Search intent is a concept used in the field of search engine optimization (SEO), which is the process of maximizing the visibility of a website in search engine result pages (SERPs). Search intent refers to the reason behind a search query and the result that the user is expecting to get from search engines. It is paramount in SEO because understanding the intent behind search queries allows optimizing content for the same so users can easily find what they are looking for.
Generally speaking, search intent can be categorized into four types: navigational, transactional, informational, and commercial. Each type indicates a different kind of user intent. Navigational intent refers to searches focused on navigating to a particular website or page. For example, "Facebook" or "Google login page" are both navigational search queries.
Transactional intent refers to searches related to making purchases or completing a transaction. An example of this is "buy Nike shoes" or "order food online". In addition to product and service searches, this type of search intent includes job searches as well.
Informational intent refers to queries that indicate the user is looking for more information about a certain product, service, or topic. An example of this is "what is SEO?". This is the most common type of search intent, as the vast majority of users search for more information about a topic before making a purchase.
Finally, commercial intent refers to searches related to making a purchase, such as "best laptop" or "where to buy an iPad". This type of search intent is usually accompanied by transactional and navigational search queries, as the user is usually looking for more information about a product before choosing where to purchase it.
Knowing the search intent behind a query is essential in SEO, as it allows marketers to optimize their content appropriately. Optimizing content for the right search intent ensures that users click on the right results and find the information they are looking for on the web. As a result, it is much more likely that they will end up satisfied with the result instead of clicking away.