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Search intent (also called query intent or user intent) is the underlying goal behind a search query. Google's primary job is matching results to intent, so understanding intent is the foundation of effective SEO.
The four main intent categories are: Informational (the user wants to learn something), Navigational (the user wants to reach a specific site or brand), Transactional (the user wants to buy or sign up), and Commercial Investigation (the user is researching before a decision).
Mismatching intent is one of the most common reasons a well-written page fails to rank. A transactional-intent keyword like "buy SEO services" should not be answered with a blog post. An informational keyword like "what is keyword difficulty" should not be a product page.
Example
"SEO agency pricing" shows commercial investigation intent — users want to compare costs before committing. Creating a transparent pricing page for this query aligns with that intent.
Apply this in practice
Definitions are step one.
Our team implements Search Intent correctly for clients across 15 active engagements. If you want a technical SEO audit that covers this and 100+ other checkpoints, talk to us.