How Can You Identify Search Intent from Ads?

To identify search intent from ads, first check whether each ad is relevant to the query. Then examine its headline, description, emotional appeals, and additional text to infer what need it aims to address. Ads in search results may suggest commercial or transactional intent, but the presence of ads does not mean the searcher necessarily wants to buy: advertisers can misjudge intent, too. This approach provides clues about intent; an advertiser’s interpretation should not be treated as the searcher’s actual need.

Filter Out Irrelevant Ads, Then Examine What They Offer

A 2018 Semrush article advises checking whether ads are relevant to the query before analyzing them. If an ad does not match the query, it is not a suitable basis for assessing intent. When analyzing a relevant ad, focus on the specific product or service it offers and the action it encourages searchers to take.

The original article uses a query about adopting a pig as an example. Some ads offer adoption arrangements that do not involve taking the animal home. Others offer the chance to adopt and take home an animal, though not necessarily a pig. Still others are clearly off-topic. Ads for the same query may reflect advertisers’ different interpretations, so seeing the word “adoption” is not enough to conclude that they address the same need.

Break Down the Copy to Identify Needs and Emotional Cues

After filtering out irrelevant ads, examine three types of content in turn rather than simply noting recurring keywords:

• Headlines and descriptions: What problem does the ad promise to solve? What action does it encourage the searcher to take? First distinguish the options it offers, then consider what needs those options might address.
• Emotional appeals: The original article mentions Christmas, the idea that the recipient will love the gift, and a loving home. These references bring to mind particular occasions or emotional expectations. They show what emotions the ads aim to elicit, not what searchers are necessarily feeling.
• Additional promotional text and sitelinks: Beyond the main appeal, supplementary content may reveal other considerations searchers could have, such as whether they want to help animals.

Urgency in Ad Copy Does Not Mean Searchers Are in a Hurry

“Adopt today” in the original example urges action, while sitelinks about helping pigs offer another clue to searchers’ possible motivations. You can consider both, but they do not establish that searchers were already in a hurry to act or that all searchers want to help animals. The response an ad tries to prompt is not the same as what searchers actually need.

You Can Also Run Tests, but the Article Does Not Explain the Details

In addition to analyzing competitors’ ads, the original article suggests running your own test campaigns to understand what most people intend when they use a query. However, this passage does not specify the test design, metrics, or decision thresholds. Testing can help you explore intent further, but the passage alone does not establish that a single campaign can confirm most searchers’ intent.