Understanding Keyword Intent in 2026

Google is making a bid deal about keyword intent in 2026. Here's what you need to know.

Every keyword carries a clue about what the searcher actually wants. I call that search intent. It should dictate what kind of content you publish for that keyword. Match the intent, and Google rewards you. Miss it, and your content sinks.

Your keywords fall into four basic groups.

Informational

People want to learn. They don't want a sales pitch. Think of somebody walking into a Home Depot. Maybe they just need to know how to fix a leaky pipe. Give them the steps.

What I publish:

• How-to guides and tutorials
• Explainer posts
• Listicles
• FAQs
• Comparison posts
• Videos

How to win: Answer the question early. Go deep. Build clear structure.

Informational keywords make up most of your list. That is normal. They build traffic and trust.

Commercial

Searchers are researching a purchase. They have a problem. They are comparing solutions. Think of someone reading car reviews before hitting the dealership.

What I publish:

• Roundups
• Product comparisons
• Reviews
• Buying guides
• Case studies

How to win: Be useful. Show real criteria, pricing, and flaws.

Treat these keywords as priority targets. The searcher is close to spending money.

Transactional

These people are ready to buy or sign up. Look for words like “buy,” “pricing,” or “near me”. They want action.

What I publish:

• Product and pricing pages
• Landing pages
• Free trial pages
• Local pages

How to win: Don't write a blog post. Build conversion pages. Give them a clear offer and call to action.

Navigational

Sometimes searchers know exactly where they want to go. They type a brand into Google instead of the URL bar.

What I publish:

• Your homepage
• Branded pages
• Documentation
• Account pages

How to win: Make sure your brand pages exist and load fast. If it is someone else's brand, ignore it. You won't outrank Netflix for their login page.

Quick Reference

Intent MD	Goal MD	Content MD	Priority MD
Informational	Learn	Guides and FAQs	Volume
Commercial	Compare	Reviews and roundups	Revenue
Transactional	Buy	Pricing pages	Conversions
Navigational	Find page	Homepage and docs	Your brand

Look at the Results

Intent tells you why someone searches. The search results page tells you what Google rewards. Before I write anything, I glance at what ranks. If page one is all YouTube videos, a text guide is fighting an uphill battle. Match the intent and the format. Play the game on easy mode.

I have a new tool in beta that sugests what types of content are OP (over-powered) to create. It is available for free. Let me know if you want to try it out.