Search Intent

Search intent, also called user intent, is the reason someone types a query. Common categories are informational (learn something), navigational (reach a known site), commercial investigation (compare options) and transactional (buy or sign up).

Why it matters

Search engines try to show results that satisfy the goal, not just match words. A product page rarely ranks for a question-style query where the results are all guides, no matter how well it is optimized. Matching intent also improves engagement and conversion.

Intent can shift over time. A query that once returned guides may start showing products or videos, so recheck important terms every few months.

Example

Query                     Likely intent        Best page type
what is ttl               informational        glossary / guide
cloudflare login          navigational         official login page
best uptime monitors      commercial           comparison article
buy ssl certificate       transactional        product / pricing page

Common mistakes

• Targeting a transactional keyword with a long educational article.
• Guessing intent instead of reviewing what currently ranks on the first page.
• Forgetting that some queries have mixed intent and need sections for each.

Related

• Keyword
• SERP
• Landing page
• Long-tail keyword

This page is general information written by our editorial team and updated when documentation changes. Servers and providers differ, so test changes safely first. See our editorial policy and disclaimer.