Guide · Content
Search Intent: How to Match Pages to What People Want
Search intent is the goal a person has when they type a query into Google. A page that fits that goal has a real chance to rank, and a page that misses it usually does not, however well it is written. This guide shows the four intent types Google describes and a short check you can run before you write.
What search intent means
Every search has a reason behind it. One person wants a fact. Another wants to buy something. A third wants one named website. The words they type are only the surface of that need.
Google tells the people who rate its results to think about this. Its public rater guidelines say it can help to think of queries as having one or more intents. They name four: Know, Do, Website and Visit-in-person. The guidelines were last updated on December 15, 2022.
Raters are people Google hires to test its results. Their scores do not change a single page directly. Still, the guidelines show how Google defines a good result, so they are a fair map for anyone who writes pages.
Sources: Google, General Guidelines for Search Quality Raters (December 15, 2022), sections 12.7.1 to 12.7.5
The four intent types
Here is each type in plain words, with the query examples Google itself uses.
Intent What the person wants Example from Google's guidelines Know To find information on a topic [how tall is barack obama] Do To reach a goal or take part in an activity, such as to download, buy or use something [online personality test], [pay parking ticket] Website To reach one specific site or page [ibm.com] Visit-in-person To find a business or place to go to, often nearby Nearby coffee shops or gas stations The Know type has a special case. A "Know Simple" query seeks one clear answer, such as a fact. If most people would agree on the answer and it fits in one or two sentences, Google treats it as Know Simple.
Many queries mix intents. The guidelines say a search for [harvard] might mean the official home page, directions, or a wish to learn about the school. In such cases, raters are told to use judgment about which intent is more likely.
Sources: Google, General Guidelines for Search Quality Raters (December 15, 2022), sections 12.7.1 to 12.7.5
Why a page can fail on intent
A page can be accurate, clear and well designed and still miss. The usual cause is a mismatch between the page type and the intent.
- A sales page for a Know query. The reader wanted to learn, and gets a price list.
- A long essay for a Do query. The reader wanted a tool or a button, and gets a history lesson.
- A blog post for a Visit-in-person query. The reader wanted an address and opening hours.
- A general guide for a Website query. The reader wanted one named page.
Google's own advice on helpful content points the same way. It asks whether a reader will leave feeling they have learned enough to reach their goal. That is intent, stated as a question about the reader.
Sources: Google Search Central, Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content; Google, General Guidelines for Search Quality Raters (December 15, 2022), sections 12.7.1 to 12.7.5
A 10 minute check before you write
You do not need a paid tool for this. The live results already show what Google thinks people want. Use this routine for each target query.
- Search the exact query. Use a private window so your own history does not shape the results.
- Look at the first ten results. Note the page type of each: guide, product page, tool, home page, map listing or video.
- Count the types. If eight of ten are guides, the intent is mostly Know. If most are product pages, it is mostly Do.
- Read the extras on the page. Boxes with short answers, questions and map results are clues too. A map result points to Visit-in-person intent.
- Write one sentence. Finish this line: "The reader wants to ___ and will be happy when ___."
- Pick your page type. Match the majority. If the results are mixed, choose the intent you can serve best, or cover two with clear sections.
Keep that one sentence next to your draft. Check each heading against it. If a section does not help the reader reach that goal, cut it or move it to another page.
Sources: Google Search Central, Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content
How to match a page to the intent
Once you know the intent, the page design follows.
Intent Page that fits Put first Know Guide, explainer or how-to The answer, in the first sentence Know Simple Short answer with a little context The fact itself, in one or two sentences Do Tool, product, sign-up or download page The action, with few steps Website The named home page or section A clear name and a direct path Visit-in-person Location page Address, hours and how to get there For a Know page, lead with the answer and then add depth for readers who want it. For a Do page, remove anything that slows the action. For a mixed query, give each intent its own clear section so a reader can jump to theirs.
Do not change a query's intent by force. If the top results are all guides, a sales page is unlikely to take their place, however much you want the sale. Write the guide, and link to the sales page where a reader could want it next.
Sources: Google, General Guidelines for Search Quality Raters (December 15, 2022), sections 12.7.1 to 12.7.5; Google Search Central, Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content
Intent can change over time
Google's guidelines add one more point. The meaning of a query can shift. They use [iphone] as the example. When the first model came out in 2007, people searching for it wanted that model. Later, most wanted the newest or the next one.
So the check is not a one time job. Look at the live results again when a page loses traffic, when a product launches, or when a season changes what people want. If the results have changed type, your page may need a new shape, not just fresh words.
Sources: Google, General Guidelines for Search Quality Raters (December 15, 2022), section 12.6
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