Paid media basics
Search intent
What a person is trying to do when they type a search: learn, compare, or buy.
What it is
The same topic can carry different intents. A search for a definition and a search for a provider by name are different buyers at different moments.
Why it matters
For lead generation and e-commerceMatching ads and bids to intent is the heart of search advertising. Buying intent is worth more; learning intent may suit content rather than a sales ad.
In practice
Keywords are grouped by intent during research, and the search terms report shows which intents the ads really reached.
A common mistake
Treating every search on a topic as a buyer, and paying sales-ad prices for curious readers.
All terms