Search intent is the purpose behind a query. Two searches with similar words can want very different things: “CRM” might mean “what is a CRM?”, while “CRM for real estate agents pricing” means someone is close to buying. Search engines try to rank pages that satisfy the intent, so the first job of any page is to match what searchers want, in the format they expect.
The common intent types
Intent is often grouped into four broad types. Real queries can mix them.
- Informational: learning something. “What is SOC 2”, “how to calculate churn”.
- Commercial investigation: comparing options before buying. “Best expense software for startups”, “Ramp vs Brex”.
- Transactional: ready to act. “Quillbrook pricing”, “sign up for Quillbrook”, “expense software free trial”.
- Navigational: looking for a specific site or page. “Quillbrook login”.
How to read intent from the results
The most reliable guide to intent is the current results page. Search the query and look at what ranks: the page types (guides, product pages, listicles, tools), the formats (tables, steps, videos), and which SERP features appear. Google has already tested what satisfies searchers, so the results are evidence.
If the top results are all “best X software” lists, a single product page is unlikely to rank. If they are all product pages, a long blog post will struggle.
Intent and the SaaS funnel
For SaaS companies, intent maps closely to the buying journey. Informational searches build awareness and trust; commercial investigation searches are where buyers make shortlists; transactional searches are where they choose. Many SaaS content programs invest heavily in informational content and underinvest in commercial pages, even though commercial searches are often less competitive and bring visitors closer to a purchase.
When intent is mixed or shifts
Some queries have split intent, and Google shows a mix of page types. Others change over time; a term can move from mostly informational to mostly commercial as a category matures. Recheck the results for important queries periodically, especially when a page starts losing ground.
Example
Two pages for two intents
A made-up security tool, Auditwise, wanted one page to rank for both “SOC 2 checklist” and “SOC 2 compliance software”. The results showed the first query wants a practical checklist, often downloadable, and the second wants vendor comparisons and product pages.
Splitting them into a checklist guide and a software page, linked to each other, gave each a fair chance to match what its searchers expected.
Common mistakes
Choosing keywords by volume alone
A high-volume keyword with the wrong intent brings visitors who leave. A smaller query with buying intent is often worth more.
Forcing a product pitch onto an informational query
Someone asking how something works wants an explanation first. Lead with the answer, then show where the product fits.
Questions
Search it and study the top results. The page types and formats that rank show what Google believes searchers want. Keyword tools also label intent, but those labels are estimates.
Occasionally, when the results themselves are mixed. Usually it is better to build separate pages for clearly different intents and link them together.
