Navigational Intent
The goal behind a search query where the user wants to reach a specific website, brand, page or login rather than explore options.
Branded navigational searches show existing demand and brand strength, and losing them to competitors' ads, resellers or review sites can divert customers who were already looking for the company.
A SaaS company finds that "acme login" shows a support article first, gives its login page a clear title, adds a login link to the main navigation, and checks branded clicks and positions in Google Search Console every month.
Navigational queries bring little new demand, and ranking for another company's brand name rarely converts. Growth in branded search usually reflects marketing elsewhere, so it should not be credited to SEO work alone.
Navigational intent is one of the four commonly used intent types. Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines describe Website intent for queries seeking a specific website or webpage, and Visit-in-Person intent for physical locations. Typical queries combine a brand with a product or task, such as login, support or pricing. Results usually show the official site first with sitelinks, which makes these queries a key segment in Search Intent analysis and branded reporting.
Experience Design
Google — Search Quality Rater Guidelines (General Guidelines), section 12.7 Understanding User Intent — https://guidelines.raterhub.com/searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf; Semrush — What Is Search Intent? How to Identify It & Optimize for It — https://www.semrush.com/blog/search-intent/