar and look at the first 3-5 results that pop up. Do they cover the same information you’d like to write about?
Pick 2-3 variations of your topic and search for those phrases.
Let’s say your topic is “how to choose a wedding planner.” You might try searching for variations like “what is a wedding planner,” “how much does a wedding planner cost,” or “questions to ask a wedding planner.”
If you’re unsure where to start, look at the “people also ask” section on the results page for your initial phrase. You can find tons of ideas here!
Skim the first page of results for each topic variation. What are people writing about in those articles? What subtopics are included? This will give you a better idea of what couples seek when searching for that topic.
Tailor your content based on the results and your ideal client.
Once you know what couples are looking for when they search for a particular topic, you can tailor your content to meet their needs. Matching search intent for your keywords is key to creating blog posts that are relevant and have strong SEO.
Just because it’s a popular topic doesn’t mean you should write about it!
For example, if you're a wedding planner who works exclusively with full-service couples, write blogs about the benefits of having a full-service planner. You wouldn't want to write blogs about DIY wedding planning, as that's not your target audience.
If you're a destination photographer, you could write a blog about the benefits of having a destination wedding. You don't want to appeal to clients who aren't looking to travel for their wedding.
If you're a food truck vendor, write about choosing a food truck vendor that fits your style and budget, not the best method to pick your entrees for a sit-down dinner.
Understanding search intent is the key to choosing strategic blog topics your audience wants to read.
Need more help with blogging?
No shame, my friend. Blogging is hard. Luckily, your days of sifting through resources and trying to find a system that works for you are over.
I’ve created a step-by-step guide covering everything you need to research, write, edit, and optimize your blogs.
Following the proven system I use for my clients and myself, I’ll help you simplify your blogging process so you can spend less time writing and more time, I don’t know, doing things you actually want to do?
My guide, “Crafting Blogs That Sell,” is available now!
