User Intent

What is User Intent?

User intent (also called search intent) refers to the underlying purpose or motivation behind a user's online search or action. It's the "why" behind the "what"—what the user is trying to accomplish, not just what keywords they typed.

In sales and marketing, understanding user intent helps you deliver the right content, at the right time, to prospects who are actually looking for what you offer.

---

Types of User Intent

1. Informational Intent

The user is looking for information, answers, or education.

Examples:

• "how to improve sales conversion rates"
• "what is account-based marketing"
• "best practices for cold emailing"

Sales Implication:
These users are early in their journey. Provide educational content, blog posts, guides, and thought leadership. Don't push for immediate sales.

2. Navigational Intent

The user is looking for a specific website or page.

Examples:

• "HubSpot login"
• "Salesforce pricing page"
• "Firstsales website"

Sales Implication:
These users know who they are and where they want to go. Ensure your brand is findable and your site navigation is intuitive.

3. Commercial Investigation Intent

The user is researching options before making a purchase decision.

Examples:

• "HubSpot vs Salesforce comparison"
• "best cold email software for 2024"
• "sales engagement platform reviews"

Sales Implication:
These users are in consideration mode. Provide comparison content, case studies, product demos, and competitive positioning.

4. Transactional Intent

The user is ready to make a purchase or take a specific action.

Examples:

• "buy sales engagement software"
• "sign up for free trial"
• "pricing for outbound sales tools"

Sales Implication:
These users are ready to buy. Remove friction, provide clear pricing, offer trials, and make conversion paths obvious.

---

User Intent in the Buyer's Journey

Stage	Primary Intent	Content Strategy
Awareness	Informational	Educational content, blog posts, guides
Consideration	Commercial Investigation	Comparisons, case studies, product tours
Decision	Transactional	Pricing, trials, demos, consultations

---

Detecting User Intent

Search Query Analysis

Informational Signals:

• Question words: how, what, why, when, where
• General terms: tips, best practices, guide, tutorial
• Non-branded category searches

Commercial Signals:

• Comparison words: vs, comparison, best, review
• Brand + category terms: "companies like X"
• Pricing and feature searches

Transactional Signals:

• Action words: buy, purchase, sign up, subscribe
• Specific product searches
• Location modifiers: "near me"

Behavioral Signals

High Intent Indicators:

• Multiple visits to pricing page
• Repeated engagement with product pages
• Trial signups or demo requests
• Engagement from company domains (work emails)
• Specific product feature searches

Low Intent Indicators:

• Single page visits
• Brief time on site
• General information queries
• Personal email domain engagement for B2B

---

Optimizing for User Intent

Content Alignment

For Informational Intent:

• Comprehensive guides answering specific questions
• How-to content with practical examples
• Industry trends and analysis
• Thought leadership content

For Commercial Investigation:

• Product comparison pages
• Case studies with results
• Feature breakdowns
• ROI calculators and business case tools

For Transactional Intent:

• Clear pricing information
• Easy trial signup flows
• Demo request forms
• Product tours and walkthroughs

Intent-Based Lead Scoring

High Priority Scores:

• Pricing page visits (+20)
• Demo requests (+50)
• Trial signups (+40)
• Multiple product page visits (+15)

Medium Priority Scores:

• Case study downloads (+10)
• Blog post engagement (+5)
• Webinar attendance (+15)

Low Priority Scores:

• Homepage visits only (+2)
• Single blog reads (+3)
• About page visits (+5)

---

Common Mistakes

1. One-Size-Fits-All Content – Not matching content to intent stage
2. Ignoring Commercial Intent – Missing users comparing options
3. Premature Sales Push – Selling to informational searchers
4. Not Detecting Intent – Treating all visitors the same
5. Poor Intent Mapping – Wrong content for search queries

---

Key Takeaways

• User intent is the "why" behind searches and actions
• Four types: informational, navigational, commercial, transactional
• Intent maps to buyer journey stages
• Detect intent through search queries and behavioral signals
• Align content strategy with user intent for better conversion
• Score leads based on intent signals for prioritization
• Avoid premature selling to early-stage researchers