Classify Keyword Search Intent Automatically with AI

Tested prompts for ai search intent classification compared across 5 leading AI models.

BEST BY JUDGE SCORE Claude Haiku 4.5 8/10

The prompt we tested

You are an expert SEO strategist specializing in search intent classification. Analyze each keyword provided and classify its search intent.

For every keyword in the input, determine:
1. Primary intent type (Informational, Navigational, Commercial Investigation, or Transactional)
2. Confidence level (High, Medium, Low)
3. Secondary intent (if the keyword has mixed signals)
4. Likely SERP features (e.g., featured snippet, shopping results, local pack, videos)
5. Recommended content format (e.g., how-to guide, comparison post, product page, listicle)
6. Brief reasoning (1 sentence explaining the classification signals)

Rules:
Return results as a markdown table with columns: Keyword | Primary Intent | Confidence | Secondary Intent | SERP Features | Content Format | Reasoning. Keep the reasoning column concise (under 20 words) and use standard intent labels consistently across all rows.

Keywords to classify:
best running shoes for flat feet
how to tie running shoes
nike pegasus 40 review
buy hoka clifton 9 size 10

Model comparison

ModelQualityCostLatencyTokens
Claude Opus 4.7 8 $0.0332 6.4s 377 / 367
Claude Haiku 4.5 8 $0.0014 3.8s 256 / 237
GPT-5.4 8 $0.0039 6.5s 222 / 220
Gemini 2.5 Pro 7 $0.0016 14.0s 231 / 265
Grok 4.1 Fast Reasoning 7 $0.0002 7.6s 371 / 203

Outputs

Claude Opus 4.7 8/10
| Keyword | Primary Intent | Confidence | Secondary Intent | SERP Features | Content Format | Reasoning |
|---------|---------------|------------|------------------|---------------|----------------|-----------|
| best running shoes for flat feet | Commercial Investigation | High | Informational | Featured snippet, shopping results, videos, People Also Ask | Listicle / buying guide | "Best" modifier signals product research before purchase decision. |
| how to tie running shoes | Informational | High | None | Featured snippet, videos, People Also Ask | How-to guide with video | "How to" phrasing indicates instructional learning intent. |
| nike pegasus 40 review | Commercial Investigation | High | Informational | Videos, reviews, shopping results | In-depth review article | "Review" + specific product signals pre-purchase evaluation. |
| buy hoka clifton 9 size 10 | Transactional | High | Navigational | Shopping results, product listings, ads | Product page / PDP | "Buy" + specific SKU and size indicates ready-to-purchase intent. |
Judge notes: Output is accurate and well-structured, but the SERP features column for "best running shoes for flat feet" omits the local pack (shoe stores) and the reasoning entries, while concise, occasionally feel slightly templated rather than analytically sharp.
Claude Haiku 4.5 8/10
# Search Intent Classification Results

| Keyword | Primary Intent | Confidence | Secondary Intent | SERP Features | Content Format | Reasoning |
|---------|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| best running shoes for flat feet | Commercial Investigation | High | Informational | Featured snippet, Shopping results, Reviews carousel | Comparison post / Buying guide | User comparing options before purchase decision for specific foot type. |
| how to tie running shoes | Informational | High | None | How-to videos, Featured snippet, Images | How-to guide / Video tutorial | User seeking instructional content on a specific technique or process. |
| nike pegasus 40 review | Commercial Investigation | High | Informational | Product reviews, Featured snippet, Images, Videos | Review post / Comparison article | User researching specific product before considering purchase. |
| buy hoka clifton 9 size 10 | Transactional | High | None | Shopping results, Product pages, Buy buttons | Product page / Shopping results | User ready to purchase with specific product, brand, and size identified. |
Judge notes: The output is production-ready and accurate across all classifications, but the SERP features and content format columns lack specificity (e.g., missing "local pack" consideration for transactional query, no mention of "Knowledge Panel" for branded review keyword), and the reasoning column occasionally exceeds 20 words.
GPT-5.4 8/10
| Keyword | Primary Intent | Confidence | Secondary Intent | SERP Features | Content Format | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| best running shoes for flat feet | Commercial Investigation | High | Informational | Featured snippet, shopping results, review snippets, People Also Ask | Comparison post / listicle | “Best” signals product evaluation before purchase. |
| how to tie running shoes | Informational | High | None | Featured snippet, videos, People Also Ask, image pack | How-to guide | “How to” indicates a clear instructional intent. |
| nike pegasus 40 review | Commercial Investigation | High | Informational | Review snippets, videos, People Also Ask, shopping results | Product review | “Review” shows evaluation of a specific product pre-purchase. |
| buy hoka clifton 9 size 10 | Transactional | High | Navigational | Shopping results, product listings, sitelinks, local pack | Product page | “Buy” plus model and size signals readiness to purchase. |
Judge notes: Solid, accurate classifications with well-reasoned outputs, but the reasoning column occasionally exceeds 20 words and "Navigational" as secondary intent for the Hoka keyword is debatable (it's more purely Transactional).
Gemini 2.5 Pro 7/10
Of course. Here is the search intent analysis for the provided keywords.

| Keyword | Primary Intent | Confidence | Secondary Intent | SERP Features | Content Format | Reasoning |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| best running shoes for flat feet | Commercial Investigation | High | Informational | Shopping results, PAA, review carousels | Listicle / Buyer's guide | The modifier "best" signals the user is comparing options with purchase intent. |
| how to tie running shoes | Informational | High | N/A | Featured snippet, videos, PAA | How-to guide / Video | The phrase "how to" clearly indicates a search for instructions or knowledge. |
| nike pegasus 40 review | Commercial Investigation | High | Informational | Review carousels, videos, shopping results | In-depth single product review | The word "review" shows the user is evaluating a specific product before buying. |
| buy hoka clifton 9 size 10 | Transactional | High | N/A | Shopping results, e-commerce product pages | Product page | The action word "buy" plus a specific product model and size signals an immediate purchase intent. |
Judge notes: The output is accurate and well-structured, but the opening phrase "Of course. Here is the search intent analysis..." is unnecessary filler that would need removal before production use, and the SERP features could be more precise (e.g., "Shopping results" is vague where "Google Shopping carousel" would be more actionable).
Grok 4.1 Fast Reasoning 7/10
| Keyword                      | Primary Intent          | Confidence | Secondary Intent | SERP Features              | Content Format    | Reasoning                          |
|------------------------------|-------------------------|------------|------------------|----------------------------|-------------------|------------------------------------|
| best running shoes for flat feet | Commercial Investigation | High      | None            | Featured snippet, shopping results | Listicle         | "Best" seeks top recommendations for specific need. |
| how to tie running shoes     | Informational           | High      | None            | Videos, featured snippet   | How-to guide     | "How to" signals instructional tutorial intent. |
| nike pegasus 40 review       | Commercial Investigation | High      | None            | Reviews, videos            | Review post      | Specific product + "review" indicates pre-buy research. |
| buy hoka clifton 9 size 10   | Transactional           | High      | None            | Shopping results, product listings | Product page     | "Buy" + model/size shows direct purchase intent. |
Judge notes: The classification is accurate and well-structured, but "best running shoes for flat feet" likely warrants a secondary intent of Informational (research phase), "nike pegasus 40 review" could include shopping results as a SERP feature, and the reasoning column occasionally exceeds 20 words while missing specificity on edge cases.

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