Search intent is the task behind a query. Someone searching “what is bookkeeping” needs an explanation. Someone comparing bookkeeping providers needs evidence and options. Someone searching for a named firm’s booking page wants a direct route to it.
Useful working categories are informational, commercial investigation, transactional, and navigational. Real searches can mix these needs. Treat the categories as a planning tool, not a rule that explains every result.
Read the result page critically
Search a query in the location and language relevant to your audience. Record the date and context. Look at the kinds of pages that appear: guides, product categories, service pages, tools, videos, or local listings. Results can vary; one screenshot is a sample.
Then ask what your business can contribute. If results are practical guides, a sales page with a thin paragraph is unlikely to satisfy the same need. A clear guide can answer the question and link naturally to an appropriate service when help is useful.
Apply it
- Collect six questions real customers ask before buying.
- Write the task behind each question in plain language.
- Inspect a small sample of relevant results.
- Choose a page type for each task.
- Write the next sensible action after the reader gets an answer.
Example
For “website redesign cost,” a useful page could explain cost drivers, scope examples and how to request a quote. Do not hide the answer behind an enquiry form. Help the visitor judge whether your offer fits.
Your deliverable is a six-row intent map. Include query, underlying task, observed result types, proposed page, and next step.
Record your work in the SEO workbook. Your notes and progress save only in this browser; keep a copy of important work.
Further reading: Official guidance ↗
