Search intent

What search intent means

Search intent is the reason behind a search. Someone might want to learn something ("how long does a loft conversion take"), find a particular site ("Screwfix opening hours"), compare options ("EPDM vs GRP roof") or buy or book ("book MOT near me"). The best page for a query is the one that matches that reason, not just the words.

Seen in practice

A driving school's lessons page is trying to rank for "how many driving lessons do I need". The results for that search are all explainers. The school writes a short, honest guide answering the question, then links it to the lessons page. The guide ranks, and the lessons page gets more visits from people who've read it.

Why it matters for your content

If a page doesn't match intent, it struggles to rank and rarely converts. A sales page won't rank well for a "how to" question, and a long guide won't satisfy someone ready to book today. Matching intent is often the quickest fix for a page that gets impressions but no clicks.

Checking your own pages

Search the phrase you want a page to rank for and read the top results. Are they guides, product pages, local listings or videos? That mix is Google's best guess at what searchers want. If your page is a different type entirely, change the page, or target a phrase whose results match what you've got.

Traps to avoid

• Guessing intent instead of looking at what currently ranks for the search.
• Forcing hard sales copy onto informational searches.
• Mixing several intents on one page so it serves none well.
• Forgetting that intent can change with the seasons or with news.

Related content terms

• Keyword: A word or phrase people type into search engines, used to plan pages and measure visibility.
• Long-tail keyword: A longer, more specific search phrase, often closer to a decision and sometimes easier to rank for.
• SERP: Search engine results page: the page of results a search engine shows for a query.