Two people search “water heater”. One wants to buy a new one. The other wants to know why theirs is leaking. Same words, different goals. Search intent is the goal, and Google’s whole job is to work it out and show results that match.
That’s why matching intent matters more than matching words. A brilliant guide won’t rank for a search where people want to buy, and a product page won’t rank where people want an explanation.
The four common types
| Intent | The searcher wants to… | Example | Best page type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Informational | Learn something | “how long do water heaters last” | Guide, blog post, video |
| Commercial | Compare before deciding | “tankless vs tank water heater” | Comparison, review, buyer’s guide |
| Transactional | Act now: buy, book, call | “water heater repair austin” | Service page, product page |
| Navigational | Reach a specific site | “coastline plumbing login” | Homepage, specific page |
Local searches (“near me”, a city name) usually mix transactional intent with a location, and Google answers them with a map pack as well as web pages.
How to read intent
Look at the SERP. Google has already tested what satisfies people, so the current top results are the best clue:
- Mostly blog posts and guides: informational
- Mostly “best X” lists and reviews: commercial
- Mostly product or service pages, a map pack or shopping ads: transactional
- A mix: split intent, where a page that covers both angles, or two separate pages, may be needed
Why it matters for a real business
Brightside Dental wrote a long blog post about “teeth whitening cost”. It never cracked page two. A look at the results showed the top spots were all dental practice pages listing their own prices, not general articles. Once they added a clear price table and booking button to their whitening service page, it started ranking for the term. The blog post was refocused on a question with informational intent.
Common mistakes
- Choosing the page type before looking at the results
- Targeting transactional keywords with blog posts because “content ranks”
- Trying to serve every intent on one page until it serves none well
- Assuming intent never changes. Seasonal and news-driven searches can shift
How to check
RankThat’s Keyword Research labels each keyword with its likely intent. Always confirm by searching it yourself before writing a content brief. Two pages aimed at the same intent are a common cause of keyword cannibalization.