Does “Harry Potter” Draw More Than Clicks?

Determining Searcher Intent For Better ROI

When someone searches for “Harry Potter,” what are they really searching for? A bio of the character? An action figure?

If you sell action figures, but most of the people clicking on your “Harry Potter” ads are simply looking for information, you’re obviously not getting your optimal ROI. Conversely, if most of your clicks are precisely for the products you offer, i.e., Harry Potter figures, you’re doing well.

One method of determining user intent for a prospective keyword is common sense – “This keyword contains ‘buy,’ so people using it probably want to make a purchase”. Another is performing a test search, using your potential keyword as a query. What results up on top? Movie listings (information), or DVDs (commerce)? You want to pay attention to both organic results and ads.

New Tool From Microsoft

A new tool from Microsoft, the commercial intent tool, is great new way to look at potential keywords. Just enter your keyword, and it gives you the probability that the keyword is commerce-related. For instance: the tool states that “Find Hair Loss Products” has a 64% chance of having commercial intent. “Buy Hair Loss Products” has a 97% chance of commercial intent.

Microsoft claims that the tool is 90% accurate. Not sure if that’s true, but this tool is something every marketer (or business owner) should try for themselves.

Ari Berdy is a SEM Strategist at Amsive Digital