Glossary
Keyword intent
Keyword intent is what somebody actually wants when they type a phrase — to learn something, to compare options, or to buy.
The same topic carries very different intent at different phrasings. ‘How much does a website cost’ is somebody researching; ‘web designer near me’ is somebody ready to call.
Why it matters to you
Matching the page to the intent matters more than matching the words. A sales page aimed at a research query converts badly and ranks badly, because it answers a question nobody asked.
An example
A guide explaining what a service costs will out-rank a sales page for that search, and then earn the enquiry anyway by being the thing that answered honestly.
Where this comes up: search engine optimisation .