How to read search intent from the SERP
Search the query in incognito and study the top 10 results. If they're all blog posts, Google has decided this is informational — don't try to rank a service page. If they're all service or product pages, an article won't rank no matter how good it is.
Look at the SERP features too. A featured snippet means short, direct answers win. A video carousel means video content is required. A Map Pack means local intent — you need a Google Business Profile, not just a webpage.
The four intent buckets and content types
Informational ('how does SEO work'): blog posts, how-to guides, glossaries, answer pages.
Commercial ('best seo agency toronto'): comparison posts, case studies, agency-vs-agency breakdowns.
Transactional ('hire seo consultant toronto'): service pages, pricing pages, contact forms.
Navigational ('torontoseo.com'): your homepage and brand pages.
Many keywords are mixed-intent — these often need a hybrid page that satisfies multiple intents.