Intent is about timing, not topics

Last month I was looking at search data for a B2B software client. Two people searched for almost exactly the same thing:

"project management tool for remote teams"

One of them clicked through, spent about 45 seconds on the pricing page, and left. The other clicked through, read several case studies, signed up for a trial, and converted within a week.

Same search. Completely different outcomes. The keyword report treats them identically. (I've seen this pattern repeatedly over 10+ years of reviewing search data — the query tells you almost nothing about where someone is in their decision.)

The label problem

We've been trained to categorise intent like a filing system.

Informational. Commercial. Transactional. Navigational.

Stick a label on it, build a strategy around the label, move on.

These four categories are the standard framework — and useful as a starting point (Semrush, 2024). But those two searchers I mentioned? Both would get labelled "commercial intent." And that label tells you almost nothing useful about what they actually needed in that moment.

What's really going on

Intent isn't a category. It's a moment in someone's thinking.

The person who bounced after 45 seconds was probably early in their process. They wanted to know roughly what things cost before doing more research. The pricing page answered their question — "okay, this is in the ballpark" — and they went back to exploring.

The person who converted was further along. They'd already done the research. They were looking for proof that this specific tool would work for their specific situation. The case studies gave them that confidence.

Same search query. Different stages. Different needs.

Google's results for the same query often serve multiple stages of decision-making at once, because the search engine itself recognises that identical queries come from people in different mindsets (Advanced Web Ranking, 2025).

The timing clues are in the language

You can't read minds, but you can read patterns.

Early-stage searches often include words like "what is", "how to", "types of", "examples". People are still figuring out the problem.

Mid-stage searches get more specific: "X vs Y", "best X for [situation]", "alternatives to". They know what they need, they're weighing options.

Late-stage searches are pointed: brand names, pricing, "buy", "demo", "sign up". They've decided — they just need a reason to pick you.

And then there's the stage nobody talks about: post-purchase doubt. "Is X worth it", "X problems", "cancel X subscription". These are people who've already bought something and are wondering if they made a mistake. This is well-documented in consumer psychology — the decision process often continues well after purchase (Harvard Business Review, 2020).

Language patterns are the most reliable signals — modifiers and question structures reveal where someone is in their thinking far better than topic alone (Search Engine Journal, 2024).

Why this matters

If you treat "best project management tool" the same way regardless of timing, you'll write generic copy that speaks to nobody in particular.

But if you can spot timing signals, you can actually be useful:

Early stage? Help them understand the problem better. Don't push a sale.

Comparison stage? Show them specifically why you're different. Address the objections they're weighing.

Ready to buy? Get out of the way. Make the next step obvious and easy.

Doubt stage? Reassure them. Show them what success looks like.

The shift

Instead of asking "what type of intent is this search?", try asking "where is this person in their thinking right now?"

It's a small change in framing. But it's the difference between showing up with the right message and just... showing up.