What Is Search Intent in SEO?

Finding a keyword that people search for is only part of SEO. 

You also need to understand why someone is searching for it and what they expect to find when they click a search result.

That's called search intent. And one of the easiest ways to understand search intent doesn't require another complicated SEO tool.

Search the keyword on Google and look at the results.

What is Google actually showing?

Are you seeing:

• Service pages?
• Product pages?
• Category pages?
• Blog posts?
• Videos?
• Listicles?
• Comparison articles?
• Local businesses?
• Forums or discussions?
• A mixture of several types of results?

Those results can tell you a lot about what Google believes people searching that phrase are trying to accomplish.

And before you spend hours creating or optimizing a page around a keyword, you should know if the page you're creating actually matches that intent.

What Is Search Intent?

In simple terms, search intent is the reason behind someone's Google search.

Think about these searches:

• what does a business consultant do
• business growth consultant
• best business consulting firms
• business consultant near me

They're all related to business consulting, but the person searching each phrase may want something different.

• Someone searching “what does a business consultant do” is probably trying to learn.
• Someone searching “business growth consultant” may be looking for someone to hire.
• Someone searching “best business consulting firms” may be comparing companies.
• Someone searching “business consultant near me” is probably looking for businesses that serve their area.

The words people type into Google give us clues about what they want. But there's another place I want you to look: The actual Google search results.

Google the Keyword Before You Optimize for It

This is something I want business owners to get into the habit of doing. Before deciding that a keyword belongs on a particular page of your website, Google it.

Then study the first page.

Let's say you offer a service and you've found a keyword that looks perfect. It gets searches every month.

It describes something related to your business.

You think: “Great. I'm going to optimize my service page for this.”

Not so fast. Search it first.

If Google mostly shows educational articles, tutorials and videos, Google may be interpreting that search as someone wanting to learn, not necessarily someone looking to hire a company.

Your service page may not be the best match.

On the other hand, if the results are filled with service pages from businesses offering exactly what you offer, that's a very different signal.

This is why search volume alone isn't enough to choose a keyword.

Look at the Types of Pages That Are Ranking

When you search your keyword, don't just look at the businesses ranking. Look at what kind of pages are ranking.

Are They Service Pages?

If you search for a service and most of the results are individual service pages, that's a clue that Google sees the search as someone potentially looking for that service.

For example, if you search a keyword related to a specific consulting service and Google primarily returns pages from companies offering that service, your own service page may be an appropriate page to optimize for that search.

Are They Product Pages?

If you're selling a physical or digital product, look at the results. Is Google showing individual products?

If so, an optimized product page may be appropriate. But perhaps Google is primarily showing product category pages containing multiple products.

That's useful information too.

The page you thought should rank may not be the type of page Google is currently favoring for that search.

Are They Blog Posts?

If most of the results are educational articles, Google may be seeing informational intent.

Someone may be researching a problem, looking for instructions or trying to understand a subject.

That's where a helpful blog post or educational resource may make more sense than trying to force your service or product page into the results.

Are They Listicles?

Searches containing words such as best, top or similar modifiers can produce lists of options. Someone performing that search may not be ready to choose one company yet.

They're comparing. A page titled “Our Services” doesn't necessarily satisfy what that person is looking for.

Are They Comparison Pages?

Searches containing phrases such as:

• X vs. Y
• X alternatives
• X compared to Y

often indicate that someone is evaluating their options.

They may already understand the product or service. Now they're trying to decide which option makes the most sense for them.

That could call for a comparison page or article rather than a basic service page.

Are Videos Ranking?

Don't overlook this. Sometimes Google determines that a search can be answered particularly well with video.

If videos are prominently appearing for an important keyword, think about how video could become part of your content strategy.

You don't have to assume that every keyword needs another written blog post.

Search Intent Applies to Products And Services

This isn't only an SEO concept for bloggers. It applies to almost any business trying to get discovered through search.

If you run an agency, consulting company, insurance agency, home service business, beauty business or other service company, ask:

Does the search look like someone trying to hire a business like mine?

If you sell products, ask:

Does Google show individual products, categories, reviews, marketplaces, comparisons or informational content?

If you run a SaaS company, you might see software company pages, “best software” lists, comparison pages, review sites or tutorials.

Different searches require different types of pages.

Your job isn't to force every keyword onto the page you want to rank. It's to understand what the person searching wants and determine if you have the right page to satisfy that search.

The Four Common Types of Search Intent

You'll often see search intent divided into four broad categories.

Informational: The person wants to learn something.

Examples:

• how does email marketing work
• what is local SEO
• how to increase website traffic

Blog posts, tutorials, videos and educational resources often satisfy these searches.

Commercial: The person is researching or comparing options before making a decision.

Examples:

• best CRM for small business
• Shopify vs WooCommerce
• best accounting software

 Comparison articles, reviews and lists commonly appear for these searches.

Transactional: The person appears ready to take an action such as purchasing, booking, subscribing or requesting a service.

Examples could include searches for specific products, pricing, services or bookings.

Product pages, service pages and landing pages can make sense here.

Navigational: The person already knows the company, product or website they're trying to reach.

A search for a particular company's login page or a specific branded product would be an example.

These categories are useful, but you don't need to memorize them to start understanding search intent.

You can learn a tremendous amount simply by searching the keyword and studying what Google shows you.

Use a Keyword Research Tool, But Don't Stop There

I absolutely recommend doing keyword research before optimizing your website.

One of the tools I use is Keywords Everywhere.

Keywords Everywhere is a browser extension that can show keyword information while you're searching Google, including search volume and related keyword ideas. Its current features also include related searches, long-tail keywords and other research data directly alongside search results.  

That makes it especially useful for this process because you can research a keyword while you're looking at the actual Google results.

You might discover that people search for:

• business consultant
• small business consultant
• business growth consultant
• business strategy consultant

Those numbers give you valuable information. But don't automatically choose the phrase with the highest search volume.

More searches don't automatically make it the best keyword for your business.

A more specific keyword with fewer searches could describe your service and ideal customer much better.

That's why I like combining keyword research + Google search results + search intent.

You're asking three different questions:

• Are people searching for this?
• Does this keyword accurately describe what I offer?
• Does Google show the type of page I have or plan to create?

If all three line up, you've got a much stronger reason to consider that keyword.

[Read my Keywords Everywhere Makes Search Volume Simple]

Don't Create the Wrong Page for the Right Keyword

This is one of the biggest lessons I want you to understand. You can find a perfectly relevant keyword and still create the wrong content for it.

Imagine you discover a keyword that gets thousands of searches every month. You decide to write a blog post because you've heard blogging is good for SEO.

But when you search the keyword, nearly every result on Google's first page is a service page. That's worth paying attention to.

Maybe you don't need another blog post. Maybe you need a stronger service page. The reverse can happen too.

You might try to optimize a sales page for a keyword, but Google is showing educational articles because people using that search are still trying to understand the topic.

In that situation, an educational article could be a better fit.

Keywords Everywhere's current beginner documentation gives similar advice: a sales page can struggle against a learning-oriented query, while transactional searches tend to be better suited to product pages, landing pages or other action-oriented pages.  

Search Intent Can Help You Plan Your Entire Website

Once you start looking at keywords this way, keyword research becomes much more useful.

Instead of collecting a giant spreadsheet of phrases, you can start deciding where those searches belong on your website.

• One keyword may belong on your: Service page
• Another might belong on a: Product page
• Another could become a: Blog post
• Another might justify a: Comparison article
• Another could become a: Video

And sometimes you'll discover that several similar keywords have essentially the same intent and can be addressed with one strong page instead of creating multiple nearly identical pages.

That's when keyword research starts becoming a website and content strategy instead of simply a list of words.

Don't Copy the Pages That Are Ranking

There's an important distinction here. I'm not telling you to search Google, find the #1 result and copy what they did.

You're looking for patterns.

• If eight of the ten results are detailed service pages, that's useful.
• If Google is overwhelmingly showing product category pages, that's useful.
• If the results are almost entirely educational articles, that's useful.

You're trying to understand what type of result appears to satisfy that particular search.

Then create something useful that fits the intent while reflecting your own business, expertise, products, services and customers.

Try This With One of Your Keywords

Pick one product or service you want more customers to find. Use a keyword research tool such as Keywords Everywhere to see how people search for it.

Then Google one of the keywords you're considering. Don't immediately click anything.

Study the results first.

• Ask yourself: What does the person searching this appear to want?
• What types of pages are ranking? Does my product, service or content actually match this search?
• Do I already have the right type of page? If I don't, what should I create?

That's search intent in practice. You don't have to make it complicated.

Find out how people search. Look at what Google is showing them. Then make sure the page you're trying to rank actually makes sense for that search.

Watch me walk through a Google search and show you how I look at the results to determine search intent.