The recent, insightful post by Kenneth Dryer brought up numerous aspects of the changing role of SEO to the creation of dynamic SERPs designed with the user’s best interests in mind. And that got me thinking (which is sometimes good, sometimes not so much).

When search engines begin delivering personalized SERPs defacto, people involved in optimization will have to add to their list of chores and consider the reason the individual initiated a search. Now, this is NOT a firmly held belief. Rather, food for thought. I humbly offer a look at how SEO/SEM work MIGHT change the SEO’s daily activities.  

Because search will ultimately be personalized (or users will have the option of personalized search) it becomes important to consider the motives to choosing a particular search engine and search motivations. For those interested in number crunching, here’s a link to a site that’s published the results of small study on why people use search engines.

We don’t need to examine the childhood toilet training practices of potential site visitors, but it would be helpful to know their motivations for looking on Yahoo or searching on Google. So here comes the theory, hypothesis or half-baked idea: What are the motivations behind search engine users and search engine loyalty? I now boldly put forth my suggestions.

I’ve divided reasons for using a search engine into two broad categories: Search with Intent and Search with Interest. An understanding of these motivators is useful in everything from keyword selection to site text development. (Deep breath.) So here goes

This is the more dedicated search engine user who, more often than not, is driven by some need. These are the more qualified leads. And what is their intent?

• Purchase items – thank goodness for Amazon
• Comparison shop/product comparisons – then run to the box store to make the actual purchase, something to address in site design, e.g., FREE SHIPPING, etc. 
  
• Information gathering (academic, business) – usually information specific to a product or service in the case of business search with intent
• Networking – Twitter, LinkedIn, FaceBook, blahX3 
  
• Business conduct – could include anything from placing an order to spying on competitors and their sites; metrics collection, etc.

This search engine user is a little less driven and a lot less focused on an end result. Some are looking for good gaming sites.

• Curiosity factor – the Obama girl, the singing baby, Tanya Harding’s latest arrest report, etc.
• Web surfing – in the old sense of the word. Clicking on links on a journey of discovery (and pretending to do homework).
• Informational content (product/services) – browsers, day-dreamers, under-capitalized start ups; they got the idea but don’t know what to do next.
• Recreation – always a personal decision, of course

Personal contact/networking – networking sites like Classmates.com hooked me up with a bunch of folks I don’t remember. LinkedIn, on the other hand, has worked extremely well at finding vendors and some really odd assignments, but who am I to argue?

Is the premise that “user motivation will become a more important part of SEO” correct and should other factors be added? Second, how do search motivations synch up with personalized search? And is this a chucklehead view of the future of search?

No offense taken.