Short answer: Search intent is what a person wants to get done when they type a search. Google’s guidelines for its search quality raters name four kinds: Know, to find information; Do, to get something done; Website, to reach a specific site; and Visit-in-person, to find a place nearby. Before you write for a search, read its first results to see which kind it is.
The four kinds of intent
| Intent | What the person wants | Example in Google’s guidelines |
|---|---|---|
| Know | To find information or explore a topic | “new york city” |
| Know Simple, a kind of Know | One short, correct answer, such as a fact | “barack obama height” |
| Do | To get something done: buy, download, use a site or app | “pay parking ticket” |
| Website | A specific website or page | “reddit login” |
| Visit-in-person | A business or place nearby | “car repair shop” |
From Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines (General Guidelines, September 11, 2025), section 12.7, read November 3, 2026. The examples are Google’s, in English.
Where these labels come from
Google hires search quality raters to judge how well its results serve people, and it publishes the guidelines they follow. The guidelines say no single rating can directly change how a page appears in Google Search.
The labels describe what people want from a search, and that helps you decide what kind of page to write for it.
One search, several intents
Many searches have more than one likely intent. Google’s guidelines use walmart as an example: some people want a store nearby, others the website, others news about the company.
The line between Do and Know is sometimes blurry too, and the guidelines say not to worry about telling them apart strictly. Our advice: write for the main intent first, and give the others a short answer or a link.
How to read the intent of a search
- Search the phrase as your customers would, in their language and country.
- Look at what comes first: articles, tools, a brand’s own pages or nearby businesses.
- Name the intent: Know, Do, Website or Visit-in-person.
- If tools come first, an article will struggle, so build a tool or choose another search.
- If a brand’s own pages come first, people want that site, so write for a related question instead.
- Answer the main intent at the top of the page, and link the others.
- Read the search again after you publish, to see whether the results changed.
Our guide to keyword research for SEO covers how to find the searches in the first place.
What we found in 26 searches
Between 12:33 and 2:22 AM on November 3 we read 26 searches on Google before choosing which guides to write. We sorted each one by the kind of page that came first.
In 16, articles and documentation came first, the sign of a Know search, and that’s where we wrote guides, such as our guide to the H1 tag. In 5, tools came first, such as link checkers and image compressors, so we left them out.
In 3, Meta’s own pages came first, a Website intent. One, “404 page”, brought galleries of designs for people looking for ideas. Another, “conversion rate”, brought currency converters, a different meaning altogether.
Before you write for a search
- You read the first results for it.
- You named its intent.
- Your page is the kind of page people get for it.
- The answer to the main intent comes first.
- Other intents get a short answer or a link.
- You’ll read the search again after publishing.
RememberLook at what Google already shows for a search before you write for it. Articles mean people want to know; tools, a brand’s site or a map mean they want something a guide won’t give them.
If you want us to find the searches your pages can win, see our SEO services.
Quick answers about search intent
What are the types of search intent?
Google’s guidelines for its search quality raters describe Know, which includes the short-answer Know Simple, Do, Website and Visit-in-person. They add that many searches have more than one likely intent.
What’s the difference between Know and Know Simple?
A Know search looks for information or wants to explore a topic. A Know Simple search wants one specific answer, such as a fact, that is correct, complete and fits in one or two sentences or a short list.
Can a search have more than one intent?
Yes. Google’s guidelines use walmart as an example: some people want a store nearby, others the website to shop online, and others news or information about the company.
How do I find the intent of a search?
Search it and look at the first results. Articles and guides point to Know, tools to Do, a brand’s own pages to Website, and maps or nearby businesses to Visit-in-person.
Is Do the same as wanting to buy?
Not only. Do covers buying, but also downloading, being entertained and using a website or app. Google’s guidelines say the line between Do and Know is sometimes blurry.
Sources
Read on November 3, 2026. Google: Search Quality Rater Guidelines (General Guidelines, September 11, 2025, PDF). Our own case: the 26 Google searches we read before choosing our guides, on November 3, 2026.