Two people type almost the same thing into Google: "best espresso machine" and "buy espresso machine". They look like the same search, but they want completely different things. The first person is still comparing options and wants an article explaining the differences; the second has already decided and wants a store to pay at. Show the first person a bare product page and they leave. Show the second a 2,000-word article about coffee types and they leave too. Google has spent years detecting this difference and shows different results for each, even when the words are almost identical.
The three (or four) intents you need to recognise
Informational: the person wants to understand something ("what is SEO", "how to clean stainless steel"). Transactional: they already want to buy or hire ("bathroom renovation quote", "buy running shoes"). Navigational: they are looking for a specific brand or site they already know ("Amazon", "3CWeb contact"). Some frameworks add a fourth, commercial investigation: still comparing, but close to deciding ("best CRM for small businesses", "Shopify vs WooCommerce"). Each one needs a different page format, not just different wording.
How to know a keyword's intent without guessing
The most reliable method is not to think it through from your desk: search that exact keyword yourself and look at what kind of results already rank on page one. If you mostly see articles and guides, Google has decided that search is informational, and a product page competing there has a hard time. If you mostly see stores and service pages, it is transactional. Google has already done the classification work for you using years of behavioural data; you just have to read it.
The most expensive mistake: mixing intents on the same page
It is common to find service pages that open with 800 words of general theory before saying what the service actually is and how much it costs. That serves both intents badly at once: people looking for information get bored because they sense they are about to be sold to, and people ready to hire have to scroll further to reach the price. The fix is not to remove the informative content, it is to separate it: a blog article for the informational phase, linked from the service page, which goes straight to the point.
What to check on your own site right now
Open your three highest-traffic service pages and ask yourself honestly: if someone lands here already decided to hire you, do they find within the first three seconds what you do, who for, and how to request a quote? If the answer takes thinking, that page is serving transactional intent badly, however well it is written.
Frequently asked questions
Can the same keyword have several intents at once?
Yes, and in those cases Google often shows a mix of results (an article, a store, a video) to cover the different real intents behind that search. When that happens, look at which format dominates the top positions.
Does search intent change over time?
Yes. Keywords that are informational today can become transactional if behaviour in your sector changes (for example, with a new app or marketplace), so it is worth reviewing the results occasionally rather than treating them as fixed forever.
How do I fix a page that already mixes several intents?
The fastest approach is usually to keep the service page focused on transactional intent and move the long explanatory content to a separate blog article, linked from the top for anyone who still needs that context before deciding.