Search and measurement
Search intent: matching a page to what people want
People type similar words for very different reasons. A page that answers the wrong reason will not help, however well it is written. This is how to read intent and match it.
“Search intent” is a phrase used by people who work in search. It means the reason someone typed a query: what they hope to get from the results. It matters because two searches with similar words can come from people who want entirely different things.
The common types
These are working categories used in the industry, not an official classification by Google:
- To learn. “What is a sitemap”, “why is my website slow on mobile”. The person wants an explanation.
- To compare or decide. “Freelancer or agency for a website”, “website design packages India”. The person is weighing options.
- To hire or buy. “Hire a website developer”, “website developer Ludhiana”. The person wants to find a provider.
- To go somewhere. A business name, or a login page.
- To do it themselves. “Free website builder”. The person wants software, not a service.
- Something else entirely. Courses, jobs, templates, salaries.
Same words, different intent
| Search | Likely reason | A page that would help |
|---|---|---|
| website developer for hire | Wants to hire someone | A service page with scope, prices, process and a clear contact |
| website development cost in India | Comparing costs | A guide that explains what drives price, with honest ranges or a way to read a quote |
| website not showing on google | Has a problem | A diagnostic checklist |
| website builder | Wants to build it themselves | A builder’s page; not a service page |
| web developer salary | Researching careers | Not our business |
A service page that tries to answer “website builder” will disappoint; a guide that tries to sell when someone wants a checklist will frustrate. The page and the search have to agree.
How to check what people want
Search the phrase yourself, from where your customers are. Look at the results, not just the top one. What kinds of pages appear: marketplaces, guides, service pages, tools, videos? Google ranks pages that satisfy what people seem to want, so the types it shows are evidence about the intent. If the results are all service pages, a guide will struggle. If they are all guides, a sales page will too.
A search tool used from another country may show different results, so check from India when you can, on a phone. Search Console, once connected, shows the searches your pages have actually appeared for.
Matching a page to its job
- Write the question the page answers, in a sentence.
- Choose the type of page that fits: a service page, a guide, a comparison, a checklist, a tool.
- Put the answer first, and the details after.
- Offer the next step that fits: a hiring page can ask for a call; a guide can link to a deeper note and to the service only where it helps.
- Do not mix jobs. A single page that tries to be a guide, a sales page and a price list does none of them well.
How this site maps intent to pages
This site has one service page for hiring (website developer for hire), one for redesign, one for catalogue websites, one for Ludhiana and one for international clients. Questions that come before a hire, such as cost, ownership, speed, measurement and planning, are answered in Craft Notes, which link back to the service pages where it is relevant. Searches for website builders, jobs, courses or templates are not targeted, because this site does not offer them. The aim is fewer pages that each do their own job.
What this will not do
Matching intent does not make a page rank. Google does not guarantee a position for any page. It does make sure that the people who do arrive find what they came for, which is what you want from the visit. If you want to talk about which pages your business needs, message or call Harman.