Search is one of the cornerstones of digital marketing, but the real question is, how are people actually finding your product or service? When it comes to search engines like Google, what keywords are they typing in? And what’s going on behind those searches?
We need to start with understanding the people behind the searches. Building a keyword map is essential here—a plan that gathers every possible keyword that someone might use to find your product or service.
The Power of Intent in Search
When someone types a keyword into a search engine, they usually have a specific intent. But while some keywords show intent to find your product or service, other, seemingly similar keywords may lead them elsewhere. Sending people to your site when they aren’t genuinely interested can lead to wasted marketing spend and missed opportunities.
By building out a keyword map, you’ll likely gather a long list of potential keywords—sometimes up to a thousand! However, not every keyword will be valuable. Your task is to create a business case for the keywords that genuinely bring the right audience to your site. Those keywords should drive engagement and lead generation, and help people move down the marketing funnel to become familiar with your brand.
Transactional vs. Informational Keywords
Most keywords fall into two main types:
- Transactional keywords: These signal intent to buy. People searching with these terms are often at the bottom of the funnel and are considered “hot” leads.
- Informational keywords: These are more educational. People using them aren’t ready to buy but are likely in the research phase. They might read a blog post or other content as they explore.
Understanding the difference helps you target content effectively for where people are in their journey.
Optimising Pages for Search Success
Once you’ve built a strong keyword map, the next step is to optimise the pages on your website. Google and other search engines will evaluate your site and gradually start ranking it.
At first, you may rank low (think position 80). While impressions might increase, you probably won’t see any clicks. But if you’ve selected high-value keywords, understood your customers, and created genuinely helpful pages, Google will recognise that. Over time, this will lead to higher rankings, more impressions, and, ultimately, more clicks.
Organic vs. Paid Search: Different Paths, Different Goals
There are two main ways to approach search—paid and organic.
Paid search, like Google Ads, is about securing top spots on the page by paying per click. However, about half the time, we advise our clients to avoid paid searches.
It’s often not the right fit.
In organic search, the goal is to target as many relevant keywords as possible. If you can rank for 1,000 keywords, that’s 1,000 opportunities for new traffic. But in paid search, it’s better to keep things lean, focusing on a few high-impact keywords that will drive results.
The key question remains: What keywords are people typing into search engines to help them connect with your brand in a meaningful way?
