Search Intent: What It Is and How to Match It
Informational, commercial, navigational and transactional — what each intent means, how to identify it, and how to match it with the right content format.
7 min read
Four types of search intent
The standard framework:
- Informational: the searcher wants to learn (guide, explainer).
- Commercial: they're evaluating options (comparison, best-of, review).
- Navigational: they want a specific site (brand landing).
- Transactional: they're ready to act (pricing or sign-up page).
Matching intent is about giving people the right format for where they are in their journey. A how-to article for an informational query, a comparison for commercial, a clear pricing page for transactional.
Tip
Not sure which intent a query has? Run it through our free Keyword Intent Classifier.
How to identify intent
Look at the current ranking pages for your query. If most results are blog posts, it's informational. If they're product or category pages, it's commercial or transactional.
Match intent with format
Intent → best format
| Intent | Page type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | Guide / explainer | What is content marketing |
| Commercial | Comparison / best-of | Best SEO tools |
| Navigational | Brand landing | Jasper login |
| Transactional | Pricing / signup | Email tool pricing |
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