Search intent is what a person is really after when they search, and two searches with nearly the same words can have very different goals. Google writes in its explanation of ranking that it uses language models to understand what the few words in the search box mean.
If someone includes “pictures”, for example, Google’s systems understand that images are probably the best fit. For many searches, Google also recognises local intent.
What kinds of intent are there?
In SEO, people often distinguish four kinds:
- Informational: someone wants to know something (“how often should a boiler be serviced”).
- Navigational: someone is looking for a specific site or page (“my energy supplier login”).
- Commercial: someone is comparing before buying (“best robot vacuum for pet hair”).
- Transactional: someone wants to buy or book (“buy robot vacuum”).
This is a working classification, not an official one from Google.
Example
Suppose someone searches “bike light rules”. A product page with lights does not answer that question; an explanation of what is required does, with a link to the lights. For “buy bike light” it is the other way round.
How do you check it?
Search your query yourself and see what Google shows: explanations, products, a map or videos. That gives a good idea of the intent Google expects. Match your page to it.
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