Search intent is what a person actually wants when they type a query. The same keyword can carry different intents, and the page that satisfies the dominant intent wins, regardless of how well it is optimized for the keyword itself.
The four intent types
- Informational. The user wants to learn something: “how does net metering work.” Best served by guides, explainers, and definitions.
- Navigational. The user wants a specific site or page: “Mailchimp login.” Best served by the destination itself.
- Commercial. The user is researching before buying: “best CRM for small business.” Best served by comparisons and buyer guides.
- Transactional. The user is ready to act: “buy running shoes size 10.” Best served by product and conversion pages.
Why it matters
Search engines infer intent from the queries and from which pages users engage with, then shape the results to match. If a query returns mostly comparison articles, a hard product page will struggle there no matter its authority, because it answers a different question.
AI answer engines are even more intent-driven. They decompose a query, decide what kind of answer satisfies it, and pull from sources that match. Content written for the wrong intent does not get cited.
How to apply it
Before writing, run the target query and read the top results. The format that dominates reveals the intent the engine has decided on. Match that format, then earn the citation by being more specific and complete. For the structural side of this, see how to structure pages for AI extraction.