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How to Choose SEO Keywords Based on Search Volume | Informational, Commercial, Transactional

Author: Don jiang

Informational Keywords (monthly volume > 5,000) are intended for attracting traffic. Operationally, long-tail content should be laid out for interrogative sentences such as “how to, what is,” etc., to establish brand awareness through high-authority articles and guide traffic via internal links;

Commercial Keywords (1,000 – 5,000) are intended for research. One should delve deep into “comparison, review, ranking” categories of vocabulary, guiding decision-making through the comparison of pros and cons of different solutions;

Transactional Keywords (100 – 1,000) have low volume but extremely high conversion. They need to be directly linked to product landing pages with optimized conversion metrics.

In practice, it is recommended to allocate content resources according to a ratio of 6:3:1—using high-volume keywords for traffic, medium-volume keywords for screening, and low-volume keywords for monetization.

Informational

Priority should be given to filtering terms with a Monthly Search Volume (MSV) greater than 2,000 and a Keyword Difficulty (KD) lower than 35.

It is recommended to layout long-tail content for interrogative sentence patterns such as “how to, what is,” and use Keyword Planner to uncover industry pain points.

Content output should adhere to in-depth guides of over 1,500 words and be configured with FAQ structured data to capture rich snippets, aiming for a click-through rate of 3%-8%.

Since the conversion rate for such keywords is usually below 1%, the operation lies in embedding free tools or internal links at the end of the text to direct high traffic to commercial pages, achieving a user retention increase 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. These snippets are usually displayed at the very top of search results in the form of paragraphs, lists, or tables.

If a module known as “Position 0” is seen in the search results for a keyword, it indicates that Google has identified via the BERT machine learning model that the user is looking for specific answers or steps.

The existence of such modules usually causes the click-through rate of the first organic search result to drop by about 5% to 10%, because users can obtain the required data without clicking any links.

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

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

When clicking to expand these questions, Google dynamically loads more related questions. This infinite expansion feature is not common in commercial or transactional keywords.

  • Video Carousels: When query terms involve “how to operate” or “assembly steps,” YouTube videos will appear horizontally in the search results. According to statistics, about 55% of “How-to” searches trigger video results, which represents a user preference for visual information delivery over pure text descriptions.
  • Knowledge Graph: On the right side of desktop search results or at the top of mobile results, if a box appears containing Wikipedia links, official website addresses, founding dates, or person biographies, it indicates that the keyword points to a specific “entity.” These results usually appear in queries for brand history, technical definitions, or celebrity profiles.
  • Image Packs: When searching for terms such as “modern architectural styles” or “interior decoration inspiration,” neatly arranged image blocks will occupy a prominent position, indicating that users need visual references to obtain information.

When analyzing SERP composition, observing the density of Google Ads is also an effective method of exclusion.

In transactional keywords, there are usually 4 ad slots at the top and 3 at the bottom.

However, 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 be only $0.5, while transactional keywords in the legal or insurance industries may exceed $50.

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

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

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

  • Keyword Length Characteristics: Informational intent is often reflected in long-tail keywords. Statistics show that 70% of search phrases containing more than 5 words belong to the information acquisition category. For example, “best running shoes for flat feet” has a stronger information filtering requirement than “running shoes.”
  • Zero-Click Searches Ratio: As Google provides answers directly in the SERP, about 65% of mobile searches no longer generate any clicks. This sign is most obvious when querying weather, time differences, exchange rate conversions, or simple definitions.
  • Related Searches: If the suggested search terms at the bottom of the page contain a large number of “tutorial,” “guide,” “examples,” or “tips,” it further confirms the educational attribute of the topic.

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

For example, entering “BMI calculator” or “100 USD to EUR” will pop up a dynamic calculator on the page.

This intent is very singular. Although the search volume may be large, it is difficult for ordinary blogs or corporate websites to compete for traffic from these interactive tools unless they can provide deeper analysis reports.

Content Formats

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

According to Backlinko’s study of 912,000 blog posts, long articles with over 3,000 words receive about 77.2% more social shares than short articles under 1,000 words.

When users enter queries involving operational procedures, in-depth content covering background research, step-by-step breakdowns, troubleshooting guides, and expert advice generates higher dwell time.

HubSpot data shows that websites with 434% more indexed pages are usually those that consistently publish high-quality informational blog posts.

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

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

Visual weight: Blog posts containing at least one image receive 94% more views than pure text blog posts.

In highly technical or explanatory content, the use of infographics can increase website traffic by 12%.

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

Video embedding can increase the click-through rate of organic searches by 157%.

If the content takes the form of long lists or resource libraries, its chances of obtaining external links are twice those of ordinary articles.

Data Dimension Pure Text Page Performance Text + Image + Video Combined Page Performance Improvement Magnitude
Avg. Bounce Rate 75% – 85% 45% – 60% Approx. 35%
Organic CTR 1.9% 4.8% 152%
Avg. Scroll Depth after Loading 25% 65% 160%
Monthly Organic Return Rate 2% 12% 500%

Semrush data indicates that structured long-form articles containing more than 3 levels of headings are more likely to obtain top positions in searches; crawlers prefer to crawl data chains with clear structures and tight logic.

Commercial

Priority should be given to filtering research-oriented long-tail keywords with a monthly search volume of 500-2,500 and a Keyword Difficulty (KD) of 40-65.

Practical application should focus on phrases such as “vs, comparison, best, review,” and intercept competitor traffic by writing in-depth reviews.

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

The expected conversion rate for such keywords is 5%-12%. The key lies in using a neutral standpoint to build trust and directing traffic to “Get a Quote” or “Free Trial” landing pages.

By optimizing the page, a user dwell time growth of over 20% can be achieved, accurately capturing search demands with clear purchasing intentions.

Search Engine Results Page (SERP)

In Google search results pages, when you enter a term and the first screen is filled with text links labeled Sponsored, it usually indicates that the term has extremely high commercial attributes.

According to advertising industry data, when 4 ad slots appear at the top of a search term, the ad click-through rate usually accounts for 15% to 20% of the total clicks.

This is very common in legal consulting, business software (SaaS), or financial loans, as 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 slots account for more than 40% of the clicks on the page. These pages are usually accompanied by a large amount of additional information, such as promotional phone numbers, specific service item lists, or office location descriptions.

If you see horizontal arrangements of product images, prices, and store ratings on the page, this is known as Google Shopping (Product Listing Ads).

This layout usually appears in search results for electronic products, clothing, or household items.

Users use these cards to compare prices and shipping policies from different retailers, which shows they have completed basic knowledge gathering and have entered the stage of selecting specific items.

SERP Element Typical Data Performance Commercial Attribute Expression
Top Text Ads Frequency 60%-80% (High difficulty terms) Intense manufacturer competition, heavy user selection intent
Shopping Cards Displays 5-10 specific products & prices Users comparing prices, ready to purchase
Map/Local Listings Includes 3 business spots & hours Users looking for physical stores or local providers
Review Star Plugins 4.5+ ratings usually shown in snippets Users aided by feedback from others

Besides paid ads, on pages with obvious commercial intent, the top results 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, such “Top 10 Best” or “Software Comparison” pages occupy more than 65% of the top five positions in commercial search results.

This is because search engine algorithms have found that users at this point prefer neutral third-party analysis over the brand’s own introduction.

In the B2B sector, over 92% of buyers will read reviews on third-party platforms before viewing specific service proposals. If the top three results in the SERP contain titles like “Best [Category] for [Year],” it indicates the system has judged the user to be in the process of narrowing down choices.

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

If you see “Price range: $29 – $99” or “In stock” along with small yellow five-star ratings under the search results, it shows the page has provided detailed business data to the search engine through code markup.

The display rate of such data is 5 times higher under commercial keywords than under informational keywords.

User Search Term Type SERP Feature Function Estimated Click Flow
Top-rated Software Deep comparison articles + G2 ratings 70% to third-party review sites
Specific Model Comparison Text ads + Manufacturer comparison pages 50% to official or major e-commerce
Search with Price Shopping cards + Discount info 80% to specific product detail pages
Service Provider Category Map pack + 5+ ads 60% to local service or sales inquiries

On mobile devices, this performance is even more pronounced.

The appearance of a Local Pack (Local Business 3-Pack) usually indicates the user has a strong demand for offline services, such as looking for an accounting firm or a dental clinic.

Research shows that 76% of mobile users who search for terms with geographical attributes visit a related physical store within 24 hours.

Buttons for making calls and route navigation will be provided on the page.

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 attention the users entering the page pay to monetary expenditure and contract details.

Indicator Analysis

According to results pulled by SEMrush from a 100,000-sample keyword database, the average monthly search volume for commercial research keywords usually falls between 400 and 2,500 times, far lower than the science-pop keywords that often reach tens of thousands.

Although the absolute value is smaller, the commercial return generated 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% in the last 12 months and is accompanied by high ad bids, it indicates that the niche market is in an expansion phase.

The competition level of such vocabulary is usually reflected by the Keyword Difficulty (KD) metric. The KD values for commercial keywords are generally in the 45% to 85% range.

Webpages ranked on the first page typically have over 50 referring domains (Backlinks), and the Domain Rating (DR) is usually higher than 60.

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

In Google Keyword Planner, the “Top of page bid (high 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, the click price for “Best life insurance for seniors” has remained above $50 year-round.

When a term’s CPC exceeds the industry average by 30%, its pages are often filled with elements pointing towards purchase, such as comparison tools or calculators.

For SEO strategies, even if the organic click-through rate (CTR) drops to about 10% because ads occupy the first screen, the remaining clicks usually possess a conversion rate of over 5%, whereas on informational pages, this value is usually only 0.2% to 0.7%.

When measuring such keywords, one also needs to pay attention to the coverage density of SERP Features.

If a keyword’s search result page shows more than 4 paid ad slots and is accompanied by Product Listing Ads (PLA), it indicates that the keyword’s commercial monetization capability has been market-verified.

According to Ahrefs data tracking, under commercial keywords with “comparison” or “review” tendencies, the CTR for the first organic result is typically 15.6%, while the tenth result sharpens to below 1.2%.

In quantitative analysis, we can estimate traffic output by calculating Click Potential, i.e., (Monthly Search Volume × Organic CTR × Commercial Conversion Coefficient).

Search Intent Segmentation Avg. Organic CTR Expected Conv. Rate (CR) ROI per Click Typical Keyword Example
Multi-solution Comparison 12.5% 4.2% High “Slack vs Microsoft Teams features”
Ranking Lists 18.2% 3.8% Medium “10 Best VPN services in 2026”
Specific Reviews 14.1% 6.5% Extremely High “Bluehost hosting review pros cons”
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, about 67% of quantitative research traffic flows primarily 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 would be spent if the organic traffic obtained by that keyword were purchased through ads.

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

Search Behavior

In the early stages of entering the purchasing process, approximately 81% of consumers globally will prioritize conducting extensive research on the internet.

According to Google’s behavioral tracking of more than 2,000 online shoppers, in the 60 to 90 days before the final purchase, the average user performs more than 12 searches.

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

This behavioral logic is particularly evident in the consumer electronics sector of the North American market. When searching for “Best noise-canceling headphones,” users usually open more than 5 tabs at the same time, with dwell times typically exceeding 8 minutes.

They slide between different pages to find differences in quantitative indicators such as battery life, waterproof rating, and wearing comfort.

Research Stage Typical User Action Page Interaction Depth Info Acquisition Preference
Initial Screening Browsing “Top 10” lists Fast scrolling, only viewing titles and rankings Brand awareness and overall rating
Deep Comparison Looking for A vs B charts Staying 3+ mins, viewing specific parameters Price difference, warranty, unique features
Trust Verification Searching brand name + “review” Reading long reviews, finding real photos Real lifespan, after-sales feedback
Budget Matching Searching terms with price ranges Clicking price filters, comparing promos Discount strength, installment options

When users enter search terms containing “vs,” such as “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.

Analysis of heatmaps from 500 high-commercial-intent pages found that comparison matrix tables placed on the first screen capture more than 60% of the visual focus.

In a survey of 1,000 B2B buyers, 77% stated they would only contact a sales representative after reading a detailed third-party comparison report. This behavioral pattern advances the negotiation phase, which originally belonged offline, to the online independent research phase.

Users who enter the specific Review search phase are no longer satisfied with promotional brochures provided by the brand; they will actively seek out user discussions on Capterra, G2, or Reddit.

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

When searching for these terms, users often accompany them with modifiers like “reddit” or “complaints,” trying to uncover potential failures or shortcomings during long-term product use.

According to consumer behavior research, a page with a rating of 4.2 to 4.7 and more than 50 detailed text reviews has 4 times the capability to acquire potential customers compared to a pure advertisement page.

User Search Propensity Avg. Search Term Length Main Click Flow Logic Behind Behavior
Exclusionary Research 4 – 6 words Professional review media, TechRadar, etc. Finding reasons not to buy a brand
Compliance Check 5 – 8 words Official white papers, compliance pages Confirming if product meets industry standards
ROI Research 3 – 5 words Case studies, ROI calculator tools Calculating cost of long-term ownership
Local Service Comparison 3 – 4 words Google Maps listings, Yelp reviews Finding the closest and best-reputed provider

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

According to mobile search trend reports, more than 50% of mobile users perform an action like making a phone call or navigating to the store via maps within 1 hour of conducting such a search.

If a page providing price comparisons or business information takes more than 3 seconds to load, about 40% of users will return to the search result page to click on the next option.

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

When users add a year to their search terms (e.g., “Best laptops for students 2026”) while filtering commercial solutions, it reflects their alertness toward outdated information.

In rapidly iterating industries, the CTR for search terms with year markers is 18% higher than those without.

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

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

Transactional

These terms account for 5% to 10% of total search engine volume but generate the largest number of orders.

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

For example, for users searching for “MacBook Pro M3 price” or “buy Nike Air Max,” the order placement ratio is usually stable at 10% to 15%.

At this point, users no longer need to know what the product is; they are looking for payment channels and discount levels.

Data Characteristics

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

In high-profit industries such as finance and law, competition for such terms is so intense that the average cost-per-click (CPC) is often maintained between $50 and $120.

This data performance reflects that the user has reached the final step of the purchasing process; they no longer need to study the product’s features but are looking for the most suitable purchasing entry point.

Industry Classification (North America) Representative Keyword Example Monthly Search Vol (MSV) Avg. Cost Per Click (CPC) Estimated Conversion (CVR)
Cloud Storage Services Dropbox business pricing 12,500 $18.40 11.2%
Legal Consulting Personal injury lawyer NYC 4,200 $155.00 14.5%
Sporting Goods 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 layout of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), when users enter such terms, Google clears a large amount of page space for content with price tags.

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

This layout causes the click-through rate of organic search results (SEO) to be squeezed; the CTR of the first position is usually only around 13%, whereas in informational searches, this number can typically reach over 30%.

Even so, the pages ranked in the top three of organic search can still obtain high-quality traffic because these users have their credit cards ready and may place an order at any time.

User Behavior Metrics Mobile Data Desktop Data Industry Avg. Reference
Avg. Page Dwell Time 45s – 1.5 mins 2 mins – 4 mins Transactional searches are usually shorter due to fast action
Pages per Session 1.2 – 1.8 pages 2.5 – 3.5 pages Users go straight to purchase or checkout pages
Bounce Rate 35% – 50% 25% – 40% If the price isn’t right, users close the page immediately
Add-to-Cart Ratio 15.5% 12.2% Mobile users more prone to impulsive buying behavior

Test data across different countries and regions show that in the US market, a click for “car insurance quote” might cost $60, while the same term in the UK market might only cost £35.

According to traffic tracking of 1,000 SaaS software sites, although terms like “Free trial” and “Demo” are also classified as transactional, their average Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is about 20% lower than terms containing “Discount.”

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

Search Term Suffix Type Purchase Intent Score (1-10) Avg. Click Cost Level Typical Search Environment
Buy / Order / Purchase 9.8 High E-commerce platforms, independent retail
Pricing / Quote / Cost 8.5 Extremely High B2B software, professional services, construction
Discount / Coupon / Promo 9.2 Medium FMCG, 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 SaaS, membership websites

Statistics show that if a landing page with the word “Buy” takes more than 2.5 seconds to load, about 53% of users will choose to return to the search results to click on a competitor’s link.

In North American and European markets, users are highly sensitive to payment security logos (such as PayPal verified, Norton Secured); pages with these logos have a final conversion rate about 18% higher than pages without them.

SERP Performance

When Google’s algorithm processes requests with purchasing tendencies, based on sampled data of 5,000 e-commerce terms in the US market, the top 800 pixels of the page are usually completely occupied by Google Shopping ads and text ads.

When searching for “buy coffee machine online” or “gaming laptop deals,” the starting position of organic results is often pushed to the middle or bottom of the page; users need to scroll down two screens to see the first non-ad link.

In transactional searches in North America, the proportion of commercial ad clicks on the first screen reaches 41% to 46%, while the CTR for traditional ten blue links has dropped from the original 70% to less than 14%.

SERP Element Type Page Space Share (1st Screen) Avg. Click-Through Rate (CTR) Information Details Included
Google Shopping (PLA) 35% – 50% 12.5% Thumbnails, real-time price, retailer name, shipping fee
Sponsored Text Ads (Top 4) 20% – 30% 18.2% Promos, sitelinks, click-to-call, inventory status
Local Pack 15% – 25% 10.4% Distance, hours, Trustpilot rating, directions
Organic Rank #1 5% – 8% 13.1% Page title, meta description, Rich Snippets

“In shopping search results, the increase in visual elements leads users to prefer clicking cards with price tags over links with pure text descriptions.”

For categories such as consumer electronics or fashion items, Google will add a “Popular Products” module to the results page, which pulls data from large retail platforms like Amazon, eBay, or Walmart and performs price comparisons.

Search results with five-star ratings have a 22% higher CTR than those without.

In European and UK markets, as users are more sensitive to prices, Google also introduces the “Price Insights” feature, showing whether the current price is higher or lower than the market average.

Device Type Ad Display Count Organic #1 Visibility User Scrolling Behavior
Mobile (iPhone/Android) 2 – 3 top ads Below 15% 85% of users perform at least one downward scroll
Desktop (Chrome/Safari) 4 top ads + sidebar Approx. 30% 40% of users complete a click on the first screen

“Users performing transactional queries spend an average of no more than 12 seconds on the SERP; they seek transparency of information and convenience of operation.”

When users search for local transactional terms 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 geographical location but also integrates “Message” or “Call” buttons, allowing users to complete transactions by skipping the step of visiting the website.

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

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

For SaaS or software terms, 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 the final round of screening before paying subscription fees.

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