What people search for on Google and how your company gets found

Billions of searches are made on Google every day, and behind every search is a person with a specific need. Once you understand what and why people search for, you can build your website's content so that it reaches exactly those people who are looking for what you offer. This article explains how searching on Google actually works and how to make your company findable in the results.

Search intent: why someone searches at all

Every search query carries some intent. In SEO three main types are usually distinguished:

• Informational intent — the person wants to know something. Queries like “how to prune an apple tree” or “what is the difference between WordPress and a code-based site”. They do not (yet) want to buy anything but are looking for an answer or an explanation.
• Navigational intent — the person is looking for a specific page or brand, for example “ArborIT”. They already know where they want to end up.
• Transactional intent — the person is ready to act: “website development price”, “SEO service Tallinn”, “buy…”. These queries are the most valuable commercially, because the searcher is close to a decision.

The same person may issue different types of query about the same topic at different stages. Someone searching today for “why is my website slow” may search in a couple of weeks for “page speed optimisation service”. A good content strategy covers that whole journey — it answers the information seeker and also catches the customer who is ready to buy.

Why keyword research is the foundation

Keywords are the words and phrases people actually type into the search box. The problem is that companies often describe themselves in their own internal vocabulary while customers search with completely different words. You may offer “complete web solutions”, but the customer is simply looking for “someone to build a website”.

Keyword research helps bridge that gap. In the course of it you find out:

• which words your customers really use;
• how often those words are searched for (search volume);
• how strong the competition for those words is;
• which intent those queries are connected to.

There are several practical tools: Google's own autocomplete (start typing a word into the search box and see what Google suggests), the “Related searches” block at the bottom of the results, the “People also ask” section, plus Google Keyword Planner, Google Search Console (which shows which words already bring people to your site) and paid services such as Ahrefs or Semrush.

Long-tail keywords are particularly valuable — longer, more specific phrases like “small code-based website for a small business”. They are searched for less, but the searcher knows exactly what they want and the competition is lower.

How your page reaches the searcher

Once you know what and why your customers search for, the next step is to make your page answer those queries.

Content that matches the intent. Google's job is to give the searcher the best answer. So the page that actually solves the searcher's problem wins — not the page that simply piles up keywords. Write clear, substantive text that answers a specific question. This is exactly where good content writing is decisive: articles, service pages and FAQs that cover people's real questions.

Keywords in the right places. Once you have chosen a keyword, use it naturally in the page title, the first paragraph, the subheadings, the image alt text and the meta description. Naturally — not forced. Overdone repetition makes the text worse and Google does not reward it.

Technical findability. The page has to be fast, decent on mobile and readable for Google. A slow page or one with a confusing structure falls behind in the results even when the content is good. Here a code-based site (React/Next.js, for instance) often produces a better result than WordPress. A general overview of how to improve the technical and content sides together is gathered on the SEO page.

Local SEO. If you serve a specific region, Google Business Profile is one of the most important free tools available. A properly completed profile — the right address, opening hours, category and customer reviews — brings your company into view both in the map app and in “near me” type searches. Add your location and service area to the site's texts as well so that regional queries find you.

Summary

Being found on Google is not a lottery. It starts with understanding what and why people search for, continues with mapping the keywords and is realised in content that genuinely answers those queries. Add a technically sound site and a proper local profile — and your company will start reaching the right people.

This work is continuous, not a one-off. If you would like help mapping keywords, creating content or improving your site technically, at ArborIT we have been building websites with both WordPress and code-based solutions since 2014, and we can review your findability.