What is search intent? And why is it important for SEO?

What is search intent?

Search intent is the intent or purpose with which someone performs a search. Search intent can be divided into several categories.

Informational search intent

Informational search intent is the search intent of users in the awareness phase of the customer journey.

At this stage, users are looking for information on a topic or the answer to a specific question. Search queries often contain words such as 'who', 'what', 'where', 'how', 'when', 'why'. The answer can be short and to the point or very elaborate.

Examples of informational searches:

How far is London from Paris?

When is Mother’s Day?

Commercial search intent

Commercial search is the search intent of users in the consideration phase of the customer journey.

Commercial searches are performed by users who are looking for a new product or service but have not yet made a purchase decision. For example, they may want to read more information about the offer, read reviews of the product, or compare the product with similar ones on the market.

Examples of commercial searches:

Best smartphone
Compare bank interest rates

Transactional search intent

Transactional search intent is the search intent of users in the purchase phase of the customer journey.

Users searching with a transactional search intent already know what they want to buy. They are just looking for a way to do it. Common words in search queries are 'buy', 'order', 'promotion', 'discount', 'purchase'.

Examples of transactional searches:

Buy an iPhone 15 pro
Order Sony headphones

Navigational search intent

Similarly, in the case of navigational search intent, users already know what they want, which is to navigate to a specific website or page on that website. They just don't know exactly how to get there, so they look it up on Google.

Examples of navigational searches:

Facebook login
Customer service Ikea

Why is search intent important for SEO?

Google's main goal is still to show the most relevant results for a search query. If you want your content to appear as a result, it must match the user's search intent. Therefore, it is important to tailor your content to the user's intent and where they are in the customer journey.

If someone wants to know more about different types of computers, you do not (yet) want to show them a specific computer. If you do, the user will return to the search results page and open another result that may be more relevant to their query.

So by responding to people's search intent, you ensure that your content is more relevant and ranks higher in Google's search results.

Search intent in practice

To show how search intent works, we attributed search intent to keywords in our keyword research for a car brand. We distinguished between searches in the awareness, consideration and purchase phases.

For example, we have several keywords related to 'used cars', but not all keywords have the same search intent. Users searching for 'refurbished cars' are looking for general information, whereas 'cheapest used suv uk' is a much more specific query used by people considering buying a used SUV. Users searching for 'suv used cars for sale near me' are looking to buy a used SUV and want to know where they can do so.

This keyword research was the starting point for Search campaigns, which in turn were set up according to search intent.

How do you take search intent into account as a business?

As a business, it is important to put search intent at the heart of your online marketing strategy. You can do this in a number of ways.

Research search intent

Start with extensive keyword research. It is not enough to simply map the search volume for each keyword, you also need to understand the intent behind each query. Analyse what questions your target audience is asking and where they are in the buying process.

Keyword segmentation

Segment keywords according to the different phases of the customer journey: awareness, consideration and purchase or conversion. This helps you prioritise keywords and refine your strategy for each phase. For example, in the awareness phase you can offer informational content, while in the purchase phase you can focus on more conversion-oriented messages.

Content creation tailored to the customer journey

Create content that matches users' search intent at each stage.

In the awareness phase, you can create blog articles, how-to guides or educational videos.
In the consideration phase, you can write product comparisons, product overviews and customer reviews or testimonials.
In the purchase phase, you can focus on conversion-oriented landing pages and offers.

Analyse and adapt

Continuously monitor the performance of your campaigns and content. Use data to see which keywords are performing well and which content needs tweaking. Tools such as Google Analytics, Search Console and SEMRush can help.

This will enable your business to better target your audience and improve your online visibility and conversions.