What is search intent?
Search intent is what a person wants when they type a query: to learn, to find a site, to compare or to buy. Why matching it decides rankings.
Updated
Search intent is the goal behind a search: what the person actually wants to get done. The same words can hide different goals, and Google ranks the kind of page that satisfies the most likely one. A page that doesn’t match the intent rarely ranks, however well it is written.
What are the types of search intent?
SEO tools usually use four labels:
| Intent | The searcher wants to | Example query | Page that fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Informational | Learn something | why is my sourdough flat | Guide or explainer |
| Navigational | Reach a specific site | gmail login | That site’s page |
| Commercial | Compare before buying | best robot vacuum for pet hair | Comparison or review |
| Transactional | Buy or sign up now | buy roomba j7 | Product or pricing page |
Google’s own Search Quality Rater Guidelines use different words for similar ideas (Know, Do, Website and Visit-in-person), but the principle is the same.
How do you find a query’s intent?
Search it and look at what ranks. If the top ten are all listicles, Google has decided the searcher wants a comparison; a product page will struggle. Look at the format (guide, list, tool, video), the angle (beginner, cheap, fast) and the extras on the page, such as maps, shopping results or an AI Overview.
Example
An accounting firm writes a sales page targeting “how to file taxes as a freelancer”. The results for that query are all step-by-step guides, so the sales page never ranks. A genuine how-to guide with a short pitch at the end matches the intent and can rank and convert.
Related: keyword cannibalization, query fan-out, helpful content.