What Is Search Intent Match?

Search intent match is how well a page’s content aligns with the actual reason behind a specific search query, not just its keyword.

Example

Someone searching “best running shoes” is likely looking for a comparison list, so a page that’s purely a single product’s sales pitch has a poor search intent match even if it uses the exact keyword.

Why it matters

Matching search intent is often more important for ranking than exact keyword usage, since search engines analyze what format and type of content searchers actually click on and stay on for a given query.