Search Intent Explained
Intent is the difference between someone learning, comparing, buying or looking for a specific place. Match the page to the intent and everything else gets easier.
The four everyday intents
Intent classification sounds academic, but it is really just asking: what does this person want to happen next?
- Informational — they want to understand something. Answer clearly, early, with structure.
- Commercial — they are comparing options. Give honest comparisons, criteria and trade-offs.
- Transactional — they are ready to act. Remove friction; make the action obvious.
- Navigational — they want a specific place. Get out of the way and link to it.
Signals in the wording
Words like how, why and what usually indicate learning. Best, versus, review and alternative indicate comparison. Buy, price, hire, book and near me indicate readiness. A brand name plus login or contact indicates navigation.
These signals are heuristics, not laws. "Best way to remove limescale" contains "best" but is really informational. Read the phrase as a human before trusting any classifier — including ours.
One intent per page
The most common structural mistake is trying to teach, compare and sell on the same page. Each intent wants a different shape, a different length and a different first paragraph. Splitting them usually improves all three pages, and gives you natural internal links between them.