What is the primary purpose of navigational keywords in search queries?

Navigational keywords are specifically used by searchers who are looking to find a particular website or webpage. When an individual types in a navigational keyword, it typically indicates that they know exactly where they want to go or what they want to access online. For instance, if someone enters "Facebook" or "Amazon," they are directly trying to reach those specific platforms rather than looking for general information about social networks or online shopping.

This behavior emphasizes the primary function of navigational keywords—they serve as a direct pathway for users to access predefined destinations on the internet. By understanding this, digital marketers can optimize their SEO strategies to ensure that their websites appear prominently in search results when users enter navigational queries, thereby increasing traffic to their sites.

Other types of keywords, such as informational or transactional, serve different intents—gathering information or expressing an intent to purchase, respectively—but navigational keywords uniquely focus on locating specific online entities.