What is search intent?
Also called User intent.
Definition
Search intent is the goal behind a search: what the person actually wants to find, learn, compare, or do when they type or ask it.
Two searches with similar words can want very different things. "Content audit" might come from someone who wants a definition, someone who wants a template, or someone ready to hire. The results already ranking for a query are the best clue: if they are all guides, the intent is informational; if they are service pages with prices, it is commercial.
A common way to sort intent is into four kinds: informational (learn something), navigational (find a specific site), commercial (compare options before buying), and transactional (buy or book now). A page has to match the intent of the search it targets. A sales page will not rank for a how-to question, and a how-to guide rarely wins a ready-to-hire search.
Why does it matter to your business?
Matching intent decides whether a page can rank at all, and whether the traffic converts: the right visitor, on the right page, at the right moment.
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Last reviewed September 11, 2026 by Joseph Nicholas Abear.
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