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+50 XP
User Intent & Query Types
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Alex · Tuesday, 11:00 AM
"Alex opened Ahrefs and looked at a client's keyword list. Every query was different — in meaning and intent. Understanding what the user wants matters more than knowing the query itself."
Google tries to understand the intent behind a query — what the user wants to do. This is called search intent.
Four Types of Search Queries
1. Navigational
The user wants to reach a specific site. They already know where they're going.
🔍 Examples: "Facebook login", "YouTube", "Gmail sign in"
2. Informational
The user wants to learn something. No purchase — just knowledge.
🔍 Examples: "what is SEO", "how to make pasta", "why is the sky blue"
3. Transactional
The user is ready to take action — buy, download, sign up.
🔍 Examples: "buy iPhone 15 Pro", "download Figma", "order pizza"
4. Local
The user is looking for something nearby.
🔍 Examples: "pizza near me", "dentist New York", "coffee shop downtown"
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Alex
"Before writing content for a keyword — Google it. If 'buy laptop' only shows stores, a review article won't rank there. Google already knows the intent."
🎮 Test yourself: match the queries to their intent types in the task!
Lesson Task
Test your knowledge and earn +20 XP