Let's run a few examples of how different kinds of search phrases imply a lesser or greater degree of intent.
Let's suppose we own a hair loss clinic and want to drum up some business with search advertising. We might be inclined to set up an AdWord campaign bidding on the phrase "hair loss." But this phrase by itself does not necessarily imply any intent. For example, if I were to type "causes of hair loss" into Google my ad might show up, but the full search phrase does not imply that I'm looking for a hair loss clinic, just that I want to know why I'm losing my hair. But if I type in "hair loss clinic," my intent becomes more evident.
Here's another example. Suppose I sell used cars and want to promote cars that get high gas mileage. The phrase "gas mileage" would not be a good choice. There are any number of reasons I might include the phrase "gas mileage" in a search request, researching how to maximize my current vehicle's gas mileage for example. But the phrase "fuel efficient vehicles" demonstrates a bit more intent on my part to find a fuel efficient vehicle. Or better yet, "used car, hybrid" would be a phrase full of intent.
When I run AdWord campaigns for Newfangled, I don't get results from the phrases like "website development." That's because someone searching for information on "website development" is more likely to be a website developer (or an aspiring one) than a client looking for a website developer. And, in fact, the phrase "website developer" is a much better choice because I can presume that people searching with that phrase are more likely to have the intent to hire a website developer. Or better yet, the phrase "website development pricing" shows significant intent to find and hire a web developer.
Combining context and intent is a powerful marketing event. And search is one place where content and intent often meet.
Meeting a consumer at the point of context and intent will likely result in a click, a conversion or a sale. But if you add one more factor, you can really seal the deal.
