How do informational, navigational, and transactional intents differ?

Search intent can be categorized into informational, navigational, and transactional types. How do these intents differ, and what do they reveal about user behavior?

• Informational intent:
  Users with informational intent are seeking answers to questions or learning about a topic (e.g., “How to improve SEO rankings?”). These queries often start with “how,” “why,” or “what.” According to SEO specialists, targeting informational queries is great for content that educates or provides solutions to common problems.
• Navigational intent:
  Users with navigational intent are looking for a specific website or page (e.g., “Facebook login”). As per my experience, these queries typically include brand names or specific services and are more likely to result in users directly visiting a website.
• Transactional intent:
  Users with transactional intent are ready to make a purchase or take a specific action (e.g., “buy running shoes online”). According to my understanding, targeting transactional keywords is important for businesses aiming to generate sales or leads.

In my opinion, understanding these three types of intent helps you create content that aligns with what users are actually looking for and drives better engagement.