# Commercial investigation intent

Category: [Keywords & Research](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/keywords-research/) › [Search intent](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/keywords-research/search-intent/)

**Commercial investigation intent**, often shortened to commercial intent, describes a search in which the person researches and compares products or providers before deciding. It sits between informational and transactional intent.

## Where does the category come from?
Broder's 2002 taxonomy has only navigational, informational and transactional queries, and Google's rater guidelines use their own labels. Commercial investigation is an addition from SEO and advertising practice. According to reports, some sources therefore merge it into transactional intent, while others, such as Semrush, keep it separate.

## What do these keywords look like?
Typical modifiers in practice are best, vs, review and compare (assessment). Examples are "best project management tools for small businesses" or "brand A vs brand B". Semrush places these searches in the middle of the funnel. Content that fits includes comparisons, test reports, product pages that answer buying doubts, and tables or calculators (secondary sources).

## Frequently asked questions
**What are commercial keywords?** The term is used in two ways. Some sources mean commercial investigation terms only, others mean everything with buying interest, including transactional terms.

## Keyword types and search intents compared

| Type | Characteristic | Example | Category in Google's rater guidelines | Origin of the label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short tail | short, broad term at the head of the demand curve; intent is often unclear | “coffee machine” | – | counterpart to the long tail; no clear first source |
| Mid tail | between the head and the long end of the curve; more specific than short tail, broader than long tail | “coffee machine with grinder” | – | no clear first source |
| Long tail | specific, rarely searched query, usually several words long | “coffee machine with grinder under 300 euros” | – | term from Chris Anderson, “The Long Tail”, Wired, October 2004 |
| Informational | find information on a topic | “how to descale a coffee machine” | Know, special case Know Simple | Broder 2002, “A taxonomy of web search” |
| Navigational | reach a specific website or page | “reddit login” | Website | Broder 2002, “A taxonomy of web search” |
| Transactional | perform an activity on the web, such as buying or downloading | “buy coffee machine” | Do | Broder 2002, “A taxonomy of web search” |
| Commercial investigation | consider a purchase and compare first | “best coffee machine” | no category of its own | industry usage; neither in Broder nor in the rater guidelines |
| Visit-in-person | go to a nearby place, such as a shop | “gas stations” | Visit-in-Person | Search Quality Rater Guidelines, section 12.7.4 |

Sources: [Google: Search Quality Rater Guidelines, Abschnitt 12.7 Understanding User Intent (Ausgabe 11.09.2025)](https://guidelines.raterhub.com/searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf); [Broder, A.: A taxonomy of web search. SIGIR Forum 36(2), 2002](https://doi.org/10.1145/792550.792552); [Anderson, C.: The Long Tail. Wired, Oktober 2004](https://www.wired.com/2004/10/tail/); [Google Blog: Understanding searches better than ever before (2019)](https://blog.google/products/search/search-language-understanding-bert/). Last checked: October 8, 2026

## Related terms

- [Transactional intent](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/transactional-intent/index.md)
- [Informational intent](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/informational-intent/index.md)
- [Navigational intent](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/navigational-intent/index.md)

## Sources

- [A Taxonomy of Web Search - Andrei Broder, SIGIR Forum 36(2), 2002](https://sigir.org/files/forum/F2002/broder.pdf)
- [Search Quality Rater General Guidelines, section on understanding user intent - Google](https://guidelines.raterhub.com/searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf)
- [Search intent types and keyword categories - Semrush (secondary source)](https://www.semrush.com/blog/types-of-keywords-commercial-informational-navigational-transactional/)

---

Last updated: October 8, 2026
URL: https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/commercial-investigation-intent/