When I first sit down with a client to talk about their website or marketing, I often ask some seemingly basic questions. What kind of customers do you want more of? What’s your top service offering right now? What kind of search terms do you think people might be using when they’re looking for you? Sometimes they know right away. Sometimes they don’t. More often than not, what comes next is a conversation that reveals a pretty core misunderstanding about how search actually works—and specifically, what “intent” means in SEO. That’s what we’re unpacking here.
Understanding user intent can completely change the way you approach your website, content, and SEO strategy. And if you’re investing in a website but ignoring this piece of the puzzle, it’s kind of like hiring a builder for your dream home and never telling them whether you like modern or farmhouse style—you still end up with a house, but maybe not one you actually want to live in.
Let’s start at square one. Search intent refers to the reason behind a user’s search query. It’s what they’re really hoping to find when they type something into Google.
Google’s goal is to match the search result not just to the words a user types, but to the intent behind those words. There are typically four types of search intent:
Each of these categories implies a very different need—and that need should influence how your website content is structured and optimized.
Most business owners don’t think in terms of “intent”—they think in terms of what they want to sell. And that’s human. But Google’s responsibility is to the searcher, not the seller. That’s where friction (and missed opportunities) come into play.
Think of it like this: If someone is Googling “how to clean roof shingles” and you’re a roofing contractor, your first instinct might be, “that’s not my customer, that’s a DIYer.” But what if they’re trying to learn first, then decide to hire later when they realize how complicated or unsafe it is? If you have content that matches that search, even if it’s just a helpful blog post, you’re now part of the conversation early—and you’ve already built trust.
I worked with a local roofing company in Nashville who thought their website was converting “just fine” with their main call to action: “Contact us today for an estimate.” But their organic traffic was plateauing. We analyzed their top-performing pages and noticed one blog post—“What to Do After a Hailstorm”—was getting a lot of traffic but had zero conversion pathways.
We added two things: a short checklist-style PDF lead magnet to download, and a CTA at the bottom offering a free roof inspection. Conversions on that post jumped by over 40% in 60 days. That’s the power of intent-matching content paired with next-step design.
Google’s entire algorithm has gradually shifted over the years to be more intent-aware. It’s not just about how many times a keyword appears on your site. It’s about context, semantics, and user behavior.
A stunning example came with the Hummingbird update back in 2013, which marked a major shift from keyword-matching to meaning-matching. Since then, advances like BERT and MUM (yes, those are real update names) have allowed Google to better understand human language nuance—things like synonyms, phrasing, and even cultural touchpoints.
Let’s say you’re a wedding photographer. If someone types “how to choose a wedding photographer,” Google knows they’re not looking to immediately contact someone yet—they’re researching. If your site only includes a contact page, pricing, and a portfolio, you might be invisible for that query. But if you include a thoughtful guide comparing photography styles, talking about what to look for in a good contract, etc, that’s content with informational intent—and Google might reward you for it.
In essence: Google shows you when it thinks you're answering the real question behind the search. Keyword-stuffing doesn't answer questions. Intent-matching content does.
This is where strategy meets creativity. When planning a website—even a small service site with five to six pages—we map intent types to different parts of the customer journey.
Your homepage, service descriptions, contact page, and pricing pages should directly address people who KNOW they need help. These are for the folks searching “Webflow designer Franklin TN” or “local SEO services near me.” They’re shopping—not browsing.
This is where you meet people earlier in their research—before they’re ready to buy. Say someone types in something like “What platform is better: Webflow or Wordpress?” That’s not a ready-to-buy search. But it shows some serious future potential.
Write blog content that explores these questions honestly. Don’t pitch or sell with every paragraph. Think like a helpful friend at a coffee shop, not a pushy salesperson.
True story: A client of mine who runs a boutique PR firm added a blog post titled “What’s the Difference Between PR and Marketing?” It now brings in 65% of their organic traffic every month and is the most common entry point for discovery calls.
Let’s talk data. There are tools and platforms that help decode search intent, and that means you don’t have to fly blind. Pairing your empathy with numbers is where the magic happens.
Check how people are using your own site. Are they bouncing from a page quickly? That could signal a mismatch between their intent and what they actually found. Tools like Hotjar even let you “watch” user sessions anonymously to peek behind the curtain.
This might surprise some people, but design plays a crucial role in guiding people toward their next goal—once their intent has been matched. A beautiful, high-performing website that fails to honor a user’s intention will still lose.
This is where I see a ton of beautifully designed but strategically weak websites. They look gorgeous but don’t convert, because they read more like art galleries than functional solutions.
If someone’s transactional intent brings them to your homepage and they can’t find your phone number in the first five seconds—intent misalignment. If they read your blog on “Webflow vs Shopify” and there’s nowhere to explore pricing or reach out—intent misalignment.
Not a metaphor—literally two therapists I’ve worked with. The first had five separate CTAs on every page of her site, each styled differently, trying to appeal to every possible therapy concern. The second had crystal-clear pages for each service (grief counseling, ADHD support, couples therapy), each with one call to action to schedule a consultation. The second site consistently books five times more sessions despite less traffic. Simplicity + aligned intent wins every time.
Different clients have different search behaviors. This is especially relevant if your business serves both individuals and companies, or beginners and experts.
Think of intent like tuning a radio frequency—you can’t just broadcast one signal and hope everyone tunes in. You need to adjust based on who you want to reach.
This is where my favorite analogy comes in: Your website is like a city, and search intent is zoning. You don’t put a noisy car dealership in the middle of a quiet residential block. Likewise, you shouldn’t push “Buy Now” links on an educational blog, or hide your contact form at the bottom of a long FAQ page.
Assign page paths and clicks based on where users are in their search journey. That’s thoughtful design—and it respects the psychology of your user, not just your business goals.
If you take away one idea from this whole post, let it be this: User intent is not an abstract SEO concept. It’s a filter you can use to understand your audience better, design better websites, and write better content.
Whether you’re building on Webflow, Wordpress, Squarespace, or Wix, this principle holds. You’re not just building a digital brochure—you’re building an experience that meets users where they are. And in a world increasingly full of noise, doing that thoughtfully is what actually sets you apart.
Understanding intent isn’t a trend. It’s a mindset. And when you build your marketing around the needs behind the search—not just the search itself—you stop chasing algorithms, and start connecting like a human.
Copyright © Zach Sean Web Design
