Why understanding search intent is the key to SEO success

I talk about search intent a lot. Probably to the point where my clients and colleagues are fed up of hearing me mention it. But it’s for good reason, because it’s one of the most important concepts to understand in SEO. 

I know, there are lots of ‘important’ concepts to understand in SEO, and you can never focus on just one thing. There are multiple pieces to the search puzzle (or ranking factors, which is what people like me call them). But truly understanding search intent, by which I mean the underlying purpose of searchers who you want to find you, is fundamental to it all. It’s the key that unlocks the rest of your strategy. 

Let’s explore why below, and take a look at some examples which might help you to achieve your organic search goals. 

What I’ll cover:

• What is search intent?
• An example to follow
• What are the different types of search intent?
• Why should you care about search intent?
• Why does Google care about search intent?

What is search intent? 

Search intent, also known as user intent, is the primary goal a user has when typing a query into a search engine. It’s the ‘why’ behind a search – what the user is trying to accomplish, learn, or find. 

Think about when you last used a search engine and what it was for. Whether you wanted information, wanted to buy something, or wanted to navigate to a specific website, you will have had a specific purpose in mind. 

You probably clicked on one of the first few results you saw (if your query wasn’t already answered in an AI overview or featured snippet) and, if your intent was satisfied by the result you found, you probably didn’t have to go anywhere else. 

Your job (or mine) as an SEO consultant is to provide the result that satisfies that intent. 

Example

Let’s say you’ve just bought a new suit and you aren’t sure which colour shoes to buy to go with it. You pull out your phone and go on Google to ask ‘What shoes go well with a blue suit?’. 

In this fictional example (which may or may not have recently happened to me), you need more information before you are ready to buy, so it’s unlikely that you’ll want to just see a list of product pages to buy from. 

The best result in this case would be a well balanced and informative guide talking you through the different options available. It will include lots of imagery, so you can decide for yourself which colours look good with your blue suit, as well as view an expert’s opinion. 

You might also want to know things like where you can buy them from and an idea of prices, even if you still aren’t yet ready to make a purchase there and then.

That’s exactly what you get in the top organic results for that query:

Above those results, you get an organic image carousel:

And above that still, you might get an AI overview answer appear at the top (not all searchers can see AI overviews yet):

All of this tells you that searchers want to be informed and inspired by visual examples. That’s the ‘why’ behind their search.

Side note: You’ll be pleased to know that I did eventually settle on getting some nice brown shoes to go with my blue suit. 

You might have guessed by now, but if you were a brand that sells shoes online and wanted to rank for this popular query, my suggestion would be to put together a helpful guide, with visual examples, exploring which shoes go well with a blue suit.

I’d go even further to suggest consulting a fashion expert to make sure that your answer is the best and most reliable answer available. This will give your brand the best chance of appearing on page one for this topic, as well as feature in the image carousel and be cited in the AI overview at the top.

If you work for a business that sells shoes online and take this idea, you can thank me later!

It wouldn’t be possible to appear in the top organic results for this query with your single shoe product page, or your homepage, because that wouldn’t satisfy the intent of the searcher. 

Now let’s explore the different types of intent and how you might be able to adapt your strategy to meet them. 

What are the different types of search intent?  

Search intent has traditionally been divided up into four main categories. 

These are a useful starting point when thinking about the different keywords that you want to target and how to classify them by intent. 

Knowing the different types of search intent is also key to knowing what type of content (page) you will need to create to have a chance of ranking for your target keyword. 

The ‘traditional’ four main types of search intent are: 

Informational intent 
• Users are seeking information or answers to questions.
• For example: “How tall is the Eiffel Tower?” or “Symptoms of flu”.
• Content type: Blog posts; articles; FAQs or tutorials.

Tip: If your main target keyword is informational, don’t be too salesy with your content. The user wants information first, not to be sold to. 

Navigational intent
• Users are looking for a specific website or page.
• For example: “Facebook login” or “Nike official site”.
• Content type: Homepage or main category pages.

Commercial intent
• Users are researching products or services before making a purchase decision.
• For example: “Best smartphones 2024” or “Best pizza restaurants in Nottingham”.
• Content type: Product comparison articles or reviews, buying guide.

Transactional intent
• Users are ready to make a purchase or complete a specific action.
• Examples: “Buy Nike air force 1” or “Book flight to Paris”. 
• Content type: Product pages; subcategory pages or booking pages.

Tip: If you are targeting a keyword with clear transactional intent, make it as easy as possible for the user to make the purchase and get the key information they need (price, product info, reviews, shipping info, returns policy etc). 

More nuanced search intent categories

Breaking up intent in one of those four main buckets is a starting point. 

But to pinpoint the intent of your searcher and truly provide what they are looking for, I believe that search intent can be broken down into more nuanced categories. 

And it isn’t just me that thinks this. SEO expert and speaker Lily Ray highlighted that there are several ways to break down search intent more accurately: 

Screenshot from slide 65: https://www.amsive.com/insights/seo/cracking-googles-code-the-impact-of-core-updates-and-search-intent-on-your-seo/

Building on this list, here are some more ideas of ways you might choose to categorise (and target) the intent of your searchers: 

Local intent
• Users are looking for products, services, or information in a specific geographic area.
• Examples: “Pizza delivery near me” or “Dentists in Nottingham”.
• Content type: Local landing pages or Google My Business listings.

Tip: For searches with local intent, Google will show a map pack high up on the page (usually featured above the standard website listings). Make sure you have a well optimised Google Business Profile to appear here.

Navigational-informational hybrid intent
• Users want to reach a specific site but also seek information from it.
• Examples: “Amazon return policy” or “Netflix new releases”.
• Content type: Informational pages on branded websites.

Tip: Answering common questions that users search about your brand is better than letting somebody else answer those questions. It’s important for protecting your brand.

Investigative intent
• Users are conducting in-depth research, often for academic or professional purposes.
• Examples: “Stats on email marketing” or “Market analysis for EV industry”.
• Content type: Whitepapers; research reports or data-heavy articles.

Tip: Journalists might be searching for these queries to find stats to cite, so ranking for relevant terms here may help you to get cited and earn a mention or link back to your website. 

Inspirational intent
• Users are looking for ideas, motivation, or creative inspiration.
• Examples: “Conservatory interior ideas” or “Motivational quotes for personal trainers”.
• Content type: Listicles; image galleries; inspo articles and mood boards.

Comparative intent
• Users are explicitly looking to compare multiple options.
• Examples: “iPhone vs Samsung” or “Composite vs wood decking”.
• Content type: Versus articles or comparison charts. 

Tip: Be as unbiased as you can in your ‘versus’ articles, even if you don’t sell one of the products that you are comparing. Searchers want an honest and unbiased comparison, not just a list of reasons why you should choose one product and not the other.  

Predictive intent
• Users are seeking forecasts or future-oriented information.
• Examples: “Stock market predictions 2025” or “Future of AI in healthcare”.
• Content type: Trend analysis; expert predictions or forecasting reports.

This isn’t an exhaustive list of the different ways that people search. If it was, it might never end. But use this to start thinking of the different purposes that your audience might have when typing something into a search engine, and what your SEO strategy should be to meet this intent. 

How to determine search intent

Determining the search intent of specific keywords which you want to target is an important part of your search strategy. 

With some keywords it might be obvious by analysing the words in the search term. For example keywords which start with ‘how to’ will usually require a ‘How to’ guide, perhaps in step-by-step style. Keywords which include ‘Best’ or ‘Vs’ will usually require a comparison style article, with key features compared and a balanced view provided. 

But it isn’t always as obvious as that. 

As a rule of thumb, examining the SERP (search engine results page) is usually the best place to start if you aren’t sure. Look at what types of content are featured at the top of page one in the organic listings already. 

As with the ‘blue suit’ example we looked at in the section above, we could determine from analysing the SERP that users wanted a guide with visual examples. 

Why should you care about search intent? 

You should care about meeting search intent for two main reasons. 

Firstly, providing your users with what they want to find means you are providing a better online experience. This will not only help you to bring more users to your site, but it will mean that once they are there, they will be more engaged and likely to take the action that you want them to take. You’ll see lower bounce rates, high user engagement, increased conversions. 

Secondly, it’s what search engines like Google want you to focus on, so by doing so you’ll get higher rankings as well as more and better quality organic traffic. These are two of the most important KPIs for any SEO strategy. 

Why does Google care about search intent? 

Being able to answer a search query is the core objective of a search engine. 

There’s a reason why Google handles 8.5 billion searches daily and on average, each person makes 3-4 Google searches a day (source). It’s because in most cases, you find the answer to what you are looking for very quickly. In other words, your search is usually satisfied instantly. 

Satisfying searchers is the reason why Google is so successful. So it makes sense that they want to promote results that help to do that the most. 

If you need any evidence of how much Google cares about user intent, just take a look at its search quality rater guidelines. There’s a whole section about it and the phrase ‘user intent’ (synonymous with ‘search intent’) is mentioned 247 times! 

It’s always been a key focus for Google, but meeting user intent is something which it has  doubled down on in recent core updates. 
In the recent and very impactful August 2024 core update, it was clear from their official launch post that this was a priority:

My interpretation of showing “more content that people find genuinely useful” is that Google wants pages and content which focus on the user first. In other words, showing the result that best satisfies the searcher’s intent. 

Want help with a strategy that focuses on search intent? 

Understanding user intent is fundamental to mastering SEO, but designing and implementing a strategy to help you meet the search intent for popular keywords relevant to your business isn’t always straightforward. 

Tank’s SEO services puts search intent at the heart of all our strategies, to make sure that we are getting results for our clients that matter. 

If you want to talk more about how we can help you to meet your organic search goals, please get in touch or contact me on LinkedIn.