Search intent is the reason behind a search. Two pages can use the same keyword, but only the one that matches the intent will rank.
The four main intents
- Informational: they want to learn. "how often change ro filter".
- Commercial: they are comparing. "best ro purifier for home".
- Transactional: they want to buy or act. "buy ro purifier online".
- Navigational: they want a specific site. "pepplo seo suite login".
How to find the intent
Search the keyword and look at the top results. If they are all guides, write a guide. If they are product pages, a blog post will struggle. The SERP checker shows the current top results for any keyword.
Intent can change over time
A keyword's intent is not fixed. "ro purifier" may show buying guides one year and mostly shop pages the next. Re-check the results for your main keywords every few months, especially if a page that used to rank starts slipping.
Mixed intent
Some searches show different kinds of results together, such as two guides, five shop pages and a video. That means search engines are not sure what most people want. A page that serves both, like a category page with a short buying guide, can do well.
Common intent mistakes
- Writing a long blog post for a keyword where every result is a product page.
- Putting a hard sales pitch on a "how to" page.
- Targeting a brand's navigational search ("pepplo login") with your own content.
A quick check before writing
Write down, in one sentence, what someone searching this keyword wants to do next. If your page helps them do exactly that, you have matched the intent.
Matching intent on your page
- Put the answer near the top.
- Use the format searchers expect: list, guide, product page, comparison.
- Add a clear next step that fits the intent, for example a buying guide links to products.
Our keyword research tools label each keyword's likely intent so you can plan the right page for it.
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