Search intent
Also: query intent, search intent
The goal behind a search phrase: to buy, to learn, to find a site, or to take an action.
Intent is why a person typed the query. The same words can hide different goals: for "green tea" one person wants to buy it, another wants to read about its benefits, a third is looking for a tea room nearby.
A page works only when it closes the intent the person arrived with. Miss the intent and you get no traffic, even with perfect optimization for the words.
Full explainer
Search intent: why it matters more than volume →