Every search query that any user makes on Google or any other search engine is not without specific goal or aim. Users are basically searching for something that is potentially valuable for them; this could be a crucial piece of information, a product they want to buy or comparison between two products before making a purchase. This underlying goal behind every search query is what referred as search intent.
In a way, the term ‘search intent’ is very self-explanatory in itself.
The pivotal point to remember is that every time any user types a keyword in the Google search bar, he or she does it with specific intention and goal. In other words, keywords (search queries) and search intent always go hand-in-hand. They are pretty much inseparable. Hence ‘search intent’ is also referred as ‘keyword intent.’
But there is much more to search intent. It is actually a broad concept and also rightfully assumes great significance in the modern-day SEO.
On this note, let us start digging deep and unravel what many call is one of the important topics in SEO.
Different types of Search intent:
Users can make search queries based on various intentions. But broadly search intent is classified into four main types.
Informational: Informational search intent takes place when users make search query for seeking information on a particular topic. They basically want to add to their knowledge or search for answer to a specific question.
Here are examples of informational search intent:
- What’s the capital of Russia?
- How to make eggless cake?
- Symptoms of Typhoid.
- Best pizza restaurants in London.
- History of India.
Navigational: In navigational search intent, users use Google or another search engine for finding a specific website or webpage. They already know which website they want to visit and are using the search engine as a mean or a shortcut to reach there.
For example, if majority of users are using the keyword ‘Instagram’ to make a search query then they are probably searching for Instagram’s log-in page, which will help them to log in to their accounts.
Similarly, if any user is searches for ‘Gmail’ then he or she might be most probably looking for a Gmail log in page.
Transactional: A transactional search intent occurs when a user is ready to take a decisive action, typically making a purchase, placing a order or completing a specific monetary action.
More or less, transactional search has a very strong monetary aspect to it.
Here are the examples of transactional intent:
- Buy iPhone 18.
- Book flights to Zurich.
- Get a quote for flat purchase.
- Order a pasta delivery.
- Download free trail.
Commercial: Commercial search intent occurs when users have a strong inclination for buying a product or service but still haven’t made a final decision to make an immediate purchase. They are basically in research mode, trying to search valuable information about the product or comparing options.
Examples of commercial search intent:
- Best mobile phones under $400.
- Reviews of a specific digital camera.
- iPhone 18 vs Samsung s24.
- Reviews of a specific restaurant.
Why search Intent is so damn important in SEO?
We are well past those days when Google used to prioritize only keywords for ranking webpages. While today Google still hasn’t diluted the importance of keywords all together, it lays equal importance (if not more) on search intent. But why? That’s because Google wants to give best possible search results to users’ search queries.
For instance, if users are searching for ‘best running shoes on Google’ then its SERP won’t show links to webpages that informs about the importance of wearing high-quality running shoes. Instead, it will show links to e-commerce pages selling running shoes or webpages informing about the best running shoes available in the market.
In this case, users clearly have ‘transactional’ or ‘commercial’ user intent and Google’s algorithm will obviously seek to align with this intent. This also means that Google will preferably rank those webpages higher in its SERP that has optimized the content as per the users’ search intent.
This example serves enough hint about the importance of ‘search intent’ in SEO. In fact, probably today no SEO campaign can succeed without focusing on the search intent.
For more better understanding on how search intent serves SEO, kindly take note of the following points:
Improves ranking: As mentioned above, search engines like Google prioritize content that aligns with users’ search intent. This means that content or webpages that fail to align will always rank poorly, which would adversely impact its organic traffic.
Positive engagement metrics: Users mostly reciprocate positively when they find what they are looking for. This means that users will stay longer, click more and less likely to return back (bounce return). All these are important metrics that help in boosting website ranking.
Improves user experience and builds trust: The more your content is aligned to what your target users are looking for, they are more likely to come back to your website and even become active visitors. This eventually helps in improving organic traffic as well as SEO ranking.
Increase brand awareness: As your content enjoys more visibility in SERP due to alignment with search intent, more users are likely to see your website with enhanced respect. Viewing your company as an important industry player and more trustworthy than your competitors.
How to identify search intent
There are three simple ways to identify search intent. They are as follows:
Analyze the SERP: Type your target keyword in the Google search bar and then start analyzing the SERP (search engine result page) triggered by the search query or keyword.
See whether the SERP is showing URL links leading to blog posts or product pages. If it is blog posts then the dominant search intent is most likely informational. In case, it is product pages then the dominant search intent will be most probably commercial or transactional.
Analyzing the SERP is the easiest and the most straight forward way to find the search intent behind any keyword or search query.
Use keyword modifiers: Using certain keywords before or after your target keywords could help in serving hint about the users’ intent.
Some of the popular keywords that you can use as modifiers include best, cheap, reviews, how to, affordable, buy and many more.
You need to essentially look whether using keyword modifiers triggers any search queries in the google autosuggestion.
For instance, if using ‘how to’ triggers several search queries then the target keyword could most probably have informational search intent.
Use SEO tools: When conducting keyword research through popular Seo tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs, it explicitly mentions the search intent of the keyword. Not to mention that the data provided by these popular SEO tools are pretty accurate.
Conclusion:
Seo is ultimately all about optimizing your website in a way that serves your target users in the best possible way. Even top officials in Google never fail to mention that websites or webpages should not be optimized for search engines, rather it should be done for your target users. And the best possible way to do this is to understand what your users want and optimize your content accordingly. Simply put, aligning with your target users will eventually put your SEO campaign on the path of enduring success.