Free Cheat sheet · Updated 2026-11

Search Intent Cheat Sheet

Four intents, the page each one needs, a 60-second page-one test, a fill-in worksheet and a fix list for your money pages.

A one-sheet guide to search intent: what the searcher wants, which page to build for it, and how to read page one before you write. Use the worksheet before every new page so you stop writing recipes when you sell machines.

For: Founders and small business owners who write pages that get readers but no buyers, or no traffic at all.

The 4 intents, with one coffee example · 5
If you only have 15 minutes · 3
The 60-second test: let page one tell you · 4
Intent worksheet (copy before every new page) · 1
Worked example: a café owner picks the right page · 4
Mixed intent: when page one is split · 4
Fix intent on your money pages · 6
Common intent mistakes · 5

How to use it

Read the table once. It's the whole idea.
Before you write any page, run the 60-second test and fill in the worksheet.
Use the money-page fix list on the pages you already have.

The 4 intents, with one coffee example

Same topic, four different people. My simple version uses learn, compare, visit and buy. Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines (the handbook its human raters use to judge results) use Know, Do, Website and Visit-in-person. The mapping is in the last column.

Intent	Example search	What they want	Page to build	Google's rater term
Learn	how to make cold brew	An answer or a how-to	Guide, explainer, how-to with steps	Know (Know Simple for one-fact answers)
Compare	best coffee beans	Options side by side before deciding	List, comparison, 'X vs Y' page	Know or Do (the guidelines say the line between them is 'sometimes blurry')
Visit	cafe near me	A place to go now	Location page + Google Business Profile	Visit-in-person
Buy	buy espresso machine	To pay or book	Product, service or pricing page	Do
Go to a site	starbucks menu	One specific website	Your homepage or that exact page	Website

If you only have 15 minutes

Minutes 1 to 5
Open Search Console > Performance > Queries. Sort by impressions. Copy your top 5 searches into the worksheet below.
Minutes 6 to 12
Run the 60-second test on each one. Write the winning page type next to it.
Minutes 13 to 15
For each search, check which of your pages Google shows (click the query, then the Pages tab). If it's the wrong type, that's your first fix.

The 60-second test: let page one tell you

Google already shows you the kind of page it expects. Read it before you write.

1. Search the keyword in a private window
Results still change with location. If you're a local business, search from (or set your location to) where your customers are.
2. Count the page types in the top 10
Guides, lists, product or service pages, a map pack, videos, forums. Write the count, like '6 guides, 3 lists, 1 shop'.
3. Check the extras on the page
Practical reading, not a Google rule: a map pack points to visit intent, shopping results to buy intent, People also ask and an AI Overview usually to learn intent, Reddit or forum threads to 'I want real opinions'.
4. Build the type that wins
If 7 of 10 are guides, a service page will struggle there. Build the guide, then link it to your service page.

Intent worksheet (copy before every new page)

One page, one intent

Keyword: ____
Searched from (city/device): ____
Top 10 page types: __ guides · __ lists · __ product/service · __ forums · __ video
Extras on page one: map pack [ ] shopping [ ] People also ask [ ] AI Overview [ ] videos [ ]
Main intent: Learn / Compare / Visit / Buy / Go to a site
Page type I will build: ____
What the top 3 all cover (must include): ____
What none of them have (my edge: real prices, photos, my process, a calculator): ____
The one-line answer for the top of the page: ____
Which money page this links to: ____

If you can't fill 'my edge', don't write the page yet. Google's helpful content guide warns against pages that mostly summarize others.

Worked example: a café owner picks the right page

Illustrative example, not a real business.

Search	What page one showed	Intent	Page she built
cold brew recipe	9 recipe guides, 1 video	Learn	A short guide with her exact ratio and photos; links to her bean shop
best coffee beans india	7 lists, 2 brand pages, 1 forum thread	Compare	An honest list including two brands she doesn't sell
cafe in koregaon park	Map pack, then directories	Visit	Complete Business Profile + a location page with hours, menu and photos
buy cold brew bottles pune	Shops and product pages	Buy	A product page with price, delivery area and a buy button above the fold

Mixed intent: when page one is split

Google's rater guidelines say many searches have more than one likely intent. The example they give: [harvard] could mean the homepage, directions, or info about applying.

If results are split, pick the intent closest to a sale you can make.
Practical advice. A split page one means more than one type can rank. Choose the one that brings customers.
Answer the learn question at the top of a buy page.
A two-line answer first, then the offer. You serve both people on one page.
Don't build two pages for the same search.
They compete with each other. One strong page beats two half pages.
Recheck page one every few months.
Intent can shift, for example around seasons or news.

Fix intent on your money pages

Your service page targets a buy or visit search, not a 'what is' search.
'What is' searchers want to learn. They read and leave.
Price, area served and how to book are visible without scrolling far.
That's what buy and visit searchers came for.
The title says the page type.
'Prices', 'near Baner', 'vs', 'how to' tell the searcher (and Google's title link) what they'll get.
Every guide links to the service page it relates to.
Learners become buyers later. Give them the path.
Your homepage isn't trying to rank for ten different searches.
One page, one main job. Give each service its own page.
Local business: Google Business Profile is complete.
For 'near me' searches the map pack often shows above normal results.

Common intent mistakes

Choosing keywords by volume alone
A big learn-intent keyword can bring readers who never buy.
Writing a blog post for a search that shows only shops
Wrong type. Build or improve the product page instead.
Checking page one from your office for a city-wide search
Location changes local results. Check from where customers are.
Forcing a 'buy now' box on top of a how-to
Answer first. Offer second.
Assuming AI Overviews need a different page
Google says there are no extra requirements to appear in AI features. Match intent the same way.

Unlock the full cheat sheet

Everything above, plus the branded PDF to keep.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What are the 4 types of search intent?

The common SEO version is informational, commercial, navigational and transactional. In plain words: learn, compare, go to a site, buy. Google's rater guidelines use Know, Do, Website and Visit-in-person. This sheet adds 'visit' because local businesses need it.

How do I find the search intent of a keyword?

Search it and look at page one. The type of page that fills the top results (guides, lists, shops, a map) is what Google thinks people want.

Can one page rank for more than one intent?

Sometimes, when page one is mixed. Put the short answer at the top and the offer below. If page one is clearly one type, build that type.

Why does my good page not rank?

Often it's the wrong kind of page. A service page rarely ranks for a search where Google shows only how-to guides.

Is search intent a Google ranking factor?

Google doesn't call it a factor. Its ranking systems try to show the most relevant, useful results for what the searcher means, so matching intent is how you become relevant.