Understanding user intent is one of the most underrated skills in SEO. Most businesses focus on keywords — the words people type — and miss what those words actually mean. Intent is the "why" behind the search. And getting it wrong means creating content that ranks but doesn't convert, or worse, content that doesn't rank at all. In 2026, user intent matters more than ever. AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews evaluate whether your content genuinely satis