What is search intent?
Short answer
Search intent is the goal behind a search: what the person wants to happen next. Someone may want to understand a problem, compare companies, hire one now, or reach a business they already know. Google tries to show the type of result that fits the goal, so a page has to match the intent to rank.
Search intent is the goal behind a search: what the person wants to happen after they press enter. Two searches can share most of their words and want different things. “Why is my water heater leaking” comes from someone trying to understand a problem. “Water heater replacement Chula Vista” comes from someone ready to hire. Google tries to figure out which kind of result each search calls for, and a page that doesn’t match the goal tends not to rank for it, however well it’s written.
The common types of intent
The usual labels are informational, commercial, transactional and navigational. They are an SEO industry convention, not categories Google publishes for ranking, but they are useful for planning.
| Type | The person wants | Home-service example | Page that fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Informational | To understand something | “why is my AC blowing warm air” | An answer or a guide |
| Commercial | To compare before choosing | “best solar installer San Diego” | Service pages with proof, plus your reviews elsewhere |
| Transactional | To hire or book now | “emergency plumber Oceanside” | A service page with a phone number |
| Navigational | To reach a company they know | Your business name | Your homepage and your Google Business Profile |
How to read the intent of a search
Search it and look at what Google shows. The results page is Google’s working answer to what people making that search want.
- A map pack and Local Services Ads at the top mean Google reads the search as someone looking to hire nearby.
- How-to articles, videos and a “People also ask” box mean it reads the search as a question.
- Directories and “best of” lists in the top places mean people are comparing.
Some searches are mixed, and the page shows a little of each. Check on a phone as well as a computer, because the layout differs.
Why intent decides what you build
The type of page has to match the type of search. A service page will rarely rank for a how-to question, and an article will rarely rank for a search where Google shows companies to hire.
This is one reason a pile of articles doesn’t bring in work by itself. Many of the people making informational searches will fix the problem themselves or live somewhere else, and some are only curious. It’s also why I sort a keyword list by intent before I look at volume. That sorting is part of keyword research, and it bears on whether a blog helps a local service business rank at all.
In home services, urgency is the more useful split
For a trade, the first thing to ask is how soon the person needs someone. A burst pipe is urgent. So is an air conditioner that quits during an El Cajon heat wave, or a sparking panel. That searcher wants a phone number, your hours and proof you cover their area, and won’t read much.
A new roof, a solar system or a panel upgrade is a considered purchase. That searcher wants to see licensing, photos of finished work, how pricing is approached and what the process looks like, and may come back several times before calling. The same company needs pages built both ways, and planning which is which is part of content for SEO.
Where owners get it wrong
The usual mistake is choosing a search by its size without checking what it means. A broad word such as “plumbing” looks large in a keyword tool, but the people typing it include students, job seekers, do-it-yourselfers and people looking for a supply store. A narrower search with a service and a city in it has fewer searchers and a much clearer purpose.
A second mistake is asking one page to serve two intents, such as a service page that opens with eight paragraphs on how the equipment works before it says who to call. Give each intent its own page and link the two together.