Search Intent Analysis Is the Most Important SEO Skill in 2025
Creating a phenomenal product or service and then building a website isn’t enough for a business to prosper. A website without the right keywords and content will never generate the traffic needed to thrive. What are keywords? They’re simply the search terms users are entering into Google.
When a business is building a brand online, they need to be aware of the best, highest-ranking keywords that are related to their offerings. And then use those keywords in their content. That could be on the homepage, on service pages, or in pillar blogs. That’s the simple way of understanding how keywords work, but we also have our special rules and proven techniques to achieve results and drive traffic.
Good keywords—simple ones and long-tail keywords—are just half the battle. The latest and most important SEO skill in 2025 is search intent analysis.
What Is Search Intent Analysis and Why Is It Important for SEO?
When people go to Google to search for things, they have a few different intentions. Some are looking to buy a product, some simply want to research a product, some want to learn about a subject, and others want to go to a website for a function like play a game, read news, or learn more about a company or a service.
Those four types of search intent—navigational, informational, commercial, and transactional—give us clues to what people using the keywords actually want to do.
So, depending on what your business does, choosing the right keywords by keyword search intent is crucial. A high-volume keyword, or one that’s getting searched a lot on Google, is great, but only if the intent is correct, too.
Four Types of Search Intent
According to Semrush, there are four kinds of search intent for SEO keywords: informational, transactional, commercial, and navigational.
Let’s take a second to explore what these terms mean in relation to search intent:
- Informational: The user wants to learn more about something. An example would be: How old is Rocky Mountain National Park?
- Navigational: In this case, the user wants to go to a specific website for news, a game, or something else. For example: Wordle.
- Commercial: Commercial and transactional search intent are somewhat related, but not always. The user wants to do some research before buying something, and then could perform a transactional search, or decide not to make the purchase. For example: Best noise canceling earbuds for 2025.
- Transactional: The searcher wants to perform a transaction, which usually means buying something online. For example: where to buy Sony earbuds?
Credit: Image produced by Wordstream.
Why Matching Search Intent to Content Is Crucial for SEO
SEO and the proper use of keywords helps drive traffic to your website. But, it’s crucial to make sure search intent is covered, too.
If you’re selling something, you want to target transactional keywords.
But if you’re selling a service, sometimes informational-tilted content can work, too. Have you ever had an issue at home, believed you could DIY it, and gone searching for “How to fix a leaky toilet” on Google? You may have noticed some of the top-ranking sites are from local and national small businesses. These businesses—say, a plumber in this instance—will walk you through the process of fixing the leaky toilet, but will also usually include a call to action. Something to the tune of, “The best course of action is to have a professional plumber diagnose and fix your system. Call us today to schedule an appointment!”
In that way, a smart business understands search intent can be layered or overlapping. But only if the content they are providing is actual, usable information. If they do, the Google E-E-A-T scores will likely improve, which also helps that page rank. It’s important for companies to demonstrate experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) on their pages for the best SEO results.
What Type of Content Works, and How to Know Which Keywords to Use
Nearly 30 years ago, Bill Gates coined the phrase, “Content is king.” And it still is.
That’s to say: quality content is king, and it works both for the Google search algorithm and real, human readers, too. There are some simple ways to structure content to help get websites discovered, such as:
- Formatting: Using bullet points and subheadings makes it easy for Google and users to scroll and find the information they’re looking for.
- Keyword distribution: Using keywords with the right search intent is crucial for SEO. But simply “stuffing” content with too many keywords will get the content flagged by Google and downgraded. It’s important to evenly distribute keywords throughout content, both for the algorithm, and because no one wants to read the same words over and over again; it makes the content sound robotic.
- Simple, straightforward writing: Using simple language without jargon is important. Similarly, keeping sentences and paragraphs short helps with flow and pushes readers through the content.
- Provide useful information: Readers who land on your website should be able to learn something, such as how they can benefit from your product or service.
And in order to know which keywords to use for your site’s SEO based on search intent, use a tool. There are many available, like Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, Ahrefs, and more. When exploring potential keywords, the tools explain what type of search intent they cover.
SharpNet Solutions, Your SEO Experts
To conquer your content and SEO goals, let our SEO experts do the hard work for your company. We’ve been helping companies of all sizes, all over the world, get discovered on the internet for more than 25 years. SharpNet Solutions continues to utilize tried and tested methods of helping businesses rank on Google. And as things continually change, we’ll be keenly attuned to new developments, like search intent, for instance. Reach out to us today for SEO, website design, PPC, social media advertising, and all your digital marketing needs.