Search intent
Intent is why the user typed the query. Every SERPTool row labels a keyword with one of four intent buckets. Getting intent right is the single biggest lever on whether a keyword drives traffic that converts.
The four buckets
Informational — "how", "what", "why", "guide", "tutorial". The user wants to learn. Best served by articles, explainers, how-tos. Monetises indirectly (ads, email list, top-of-funnel).
- Examples:
how to bake bread,what is a backlink,keyword research tutorial. - Google's SERP usually shows: content-heavy blog results, People Also Ask boxes, featured snippet aiming at a direct answer, occasional video.
Commercial — "best", "vs", "review", "compare", "top 10". The user is researching a decision but hasn't bought yet. Still top-of-funnel but much closer to a sale.
- Examples:
best standing desk under 300,ahrefs vs semrush,top password managers. - SERPs usually show: listicles, comparison articles, UGC heavy (Reddit threads), shopping carousel for physical products.
Transactional — "buy", "price", "discount", brand + product, "near me". The user is ready to act — click, sign up, purchase.
- Examples:
buy aeron chair,figma pricing,emergency plumber portland oregon. - SERPs usually show: product pages, pricing pages, local pack, shopping ads, map.
Navigational — the user knows the brand or page they want and is using search as a faster bookmark.
- Examples:
serp-tool login,figma docs,amazon return policy. - SERPs are usually dominated by the brand's own properties. Rarely worth fighting unless you are the brand.
Why intent mismatch kills rankings
Google is ruthless about serving the dominant intent. If you publish a 3,000-word explainer for a query whose SERP is 10 product pages, you won't rank no matter how authoritative your domain. The page isn't what users want.
SERPTool labels intent based on the actual shape of the current SERP — which is the most honest signal available. If the top 10 is all product pages, the intent is transactional, regardless of what the literal words in the keyword suggest.
Using intent in SERPTool
The Intent column on the analysis results table colour-codes the four buckets. Combine with Opportunity Score and Volume:
- Affiliate sites — focus on commercial intent. A 90-score informational keyword might get traffic but won't convert; a 65-score commercial keyword can be a revenue keyword.
- SaaS content — informational is fine if your product solves the problem the query asks about. Otherwise you're just feeding ads revenue to Google.
- Ecommerce — transactional for category/product pages, commercial for comparison content. Informational for top-of-funnel only when it clearly ladders to a purchase decision.
- Local services — look for transactional + location modifier. Intent matters even more locally — "emergency plumber" is transactional, "how to unclog a drain" is informational.
A practical rule of thumb
Before you write content for a high-opportunity keyword, open the actual SERP in a private window. Scroll the top 10. If they're all the same type of result (all product pages, all listicles, all how-tos) — that's the intent Google has decided on. Match or don't bother.
If the SERP is mixed — three product pages, two how-tos, two Reddit threads — intent is unsettled. That can be an opportunity (Google hasn't locked in) or a trap (it means Google gives up and shows a grab-bag). Read the weaknesses column before committing.