4 types of search intent

• Informational→ The searcher is looking for information. They might either need a very simple answer like “what time is it in LA”, or something more in-depth like “how does the stock market work”.
• Navigational → The searcher is trying to arrive at an already known destination, but they type it into Google because it’s easier, or they don’t know or remember the URL. Es.: ”Twitter login”, ”Walmart contact” or ”Facebook”.
• Transactional → The searcher wants to buy something, and they already know what it is. They just need to know where to buy it. Ie.: ”Buy iphone 13”, or ”Used laptop cheap”.
• Commercial → The searcher is looking for a certain type of product or service, but they’re not yet sure which one is the best for them, so they often want reviews and comparisons. These keywords are often where affiliates make their money. Ie.: ”Best white shirts”, ”Cheapest gym in Rome”, or ”MacBook vs Surface”

The most interesting search intents for most affiliates are commercialand informational. If you run an eCommerce store, transactional is very interesting too. The simplest way to figure out the search intent is to Google a keyword and see what’s ranking. In this case, we have already looked at the SERP when Googling “horse snacks”.