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The same words, a different goal
Search intent decides which page a searcher expects, not only which words they type. Two people typing "accountant" rarely want the same thing. One is after a job, another an office nearby, a third wants to know what an accountant does. So Google does not just match words; it works out what most people mean by them and shows pages that answer that.
For SEO, that is the first question for every page: what intent sits behind the term, and does my page fit it? A service page does not rank on a learning question, and a guide does not rank on a buying question.
Andrei Broder and the three types, 2002
In 2002 Andrei Broder, then a researcher at AltaVista, split web searches into three kinds: navigational (you want to reach a particular site), informational (you want to know something) and transactional (you want to do something, such as buy or download). The split still holds. Marketers later added a fourth, commercial: someone comparing before they buy. Google's guidelines for its quality raters use their own words for the same idea: Know, Do, Website and Visit-in-Person.
Read the first page of Google
Look at the words, and above all at what Google already shows. "What is", "how" and "why" are informational; "price", "agency" and a city name are transactional; "vs", "or" and "alternative" are commercial. The surest test is the results page itself. Search the term in a private window and look at the top. Ten guides there means no service page will win, however good. Service pages and a map of businesses mean a blog post has no chance. The SERP preview shows how your own result would sit among them.
Four types, from learning to buying
“what is peppol”
Wants to understand something.
- Answer: a glossary page or a guide
- Measure: impressions, time on page
“shopify login”
Looks for a company they already know.
- Answer: your homepage, your Google profile
- Measure: clicks on your name
“wix vs shopify”
Compares before choosing.
- Answer: a comparison, a price guide
- Measure: click-throughs to your service
From learning to buying
A page that answers the wrong intent does not rank, however good the text.
A question, a guide, a comparison or a quote
| Intent | Typical words | Page that wins | Example on this site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Informational | what is, how, why, meaning | A glossary page, a guide, a yes-or-no answer | What is SEO, is SEO dead |
| Navigational | a brand name, login | Your homepage, your Google Business Profile | Is a Google Business Profile free |
| Commercial | vs, or, alternative, price, reviews | A comparison or a price guide | Wix vs Shopify, SEO cost |
| Transactional | agency, quote, buy, a city | A service page with price and a form | Web development agency in Europe |
One page serves one intent. A service page that also tries to explain everything and compare every option ends up half right for every searcher and fully right for none.
Longer terms say more
Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific searches, such as "accountant for construction firm ghent" instead of "accountant". Each has a small search volume, but together they make up a large share of all searches. Their advantage: the intent is spelled out. Someone who types that precisely knows what they want, and a page that answers exactly that often wins faster than a general page on a broad term a hundred sites fight over.
Other markets, other words
Sell abroad and intent shifts with language. The same query can be informational in one country and transactional in the next, because the market is at another stage or the word carries another meaning. Dutch buyers in the Netherlands and Flemish buyers in Belgium use different words for the same service. That is why we research terms per market for multilingual websites instead of translating one list.
No extra budget, different pages
Reading intent costs no software: a private window and an hour per ten terms. It does cost discipline, because it sometimes means writing a new page instead of polishing an old one. The return shows in Search Console: a page that fits the intent gets more clicks per impression, and its visitors stay. A landing page built tightly on a buying intent also converts your ad budget better.
From the practice of running a site
What are the four types of search intent?
Informational (wanting to know something), navigational (looking for a particular site), commercial (comparing before choosing) and transactional (buying or requesting now). The first three go back to Andrei Broder in 2002; commercial was added later by marketers.
What are long-tail keywords?
Longer, specific searches with a small volume each, such as 'website for a dentist'. Together they account for a large share of searches, and the intent is spelled out, so they bring visitors who know what they want.
How do I find the intent of a search term?
Search it in a private window and look at what Google shows at the top: guides, comparisons, service pages or a map of businesses. What Google shows is what most searchers mean by those words.
Can one page rank for two intents?
Rarely well. A page that explains and sells at the same time half fits every searcher. Make two pages that link to each other.