In one sentence
Search intent is what a shopper actually wants when they search or ask a question, whether to learn, to compare options or to buy, and matching it is how a page earns the click and the answer.
Types of search intent in ecommerce
How to tell the search intent behind a query
Search it and look at what comes back. If the results are guides, the intent is to learn. If they're product pages, it's to buy. AI answers show the same thing: a how-to answer means learn, a shortlist of products means compare or buy.
Words help too. "How", "what" and "why" lean learn. "Best", "vs." and "review" lean compare. Sizes, models and "buy" lean buy.
Why search intent matters for ecommerce brands
A product page won't win a "how to choose" question, and a guide won't win a ready-to-buy one. Matching the page to the intent is what gets it ranked, cited and clicked.
Cover all three for your core categories, and link them so shoppers can move from learning to buying.
Related terms