Intent Is Messy: Why Classifying Search Intent Is Harder Than Ever (And What To Do Instead)

Our brains crave clarity and simplicity. We’re especially fond of putting everything into neat little boxes.

Take the current types of search intent:

• Informational.
• Navigational.
• Transactional.
• Commercial.

SEO and marketing have long clung to the idea that if we can classify search queries into these tidy categories, we can predict behaviour, optimize content, and guide users effortlessly to conversion.

But here’s the thing: Real people don’t behave like clean-cut case studies. They search while distracted, frustrated, inspired, or half-asleep, switch goals mid-scroll, and even blend research, action, and validation in a single session. The truth is, intent is messy. And if you’re still optimizing based solely on keyword labels, you’re missing the bigger picture.

In his excellent post, “The Challenges of Intent Classification,” Chris Green highlights a truth we don’t talk about enough in SEO:

Intent isn’t a single point. It’s a spectrum. In his post, Chris cites a Semrush study that found seven out of 10 queries fail to fit the traditional intent classification model.

“Every individual has unique ways of learning, searching, and decision-making, which means that attempts to rigidly classify their intent will always be strained. Semrush also suggest that the sheer diversity of what a service like ChatGPT can do (vs “conventional” search results) is another huge complicating factor. Like going from 2D chess to 3D chess – there’s another significant learning curve there!” – Chris Green, The Challenges of Intent Classification

Someone searching “best time to post on LinkedIn” could be:

• Researching out of curiosity (informational).
• Planning a specific post (transactional).
• Benchmarking strategies against competitors (comparative).

And here’s the kicker: The searcher might not even know what they want yet. Their intent can evolve during the search session based on what they see, feel, and experience. Chris points out that static intent labels oversimplify real behaviour. Instead of a neat mapping from keyword → intent → page type, what we’re actually dealing with is ambiguity, overlapping motivations, and fluid journeys.

He’s absolutely right.

It gets even messier.

According to Semrush’s report on ChatGPT and search insights, LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini are changing not just how we get answers, but how we think about asking questions in the first place. People are no longer treating search as “type keyword, sift results.”

Now, they expect:

• Summarization.
• Personalization.
• Decision support.
• Natural language conversations.

This means users are delegating thinking, outsourcing comparison, and expecting context-aware answers with a single query.

The old models of search behaviour, where a query neatly slots into “informational” or “transactional,” simply don’t apply anymore. If they ever actually did at all.

I, like Chris, strongly suggest that the four categories of intent were erroneous and an oversimplification for convenience and ease of marketing rather than accuracy. Anyway, I digress. The main point, here, is that LLMs have retrained our cognitive approach to search itself.

In “The Search Within: Using Consumer Behaviour to Power SEO,” I talk about the importance of moving beyond intent and behaviour into a third, often overlooked layer: context.

“A situation is the specific set of conditions, triggers, and pressures swirling around your audience at the exact time they’re searching, scrolling, or deciding.” — The Search Within: Using Consumer Behaviour to Power SEO, p. 35

You can’t fully understand a user just by looking at the query or the action they take. You have to understand the state of their world when they perform that search:

• Are they in a rush?
• Are they emotionally charged? Trying to please a boss?
• Are they multitasking? Working and parenting at the same time?
• Are they using a mobile device while walking?

In this regard, empathy is critical. As I say in the book:

“Empathy is why they’re here. Intention is what you’re doing about it.” — The Search Within: Using Consumer Behaviour to Power SEO, p. 40

Content that adapts to the audience’s emotional, environmental, and cognitive state has become crucial for site owners, marketers, and SEO professionals. Static intent labels can’t account for this complexity.

Situational awareness and situational content can.

If basic intent classification isn’t enough anymore, what should SEOs and marketers focus on?

Empathy.

Situational understanding.

Real-world context over theoretical labels.

When you look beyond “informational” or “transactional” tags and ask, “What’s happening in this person’s life right now?” you start to build strategies that meet people where they actually are instead of where a tool assumes they should be.

Example: Situational Keyword Research

Take the keyword: “Best running shoes.”

Old SEO thinking:

• Transactional intent.
• Push product pages and “top 10 shoes” blog posts.

Empathetic, situational thinking:

• Are they a beginner overwhelmed by choices?
• Are they a marathoner dealing with an injury?
• Are they budget-conscious after a job loss?
• Are they urgently shopping two days before a race?

Each situation changes the emotional stakes, urgency, content needs, and even the language you should use.

Instead of optimizing blindly for “best running shoes,” a situational strategy might create:

• A guide for first-time runners choosing their first pair.
• Content focused on injury recovery and footwear support.
• A price comparison tool for budget-conscious athletes.
• A “last-minute race prep” checklist featuring shoe recommendations.

Same keyword. Completely different emotional realities. And this is why behavioural SEO matters.

Intent isn’t something you slap onto a query after glancing at a SERP. It’s a fluid, emotional, and situational state that is shaped by everything happening in the user’s life at that moment.

If you want to build strategies that truly connect, you have to understand behaviour, context, and emotion.

Want to learn how?

The Search Within: Using Consumer Behaviour to Power SEO dives deep into building behavioural SEO strategies that reflect how people actually search, feel, and decide.

Download your copy today.

Let’s make SEO human again.

The Search Within: Using Consumer Behaviour to Power SEO (PDF)

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The Search Within introduces a bold new approach to digital strategy: Behavioural SEO. Blending psychology, real-world search behaviour, and situational context, this book helps marketers create content that connects, converts, and actually resonates. Ditch generic funnels, forget outdated personas, and discover how to build smarter, more human-first strategies that align with how people think, feel, and search.

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