When it comes to choosing the right keywords for our website's SEO, we keep things simple and practical. We always start by asking ourselves one key question "What would our ideal customer type into Google when they're looking for a solution we offer?" From there, our process goes like this: Understand What People Are Searching For: We begin by brainstorming words and phrases related to our services. Then, we use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to see how often people search for those terms and what related phrases they use. This helps us build a solid list of potential keywords. Focus on Intent, Not Just Traffic: It's not just about how many people are searching—it's about why they're searching. For example, someone typing "best custom software company for startups" likely has stronger buying intent than someone typing "what is custom software." So we prioritize keywords that match what our audience is really looking to do—whether that's learning, comparing, or buying. Look at the Competition: If a keyword is super competitive and all the big players are ranking for it, we might skip it for now. Instead, we look for less crowded opportunities where we have a better chance to stand out—like longer, more specific phrases (called long-tail keywords). Pick Quick Wins Too: We also look at what we already rank for on Google's second or third page. With a little effort—like updating content or getting some backlinks—those pages can move up faster, so we treat them as low-hanging fruit. Keep Business Goals in Mind: Finally, we ask: will this keyword help us attract the right kind of visitors? Our goal isn't just traffic—it's about bringing in people who might actually become customers. In short, we blend a bit of research, common sense, and business intuition to decide which keywords are worth going after. It's about understanding people first, then helping search engines understand us better.
To prioritise keywords effectively, I focus on three key factors: First, I align keywords with business goals. For instance, we recently targeted mid-funnel queries for a client, resulting in over $20,000 in new sales. This approach ensures that every keyword contributes to measurable revenue rather than just rankings. Next, I analyse search intent using tools like SEMrush and Google Search Console. With AI-driven results dominating 74% of problem-solving queries, I prioritise keywords that cater to both informational and commercial intent. This strategy helps us capture featured snippets and zero-click results, enhancing visibility. Finally, I emphasise long-tail keywords, which now account for 70% of search traffic. By grouping keywords based on their potential impact and feasibility, I ensure we focus on those that resonate with our clients' unique offerings. A recent content refresh led to a 680% increase in organic traffic for one client, showcasing the power of intent-driven optimisation.
One transformative keyword prioritization project involved a specialty outdoor gear retailer overwhelmed by thousands of keyword opportunities but lacking clear direction on resource allocation. The breakthrough came through comprehensive business-impact scoring: First, we developed a weighted prioritization matrix incorporating four critical dimensions: search volume, conversion potential, competitive difficulty, and business alignment. However, the game-changing factor was adding "revenue velocity" - how quickly targeted keywords could generate actual sales. Our systematic prioritization process included: Analyzing existing conversion data to identify which keyword types produced highest-value customers Calculating realistic traffic potential based on current domain authority and competitive landscape Assessing internal resource requirements for ranking competitively on each target Mapping keywords to specific business objectives and profit margins Creating priority tiers with clear success metrics for each category The scoring framework weighted factors as: Business relevance and profit potential (40%) Competitive feasibility given current resources (25%) Search volume and traffic opportunity (20%) Content creation and optimization effort required (15%) The results validated this strategic approach: Organic revenue increased by 67% within six months despite targeting fewer total keywords Return on SEO investment improved by 83% through focused resource allocation Average time to page one rankings decreased by 34% due to strategic targeting Content creation efficiency improved by 45% with clear priority guidelines The key insight: Most keyword strategies fail because they prioritize search volume over business impact. By focusing on keywords that align with actual business objectives and realistic competitive positioning, we achieved significantly better ROI than broad-based approaches. My recommendation: Always start with business goals and work backward to keywords, rather than starting with keyword volume and hoping for business results. This approach ensures every SEO effort directly supports revenue objectives.RetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.
I still start with a quick catch-all list of ideas, but the shortlist only forms once I pull in Google Search Console benchmarks. For GSC I look at impressions, click growth over the past 12 months, and the average position trend line. A term with rising impressions but flat clicks tells me the snippet needs work. Whereas one with both rising clicks and improving rank jumps straight to the priority column. Layer that data on top of the usual checks from any SEO tool. Search volume, intent, and difficulty etc, and the winners surface fast. In a spread sheet I use simple colour codes to and formatted tables to tag and track terms and actions. Green for keywords we can realistically own soon, orange for those that need heavier lifting, red for to revisit later. I revisit the sheet monthly, and use Supermetrics so fresh, automatically updated GSC trajectories keep the roadmap honest.
Our keyword prioritization follows a topic-first, intent-driven approach that balances quick wins with long-term impact. We begin by identifying a high-impact topic area—for example, Erectile Dysfunction (ED). Rather than targeting random keywords, we focus on building topic clusters: a structured ecosystem of interlinked content that comprehensively covers user intent, questions, and solutions. For ED alone, we've created nearly 500 pieces of content, organized around user personas, search journeys, and medical depth, ensuring strong topical authority and internal SEO performance. Initially, we prioritize low-competition, long-tail keywords with high relevance and decent search volume to build traffic and trust. These typically include local modifiers or symptom-specific queries that align with our clinic locations and services. As our authority grows, we shift focus to higher-intent, competitive keywords that mirror Google Ads traffic profiles—bringing in highly qualified users with stronger conversion potential. We also continuously audit performance using tools like Google Search Console, Semrush, and internal attribution systems to optimize and re-prioritize. Ultimately, our SEO strategy is not just about ranking individual terms but owning whole categories of user intent.
This one could go forever, because the answer can be nuanced - I'll provide a best practice here, but am open for any follow up needed. Look at your competitive (SERP) landscape - map your keyword rankings against your competitors in excel/google sheets and find common ranking points where your competitors rank but you are absent. This is list one. List two - jump into search console and find keywords sitting in average position 3-5 and 9-14 - these are your revision keywords worth considering for optimization. You should be able to know based on impression counts what a 2 position bump will do to improve your traffic and conversion metrics. List three - lean over to your sales and pmm professionals and ask them what kind of situations led to customers converting. You want to know both the "jobs to be done" problems that made a customer realized they needed your business as well as the features of your product that sealed the deal. These may be long tail - but with AI, these keywords and key phrases could be the secret to big successes.
I use a "low-hanging fruit scoring system" that weighs difficulty against traffic potential, but personal expertise is my secret weapon. Most people pick keywords based purely on search volume, but I've learned that's a recipe for wasting months on impossible targets. My 3-step prioritization process: Step 1: The Reality Check I plug potential keywords into Ahrefs and immediately eliminate anything where the top 10 results are all massive sites with high Domain Rating. If I can't realistically compete with the current top 10, I move on. Step 2: The Opportunity Score I calculate a simple score: (Monthly search volume / Keyword difficulty) x Personal expertise factor The personal expertise factor is key - I multiply by 1.5 if it's something I have deep experience with, 1.0 for general knowledge, 0.5 for topics outside my wheelhouse. Step 3: The "Can I Actually Win?" Test I look at the current top 10 results and ask: - Are any of these articles clearly outdated? - Is anyone missing obvious subtopics I could cover? - Do I have a unique angle or better data? My controversial take: I'd rather rank #1 for multiple keywords with lower search volume than rank poorly for one high-volume keyword. The cumulative traffic is often similar, but ranking #1 builds domain authority faster. What most people get wrong: They chase vanity metrics instead of winnable battles. I've seen too many sites waste 6 months targeting impossible keywords when they could have dominated 20 easier ones in the same timeframe. I track every keyword decision in a spreadsheet with projected outcomes. This discipline has completely changed how I approach keyword strategy.
We don't start keyword research with tools we start with conversations. Our sales and delivery teams constantly hear how clients describe their problems, so we build our keyword list around that language. It's not always what shows up in high-volume searches, but it's what drives the right traffic. We look closely at intent. If a keyword feels vague or purely informational, we often skip it. Since we're offering services, we focus on terms that signal a project need or buying intent, even if volume is lower. Next, we map keywords to the funnel. Some go to blogs to educate; others go to landing pages where we want action. We also look for gaps where competitors rank, but don't convert well we try to reverse that. Honestly, the best insights don't always come from data. They come from listening. That's where we find keywords that bring in real leads not just clicks.
Our keyword strategy framework revolves around the HVS Funnel (High intent, Volume and Seasonality). This model allows us to prioritize the types of keywords that will both drive traffic but also map back to business objectives and buyer readiness. We begin by going after high purchase intent keywords — bottom-of-the-funnel phrases that are relevant for us. These also generally convert at 2-3x of the same search term if it's a general search. We combine those with long-tail keywords, or phrases of four or more words, that have relatively low competition but a high level of clarity of intent, often expressed by people who know what they want but perhaps have not yet found the right provider. We also add high-volume, low- to medium-competitive keywords to appear at the top of the funnel, as well as for retargeting. However, we NEVER operate on volume alone—we also consider seasonality trends (e.g., what's getting searched more in July than in January about our services) and the latest Google algorithm updates (which are more and more rewarding topical depth and user-centric content). In other words, that means our keyword targets are updated quarterly to keep us agile. We've realized as much as a 47% increase in relevant organic traffic in as little as two quarters when utilizing this framework consistently.
I find keyword targeting for B2B clients requires a fundamentally different approach than, say, ecommerce. We prioritize long-tail keywords on specialist topics that help clients dominate their specific niches rather than chase general terms. There's little benefit ranking for broad keywords these days because AI summaries and search features mean users only visit websites when they need something specific, not generalized information. This actually works in our favor because it drives higher engagement from qualified visitors. Our process starts with cornerstone content and pillar posts to build authority, but we stay flexible. Sometimes outlier keywords from one-off articles perform surprisingly well, so we watch Search Console and organic traffic closely to spot these opportunities. When certain keyword clusters outperform others, we expand content around those themes. This iterative approach means our strategy evolves based on real user behavior and search engine response, not just initial keyword research.
When it comes to building backlinks, our philosophy centres on quality first, supported by consistent and strategic quantity. We view links not as a numbers game but as trust signals. One strong, contextually placed link from a high-authority, relevant site will always outweigh ten low-quality ones. However, we also recognise that to compete in certain verticals, a steady stream of good links is necessary to remain visible and competitive. Our approach is to build a foundation of high-quality links through digital PR, guest content, and strategic partnerships, while also maintaining a baseline of link acquisition through scalable, lower-effort methods like niche directories, supplier links, and local citations. Every link we build must meet two criteria: it should provide contextual value to users, and it should be from a source that we would be happy to show a client. We also look closely at anchor text balance, link placement within the page, and whether the surrounding content supports topical relevance. To maintain quality without sacrificing volume, we prioritise relationships. Instead of one-off link placements, we develop ongoing partnerships with site owners, journalists, and content creators. This allows us to consistently earn links that are natural, relevant, and valuable over time. In short, we don't chase numbers. We build link profiles that search engines and real users can trust. Our results have shown that when you commit to relevance, trust, and a bit of creativity, authority and rankings follow naturally.
Sometimes we chase keywords with stories behind them. If a topic connects emotionally it becomes content worthy. That content earns links, shares and trust naturally. Even lower volume keywords can build massive brand equity. We do not just chase clicks we chase resonance. That keeps our SEO human not robotic. To decide what to prioritize we gut check everything. Does this keyword help people make smarter decisions or not If not it probably is not worth our time. We have learned that relevance always beats reaching long term. It builds loyal traffic and not just passing visits. And that is what great SEO actually means.
When prioritizing keywords, I focus on those that align closely with our clients' business models and have the potential to drive marketing-qualified leads (MQLs). For example, instead of targeting broad terms like "email marketing," we aim for more specific, high-intent phrases such as "email marketing platform for e-commerce." This approach ensures that the traffic we attract is more likely to convert. We utilize tools like SEMrush and keywordtool.io to identify high-volume, low-competition keywords that are relevant to our clients' industries. Additionally, we conduct thorough competitor analyses to uncover keyword opportunities that others might have overlooked. This comprehensive research helps us build a targeted and effective keyword strategy. Understanding the search intent behind keywords is crucial. We categorize keywords based on whether they are informational, navigational, or transactional, and tailor our content accordingly. This ensures that we meet the needs of users at different stages of the buyer's journey. Finally, we continuously monitor the performance of our targeted keywords and adjust our strategy as needed. SEO is an ongoing process, and staying adaptable allows us to maintain and improve our clients' search rankings over time.
International AI and SEO Expert | Founder & Chief Visionary Officer at Boulder SEO Marketing
Answered a year ago
When prioritizing keywords for SEO, I always aim for a strategic, intentional approach. I begin by clearly defining the business objectives and understanding our ideal audience—what they're searching for, the intent behind their queries, and their specific pain points. Next, using SERanking, I conduct thorough keyword research to identify potential targets, analyzing factors such as search volume, competition levels, relevancy, and keyword intent. I place extra emphasis on intent because ranking for keywords closely aligned with user needs brings higher-quality traffic and more conversions. After assembling this comprehensive data, I focus my resources first on keywords offering the sweet spot: solid search volume, achievable competitiveness, and a direct connection with our business goals. This approach—human-driven, meticulous research aided by AI-powered tools—is what I call Micro-SEO, enabling smaller companies to methodically outperform even much bigger competitors.
When I prioritize keywords for a website's SEO strategy, I always start by understanding the intent behind the search. Are users looking to buy, learn, or compare? That guides everything. I look for keywords that not only have solid search volume but also align with what the business truly offers and what their ideal clients are likely to type into Google when they're ready to take action. We also analyze the competition—some keywords may be tempting, but if they're dominated by big-budget competitors, I'll dig deeper to find niche phrases that have lower competition but high conversion potential. And finally, I never treat keyword research as a one-time task. It's ongoing. We use tools like Google Search Console and track real search queries over time so we can double down on what's working and pivot as needed. SEO success comes from relevance, value, and consistency—not just chasing the highest volume terms.
When it comes time to prioritize keywords for the SEO strategy of a website, we conduct it through a data-driven process that accounts for search intent, opportunity, and feasibility. We want to rank for words and phrases that are going to bring qualified traffic. 1. Understand the Business & its Audience The first step is aligning the keyword research to the business objectives and what the target audience is looking for in that moment. What are they looking for in the various stages of their journey from awareness, consideration and decision making? This will help ensure that we can map keywords to relevant types of content. 2. Seed Keyword Research With tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, SEMrush, we create a list of seed keywords based on current rankings, key competitors and what is trending in the market. This list should include branded, product-based and informational queries. 3.Group by Intent We group keywords based on intent: Informational: Blog posts, guides Navigational: Specific to the brand Transaction: Product or service page Once we understand the intent, we can prioritize and determine if our content matches what the user anticipates. 4. Assess Metrics We assess keywords on the following: Search volume: Enough demand to warrant the effort Keyword difficulty (KD): Can we really compete for it? Current rankings: Recovering page 2 or 3 ranks, should be an easy win. Clicking potential: How many SERP features, ads or intent takes away from clicks? 5. Competitive Gap Analysis We review the top-ranking competitors who rank for high-value keywords. For each competitor, if they are ranking for a keyword we do not currently target, that's a possible opportunity. 6. Content Potential & ROI Not every keyword is worth pursuing. We generally pursue keywords that align with an offering of high-value and have measurable conversion potential. We also take into account the amount of effort to produce the content versus the anticipated return. 7. Build Keyword Clusters Rather than trying to rank for all single keywords, we build topic clusters. Doing this both helps with topical authority as a whole and allows us to rank for multiple variations. Final Step: Map & Execute The keywords are then mapped onto either new or existing content as it pertains to high-value offerings. Depending on the urgency of a campaign, we then have content calendars, optimization pages, and monitors for performance after the content has been published.
Search intent and funnel stage are the two main criteria for which keywords to target. For us, bottom-of-funnel keywords take precedence — those that indicate someone is ready to make a purchase or take action, such as "HubSpot Agency Berlin" or "CRM setup service." These drive the most direct business impact, so we focus content like landing pages and service pages around them. Next, we examine middle-of-funnel terms — where people are comparing options or seeking specific solutions. Keywords like "HubSpot vs. Salesforce" or "best CRM for small businesses" fall into this category. These work well for comparison blogs or case studies. Top-of-funnel keywords — broader, educational terms like "what is CRM?"—are lower priorities unless we have a clear plan to nurture that traffic. These are mainly useful for building reach and backlinks. Our process involves: Manual SERP checks to understand what Google thinks people are searching for. We utilize tools like Ahrefs to compare the volume and difficulty of keywords. But we also prioritize lower-volume keywords if they are highly relevant.
For almost every topic, there's a long list of keywords that seem worth targeting. But trying to go after all of them isn't practical or even beneficial. So, here's the process that I follow: First, I pull bulk keyword data from tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs Then, I filter out keywords that don't align with our business visibility goals. Sometimes, the difference is subtle. A keyword like "cloud transformation strategy" might be relevant. But "cloud transformation framework" though sounds similar, often attracts academic or research-based searches. This isn't our target audience, so we skip such keywords. Next, I layer in data from Google Search Console. This helps me identify keywords we're already getting impressions for. These are low-hanging fruits with existing traction, and we can gain visibility faster with these keywords. I then evaluate each keyword based on search volume and keyword difficulty. The goal is to find that balance between ranking potential and meaningful traffic. Once I've narrowed the list, I categorize the keywords into: Informational, Transactional, Navigational. This helps in aligning them to the right stage of the funnel and content type. I also analyze what competitors are ranking for. I look specifically for keywords where we can outrank them with better content. And most importantly, this isn't a static process. Keyword performance has to be continuously monitored. And keywords have to be re-prioritized based on results, trends, or changes in business priorities.
To prioritize which keywords to target for a website's SEO, I start by focusing on audience intent rather than just isolated keyword metrics. The core idea is to build a comprehensive content strategy that answers real questions users have before and after they know about your brand or product. Here's the process I follow: 1. Start with User Problems I begin by asking: What problems or questions does my audience have before they even know our solution exists? For example, if I'm promoting a task management tool, potential users might search for help with productivity, organizing projects, or prioritizing tasks. I gather as many relevant questions and phrases as possible from forums, FAQs, search suggestions, and "People Also Ask" boxes in Google. 2. Analyze Search Intent Next, I categorize keywords by search intent: Informational: "How to prioritize tasks" Commercial: "Best task management tools" Transactional: "Buy project management software" Navigational: "MeisterTask login" This helps me match content types (e.g., blog posts, comparison guides, landing pages) to user expectations. 3. Evaluate Keyword Metrics I review metrics like: Search Volume: Is there enough demand? Keyword Difficulty (KD): How competitive is it? Trends: Is interest growing or declining? SERP Features: Will AI overviews or featured snippets affect visibility? Rather than chasing only high-volume keywords, I often prioritize long-tail keywords with moderate competition and clear intent, which are more aligned with our content goals and easier to rank for. 4. Cluster Keywords by Topic Instead of targeting single keywords in isolation, I group related keywords into thematic clusters. Each cluster includes a pillar page (covering the core topic) and several supporting articles (addressing subtopics). This topical depth increases authority and improves overall rankings. 5. Check Existing Rankings for Opportunities I audit which keywords my site already ranks for between positions 2-10. These are low-hanging fruits where small improvements can significantly boost traffic. I optimize these pages further by updating content, improving internal linking, and addressing on-page SEO gaps. 6. Map Keywords to Business Goals Finally, I align keyword clusters with strategic business goals—whether it's increasing traffic, generating leads, or educating users. Some keywords might not bring direct conversions but are valuable for brand visibility or nurturing top-of-funnel audiences.
1. Start with Business Objectives We begin by aligning keyword strategy with the client's primary goals—whether that's lead generation, ecommerce sales, or local service inquiries. Understanding the target audience and highvalue conversions is critical. 2. Build a Broad Keyword List We use tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Google Search Console to gather a comprehensive list of: Primary keywords (highvolume, core terms) Longtail keywords (specific, lowercompetition phrases) Branded and competitor keywords Questionbased keywords for blog and FAQ content 3. Segment and Categorize We organize keywords by: Search intent (informational, transactional, navigational) Funnel stage (top, middle, bottom) Page type (homepage, services, blog, product pages) Location (especially important for local SEO clients) 4. Evaluate Based on 5 Key Factors We score and prioritize keywords using: Search Volume - Enough to drive meaningful traffic Keyword Difficulty (KD) - Lower KD for newer sites; balance highvolume & attainable terms Relevance - Must align with the client's offering and what users actually want Conversion Potential - Keywords that align with bottomoffunnel actions Current Rankings - Quick wins from position 5-20 with optimization 5. Competitive Gap Analysis We analyze what competitors rank for that the client doesn't. This often reveals highopportunity keywords already validated by others in the space. 6. Content Mapping & Page Intent Each target keyword is mapped to a specific page type or new content piece. We avoid cannibalization by ensuring one page = one core keyword focus, with supporting secondary terms. 7. Ongoing Reassessment SEO is not static. We revisit priorities monthly based on new data from Google Search Console, performance shifts, and changing business priorities.