What Is Search Intent? And Why It Could Be Killing Your Ad Budget

If you're running Google Ads for your Shopify store or eCommerce brand and not seeing the return you expected, you’re not alone.

Many marketers and store owners obsess over high-volume keywords but overlook something even more important: search intent.

Understanding the why behind a search query is what separates ad campaigns that convert from those that just burn budget. In this post, we’ll explain what search intent is, how it affects your advertising ROI, and how tools like Amplifyd can automatically align your keywords with buyer intent to maximize performance.

What Is Search Intent?

Search intent (also known as user intent) refers to the reason behind a person’s search query. It’s not just what they’re typing into Google—it’s what they’re trying to accomplish by searching.

For eCommerce businesses, this distinction matters a lot. Two people may search for similar keywords but have completely different motivations:

• “What is whey protein?” → Looking for information
• “Best whey protein brands” → Comparing products
• “Buy whey protein isolate” → Ready to purchase

The 4 Types of Search Intent

There are four primary types of search intent, each reflecting a different stage in the buyer journey:

1. Informational Intent

Users are looking to learn more about a topic. They’re in the awareness stage and aren’t necessarily ready to buy.

• Example: “What is collagen good for?”
• Best used for top-of-funnel SEO content.

These users already know where they want to go. They’re searching for a specific brand or website.

• Example: “Vital Proteins homepage” or “Shopify login”

Users are considering a purchase and comparing options.

• Example: “Best collagen supplements for skin”
• Great for targeting product category pages or comparison landing pages.

These are high-intent searches from users ready to buy now.

• Example: “Buy collagen peptides online”
• Ideal for product pages and high-converting Google Ads campaigns.

Why Search Intent Matters for Google Ads and SEO

Let’s say you’re spending $1,000 a month on Google Ads. You’ve done your keyword research, selected high-volume search terms, and built out landing pages. But your conversion rate is still disappointing.

Here’s why: you're likely matching the wrong offer to the wrong intent.

• Bidding on an informational keyword with a product ad? You’ll get clicks, but few conversions.
• Targeting a transactional keyword with a helpful blog post? You’ll lose sales to competitors with better-aligned offers.

How Amplifyd Automatically Aligns Keywords with Search Intent

Most keyword tools stop at listing high-volume keywords. Amplifyd goes several steps further.

Here’s how it works:

• Product-Level Scanning: Amplifyd scans your entire Shopify product catalog and finds keywords specific to each product.
• Intent Tagging: Each keyword is tagged as Informational, Navigational, Commercial, or Transactional.
• ROI-Focused Recommendations: We surface the highest-performing, lowest-competition keywords based on buyer intent—no spreadsheets or guesswork required.
• Direct Google Ads Integration: Export campaigns with one click and start seeing better performance from day one.

If You’re Ignoring Search Intent, You’re Wasting Budget

You can’t afford to target keywords blindly. Every ad dollar counts—especially in eCommerce, where margins are tight and competition is fierce.

Search intent helps you connect the right keyword to the right stage of the buyer journey, ensuring that every click has the potential to become a sale.

Ready to see how intent-driven keyword targeting can transform your paid and organic campaigns?

👉 Join the Amplifyd beta to get early access today!