Search intent shows the intent most users have when they search for the keyword in the search engine. Almost all keywords are usually based on multiple search intentions.
The Searchmetrics Suite categorizes these basic search intents into three different categories.
Informational - I want to know something
Information requests are primarily aimed at collecting information on a specific topic. The user wants to know more about the entered keyword. Therefore, these searches are mostly based on facts that can be described and explained. For example, if a user is looking for "tennis rules", this keyword is basically an information search query. Questions such as "Can I drink milk with antibiotics?" indicate an information search.
Navigational - I want to get there
Navigational searches arise from the fact that the user has a specific destination that he wants to get to before starting the search. However, this target can also include specific locations. So it is likely that by entering "youtube" the user also wants to access the YouTube platform. By entering "Bremen Kino" in the search, the user most likely wants to know where the nearest cinema is.
Transactional - I want to do something
Transactional searches are classified as such if the search term suggests an intent to make a purchase or a specific transaction. Most of these searches are based on specific products that the user would like to buy (for money). The more specific a search term is for a product, the more likely a purchase intention could be assumed. The search for "iphone 7" should be understood more as a transactional search query than the search for "iphone", which is initially considered to be more informative. Brand names and words such as "buy", "order" or "download" also indicate the intent of the transaction. But even more unspecific keywords as "Berlin-Frankfurt flight" suggest that the user is interested in booking a flight.
Where can I find search intents in the Suite?
Search Experience
In the Search Experience, the main search intent for each project keyword is displayed in each keyword table.
Clicking on a specific keyword in a table opens the keyword detail view. There, the search intenti is broken down again exactly into all three areas, if the keyword combines several intents.
Keyword Performance also has a Search Intent section, which, based on the project data, provides detailed information on the distribution of the search intent and shows this in relation to various KPIs.
Topic Explorer
The Topic Explorer also provides topic specific information about the distribution of search intents. Topics with the same search intent are displayed closer to each other and are shown in the same color.
Example: Insurance (Informational and Transactional)
Research Cloud
Tables in the Research Cloud also offer the ability to view the main search intent of a keyword. As an example, here is an excerpt from the travelocity.com domain Organic Rankings table. Keywords have different primary search intents. In the table, only the main search intent becomes clear at a glance, so when you hover over it, you can display the exact distribution of individual intentions.