Keywords and competitors
Search intent checker
Find out what kind of page Google ranks for a keyword (lists, guides, product pages, tools or comparisons) and whether your page is the same kind.
Free · No signup · 5 lookups a day
How it works
Enter a keyword, and the page you want to rank for it if you have one.
We read Google's live US top 10 and sort each result by its type, using its address, title and snippet.
You get the format and intent Google favours first, then the ten results with their types, and a verdict on your page.
What search intent is
Search intent is the reason behind a search: what the person typing it wants to end up with. Someone searching "how to choose a CRM" wants to learn. Someone searching "best CRM for small business" is comparing options. Someone searching "HubSpot pricing" is close to buying, and someone typing a brand name usually just wants that site.
Google is good at reading that intent, and the clearest evidence is what it already ranks. If nine of the top ten results for a keyword are "best X" lists, Google has decided that searchers want a list. A product page, however good, is the wrong shape for that search and tends to struggle there.
How this checker sorts the results
Each result is sorted with plain rules, no AI guessing: a video site or a /watch address is a video; Reddit, Quora and forum addresses are forum threads; a bare domain is a homepage; titles with "vs" are comparisons; "best", "top" or a number of picks makes a list; words like calculator, checker or generator make a tool; "how to", "what is" and blog or guide addresses make a guide; and pricing, shop or product addresses make a product page.
Intent follows from the mix. Lists, comparisons and reviews point to people comparing options. Guides, videos and forum threads point to people learning. Product pages, tools and homepages point to people ready to act. The top three results count a little more, and features on the results page nudge the reading: shopping results and ads lean towards buying, while a "People also ask" box leans towards learning.
If you add your page, we read its title, description and headings and sort it the same way. Numbered headings such as "1. HubSpot" mark a list, even if the title doesn't say so.
What to do with the verdict
- Same format as the top results: good. Now the work is making yours the best of its kind: more complete, more current, easier to scan.
- Same intent, different format: the page aims at the right searchers in the wrong shape. A guide competing with lists might add a clear shortlist near the top, for example.
- Different intent: the page and the keyword don't fit. It's usually better to target a keyword that matches what the page is, and make a separate page for this one.
When the results are mixed, Google isn't sure what most people want, so it shows a bit of everything. Those searches are often easier to break into, because no single format has won.
Where the rules can go wrong
Rules read the title and address, not the whole page, so a list with an unusual title can be sorted as "other", and a guide called "The best way to..." can look like a list. Google also now hides the address of some results behind its own link; for those we use the address Google shows under the result, which is sometimes shortened. Glance down the table: if a type looks wrong, trust your own eyes over the label.
The check uses one US search on desktop at one moment. Results shift over time, and other countries can see a different mix.
Questions people ask
What are the four types of search intent?
Learning (informational), comparing options (commercial), ready to act (transactional) and looking for a particular site (navigational). Many keywords mix two of them, which is why the checker says when the results are mixed.
Can one page rank for keywords with different intents?
Sometimes, when the intents are close, like a guide that ends with a short comparison. When they're far apart, such as a pricing page and a beginner's guide, two separate pages usually do better than one page trying to be both.
Why does the result count include forum threads and videos?
Because Google ranks them. A keyword where Reddit threads and YouTube videos rank well tells you people want first-hand experience or a demonstration, which is useful to know even if you only publish articles.
Does this use AI to classify the pages?
No. It uses fixed rules on each result's address, title and snippet, so the same results always get the same labels and you can see why. The trade-off is that unusual titles are sometimes labelled "other".
Is this search intent checker free?
Yes, with no signup, five checks a day. Each check is a live Google search, so it's open in the countries where RomeoSEO is available.
Want it done for you?
Romeo matches every page to its search
He checks what Google ranks for each keyword you target, flags pages built in the wrong format, reshapes or replaces them, and sends each change for you to approve.
