What Are Navigational Keywords and How to Use Them To Boost Online Revenue

There is so much for internet marketers to learn these days. Amidst this information overload, navigational keywords often get overshadowed by their more popular siblings – transactional, informational, and commercial keywords.

Keeping with my recent theme of helping you better understand types of keywords, I’m going to explain why you shouldn’t ignore navigational keywords and how you can use them to boost your earnings potential.

What Are Navigational Keywords, Really?

Navigational keywords are search terms used when a searcher already knows the company or product and is seeking a specific site or page.

For instance, if someone types “Apple Store near me,” their intent is crystal clear: they know the company (Apple) and are looking for the nearest physical location.

The same applies to phrases like “[Your Blog’s Name] product reviews” or “[Your Brand] contact info.” Now if you are just starting out, nobody is going to be searching those terms, but you never know in the future!

How Navigational Keywords Differ From Other Keywords

There are 4 main types of intent keywords in online marketing. Apart from navigational keywords there are also:

1. Informational Keywords: These are used when people are seeking general information. Searches like “how to lose weight” fall here.
2. Transactional Keywords: These are used when the user’s intent is to complete a transaction, such as “buy iPhone 12.”
3. Commercial Keywords: These are used when someone is close to making a purchase but needs more information, like “iPhone 12 vs. iPhone 11.”

Navigational keywords are distinct because they already indicate brand familiarity. Unlike other keyword types aimed at capturing new users, navigational keywords target people who are familiar with your brand and want quick access to specific information about said brand.

Where Are Users in the Marketing Funnel When Searching With Navigational Keywords?

People using navigational keywords are often at the bottom of the marketing funnel.

They’ve passed the awareness and consideration stages and are now in the decision or action phase. They’re already familiar with your brand; they just need the quickest route to get what they now want. If you can work your way into this step and direct someone to where they need to go to make a purchase for example, you can find traffic that is ready to convert.

Navigational Keywords For Content Creators and Niche Bloggers

While you will most likely not be getting people searching for your brand when starting out, it’s best to start working towards that future goal right off the bat. By building helpful content you can set yourself up for people using navigational keywords to find your content.

But why is that even important you ask?

1. Trust Building: When your audience uses navigational keywords to find your content, it’s an implicit vote of confidence in your expertise.
2. Revenue Generation: Once users are on your blog, you can strategically guide them toward affiliate links, e-books, or premium content, leveraging their pre-established trust.
3. User Retention: A well-optimized site for navigational keywords helps in easier access and better user experience, encouraging repeat visits.

So in short, it’s going to help you make a lot more money in the long term. And thinking long term is the name of the game with making money online.

Practical Tips on Navigational Keywords For Your Niche Sites

How can you ensure your niche site or blog is set up to use navigational keywords correctly?

Optimize Landing Pages: Your landing pages should be optimized for both transactional and navigational keywords. For example, if you’re reviewing a product, mention that it’s a review in both the meta description and title tag, but also make sure to include your blog’s name.

Structure Your Content: Use subheadings that align with potential navigational queries related to your niche or product. This not only helps in better content structure but also boosts your chances of ranking for those specific navigational terms.

Learn From Your Analytics: Use tracking tools to identify which navigational terms are bringing traffic to your site. Once you have this data, you can refine your content strategy to focus on these terms.

Pair With Long-tail Keywords: As we learned in my previous post, long-tail keywords already drive you highly targeted traffic. By adding navigational keywords onto your long-tail keywords you will have an easier time gaining traffic and that traffic will be more likely to remember your name.

Summarizing Navigational Keywords

For content creators aiming to monetize their blogs or online platforms, navigational keywords serve a dual role: they improve user experience while also increasing opportunities for revenue generation.

These keywords effectively sift through the internet clutter, delivering your content straight to the users who are most likely to engage with it and, importantly, act upon it.

Because of that, it’s crucial that you start using navigational keywords optimally on your website from the very beginning.

The Earnings Engineer

Hi there! I’m Carmine, the chief editor and friendly face behind Earnings Engineer. With nine years of experience marketing and making money online, I’m passionate about sharing my knowledge and empowering others to achieve financial freedom. As we explore new opportunities together, let’s build our dream lives—one smart move at a time!