What is Search Intent?
Search Intent (also called user intent) describes what a user actually wants to find or achieve when making a search query. Four main types: Informational (seeking information: "how does SEO work"), Navigational (finding specific website: "Facebook login"), Transactional (purchase intended: "buy iPhone 15"), Commercial Investigation (comparison before purchase: "best SEO tools 2024"). Google optimizes SERPs for the recognized intent - working against it means no ranking. Content must fulfill search intent: For "learn SEO" Google expects guides, not product pages. Analyze intent through: SERP analysis, "People Also Ask", Google Autocomplete.
Key Points
- 4 types: Informational, Navigational, Transactional, Commercial
- Google recognizes and prioritizes matching content
- SERP analysis shows expected intent
- Mismatch = poor rankings
- Content must fulfill intent
- Influences content format and structure
Practical Example
“For "SEO agency Vienna" the intent is Commercial - our landing page must present services, not just inform.”