Understanding search intent (the key to SEO that ranks)

Search intent is the reason behind a search — what the person actually wants. Google's whole job is to match results to intent, so understanding it is the difference between content that ranks and content that doesn't.

The main types of intent

• •Informational — learning something ('how much does a website cost').
• •Navigational — looking for a specific site or brand.
• •Commercial — comparing before buying ('best web designers').
• •Transactional — ready to act ('web designer near me').

Match your page to the intent

A how-to query wants a helpful article; a 'near me' query wants a local business page. Give searchers the type of page they're expecting, and you rank; give them the wrong type, and you won't — no matter how good it is.