What is Intent?


What You Need to Know about Intent

Four Primary Intent Types

Searches fall into informational (seeking knowledge), navigational (finding specific sites), commercial investigation (researching before purchase), and transactional (ready to buy) categories. Each intent type expects different content formats and page types, with mismatched content rarely ranking regardless of optimization quality.

SERP Analysis for Intent

Current search results reveal Google’s intent interpretation—informational queries surface blog posts and guides, while transactional searches show product and category pages. Analyzing the SERP before creating content ensures you’re building the right content type for the query’s actual intent.

Content Format Matching

Intent determines optimal content format: how-to guides for informational queries, comparison pages for commercial investigation, and product pages for transactional searches. Creating blog posts targeting buy-intent keywords or product pages for informational queries results in ranking failure despite keyword relevance.

Intent Progression in Funnels

User intent evolves throughout the buyer journey from broad informational searches to specific commercial queries and finally transactional searches. Mapping content to these intent stages creates pathways that guide users from awareness through consideration to purchase.

Keyword Modifier Signals

Specific words reveal intent: “how to” and “what is” indicate informational searches, “best” and “vs” signal commercial investigation, while “buy,” “price,” and “near me” show transactional intent. These modifiers help categorize keywords during research and content planning phases.

Mixed Intent Complexity

Some queries have mixed intent where users want multiple things—”running shoes” could be informational research or purchase intent. Analyzing SERP diversity helps identify mixed intent queries that may require comprehensive content addressing multiple user needs.


Frequently Asked Questions about Intent

1. Why does intent matter more than keywords?

Search engines prioritize satisfying user goals over keyword matching. A page perfectly optimized for “best CRM software” won’t rank if it’s an informational guide when users expect comparison reviews, because it doesn’t match what searchers actually need.

2. How do you determine search intent?

Analyze current top-ranking pages to see what content types, formats, and angles Google rewards. Look at whether results are blog posts, product pages, videos, or lists—this reveals Google’s interpretation of what users want for that query.

3. Can one page target multiple intents?

Pages can address closely related intents, like commercial investigation and transactional, but trying to serve completely different intents dilutes focus. It’s better to create separate pages for distinct intents and use internal linking to connect them logically.

4. Does intent change over time?

Yes, intent can shift as markets evolve and user behavior changes. Queries that were once primarily informational may become more commercial as products mature, requiring content updates to maintain alignment with current intent and ranking positions.


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Related Terms

Branded Keywords

Branded keywords include a company’s name or products, indicating high-intent searches from users already familiar with your brand.

Branded Keywords

Transactional Query

A transactional query shows users ready to complete a specific action or make a purchase online.

Transactional Query

Ranking

Ranking is a keyword’s position in search results, determining its visibility and click potential for organic traffic.

Ranking

Topic Cluster

Topic clusters group related content around a pillar page, using internal links to build topical authority and improve rankings for keyword sets.

Topic Cluster


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