What is search intent (and why if you ignore it, your content will never rank)

Don't get obsessed with the keyword. Get obsessed with the user.

Defining search intent (bluntly)

Search intent is the REAL reason someone types something into Google. It's the hidden motive, the unspoken need, the emotional or practical objective that the user has in their head.

It's not the key word. It's not the volume of searches. It is what the user Expect to find when clicking on a result.

As we will see later, the same search can have different intentions, so we have to do a good job of researching our user and their needs.

Very specific example:

Keyword: “best air fryer 2025"

Real intention: “I want an honest comparison, with up-to-date prices, pros and cons for each model, and to know what is the best option for my family of 4 - and I want to be able to buy it today with fast shipping.”

If your page only talks about “the history of air fryers”... you're dead.

Why this is the most important thing you'll do in SEO this year

Google no longer ranks pages. Rank answers.

And not just any answer. The best possible answer for that specific intention.

In 2025, the algorithm doesn't just understand words. What is displayed on the search results page responds to:

• The user's context (location, device, history).
• The tone of the query (“urgent”, “cheap”, “easy”, “for beginners”).
• The format you prefer (video, list, step-by-step guide, comparison).
• Even the implicit emotional state (“how to fix X without dying trying”).

Ignoring intent is like trying to sell a Ferrari to someone looking for a baby stroller. It's not going to work. Never.

Google is increasingly specializing in finding the search intent behind each query in its search engine. And that's why, if you don't take it into account when creating your content, it's very likely that you won't be chosen to be among the first results.

The 4 types of search intent (and how to exploit each one)

1. 🧠 Information (TOFU - Top of Funnel)

Informational search intent is when a user seeks information about a topic to better understand it, answer a question, or learn about something new. “I want to understand, learn, answer a question.”

Real examples:

• “What is an air fryer”
• “How to clean the filter of a robot vacuum cleaner”
• “Difference between iPhone 15 and Samsung S24”

What you should have:

In-depth, well-structured educational content.

Formats that win:

• Step-by-step guides
• Lists (“7 mistakes everyone makes when using...”)
• Articles with integrated FAQ
• Explanatory videos (YouTube is also SEO!)

👉 Tip from experience:

If you see that featured snippets or People Also Ask appear in the SERPs, you are dealing with a pure informational intention. Your goal: structure your content in clear questions and answers, with H2/H3 headers that Google can “steal” for those snippets. Use bulleted lists, comparison tables, and phrases that start with “How”, “What”, “Why”.

2. 🛒 Commercial/Investigative (MOFU - Middle of Funnel)

It is the intention of users who want to research before making a purchase decision. “I know what I want. Now I compare options before deciding.”

Real examples:

• “Dyson vs Shark robot vacuums”
• “Air fryer with capacity for 5 liters vs 7 liters”
• “Real reviews of the iPhone 15 Pro Max 2025"

What you should have:

Comparative, transparent content with real data.

Formats that win:

• “Top 5” or “Top 10” items
• Comparative tables (price, features, warranty, consumption)
• Testimonials with REAL photos and videos (no stock)
• Honest pros and cons (even from your competition!)

👉 Tip that can help you:

This is where the majority fails. It is not enough to say “we are the best”. Demonstrate why. Use data: “89% of our users choose this model because of its low power consumption.” Show 30-second videos testing the product in action. If you have real benchmarks, set them! Google rewards practical utility and transparency.

3. 💰 Transactional (BOFU - Bottom of Funnel)

It refers to when the user seeks to carry out a purchase action or contract a service. “I'm going to buy/book/do something NOW.”

Real examples:

• “Buy Dyson V15 Detect vacuum cleaner”
• “Cosori air fryer price with free shipping”
• “Download Excel template for family budget”

What you should have:

Conversion landing page, clear CTAs, zero distractions.

Formats that win:

• Product pages with clear specifications
• Simple purchase forms (maximum 3-4 steps)
• Visible pricing, no traps
• Clear guarantees (“30-day return with no questions asked”)

👉 Good tip:

If your transactional page has an embedded blog, irrelevant promotional banners, or 5 different calls to action... you're killing your conversion. At this stage, less is more. Only one goal: to click on “Buy Now”. Use the Product + Offer + AggregateRating schema to have Google show prices and stars directly in the results.

4. 🧭 Navigational

It occurs when a user searches for a website or a specific location on a search engine, and has no interest in obtaining information or carrying out a transaction, but simply in reaching a specific destination. “I know where I want to go. I just need the URL or contact info.”

Real examples:

• “Dyson Official Site”
• “Apple Customer Service Phone”
• “Samsung Spain Instagram”

What you should have:

Strong branding, clean URLs, optimized Google Business.

Formats that win:

• Clear and professional “About Us” page
• Contact page with map, schedule, telephone and chat
• Complete and active social media profiles

Very useful tip:

Make sure that your brand appears in the Google Knowledge Panel. Check your Google Business Profile, upload real photos (not stock), respond to ALL reviews (good and bad). If someone searches for your name, YOU should appear, not a blog that talks about you. Use LocalBusiness schema with geo, OpeningHours, and telephone.

How to identify search intent (without tools)

If you can't count on tools like MAKE IT TOOL, you can still see what the search intent of a keyword is. I'm going to explain it to you step by step.

1. Search for your keyword in Google.
2. Look at the top 10 results.
   
   • Are they all blogs? → Information.
   • Are they comparative or “top 10”? → Commercial.
   • Are they purchase or reservation pages? → Transactional.
   • Do your direct competitors or brands appear? → Navigational.
3. Look at the “People Also Ask”, featured snippets, maps, videos.
   Google is telling you exactly what format and angle it prefers.
4. Read the titles and meta descriptions. What words are repeated? (“2025”, “free”, “easy”, “for beginners”). That's the winning angle.

This way you already have the starting point for creating your content. If your purpose is to rank, the tracks are in the SERP's themselves. Never forget that.

If you have a tool like MAKE IT TOOL, this task is much simpler and easier to perform. Let me explain to you how:

But first, let's not get ahead of ourselves. There are a lot of tools on the market: Semrush, Ahrefs, Dinorank... Yes, we've all used them.

We, like them, offer the search intent behind a keyword or a set of keywords.

Knowing if a keyword is informational, commercial, navigational, transactional or local is fine...

But the real secret of search intent is to create a profile of Buyer Persona for each search.

Now, now... the copy that reads this will be pulling their hair out.

This is where Make it Tool comes in.

It doesn't just analyze more than 1,000 keyword combinations and it gives you a visual estimate of intent. It also measures the average age, gender, purchase status of the user, difficulty of the word, categories to which the% of results released by the SERPs belong... it also classifies your keyword by facet to better target your content and provides a table with related keywords and useful data to unravel the real intention.

As you can see, the 4 types of search intent can—and must—be deepened when generating content.

The Deadly Mistake That Ruins Everything (and How to Avoid It)

Many believe that they can “trick” Google by positioning a sales page with an informational keyword.

Example: They want to position the shopping page for “Dyson Robot Vacuum Cleaner” with the keyword “How does a robot vacuum work”.

It's not going to work. Never. Google is not a fool.

If the first 10 results are technical articles or tutorials, and you insert a landing page with a payment form, it will ignore you. Or worse: it will penalize you for poor user experience.

The Golden Rule:

Create the type of content you're already ranking for. Then do it 10 times better.

The 3C Strategy (Content, Context, Conversion)

Based on what I've seen work in hundreds of projects, here's the framework I use:

1. Content Type

What type of page dominates the SERPs?

• Blog post
• YouTube video
• Product page
• Landing page
• Comparison

✅ Action: Create the same type. Don't reinvent the wheel.

2. Content Format

How is the winning content structured?

• Numbered list
• Step-by-step guide
• Questions and answers
• Comparison with table
• Review with pros/cons

✅ Action: Copy the structure. Then improve it.

3. Content Angle

What makes the content you're ranking unique?

• “Updated 2025”
• “For beginners”
• “With real prices”
• “Includes noise test”
• “Comparison with real video”

✅ Action: Identify the winning angle and amplify it. If everyone says “2024”, you say “Updated June 2025”. If no one shows videos, record one!

Bonus: How to satisfy search intent in 5 steps (Battle Checklist)

✅ Analyze real SERPs. Don't be guided by theories. Look what's out there.
✅ Copy the structure of the top 3. It uses its H2, its format, its length.
✅ Improves the angle. If they say “Top 5”, you say “Top 7 + 2 secret options that no one mentions”.
✅ Add unique value. Own data, real photos, video testimonials, guarantees, benchmarks.
✅ Measure and adjust. Use Google Analytics: If the bounce rate is > 70%, your content DOES NOT satisfy the intent. Rewrite.

Final Tip (the one that really makes the difference)

Don't get obsessed with the keyword. Get obsessed with the user.

Before you write a single line, ask yourself:

• What's the problem with this person?
• What emotion are you feeling? (frustration? Curiosity? urgency?)
• What do you want to achieve at the end of reading my content?
• What would stop you from clicking on my result?

When you answer that, you're no longer doing SEO. You're marketing with a soul.

And that, my friend, is what really ranks in 2025.

Case Study: How I aligned intent and tripled organic traffic

In 2024, a client of mine had a “WordPress Hosting Comparator” page that didn't rank at all.

Target keyword: “best WordPress hosting 2025"

Initial error: The page was a transactional landing page with pricing plans and a “Buy Now” button.

SERP analysis: The first 10 results were ALL “Top 10 hosting” articles, with comparative tables, pros/cons, and reviews from real users.

Solution:

1. We converted the page into a “Top 10” type article.
2. We added a comparison table (price, speed, support, warranty).
3. We insert real screenshots of the control panel of each hosting.
4. We added a soft CTA at the end: “Do you want the best performance? We recommend X → [Button]”.
5. We implemented the Article + Review + Product schema.

Result: In 5 months, organic traffic +340%. Conversions +72%.

Search intent is not a theoretical concept. It's the master key to modern SEO.

If you understand it, you create content that Google loves and users devour.

If you ignore it, you are wasting time, money and effort.

Your mission now:

Pick your most important keyword. Search on Google. Look at the top 10 results. And make a page that's clearly BETTER than all of them — in type, format and angle.

The rest—backlinks, speed, schema—comes later. First, understand the human. Google will love you for it.