Intro
Separate action-ready searches in GSC so transactional intent does not get mixed in with awareness or research traffic.
Use this regex to isolate transactional intent in GSC when searchers are signalling they want to take action rather than keep researching.
The Regex
How This Regex Works (Explained Simply)
()
Parentheses group terms together so GSC treats them as one unit. That is what lets one regex cover several query variants in a single filter.
|
The pipe means OR. GSC will match any term on either side of the pipe, which is useful for variants, modifiers, or alternative phrases.
\b
Backslash-b marks a word boundary. It helps stop short terms from matching inside longer words in GSC queries.
GSC regex is case-insensitive by default, so capital letters do not need separate variants. GSC also uses partial matching by default, so the regex can match part of a longer query unless you anchor it with ^ or $.
What This Regex Does
- Matches common action words that signal a readiness to convert.
- Builds a broad transactional segment without relying on one exact modifier.
- Helps you compare high-intent traffic against informational or commercial demand.
What it does not match
- best seo reporting software - Commercial investigation is present, but no transactional modifier appears.
- what is search console regex - This is informational intent rather than action intent.
Edge Cases
- Get can be too broad in some markets, so remove it if the segment feels noisy.
- Because the regex is not anchored, action words can appear anywhere in the query and still match.
Example Matches Table
| Query | Match | Why |
|---|---|---|
| buy seo reporting software | Match | Contains buy, which is included in the grouped action terms. |
| sign up for gsc dashboard trial | Match | Contains sign up and trial, both of which signal action. |
| best seo reporting software | No | Commercial investigation is present, but no transactional modifier appears. |
| what is search console regex | No | This is informational intent rather than action intent. |
How to Use This in Google Search Console
- Open Performance and go to Search results.
- Click Add filter and choose Query.
- Select Custom (regex).
- Paste the regex and click Apply.
When to Use This
- Measure how much search demand is close to conversion.
- Compare transactional CTR and landing pages against commercial queries.
- Spot pages that should convert better but underperform on clicks.
Pro Tips
- Pair this with branded and non-branded segments to see where conversion intent really sits.
- Action words vary by vertical, so add request demo or quote if needed.
- Use page filters to see whether your product or pricing pages capture these searches.
- Compare date ranges after commercial page updates to see whether transactional demand grows.
Variations
Include purchase phrasing
Adds another explicit action word when your audience uses purchase more often than buy.
Related Regex Recipes
Regex for Commercial Intent
Use this regex to isolate commercial intent in GSC when searchers are evaluating options but are not yet fully transactional.
Regex for Purchase Stage Queries
Use this regex to capture purchase-stage queries in GSC when users are close to converting and are using clear action-ready language.
CTA
Manual regex checks in GSC are useful, but they do not scale well across properties, date ranges, and recurring reporting. Spicy Metrics turns repeat regex workflows into faster monitoring and clearer action.
See how Spicy Metrics scales this