SEO
Search Intent
Quick definition
Search intent is the underlying goal a user has when typing a query — informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional.
Google ranks pages that best match user intent, not just keywords. Misalignment between content type and intent is the #1 reason well-optimized pages still fail to rank.
Why Search Intent matters
Always analyze the current top 10 results for a target keyword. If 9 of 10 are listicles, a long-form guide will struggle no matter how well-written it is.
How Search Intent works in practice
Group keywords by intent before briefing content. Informational queries deserve guides; commercial queries deserve comparison or 'best of' pages; transactional queries deserve product or pricing pages.