Search query

What happens when someone enters a query?

Google describes three stages: crawling, indexing, and serving search results. A query triggers the third stage. Google looks up matching pages in its index and orders them using what it calls hundreds of factors. According to Google, the searcher’s location, language, and device influence the results, so two people entering the same query may see different pages.

In AI Overviews and AI Mode, a single question can lead to more searches in the background. Google calls this query fan-out, where related searches across subtopics and data sources are issued to build an answer.

Search query vs. keyword

The two words are often used interchangeably. Google Ads separates them clearly. A search term is the word or set of words a person enters when searching. A keyword is a word or phrase an advertiser adds to an ad group to target ads. SEO follows the same logic. A keyword is the target a page is optimized for, while queries are the many real phrasings that lead people to that page.

Types of search queries

The most common classification is based on the searcher’s goal and, according to reports, goes back to Andrei Broder (2002):

• Informational: someone wants to learn something (“what is hreflang”).
• Navigational: someone wants to reach a specific site (“bing webmaster tools login”).
• Transactional: someone wants to do something, like buy, download, or book.

Many SEO tools add a commercial type for research before a purchase (“best rank tracker”). Queries are also grouped by length and volume, from short, high-volume head terms to longer, more specific long-tail queries.

Example

A page is optimized for the keyword “women’s running shoes”. In Google Search Console, the Performance report with the Queries dimension shows which real searches produced impressions and clicks, for example “running shoes for women with wide feet”, “lightweight running shoes women”, or “best women’s running shoes 2026”. Lists like this often reveal phrasings nobody thought of during keyword research.

FAQ

Where can I see the search queries for my website? In Google Search Console under Performance, with the Queries dimension. It lists clicks, impressions, click-through rate, and average position per query. Google notes that the position shown is an average and can differ for your own search because of variables such as search history and location.

What is the difference between a search query and a prompt? A prompt is the input to an AI assistant. It is usually longer and phrased as a full question or instruction. With query fan-out, one prompt-style question can turn into several classic searches behind the scenes.

Is a search query the same as a search term? Yes. Both describe what the user actually types or says. Google Ads uses “search term”, Search Console uses “query”.

Last updated: October 8, 2026