User intent
User intent is what a person is really trying to get done when they search or ask, which can go beyond the words they use.
User intent is what a person is really trying to get done when they search or ask a question. It's close to search intent, and the two are often used for each other. The difference is in the angle: search intent is usually a label on a keyword, while user intent is about the person and the job behind the words, which can be bigger than one search.
For a marketer, thinking about user intent stops you writing pages that match the words and miss the point.
The job behind the words
Someone searching "how to descale an espresso machine" wants instructions. But the reason they're asking might be that their coffee tastes bitter, or that the machine is getting slow and they're wondering whether to replace it. A page that answers the question and then helps with what comes next serves the whole reason for the search.
For example, Fernhill Coffee's descaling guide adds a short section, "Still bitter after descaling?," with tips on grind and fresh beans. It answers the next question before it's asked, and it puts Fernhill's beans in front of someone who just learned the machine isn't the problem.
User intent in AI search
AI platforms work harder at user intent than search engines did, because people tell them more. A question like "my espresso tastes sour and I've got a cheap grinder, what should I change first?" carries the whole situation. The platform answers that whole situation, and may suggest products the person never mentioned.
So when you write prompts to track, write them the way your customers would explain their situation, with the details that change the answer. Then you see what the platforms recommend to the people you actually want to reach.
In AnswerOrbit
Audiences let you run a prompt as a particular kind of customer, with their job, company size, what they want and what bothers them, so you see the answer that person would get. You add them in Settings, and running a prompt as an audience counts again toward your plan.