Search Query.

Search queries are the raw data of search engine optimisation. Whereas a keyword is a cleaned-up term used for planning, the search query is what people actually type: 'tax return winterthur help', 'who does tax returns near me', 'tax return done for you price'. Google groups many of these variants into one topic, but each one can express a slightly different expectation.

The most important source for your own search queries is Google Search Console. It shows which queries a website appeared in the results for, how often it was clicked and its average position. For privacy reasons, Google hides very rare queries; the sum of the individually listed queries is therefore always smaller than the total number of clicks.

Search queries can be roughly divided by intent: informational (wanting to know), navigational (finding a particular website), commercial (comparing offers) and transactional (doing, buying or booking something). For an SME, queries with a local or commercial reference are the most valuable. The intent is not always clear, though; the same query can mean different things depending on the person.

Search queries are changing with AI assistants. Instead of 'dentist Zurich emergency', people write whole sentences in ChatGPT: 'I have bad toothache on a Sunday and live in Zurich-Altstetten, where can I go?' AI systems internally break such questions down into several sub-searches (query fan-out). Content that clearly answers specific sub-questions therefore has a better chance of being picked up.