At its core, question-based research focuses on identifying keywords search for keywords and analyzing the questions that users actually ask search engines . When a user searches on Google or on AI-based platforms like SearchGPT, they no longer just type a word or a series of keywords, but formulate a specific question , expressing a well-defined need.
They might search for “how to optimize my site for
SEO in 2024” or “what are the benefits of using an SEO tool”, questions that contain key terms, but above all a well-structured intent . Question-based research allows us to capture and correctly interpret these needs , looking beyond the single keyword to understand how and why users are looking for exactly that type of information: this paves the way for the production of targeted, useful and highly performing content in terms of visibility in Google results and in the near future dominated by AI.
Now is the final moment to shift
The focus from the term to the actual question the user is asking, so as to:
Intercept users’ information needs more precisely, answering questions that go beyond the simple keyword entered.
Design content that is detailed, comprehensive, and in tune with conversational queries that are increasingly used on Google and AI platforms.
From the concept of keyword to search intent, a natural evolution
The shift from a focus on keywords to an analysis centered on search intent has been one of the most significant turning points in the last decade for SEO . Google realized that users are not just searching for words, but for answers. This shift, which has matured slowly and progressively, began with the introduction of updates such as Hummingbird in chinese australia 2013, whose main goal was to understand queries more semantically, looking at the context rather than the single keyword. Later, with the RankBrain algorithm , Google further refined its understanding of search intent and complex queries, moving closer to a more holistic and intelligent view of user behavior.
Fast forward to today where, as Ivano Di Biasi has demonstrated several times with his insights, the keyword is rapidly losing its centrality in SEO processes , since it no longer represents the solution to interpret and fully satisfy the needs of those who surf the web. We have seen it clearly: while in the past carrying out keyword research simply meant focusing on terms with a certain search volume to structure content around these words, today we must think in terms of user needs . The focus must not be on which words we are trying to position ourselves, but rather on what the person on the other side of the screen really wants to know.
This shift towards search intent goes hand in hand
With the extinction of old-school SEO and implies a complete overhaul of the approach to content. Search by questions , which explores the real needs behind queries, is a direct consequence of this evolution. Questions are not just sentences to be analyzed how will the program behave if the user starts lexically: they are the reflection of the information need, which is much more complex and stratified than the single keyword. In fact, each question is often composed of a series of intents, sometimes implicit or so specific as to be micro-intents, which we must intercept, understand and satisfy.
Let’s think, for example, of a query like “how to improve the visibility of my website?”: it is no. Longer enough to work to position yourself for the keyword “improve website visibility”. Google clearly indicates that the ideal answer must take into account. The aleart news user’s search journey : from SEO concerns to technical tools, up to practical strategies. Now we must respond with content that guides the user on their journey and provides. Detailed solutions to their question, demonstrating that we have understood the search path .
In this context, tools dedicated to research by questions, such as
SEOZoom’s Question Explorer , prove indispensable because they allow you to. Discover not only what words users use, but what questions they actually ask. Google, today, processes these questions and uses them to identify those who can answer. Exhaustively, ignoring those who limit themselves exclusively to focusing on the volume of decontextualized keywords .