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How to choose SEO keywords based on search volume? | Information-based, Commercial, Transaction-based

作者:Don jiang

Informational Keywords (monthly search volume >5,000) are used for traffic attraction; operations should focus on long-tail content for questions like “how to” or “what is,” building brand awareness through high-authority articles and directing traffic through internal links;

Commercial Keywords (1,000-5,000) aim for research; deeply explore comparison, review, and ranking keywords, guiding decisions through pros and cons comparisons;

Transactional Keywords (100-1,000) have low volume but extremely high conversion; they need direct connection to product landing pages with optimized conversion metrics.

In practice, it’s recommended to allocate content resources in a 6:3:1 ratio, using high-volume keywords for traffic, medium-volume keywords for filtering, and low-volume keywords for monetization.

Informational

Prioritize keywords with monthly search volume (MSV) greater than 2,000 and keyword difficulty (KD) below 35.

It’s recommended to deploy long-tail content targeting question formats like “how to” or “what is,” using Keyword Planner to identify industry pain points.

Content production should adhere to in-depth guides of 1,500 words or more, configured with FAQ structured data to capture rich snippets, targeting a click-through rate of 3% to 8%.

Since such keywords typically have a conversion rate below 1%, the strategy is to embed free tools or internal links at the end of articles to redirect high-volume traffic to commercial pages, achieving a user retention improvement of over 30%.

Identifying User Intent

According to Backlinko’s analysis of 5 million search queries, featured snippets appear in approximately 12% of search results, and these snippets are typically displayed at the very top of search results in the form of paragraphs, lists, or tables.

When you see this module, known as “Position 0,” in a keyword’s search results, it indicates that Google has identified through its machine learning model BERT that users are looking for specific answers or steps.

The presence of this module typically causes the click-through rate of the organic search’s first position to drop by approximately 5% to 10%, because users can obtain the information they need without clicking any links.

In addition to the top summary, the “People Also Ask” (PAA) module is another important identification signal.

For informational searches, the PAA module typically contains 4 to 10 related questions, which often start with “Why,” “How,” or “What.”

When clicking to expand these questions, Google dynamically loads more related questions. This infinite expansion characteristic is uncommon in commercial or transactional keywords.

  • Video Carousels: When search queries involve “how to do something” or “assembly steps,” YouTube videos arranged horizontally appear in search results. According to statistics, approximately 55% of “How-to” searches trigger video results, indicating that users prefer visual information over plain text descriptions.
  • Knowledge Graph: On desktop search results on the right side or at the top of mobile results, if there’s a box containing Wikipedia links, official website addresses, founding dates, or biographical information about people, this indicates the keyword points to a specific “entity.” These results typically appear in searches for brand history, technical definitions, or celebrity information.
  • Image Packs: When searching for keywords like “modern architectural styles” or “interior decoration inspiration,” neatly arranged image blocks occupy a prominent position, indicating that users need to obtain information through visual references.

When analyzing SERP composition, observing the density of ads (Google Ads) is also an effective elimination method.

For transactional keywords, there are typically 4 ad slots at the top and 3 at the bottom.

But in purely informational searches, the number of ad slots is usually 0 or only 1.

According to WordStream data, the average CPC for informational keywords may only be $0.5, while transactional keywords in the legal or insurance industry may exceed $50.

If the first page of search results is dominated by .gov, .edu sites, or vertical encyclopedia sites like WebMD, Investopedia, or TechTarget, then the keyword undoubtedly belongs to the informational category.

The content structure of such sites typically includes long-form text, detailed statistical charts, and a large number of internal reference links.

According to Ahrefs’ research, informational pages ranking in the top three of search results have an average word count typically between 1,500 and 2,000 words, while purely product detail pages usually have only 300 to 600 words.

  • Search query length characteristics: Informational intent is often reflected in long-tail keywords. Statistics show that 70% of search phrases containing more than 5 words are information-seeking in nature. For example, “best running shoes for flat feet” has a stronger informational filtering need than “running shoes.”
  • Zero-click searches proportion: As Google provides answers in SERPs, approximately 65% of mobile searches no longer generate any clicks. This phenomenon is most evident when querying weather, time differences, currency conversions, or simple definitions.
  • Related searches: If suggested search terms at the bottom of the page contain a large number of words like “tutorial,” “guide,” “examples,” or “tips,” this further confirms the educational nature of the topic.

For keywords involving calculations, date conversions, or language translations, Google embeds interactive tools within the page.

For example, entering “BMI calculator” or “100 USD to EUR” will display a dynamic calculator.

This intent is very singular; although search volume may be high, for ordinary blogs or business websites, it’s difficult to compete for traffic from these interactive tools unless you can provide more in-depth analysis reports.

Content Format

Statistics show that articles ranking on the first page of Google search results have an average word count of 1,447 words.

According to Backlinko’s research on 912,000 blog posts, long articles with 3,000+ words receive approximately 77.2% more social shares than short articles under 1,000 words.

When users input queries involving operational processes, deep content covering background research, step-by-step breakdowns, troubleshooting guides, and expert advice can generate longer dwell time.

HubSpot data shows that websites with 434% more indexed pages typically do so because they consistently publish high-quality informational blog posts.

The average time users spend on a page can reach over 3 minutes, far exceeding the 45 seconds typical of e-commerce product pages, indicating that long-form content has a natural advantage in retaining visitors.

Content Type Average Word Count Requirement Social Share Increment Link Acquisition Potential Expected User Dwell Time
Ultimate Guide 2,500 – 4,000+ High (300%+) Extremely High 5 minutes+
White Paper 1,500 – 3,000 Medium High (as citation source) 4 minutes+
Listicles 1,000 – 2,000 Extremely High Medium 2.5 minutes
How-to 800 – 1,500 Medium Medium 3 minutes
Case Study 1,200 – 2,500 Low High 4.5 minutes

Blog posts containing at least one image receive 94% more traffic than text-only posts.

In technically or explanation-heavy content, the use of infographics can increase website traffic by 12%.

According to Wyzowl’s video marketing report, 84% of respondents said they learned a skill by watching video tutorials.

Embedding videos can increase organic search click-through rate by 157%.

If content takes the form of long lists or resource libraries, its likelihood of acquiring external links is 2 times that of regular articles.

Data Dimension Text-Only Page Performance Text + Images + Video Page Performance Improvement Rate
Average Bounce Rate 75% – 85% 45% – 60% Approximately 35%
Organic Click-Through Rate (CTR) 1.9% 4.8% 152%
Average Scroll Depth After Page Load 25% 65% 160%
Monthly Organic Return Rate 2% 12% 500%

Semrush data indicates that structured long-form content with more than 3 heading levels is more likely to achieve higher rankings in search, with crawlers preferring to crawl data chains that are clearly structured and logically rigorous.

Commercial

Prioritize research-oriented long-tail keywords with monthly search volume of 500-2,500 and keyword difficulty (KD) of 40-65.

Practice should focus on keyword groups like “vs,” “comparison,” “best,” “review,” by writing in-depth reviews to intercept competitor traffic.

Data confirms that configuring “feature comparison tables” can increase conversion rate by 2.5 times.

Such keywords have an expected conversion rate of 5%-12%, leveraging a neutral stance to build trust and directing traffic to “get a quote” or “free trial” landing pages.

Through page optimization, you can achieve over 20% growth in user dwell time, accurately capturing search demands with clear purchase intent.

Search Results Page

In Google search results, when you enter a keyword and the first screen is filled with text links with Sponsored tags, this usually indicates extremely high commercial intent for that keyword.

According to advertising industry data, when 4 ad slots appear at the top of a search keyword, ad click-through rates typically account for 15% to 20% of total clicks.

This is very common in legal consultation, business software (SaaS), or financial loan sectors because the average cost-per-click (CPC) in these industries is often between $15 and $120.

According to WordStream statistics, in searches with strong research intent, the top three ad positions account for over 40% of clicks on the page. These pages typically come with a large amount of additional information, such as promotional phone numbers, specific service item lists, or office location descriptions.

If you see horizontally arranged product images, prices, and store ratings in the results, this is called Google Shopping (Product Listing Ads).

This layout typically appears in search results for electronics, clothing, or home goods.

Users compare quotes and logistics policies from different retailers through these cards, showing that they have completed basic knowledge preparation and entered the stage of selecting specific items.

SERP Element Typical Data Performance Commercial Intent Performance
Top Text Ads Appearance frequency 60%-80% (high-difficulty keywords) Fierce competition among vendors, strong user selection intent
Shopping Cards Display 5-10 specific products and prices Users comparing prices, ready to place orders
Map/Local Listings Include 3 merchant spots and business hours Users looking for offline stores or local service providers
Review Star Plugins 4.5+ ratings typically displayed in snippets Users using others’ feedback to assist decision-making

In addition to paid ads, on pages with obvious commercial intent, those ranking at the top are often not encyclopedia sites but third-party review and comparison platforms such as G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, or Wirecutter.

According to Search Engine Journal’s analysis, “Top 10 Best” or “software comparison” pages account for over 65% of the top five positions in commercial search results.

This is because search engine algorithms have found that at this stage, users are more inclined to value neutral third-party analysis over brand-owned introductions.

In the B2B sector, over 92% of buyers will read reviews on third-party platforms before viewing specific service plans. If the top three results in a SERP contain titles with “Best [Category] for [Year],” it indicates the system has determined that the user is in the process of narrowing down their options.

Another criterion is the Rich Snippets content appearing on the page.

If search results display “Price range: $29 – $99” or “In stock” along with yellow star ratings below, this shows that the page has provided detailed business data to the search engine through code markup.

The display rate of this data is 5 times higher for commercial keywords than for informational keywords.

User Search Keyword Type SERP Special Features Estimated Click Flow
Top-rated Software Category In-depth comparison article + G2 ratings 70% flows to third-party review sites
Specific Model Comparison Category Text ads + manufacturer comparison pages 50% flows to official or large e-commerce sites
Price-inclusive Search Category Shopping cards + promotional information 80% flows to specific product detail pages
Service Provider Category Map pack + 5+ ads 60% flows to local services or sales inquiries

This performance is even more pronounced on mobile devices.

The appearance of Local Pack (Local Business Trio) usually indicates extremely strong offline service needs, such as finding an accounting firm or dental clinic.

Research shows that 76% of mobile users who search for such geographically-tagged keywords will visit the relevant physical store within 24 hours.

The page provides buttons to make calls and navigation directions.

In Google’s search algorithm, if the “People Also Ask” section at the top of the page is filled with questions about prices, subscription plans, or refund policies, this is also a signal of commercial research. The higher the density of these questions, the more the users entering that page are focused on monetary expenditure and contract details.

Metrics Analysis

According to SEMrush’s scraping results from a sample library of 100,000 keywords, the average monthly search volume for commercial research keywords typically falls between 400 and 2,500 times, far below the tens of thousands of times typical of informational keywords.

Although absolute values are smaller, the commercial return per click (Revenue per Click) is often 12 to 15 times that of the latter.

In Google Ads data feedback, if a keyword’s search volume has maintained a compound growth rate of over 10% over the past 12 months along with higher ad bids, it indicates that the market segment is in an expansion phase.

Competition for such keywords is usually reflected in the metric Keyword Difficulty (KD), with commercial keywords’ KD values generally ranging from 45% to 85%.

Pages ranking on the first page typically have over 50 domain-level backlinks, and their Domain Rating is usually above 60.

Industry Average Monthly Search Volume (MSV) Average Cost Per Click (CPC) Keyword Difficulty (KD) Commercial Tendency Score
Enterprise SaaS Software 800 – 1,500 times $18.50 – $65.00 65% – 82% 9.2/10
Legal Services (Personal Injury/Immigration) 300 – 900 times $45.00 – $160.00 55% – 78% 9.5/10
High-end Consumer Electronics (Comparison Category) 2,000 – 5,000 times $1.20 – $4.50 70% – 90% 8.1/10
Commercial Real Estate Consulting 200 – 600 times $12.00 – $35.00 40% – 60% 8.8/10
Cloud Storage/Infrastructure 1,200 – 3,500 times $25.00 – $85.00 75% – 88% 9.0/10

In Google Keyword Planner, the “top bid range” for high-intent keywords reflects the maximum cost a business is willing to pay to acquire a potential customer.

For example, in the North American financial market, “Best life insurance for seniors” consistently maintains a click price above $50.

When a keyword’s CPC exceeds the industry average by 30%, its page tends to be full of purchase-oriented elements such as comparison tools or calculators.

For SEO strategy, even though the organic click-through rate (CTR) may drop to around 10% due to ads occupying the first screen, the clicks that remain typically have a conversion rate exceeding 5%, whereas on informational pages, this figure is usually only 0.2% to 0.7%.

When evaluating such keywords, you also need to focus on the coverage density of SERPs Features.

If a keyword’s search results page shows more than 4 paid ad slots accompanied by Product Listing Ads (PLAs), it indicates that the commercial monetization capability of that keyword has been validated by the market.

According to Ahrefs’ data tracking, for commercial keywords with “comparison” or “review” tendencies, the organic search result ranking first typically has a click-through rate of 15.6%, while ranking tenth drops sharply to below 1.2%.

In quantitative analysis, you can calculate Click Potential to estimate traffic output, i.e., (monthly search volume × organic click-through rate × commercial conversion coefficient).

Search Intent细分 Average Organic Click-Through Rate (CTR) Expected Conversion Rate (CR) Revenue Per Click (ROI) Typical Search Keyword Examples
Multi-scheme Comparison 12.5% 4.2% High “Slack vs Microsoft Teams features”
Top Ranking List 18.2% 3.8% Medium “10 Best VPN services in 2026”
Specific Reviews 14.1% 6.5% Extremely High “Bluehost hosting review pros cons”
Specific Budget Filtering 9.8% 5.1% Medium “Best laptops under $1000 for gaming”
Feature Research 11.3% 2.9% Low “Salesforce automation capabilities”

In the B2B decision-making process, approximately 67% of quantitative research traffic preferentially flows to sites like Capterra or G2.

If you analyze the traffic value of a commercial keyword, you need to introduce the Traffic Cost metric, which is how many dollars the organic traffic for that keyword would cost if purchased through paid means.

For a keyword with monthly search volume of 1,000 and CPC of $20, the organic traffic value at the top position (calculated at 15% click-through rate) is equivalent to saving $3,000 in monthly marketing budget.

Search Behavior

Before entering the purchase stage, approximately 81% of consumers worldwide will first conduct extensive research on the internet.

According to Google’s behavioral tracking of over 2,000 online shoppers, in the 60 to 90 days before finally making a purchase, each user conducts an average of more than 12 searches.

When searching for commercial keywords, users’ attention shifts from broad knowledge acquisition to examination of specific parameters.

This behavioral logic is particularly evident in the North American consumer electronics sector. When users search “Best noise-canceling headphones,” they typically open more than 5 tabs simultaneously, with dwell time usually exceeding 8 minutes.

They slide between different pages looking for differences in quantifiable metrics such as battery life, waterproof ratings, and wearing comfort.

Research Phase Typical User Actions Page Interaction Depth Information Acquisition Preferences
Initial Filtering Browsing “Top 10” lists Quick scrolling, only viewing titles and rankings Brand recognition and overall ratings
Deep Comparison Looking for A vs B comparison charts Staying over 3 minutes, viewing specific parameters Price differences, warranty policies, unique features
Trust Verification Searching brand name + “review” Reading long reviews, looking for real photos Real usage lifespan, after-sales feedback
Budget Matching Searching combined keywords with price ranges Clicking price filters, comparing promotional information Discount strength, installment payment options

When users input search keywords with “vs” words, such as when users search “HubSpot vs Salesforce,” their purpose is no longer to understand what CRM is, but to determine through multi-dimensional tables which software has stronger API integration capabilities or lower monthly fees.

Through heat map analysis of 500 high commercial intent pages, the comparison matrix table at the top of the screen receives over 60% of visual focus.

In a survey of 1,000 B2B buyers, 77% said they would only contact a sales representative after reading detailed third-party comparison reports. This behavioral pattern moves the originally offline negotiation phase to the online self-research phase.

Users entering the specific review (Review) search phase are no longer satisfied with brand-provided promotional materials, but actively seek user discussions on Capterra, G2, or Reddit.

This type of search behavior surges by 300% before major promotional seasons like Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

When searching such keywords, users often combine with modifiers like “reddit” or “complaints,” trying to uncover potential failures or shortcomings that may occur during long-term product use.

According to consumer behavior research, a page with a 4.2 to 4.7 rating containing over 50 detailed text reviews has a lead generation capability 4 times that of purely advertising pages.

User Search Tendency Average Search Keyword Length Main Click Flow Direction Logic Behind the Behavior
Exclusionary Research 4 – 6 words Professional review media, TechRadar, etc. Finding reasons not to purchase a certain brand
Compliance Check 5 – 8 words Official white papers, compliance description pages Confirming if products meet specific industry standards
ROI Research 3 – 5 words Case studies, ROI calculator tools Calculating long-term holding costs
Local Service Comparison 3 – 4 words Google Maps listings, Yelp reviews Finding the nearest service provider with good reputation

On mobile devices, when users search “Best coffee shop near me with Wi-Fi” or “iPhone repair price Manhattan,” their search intent is closely tied to their immediate physical environment.

According to mobile search trend reports, over 50% of mobile users will make a phone call or navigate to a store within 1 hour after conducting such searches.

If a page providing price comparisons or merchant information takes more than 3 seconds to load, approximately 40% of users will return to the search results page and click the next option.

Statistics show that mobile users conducting commercial searches are 2.5 times more likely to click “Call” or “Directions” buttons compared to desktop users. This rapid transition from search to offline action is a unique behavioral characteristic of mobile users.

When filtering commercial options, if users add a year (such as “Best laptops for students 2026”) to their search keyword, it reflects their caution about outdated information.

In fast-iterating industries, search keywords with year markers have a click-through rate 18% higher than those without.

Through this small action, users ensure they are getting the latest pricing standards and technical specifications on the market.

At this stage, if a page is marked with “Last updated: January 2026,” it will greatly increase user dwell time and interaction willingness.

Transactional

Such keywords account for 5% to 10% of total search engine queries, but generate the largest order volume.

In Google Ads, the average cost per click (CPC) for these keywords is 4 to 12 times higher than for informational keywords.

For example, users searching “MacBook Pro M3 price” or “buy Nike Air Max” typically have a stable order completion rate of 10% to 15%.

At this point, users no longer need to understand what the product is, but are looking for payment channels and discount offers.

Data Characteristics

In the North American e-commerce sector, if a user searches “iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB price,” their probability of completing payment within 24 hours is more than 15 times higher than for users searching “iPhone history.”

In high-margin industries like finance and law, competition for such keywords is extremely fierce, causing the average cost per click (CPC) to consistently remain between $50 and $120.

This data performance reflects that users have reached the final step of the purchasing process; they no longer need to research product features but are looking for the most suitable purchase entry point.

Industry Category (North American Market) Representative Keyword Examples Monthly Search Volume (MSV) Average Cost Per Click (CPC) Estimated Conversion Rate (CVR)
Cloud Storage Services Dropbox business pricing 12,500 $18.40 11.2%
Legal Consultation Personal injury lawyer NYC 4,200 $155.00 14.5%
Sports Equipment Buy Nike Pegasus 40 45,000 $1.25 9.8%
Online Education Coursera Plus discount code 8,900 $4.10 12.3%
Office Hardware Dell XPS 15 deals 18,000 $2.85 8.5%

From the perspective of search engine results page (SERP) layout, when users input such keywords, Google allocates a large amount of page space to content with price tags.

In 68% of transactional search results, the very top of the page displays 4 links marked with “Sponsored” identifiers, followed by a horizontal sliding image bar of Google Shopping showing real-time inventory prices from different retailers (such as Amazon, Walmart, or Best Buy).

This layout causes the organic search results (SEO) click-through rate to be compressed, with the first-place click-through rate typically only around 13%, whereas for informational searches this number often reaches 30% or more.

Nevertheless, pages ranking in the top three of organic search still receive high-quality traffic because these users have their credit cards ready and may place an order at any moment.

User Behavior Metrics Mobile Data Desktop Data Industry Average Reference
Average Page Dwell Time 45 seconds – 1.5 minutes 2 minutes – 4 minutes Transactional searches typically have shorter times because users act quickly
Pages Per Session 1.2 – 1.8 pages 2.5 – 3.5 pages Users go directly to purchase pages or checkout pages
Bounce Rate 35% – 50% 25% – 40% If the price is unsuitable, users immediately close the page
Shopping Cart Add Rate 15.5% 12.2% Mobile users are more likely to make impulse purchases

Test data from different countries and regions shows that in the U.S. market, a click on “car insurance quote” may cost $60, while the same keyword in the U.K. market may only cost £35.

According to traffic tracking of 1,000 SaaS software sites, although keywords like “Free trial” and “Demo” are also classified as transactional, their average customer acquisition cost (CAC) is approximately 20% lower than keywords with “Discount.”

This is because users searching for trials are in the evaluation phase, while users searching for discounts have already decided to pay.

Search Keyword Suffix Type Purchase Intent Score (1-10) Average Cost Per Click Level Typical Search Environment
Buy / Order / Purchase 9.8 High E-commerce platforms, independent retail sites
Pricing / Quote / Cost 8.5 Extremely High B2B software, professional services, construction engineering
Discount / Coupon / Promo 9.2 Medium Fast-moving consumer goods, subscription services, travel booking
Near me / In [City Name] 9.5 High Local dining, repair services, medical clinics
Free trial / Sign up 7.5 Medium Software services (SaaS), membership websites

Statistics show that if a landing page with “Buy” keywords takes more than 2.5 seconds to load, approximately 53% of users will choose to return to search results and click on competitor links.

In North American and European markets, users are extremely sensitive to payment security badges (such as PayPal认证, Norton Secured). Pages with these badges have a final conversion rate approximately 18% higher than pages without them.

SERP Performance

When Google’s algorithm processes purchase-oriented queries, according to sampling data from 5,000 U.S. market e-commerce keywords, the top 800 pixels of the page are usually completely occupied by Google Shopping ads and text ads.

When searching “buy coffee machine online” or “gaming laptop deals,” the starting position of organic search results (Organic Results) is often pushed to the middle or lower part of the page, requiring users to scroll down two screens to see the first non-ad link.

In North American transactional searches, the top-of-page ad click-through rate accounts for 41% to 46%, while the traditional ten blue link click-through rate has dropped from the original 70% to less than 14%.

SERP Element Type Page Space Proportion (Above the Fold) Average Click-Through Rate (CTR) Information Details Included
Google Shopping (PLA) 35% – 50% 12.5% Product thumbnails, real-time prices, retailer names, shipping fees
Sponsored Text Ads (Top 4) 20% – 30% 18.2% Promotional information, additional links, phone numbers, inventory status
Local Business Map Pack 15% – 25% 10.4% Distance, business hours, Trustpilot ratings, directions to store
Organic Ranking #1 5% – 8% 13.1% Page title, meta description, Rich Snippets

“In shopping-related search results, the increase in visual elements causes users to be more inclined to click on cards with price tags rather than plain text description links.”

For categories like consumer electronics or fashion, Google adds a “Popular Products” module to the results page, which scrapes data from large retail platforms like Amazon, eBay, or Walmart and compares prices.

Search results with five-star rating badges have a click-through rate 22% higher than results without them.

In European and U.K. markets, where users have higher price sensitivity, Google also introduces the “Price Insights” feature, showing whether the current price is above or below the market average.

Device Type Number of Ads Displayed Organic Result #1 Visibility User Scrolling Behavior
Mobile (iPhone/Android) 2 – 3 top ads Below 15% 85% of users scroll at least once
Desktop (Chrome/Safari) 4 top ads + sidebar Approximately 30% 40% of users complete their click action on the first screen

“Users of transactional queries spend an average of no more than 12 seconds on the search results page. They seek transparency of information and convenience of operations.”

When users search for local transactional keywords like “plumber near me” or “24 hour florist London,” the Google Map Pack occupies the center of the screen.

The Map Pack not only shows the merchant’s geographic location but also integrates “Message” and “Call” buttons, allowing users to complete the transaction by skipping the step of visiting the website.

In tracking over the past three years, the proportion of “zero-click searches” in locally-intent search results has risen to 62%.

Users complete commercial activities without clicking on any website, using phone numbers or addresses provided by the SERP.

For SaaS or software keywords, the results page displays a large number of “People Also Ask” and “Software Reviews” sections, citing comparison data from G2 or Capterra to help users conduct their final round of filtering before committing to a subscription payment.

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