The difference between user intent and search intent

User intent and search intent are two crucial concepts within SEO and conversion optimization. Although they are closely related, they differ in important ways. Read about what these differences are and how to make the most of them in your SEO strategy.
What is search intent?
Search intent refers to the purpose behind a search. When someone uses a search engine, they are trying to answer a specific question or fulfill a need. Search intent can be divided into three main types:
- Informational: the user seeks information on a specific topic, such as “How does link building work?
- Commercial: the user compares products or services, for example, “Best SEO tool 2024.
- Transactional: the user intends to perform an action, such as make a purchase or contact, e.g., “hire SEO specialist.

By properly understanding search intent, you can create content that perfectly matches what users want to find.
What is user intent?
User intent goes a step further than search intent. This concept revolves around what a visitor actually wants to accomplish on your Web site after they land on a page.
User intent includes factors such as navigation. This answers the question: does the user want to find a specific page quickly? Information consumption is about whether the user seeks in-depth knowledge or a quick summary. Then there is conversion intent: does the user want to proceed directly to a purchase, or do they want contact first?
Whereas search intent focuses on interaction with the search engine, user intent focuses on interaction with your Web site.
How do you apply both in SEO?
A successful SEO strategy combines search and user intent to achieve both high rankings and conversions. You do this by optimizing content based on search intent, to better match what people are searching for in Google. You can also improve the user experience, by adjusting your content and navigation to match your visitors’ intent. It is also wise to integrate strong call-to-actions, tailored to the stage the user is in.

By effectively combining these strategies, you will not only get more visitors, but also increase conversion and improve engagement on your website.