Search intent is the reason and purpose behind a user’s search. In an SEO context, meeting the correct search intent ensures you deliver the right content to the reader. It also increases your chances of ranking in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
Understanding search intent is a key part of the keyword research process.
This article explains how to find and track search intent to help you improve rankings and deliver better content for your audience.
What you will learn
- How to track search intent to deliver the right content to your audience
- What the different types of search intent are, and how to optimize for them
- How to analyze search results to determine search intent and content type (e.g., listicle or how-to guide)
- Why you should track changes in search results and monitor your content to improve SERP rankings
1. Analyze the search results
When analyzing search engine results pages (SERPs), you want to look for the type of search intent behind user queries.
This is a key part of your keyword research.
If you don't understand the search intent, you'll struggle to rank your article. You'll also deliver the wrong type of content to the user.
I recommend analyzing the top results for your target keyword. Examine the title tags, meta descriptions, and content structure of top-ranking posts.
This will help you better understand the search intent and what content Google expects to appear for your chosen keyword.
When analyzing the SERPs, click each result to get a feel for the type of content and the search intent.
Is it a listicle? A how-to? What about a product review or comparison?
Take notes and find patterns—the top-performing pages all do something similar. Find those breadcrumbs and do similar in your content.
I explain more below on how to analyze the search results with real-life examples.
2. Identify common intent among top-ranking pages
To identify the correct search intent for your keyword or query:
- Google your chosen keyword
- Take notes on the type of search intent for the top ten posts (this is the first page of search results)
- Identify the search intent used by the top posts
For example, let’s say my keyword is “email marketing tips.”
I will assess the search results and take notes on the intent and content type. Avoid paid results when doing this.
I have purposely taken a screenshot that ignores paid results and the AI overview. For now, don’t pay attention to these.
At first glance, the top results look like informational queries where the user is looking for more information and wants to learn more about a topic.
When search intent is less obvious, I like to use a Google Sheet to categorize and determine search intent of the SERPs.
As you can see, the search intent was overwhelmingly informational. I also added a section with notes to help inform what content structure to use when writing your post.
The content structure is just as important as the search intent. In the above example, virtually all top-ranking posts use a listicle format.
If I decided to write an article targeting the same keyword—email marketing tips—but instead of following the listicle format, I wrote an in-depth guide about what email marketing is, I would fail to meet the content type and would most likely struggle to rank this piece of content.
Examine each blog post to decide on its content structure. Numbered lists are typically listicle articles, like the example below.
Title tags that start with phrases like” “how to” or “what is” are often informational pieces.
Titles with comparison phases like “vs.” or “compare” have commercial intent.
A transactional example includes phrases like “pricing” or “buy now.”
Continue reading for more tips on how to identify and optimize for search intent.
1. Informational queries
Informational queries are when a user wants to learn more about a topic. The user typically understands they have a problem or query and wants to understand more about it.
You can often identify informational intent queries by the language used in the keyword and title tags.
For example, terms like “how to,” “guide,” or “best practices” are usually informational queries.
Ranking for information queries helps position you as an authority and expert in your industry. It also helps increase brand awareness and user engagement.
For example, a user may read your guide on the best email marketing tips. They click a link to another post on the best email marketing tools. Later in the buying journey, they might sign up for a free trial of your software.
An example of an informational search intent is this article by The Spruce on how to do laundry. In addition to having an informational intent, the content format is also a listicle.
2. Navigational queries
Navigational search intent is when a user seeks a specific destination, like a website or a brand. For example, a search for “Wikipedia” is a navigational query. The user is looking for the official Wikipedia website rather than separate wikis.
Often, navigational queries include brand and product names and website URLs.
Navigational queries can help increase brand authority. They allow you to capitalize on direct search traffic—users looking for your website. Targeting these queries can also help increase brand awareness and recognition.
This can help improve click-through rates because users are familiar with your brand.
You can leverage existing brand awareness to rank for navigational queries related to your brand.
To optimize for navigational and branded queries:
- Add your brand name to key pages: about, homepage, and product pages
- Use schema markup to improve how your website appears in search results
- Build backlinks from trusted websites to improve your website credibility
- Add business details to directories so people can discover who you are and what you do
- Be active on social media
You can also analyze branded search terms using Google Search Console. Navigate to the Search results tab on the left-hand sidebar and click Queries. Then enter your brand name.
Monitor branded queries over time and adapt your strategy as needed to capitalize on your branded keywords.
For example, here are some of Surfer's branded searches from the GSC report.
3. Commercial queries
Commercial queries are when a user is interested in making a purchase but requires more information.
These queries align with the consideration phase of the buying funnel—but more on this later.
You can often identify commercial intent by terms used, like “compare,” “review,” or “best” to identify purchase decisions.
For example, this article on the best mattresses of 2025 from Consumer Reports has commercial intent. The user is considering buying a new mattress and is analyzing their options. You may also notice it uses the word “best” in the title.
Target commercial keywords to build trust and influence purchase decisions.
Creating reviews and round-ups with real-life testing helps guide the user and builds trust. And when they are ready to buy, they might buy from you.
4. Transactional queries
Transactional queries are when a user is ready to make a specific purchase. Keywords often used in these queries include: “buy,” “purchase,” or “discount.”
These phrases are indicators of transactional intent.
By targeting transactional queries, you can capture the user in the buying phase of the buyer’s journey.
An example of a transactional query is “buy SONY WH-1000XM5 Amazon.”
The user is looking to buy a specific pair of headphones.
You can also optimize landing pages to convert users from transactional searches by including and targeting these keywords.
When appropriate, add high-intent phrases like “free trial” or “pricing” to key areas like headings and meta descriptions.
5. Local queries
Local queries are keywords aimed at a specific geographic area. Search results vary depending on where the user entered the search.
For example, if you Googled “Nail salon,” you would get different results based on your location—it would show the most relevant salons to your location.
Often, local queries include terms and phrases like “near me” or an exact location, like “Nail Salon in Pasadena.”
If you are a local business, these queries are easy to rank for. They can also drive foot traffic to your business. Set up a Google Business Profile to rank for these keywords.
Setting up a Google Business Profile is free and helps you get listed on Google.
This includes being featured on Google Maps and providing key details such as opening hours, contact details, services, etc.
Even if you don’t intend to write blog content, targeting local search queries on pages like your homepage, about, and services helps you appear in local search results.
You will also appear on Yelp and other directory and review sites. Yelp and similar platforms take key details from Google, such as your opening hours, services, and location on maps, and display them in their search results.
For example, if I search for a Nail Salon in Pasadena, these are the results. If you were a Salon, you would want to appear in these results to get more customers.
Other local SEO practices to include in your content strategy include:
- Targeting local keywords like “Nail Salon in Pasadena”
- Asking for customer reviews and ratings on Google
- Build local citations and backlinks from local businesses
- Create location-specific pages
3. Adapt your content for specific intent
Your content must align with the user's search intent to effectively engage your target audience.
Analyze SERP features like featured snippets and “People Also Ask” to understand how the user wants the information delivered.
Use specific keywords and phrases in your headlines to signal the user’s intent.
For example, if your article has an informational intent, use phrases like “how to” or “what is.” Tailor your content to match the right intent of your audience.
Additionally, choose the right content format. Various content formats meet different user needs:
- How-Tos—best for educating users on a topic
- Infographics—for quick and easy-to-understand insights
- Product comparisons and reviews—for commercial intent
- Case studies—build trust and move the user towards conversion
To discover which content format to choose, assess the keyword's search intent and SERPs using the steps mentioned in this article.
If your competitors are adopting a how-to approach, you should, too. Don’t steer too far from what the competition is doing. They have already done the leg work for you—don’t reinvent the wheel.
4. Monitor your content across stages of the buyer funnel
Understanding how your content performs at different stages of the buyer funnel helps you meet the needs of your audience. It also helps you drive the user toward a conversion, like signing up for Surfer to use the Content Editor tool.
There are typically three main stages of the buyer funnel:
- Awareness
- Consideration
- Decision
Image Credit: Slingshot.
Each blog post you create should belong to one of the three stages of the funnel. For example, the keyword “email marketing tips” would fall under the awareness category. The user wants to learn more about email marketing strategies and best practices.
In the consideration phase, there could be a product comparison, webinar, or whitepaper.
And finally, the decision phase is when the user is ready to purchase. This may include a free trial or demo of an email marketing tool, a pricing page, or a consultation call, for example.
You may have noticed some overlap between the various types of search intent and the stages of the buyer’s journey. Search intent often evolves as the user progresses through the buyer’s journey, from looking for information to purchasing.
It’s essential to intentionally map out each stage of the buyer’s journey in your content to lead your target audience down the right path.
Below, I explain each stage of the buyer’s journey in more detail, highlighting various metrics to monitor content performance.
1. Awareness stage
Typically, the awareness stage of the buyer funnel includes informational search intent content.
The target audience is seeking answers and solutions to their problems and is beginning their journey into the funnel.
Awareness content includes “how-to” topics and guides. It can also include visuals like infographics to demonstrate your point more clearly.
Track content performance metrics like organic traffic, CTRs, bounce rates, time on page, and shares.
2. Consideration stage
The consideration phase is when the reader seeks solutions and compares products and options. Typical content in this phase includes product comparisons, in-depth insights, and product reviews.
Track content performance metrics like lead gen form responses, resource and whitepaper downloads, and engagement metrics like internal link clicks and comments—if enabled.
3. Decision stage
The decision phase of the buyer’s journey is when the user is ready to choose a product or solution.
Your content should remove doubts, build trust, and make converting easy.
Often, the decision phase also includes transactional keywords, like “product pricing” or “buy product.”
Content may include case studies, pricing pages, testimonials, customer success stories, and more. The goal of decision-focused content is to remove final objections to build trust with the reader and help them convert.
The easier it is for them to say yes, the more conversions you will make.
Instead of charging $100 a month for your product, you can offer a free 7-day trial. For the best results, make this process as seamless and easy as possible.
Metrics include product and demo sign-ups, meetings booked, and products sold.
5. Track changes in SERPs
The SERPs are constantly changing and evolving. Therefore, staying up to date with the latest SERP and Google changes is essential to best meet the right search intent.
It’s essential to track changes in SERPs to better understand how your content is performing and whether you need to make changes like adapting the search intent of a keyword or trying to rank for featured snippets.
Tracking these changes requires a combination of tools and manual observation. For example, you can use tools like Google Search Console to monitor and compare the performance of your website, individual pages, and blog posts.
Take the example of the search query "how to avoid AI detection?"
At first, the search intent was informational, with users looking to understand how to avoid AI content penalties. As a result, our article ranked well as a comprehensive answer to avoiding AI detection.
However, over the past few months, users have turned to navigational intent and are looking for AI detector tools, pushing the page down in the rankings.
You can see this in the downward trending CTR for the page over the last months.
Your content can be great, but if your shop window fails to attract people, they won’t read it.
How to adjust your content strategy
When you notice fluctuations in SERPs or a loss in rankings, it’s crucial to run a diagnosis and adapt your content strategy as needed.
For example, you may lose a featured snippet or a people also ask box for your target keyword. This can result in less traffic sent to your website. You can find the featured snippets and SERP features you have with most search engine optimization tools.
In this instance, you would need to better fulfill the search intent of the SERP feature to increase the likelihood of you re-taking the top position. But being aware of what features you have—and don’t have—allows you to adapt as needed.
Additionally, you may notice that over time, keywords change search intent. For example, you may have a keyword like “how to save for retirement.”
Right now, this keyword has an informational user search intent.
However, over time, this might change to transactional, with readers looking for specific retirement products like 401(k) plans or retirement calculators, for example. You would need to satisfy search intent again.
It’s a good idea to bake regular content audits into your content strategy. That means re-visiting all content 3-6 months after publishing. And every 3-6 months following this.
You can use tools like GSC to monitor rankings. You also manually analyze the SERP for your target keyword. Look for new SERP features, changes in ranking position, and if the search intent has changed.
When you are in the loop, it’s a lot easier to adapt than publishing a blog post and looking at it again in 1-2 years and wondering why you lost search traffic.
Key takeaways
- Search intent is the purpose behind a user’s search
- Track and optimize for the right search intent to improve SERP rankings
- There are five types of user intent: informational, navigational, commercial, transactional, and local queries
- Analyze SERPs and look for patterns, e.g., phrases like “how to” to determine the correct user search intent
- Use a Google Sheet to categorize the search intent of the top ten search results for your keyword and take notes on content type (e.g., listicle, how-to)
- Choose the search intent most articles adopt to increase your chance of ranking in search results
- Monitor your content across various stages of the buyer’s funnel to see how your content performs and adjust as needed
- Track changes in SERPs every 3-6 months and look for new—or lost–SERP features. Search intent can also change, so adapt as necessary
