Search intent (also called user intent or query intent) classifies what a searcher is trying to achieve. The four standard categories are informational (learning something), navigational (finding a specific site), commercial (comparing options before buying), and transactional (ready to take action). Search engines increasingly reward content that matches the dominant intent for a query. A page targeting 'best project management tools' with a single product pitch will underperform a comparison article because the intent is commercial, not transactional. Intent classification matters for content planning because it determines format (guide vs. listicle vs. landing page), depth, and conversion expectations. Professional SEO data providers can classify intent at scale, which feeds into content strategy decisions about which keywords to target and what format to use.
Search Intent
The underlying goal behind a search query: what the person actually wants to accomplish when they type something into a search engine.