Search Intent: The Secret to Skyrocketing Inbound Leads Is Hidden in User Search Query Analysis

Why Query Analysis is the Secret Sauce for Google and AI Search

A quick story…

In 2024, a fintech startup came to us with a problem: “Our SEO traffic is up, but signups are flat.” Turns out, they ranked #1 for “how blockchain works” (Informational intent) but their product was a B2B payment gateway (Transactional intent). They were attracting curious learners, not buyers.

This is why search intent matters.

Google’s algorithm has evolved from matching keywords to interpreting meaning. AI search engines like Perplexity or ChatGPT? They’re even more ruthless about context. If your content doesn’t match the intent behind a query, you’re invisible—no matter how many backlinks you have.

Here’s the kicker: 70% of startup content fails to align with intent (Growth Marshal Research, 2024). Most founders write what they want to say, not what their audience wants to hear.

But here’s the good news: When we fixed that fintech startup’s intent mismatch, their signups jumped 240% in 90 days. How? They stopped writing think-pieces for CTOs and started creating “How to Process Cross-Border Payments in 5 Minutes” guides for CFOs.

The 4 Types of Intent Driving Search Queries (and Why Startups Often Botch #4)

Not all searches are created equal. Users hop online with varied goals, from checking the news to comparing products. Here are the four core types of search intent you need to master.

1. Navigational Intent

When users type, “Slack login,” “Facebook business page,” or “Growth Marshal pricing,” they have navigational intent. They know exactly where they want to go but just aren’t typing a websites URL directly.

For a startup, ranking for navigational queries (like your brand name) is crucial for brand authority. The more established you become, the more likely people will search your brand name directly. That alone signals trust and recognition. But navigational queries also matter if you have a tool or online platform that users need to log in to regularly. Ensure you have clear SEO-optimized login pages and FAQ pages that appear for brand-related searches.

Startup Mistake: Not owning your brand SERP. If your “Sign Up” page isn’t #1 for “[Your Startup] login,” you’re leaking trust.

Fix It:

• Claim all branded keywords.

• Use schema markup to highlight key pages (pricing, login, support).

• Pro Tip: Run a “branded vs. non-branded traffic” report. If non-branded dominates, you’re invisible to your own fans.

2. Informational Intent

When someone searches, “How do I conduct user interviews?” or “What is search intent?” they’re looking for information. This is probably the most common search intent type. People want to learn—and by satisfying that thirst for knowledge, you can establish your startup as an authoritative voice in your niche.

For instance, we once helped a B2B startup publish an in-depth guide titled “Everything You Need to Know About Usage-Based Pricing.” Within three months, that single piece of content generated over 2,000 organic visitors per month, according to our Growth Marshal internal analytics. Why? Because it met the informational intent perfectly, leading to higher dwell time, more shares, and ultimately better search engine rankings.

Golden Opportunity: Answer their questions better than competitors, then gently guide them to your product as the solution.

Case Study: A SaaS startup ranked #1 for “What is lead scoring?” but saw zero demos booked. We added a CTA: “Want to automate lead scoring? Grab our free template →.” Demo requests spiked 18% the next week.

3. Transactional Intent

Now, let’s talk about the money-maker: transactional intent. Searches like, “Buy AirPods online,” or “Sign up for HubSpot CRM free trial,” indicate the user is at the bottom of the funnel, credit card in hand (figuratively or literally). At this stage, you need to ensure your website’s product pages or sign-up pages are laser-focused on facilitating that transaction smoothly.

For a startup, you might not have thousands of dollars to throw into PPC ads. But if you can optimize your product or pricing page around the right transactional keywords, you can attract high-converting visitors organically. Just remember, the searcher doesn’t want a generic blog post. They want to know exactly why they should buy and how to do it quickly.

Pro Tip: Transactional keywords are expensive. Instead, target “best [product] for [niche]” (Commercial intent) to intercept users earlier in their journey.

Data Dive: Startups spending 80% of their budget on transactional keywords have a 62% higher CAC than those focusing on commercial intent (Growth Marshal Research, 2023).

4. Commercial Intent

Commercial intent is like a hybrid of informational and transactional. When users type, “Best CRM for small businesses,” “Slack vs. Microsoft Teams,” or “Top 10 SEO strategies for startups,” they’re researching their options before pulling the trigger on a purchase. They’re typically close to deciding but still evaluating various solutions and reading reviews.

Your role here is to provide balanced, trustworthy, and persuasive content that will guide them toward your product or service. Include comparisons, pros and cons, transparent pricing, and user testimonials. If you nail commercial intent, you’ll be top of mind when the user finally decides to buy.

Our Data: Content optimized for commercial intent generates 2.8x more qualified leads than purely transactional pages. Why? Because you’re seen as a trusted advisor, not a salesperson.

Example: A CRM startup created a “Notion vs. Airtable for Project Management” guide. It now drives 34% of their free trial signups—even though they don’t mention their product until the CTA.

How to Learn Your Audience’s Intent Within Search Query Data (Without Mind-Reading)

Keywords Are Clues

Imagine you’re Sherlock Holmes, and keywords are your clues. The best way to understand what your audience wants is to look at how they search. Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Search Console can help you see the exact search queries people use to land on your site (or your competitor’s site).

But here’s a critical tip: pay attention to long-tail keywords. These are highly specific phrases like, “How to scale a SaaS startup without external funding.” Because they’re so specific, they usually reveal a more explicit intent. That specificity also means less competition, making it easier for you to rank.

Analyze the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages)

Do a quick search for your target keywords. Look at the top results. Are they blog posts, product pages, or comparison articles? SERPs can give away the search intent. If the first page is full of listicles or tutorials, that’s a sign your audience wants an informational piece. If the top spots are ecommerce pages, you’re dealing with a transactional query.

At Growth Marshal, we frequently conduct “SERP Deep Dives,” where we systematically note the format, angle, and content type of each top-ranking page. This approach helped one of our clients realize that despite wanting to rank for “workout supplements,” the top results were mostly “Top 10” style reviews—indicating a commercial intent. We adjusted their content accordingly, and within three months, their ranking climbed from page three to the bottom of page one.

• Blog posts → Informational intent

• Product pages → Transactional

• “Best X” lists → Commercial

Case Study: A founder searched “best time to send emails.” The SERP was full of blogs, so he pivoted his product page to a guide: “The Science of Perfect Email Timing (+ Free Tool).” Traffic tripled.

Tool Alert: Use Growth Marshal’s SSP (SERP Intent Decoder) to auto-classify intent in 10 seconds.

Talk to Your Customers

Yes, good ol’ fashioned human interaction. Send a quick email or set up a call with your recent leads or customers. Ask them how they found your brand and what they searched for. Ask them what their main concerns were before committing. You’ll not only glean search intent but also understand your audience’s pain points more deeply.

Leverage Internal Analytics

Analytics tools like GA (or any website analytics tool) can show you how people behave once they land on your site. If visitors bounce quickly from certain pages, maybe you’re not matching their search intent. If you see that your “How to…” articles keep readers on your page for five minutes or more, that means you’re fulfilling their informational intent.

Here at Growth Marshal, our internal studies show that pages with a bounce rate below 30% and an average time-on-page above 3 minutes correlate with significantly better conversion rates (Growth Marshal Internal Research, 2024). In simpler terms, the better you address user intent, the more time people spend soaking up your content—and the more likely they are to become leads.