What Is Search Intent?

Date First Published: 29th December 2022

Topic: Web Design & Development

Subtopic: SEO

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty Level: 5/10

Learn more about what search intent is in this article.

Search intent is the reason why someone performed a specific search and can be known as the 'why' behind a search query. All searches have a search intent. For example, if someone searched for instructions on how to bake a lemon cake and they didn't want the recipe to take over an hour, their search intent would be to find a lemon cake recipe that takes no longer than an hour from start to finish, which is exactly what they are looking for.

Considering search intent whilst carrying out keyword research is vital. Even though the difficulty and volume of a keyword is important, it is also important that it has the right intent.

Types Of Search Intent

There are four main types of search intent, which include informational intent, navigation intent, commercial intent, and transactional intent.

Informational intent

Informational intent is about people searching for information about a specific topic. It could be an answer to a simple question, such as 'How often does a leap year occur?' or something that requires a longer answer, such as 'Why are there leap years?'. Not all searches with an informational search intent are phrased as questions. For example, if someone searches for 'pancake recipe', their search intent is to find a recipe to make pancakes.

Google has been able to determine the intent of queries with an informational search intent over the years. For example, searching for just 'pancakes' will display a recipe rather than where they can be bought.

Navigational intent

Navigational intent is about people looking for a specific website. They already know exactly where they want to go and this is often done if people know the name or product, but don't know the URL. For example 'Hyundai' is a query with a navigational search intent as people often search this to find the official Hyundai website.

Commercial intent

Commercial intent is similar to transactional intent, but the searcher hasn't made a final decision about which product is suitable for them yet and it is an early process in the sales cycle. People are looking to buy, but need some more information about the topic and are most likely looking for reviews and shopping around. For example, if someone searches 'best Samsung Galaxy phone', they are interested in buying a Samsung Galaxy phone, but are not sure which one is most suitable for them yet.

Transactional intent

Transactional intent is about people looking to make a purchase and most likely have their payment card ready to go. They know exactly what they want to buy and are looking for a place to buy it from. For example, if someone searches for 'buy MacBook Pro', they know that they are going to buy a MacBook Pro. Transactional intent keywords have the most value to businesses and can make the most sense to target, depending on their keyword difficulty.

How To Determine The Type Of Search Intent?

The type of search intent is obvious in the wording of the query. Some keyword modifiers that indicate a certain type of search intent include:

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