Commercial intent
What is commercial intent?
Commercial intent describes searches made while researching a purchase: the person plans to buy but has not decided what or from whom. Typical examples are "best electric toothbrush", "dyson vs shark vacuum", "hubspot alternatives" and "ninja air fryer review". Google usually shows reviews, roundups, comparison pages and, increasingly, forum discussions.
Commercial keywords often contain modifiers such as best, top, review, vs, compared, alternatives and cheapest. They sit between informational intent and transactional intent, and tend to have higher CPCs because the searchers are close to buying.
Why commercial intent matters for SEO
Commercial searches bring visitors who are close to a purchase, so they are valuable for retailers, software companies and affiliate sites. The pages that rank shape which products people put on their shortlist.
They are also where Google is strictest about quality. Its reviews guidance rewards first-hand testing, evidence and honest pros and cons. Thin roundups that rewrite manufacturer descriptions tend to do poorly, and can fall foul of the spam policy on thin affiliate pages.
How to target commercial keywords
- Check what format the top 10 use: roundups, one-to-one comparisons or single reviews.
- Show first-hand experience: your own testing, photos, measurements and use cases.
- Give clear criteria for your picks and say who each option suits.
- Be honest about drawbacks, including your own product’s on comparison pages.
- Link to product or sign-up pages so ready buyers have a next step.
Commercial intent example
"Best project management tool for small teams" has commercial intent. A strong page compares five tools on price, team size limits and setup time, with screenshots from real use and a short verdict for each type of team.
Commercial intent FAQ
What is the difference between commercial and transactional intent?
Commercial searchers are still comparing options ("best running watch"). Transactional searchers have decided and want to act ("buy garmin forerunner 265").
Which words signal commercial intent?
Best, top, review, vs, versus, compared, alternatives, cheapest and "for" a specific use ("best laptop for video editing") are common signals.
Related SEO terms
Search intent is the reason behind a search: what the person wants to know, find or do. Matching it is one of the most important parts of SEO.
Transactional intent is when a searcher is ready to act: buy, book, sign up or download, with searches like "buy", "price" or "order".
Informational intent is when a searcher wants to learn something, such as how to do a task or what a term means, rather than buy or visit a site.
Comparison pages compare two or more products or options side by side, such as “X vs Y” or “X alternatives”, to help people choose.
Cost per click (CPC) is what advertisers pay for one click on a search ad. In SEO, a keyword’s CPC hints at how commercially valuable it is.
Thin affiliate pagesBlack hat
Thin affiliate pages are affiliate pages that copy product descriptions or reviews from the merchant and add no original value, against Google’s policy.