Low-intent keywords are those that Fishkin would refer to as informational, providing little to no potential for conversion. These are phrases that include one to three words and are so general that you cannot discern with any confidence the expectations of the searcher.

Head terms are a perfect example of a low-intent keyword. For example, let's say you own a used-car dealership that sells Jeeps. It would be wonderful to rank for the term Jeep, but this has no indication of intent: the searcher could be looking for a spec for a car they already own, for an accessory, for a repair shop, or for something as off-base as a toy car for their nephew.

The truth is, you don't know and you never will.

What makes far more sense would be to rank for "used jeeps for sale" or "used jeeps Philadelphia" I realize this seems very obvious, but think about the different strategies you would need to employ to attack this long-tail phrases versus the head:

• You can rank for this term without the signals usually required for head terms such as an EMD or links from high-authority, keyword-rich domains.
• You can compete locally, focusing on your service geography which seriously narrows your market focus and reduces your costs.
• You can focus solely on the secondary market (used cars) and avoid competing, to some extent, with the bigger brands.

Simply put, focus on what you know. It's much easier to meet searcher expectations when they tell you what they are, and what they want .