Glossary
What is search intent?
Search intent is the goal behind a search: what the person wants to know, do or buy. It's usually grouped as informational, navigational, commercial and transactional. Pages rank best when they match the intent Google sees in the current results, in both content and format.
Four common types
| Intent | Example | Best page |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | what is a dofollow link | Definition or guide |
| Navigational | product hunt login | The destination |
| Commercial | best free startup directories | Ranked list, comparison |
| Transactional | submit startup to betalist | Submit page or how-to |
Reading intent from the results
Search the query and look at the top results: are they lists, guides, tools, product pages, videos? Which angle (beginner, free, 2026)? That's Google's best guess at intent, and the format you should match. Intent can also change over time, which is one cause of content decay.
Mixed intent
Some queries mix intents, so results mix formats. "Directory submission" shows definitions, services and lists. Pick the intent you can serve best and make it obvious in the title and first lines.
Example
A founder writes a long essay targeting "free startup directories". It doesn't rank; the results are all ranked lists with tables. She rebuilds it as a sortable list of free directories with traffic and link type, and it reaches the first page.
FAQ
How do I find search intent?
Look at what ranks now: format, angle and depth.
Can one page serve several intents?
Sometimes, but a page focused on one intent usually ranks better.
Does intent matter for AI search?
Yes. AI answers also try to satisfy the goal behind the question.