Search Intent: Four Types
Search intent (intent) is what a person wants to achieve by entering a query: to understand, compare, buy, or find a specific site. A mismatch between intent and page format is the most common reason a good page doesn't rank.
Four Types
| Type | Examples | What Page is Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | "what is an anchor", "how to check indexing" | Article, guide, dictionary entry |
| Navigational | "promopilot login", brand name | Main or specific service page |
| Commercial | "best link building services", "X or Y" | Comparison, review, selection |
| Transactional | "buy links", "order audit" | Service or product page with price |
How to Determine Intent Without Guessing
Look at the results. They are the answer: search already knows what people need for this query and shows what they choose. If there are articles for the query, a commercial page has almost no chance, no matter how many links you put to it. If there are product cards, the article won't break through.
How This Changes Work
- Before writing a page, open the results and determine the type of pages in the top.
- Adjust the format: volume, structure, presence of prices, comparisons, instructions.
- Check that the first screen answers the query, not just talks about the company.
- If the intent is commercial and you are writing an article, add a call to action, not just text.
Connection to Promotion
Links enhance relevance but do not create it. A page with incorrect intent will rise a few positions after a cascade and stop — it won't bring clicks or requests. Therefore, the choice of a page to launch starts with intent: see which page to choose.
Intent Changes Over Time
The results for the same query are restructured: what was informational a year ago may become commercial, and vice versa. If a page suddenly lost positions without visible reasons, open the results and check if the type of results in the top has changed — this is one of the most common reasons for unexplained drops.