A PPC keyword is high intent when it clearly signals the searcher is ready to take a revenue-producing action, like calling, booking, requesting pricing, or starting service. In Google Ads, we treat intent as “how close is this person to paying you?” and you can usually tell from the wording. High intent searches tend to include action verbs (book, schedule, hire, call), service qualifiers (same-day, emergency, 24/7, open now), buying modifiers (pricing, cost, quote, consultation), and local signals (near me, Orlando, Winter Park, Lake Nona, Kissimmee). They also tend to be specific, not vague: “root canal appointment Orlando” beats “tooth pain,” and “termite treatment quote” beats “termites.”
Here’s a practical way we score high-intent PPC keywords before spending real budget: if you could answer the query with a phone call or an appointment slot, it’s probably high intent. If the query requires a blog post to educate them first, it’s usually mid to low intent. For local service businesses, the strongest patterns are “service + location,” “service + near me,” “problem + fix,” and “service + price/quote.” Example clusters we see convert well in Orlando: “emergency dentist near me,” “AC repair same-day Orlando,” “pest control quote,” “DUI lawyer consultation,” “sprinkler repair near me,” and “sell my house fast Orlando.”
What often looks high intent but isn’t: research-only searches (best, top, reviews) can be valuable, but they usually cost more per lead and need a tight landing page to convert. “Best dentist Orlando” can work, but “dentist appointment Orlando” is normally closer to money. Also watch “free” and “DIY” terms. “Free legal advice” and “how to treat roaches myself” pull clicks that rarely turn into paying clients unless you have a very specific offer that fits.
- Action word: book, schedule, appointment, quote, estimate, consultation, call
- Urgency: emergency, same-day, 24/7, today, open now
- Transaction clue: pricing, cost, coupon, financing
- Specific service: not just “dentist,” but “Invisalign consultation” or “tooth extraction”
- Local fit: city/area, zip code, “near me,” or neighborhood names
The fastest way to confirm intent is not guessing, it’s measurement. Run the keyword, review the actual search terms that triggered your ads, and judge them by booked calls, form fills, and qualified leads, not clicks. If you want help sorting keywords into “buy now” vs “research mode” and building ads and landing pages around the winners, our PPC management team can map that out quickly. If you want the broader framework behind why people search the way they do, this breakdown of search intent types helps you label keywords correctly before you spend.
