Search Intent

Search intent is the user's real goal behind a query. Understanding intent matters more than exact keyword matching.

4 classical types

1. Informational — "how GEO works", "what is RAG" → Goal: get knowledge → Content: articles, guides, glossary

2. Navigational — "adaptive lab", "youtube login" → Goal: reach a specific site → Content: brand pages

3. Commercial (research) — "best SEO service", "Ahrefs vs Semrush comparison" → Goal: decide before buying → Content: reviews, comparisons, rankings

4. Transactional — "buy iPhone 15", "order SEO audit" → Goal: complete a purchase/action → Content: product pages, service landings, lead forms

How to determine query intent

Most reliable way — look at the Google top-10 for the query. What ranks there? - Articles and guides → informational - E-commerce stores → transactional - Comparisons and reviews → commercial

Main mistake

Creating content that doesn't match intent. Example: selling on a page for "what is SEO audit" — the user wanted an explanation, not a purchase. Bounce rate spikes, Google demotes.

Modern intent refinements

With AI search, new subtypes emerged: - Conversational — "tell me about X like a friend" (ChatGPT-style) - Comparative deep — "pros and cons of X vs Y" expecting detailed analysis - Visual intent — "what does X look like" — expecting images/video

How to handle different types on the same topic

Create separate pages for each type. "What is SEO audit" — blog article. "Order SEO audit" — separate service landing.