Search intent

Search intent is what someone is actually trying to do when they type a search, as opposed to the words they used.

"Blocked drain" and "blocked drain plumber Adelaide" contain the same subject and want completely different things.

The first wants to know what to try. The second wants a phone number.

Google works this out from what people click, which is why the results for a search are the clearest statement of what Google thinks the intent is.

Looking at page 1 before writing anything tells you what shape the answer needs to be: a guide, a service page, a comparison, a list of businesses.

Writing a sales page for a search that wants information is the most common reason a page never ranks despite being well written.

The commercial searches are fewer and worth more, and the informational ones build the authority that helps you win them.

What this means for you

Intent decides which page you build and what goes on it. Getting it wrong means competing for attention you can't convert even if you win it.

This one sits under SEO.

I'll look at what you've got and tell you where it stands, in the same plain terms.