Search Intent — Definition & Meaning
What is Search Intent?
Search intent is the goal behind a query — what the user actually wants to accomplish. The four canonical intents are informational (learn), navigational (find a specific site), commercial (research before buying), and transactional (buy or convert). Matching intent is now the #1 ranking factor after content quality.
Key points
- Informational: "how does X work" — long-form guides, videos, FAQs.
- Navigational: "figma login" — the brand's own domain always wins; not worth targeting unless you are the brand.
- Commercial: "best X for Y" or "X vs Y" — comparison content, review roundups, listicles.
- Transactional: "buy X" or "X pricing" — product pages, pricing pages, category pages.
- The SERP itself reveals intent: look at the top 10 result formats before writing. If Google shows 8 listicles, do not publish a product page.
Example
"keyword research" is informational — SERP is dominated by Ahrefs, Moz, Backlinko guides. "keyword research tool" is commercial — SERP shifts to comparison lists and category pages. Same topic, different intent, entirely different content.
Frequently asked questions
How do I identify search intent?
Read the SERP. The dominant format of the top 10 tells you the intent Google has confirmed. Ignore what you think the user wants — Google has already run the experiment.
Can one keyword have multiple intents?
Yes — "keyword research" often shows both guides (informational) and tool comparisons (commercial). Google mixes formats to serve both. Write for the dominant format and add a secondary section for the other.
What is the difference between commercial and transactional intent?
Commercial is research (still comparing options). Transactional is action-ready (has picked and wants to buy). "best CRM" is commercial; "hubspot pricing" is transactional.