Full Definition
Search intent (also called user intent or query intent) is the 'why' behind a search query. When someone types something into Google, they have a specific goal. Google's job — and yours — is to match the result to that goal. There are four main categories: **Informational**: The user wants to learn something. ('What is digital marketing?' 'How to file GST returns.') **Navigational**: The user wants to find a specific website. ('TML Agency website,' 'Facebook login.') **Commercial investigation**: The user is researching before buying. ('Best SEO agencies in Chandigarh,' 'Semrush vs Ahrefs.') **Transactional**: The user is ready to take action. ('Hire SEO agency Chandigarh,' 'Buy logo design package.') Matching content to intent is critical because Google has become very good at detecting mismatches. If you write a 2,000-word blog post for a transactional keyword, or create a sales page for an informational keyword, Google will almost always rank a better-matching result above you — regardless of your backlinks. A quick way to check intent: look at the top 5 Google results for your target keyword. Are they blog posts, product pages, comparison articles, or videos? That's Google telling you exactly what format and intent to match. Actionable tip: Before creating any new page, type the target keyword into an incognito Google window and study what currently ranks. Mirror that format and intent, then do it better.