Search Intent
Search intent describes the actual goal behind a search query, whether that is finding information, buying something, navigating to a particular website or a local need. Google distinguishes exactly these four query types in its guidelines for search quality raters (Know, Do, Website, Visit-in-Person) and notes at the same time that many queries carry more than one of them.
In practice
Content that matches search intent precisely ranks more reliably than purely keyword-optimised text with no real substance. A look at the actual search results for a target query usually shows quickly whether informational, transactional or local content is expected.