Search intent (also called user intent or query intent) is the primary purpose behind a search. Google’s algorithm is designed to surface results that best satisfy intent — so matching your content to the right intent is one of the most important factors in ranking.
The Four Types of Search Intent
- Informational — the user wants to learn something. Example: “what is LLM monitoring”. Best served by blog posts, guides, glossary entries.
- Navigational — the user wants to reach a specific site or page. Example: “Ranklytics login”. Best served by branded pages.
- Commercial investigation — the user is researching before buying. Example: “best SEO audit tools”. Best served by comparison pages, reviews, listicles.
- Transactional — the user wants to complete an action (usually a purchase or sign-up). Example: “sign up for SEO tool”. Best served by landing pages with clear CTAs.
How to Identify Intent
Look at the top 5–10 ranking results for your target keyword. The dominant content format (blog posts, product pages, tools, videos) tells you what Google believes satisfies intent for that query.
Intent Mismatch is a Ranking Killer
Publishing a long-form blog post for a transactional keyword, or a product page for an informational keyword, will almost always underperform — regardless of how well-optimised it is technically.