# Informational 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/)

**Informational intent** describes a search in which the person wants to learn something, such as a definition, an explanation, or instructions. Keywords with this intent are informational keywords.

## What do informational searches look like?
They often begin with words such as what, how, why or guide, and many are phrased as questions. Examples are "what is a canonical tag" or "how to speed up a website". Semrush places them at the top of the marketing funnel.

In Broder's 2002 taxonomy, informational queries are one of three classes next to navigational and transactional. Google's rater guidelines name a "Know" category for similar queries, but the two schemes are not identical (assessment).

## What does this mean for content?
The search results show what Google considers the right format. If guides, explanations and videos dominate, a product page will rarely fit. JumpFly points out that one question often leads to follow-up queries, which is why related questions from "People Also Ask" and topic clusters are used to plan content (secondary source).

## 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)
- [Navigational intent](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/navigational-intent/index.md)
- [Commercial investigation intent](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/commercial-investigation-intent/index.md)

## Sources

- [A Taxonomy of Web Search - Andrei Broder, SIGIR Forum 36(2), 2002](https://doi.org/10.1145/792550.792552)
- [Search Quality Rater General Guidelines, section on understanding user intent - Google](https://guidelines.raterhub.com/searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf)

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