How search intent can make or break your SEO

What’s the first thing I do when I want to find something online?
Whether it’s on Google, ChatGPT or something else, the answer is usually: search for it.
And behind each search is an intent.

I might be looking to learn how to fix something.
I might be trying to decide which headphones to buy.
I might be looking up a great place to eat.
I might be trying to find a product for the best price.

The reason that I’m searching – and what I’m expecting to find – is my search intent.

Search intent = real people goals

Search intent (also called user or keyword intent) is about why people are searching—not just what they’re typing. It’s the goal behind the words. The job of a search engine is to figure that out and give users the best results.
And to have a chance of being one of those results, our job in SEO is to make sure our content fulfils that search intent.

Intent is one of the most important concepts in modern SEO. Successful SEO is no longer about tactics like putting exact-match keywords in the right places on a page. It’s about understanding what our audience are looking for when they search online, and giving them that content in the format that works best for them.

A quick-fire guide to types of search intent

There are a couple of different models for search intent – I like this one which roughly groups intents into 5 broad categories. Keep in mind that real search journeys are often messier than this – but it’s a good starting point for an overview!

1. Informational

Looking to learn, research or understand something, e.g:

• “How to claim business expenses”
• “What is zero-click search”
• “How to style a maxi dress”

2. Navigational

Looking for a specific brand or known website, e.g.:

• “Met Office weather”
• “Etsy returns policy”
• “BBC Good Food”

3. Local

Looking for something nearby, e.g.:

• “Pizza near me”
• “Nottingham events this weekend”
• “Coffee shops Nottingham”

Local searches are often combined with navigational or commercial intent too.

4. Commercial

Researching before making a decision, e.g.:

• “Top project management tools”
• “Best lightweight walking shoes”
• “Marketing agency vs freelancer”

5. Transactional

The research bit’s done – now it’s time for action!, e.g.:

• “iPad Pro 11 inch”
• “Tamatanga reservation”
• “Spotify premium”

The search results pages (SERPs) are full of clues:

• A featured snippet, AI overview or step by step guides? It’s likely an informational intent.
• A branded home page matching the query? Probably navigational, although for smaller brand names this could be a mixed search intent.
• A map pack or local listings? Looks like a local intent.
• A range of products in shopping results, listicles or product reviews? It’s probably commercial.
• Identical (or near-identical) products in shopping results, product pages or software sign up pages? It’s likely a transactional intent.

Looking at the search results gives us clues about what people expect to find. If the content we’re working on doesn’t match that, it’s less likely to perform well.

Creating content for search intent: what would you want to see?

Once we’ve got an understanding of the intent behind a keyword, it’s time to create (or optimise) content that actually meets that need.
Each page should focus on one main intent. Trying to combine too many can make the page less useful overall.

In order to have a good chance of ranking (and keeping users on site!) we need to meet this intent as fully as we can. While there’s different data that can help with this, I usually begin with the basics: imagining I was in the user’s shoes and thinking through what I’d want to find in response to my search.

Not sure what content your audience will be looking for? I regularly use Google to help with this. Drop in your search query and take a look at the pages at the top of the search results. A quick scan to look at the content they’re providing helps to show what’s expected – and usually sparks off plenty of ideas I could use with my own content.

I’ve also found that AI can be a helpful tool to review the top ranking pages and pull out key elements that should be included – although I’d always recommend comparing this against that quick Google search as a sense check!

Try this: 15-minute intent audit

Pick 3 pages you want to perform better in search.

1. Google the main keyword you’re targeting.
2. What shows up? What intent does it seem to reflect?
3. Does your page meet that intent clearly?
4. If not, what would someone actually want to see?

It’s not always a case of starting again from scratch. Sometimes adjusting the layout, content or headline – or adding extra sections – can help a page better align with what the user is expecting.
Tried the 15-minute audit? I’d love to hear how you found it – drop me a comment!
Next week, we’ll be taking a look at how to find relevant topics that people are searching for. Make sure you subscribe to the newsletter to get an alert when it goes live!