Building a strong B2B SEO strategy is one of the best ways to stay ahead of the competition. It starts with understanding the different types of keywords and what your audience is really looking for.
In any SEO strategy, focusing on high-intent keywords isn’t just about driving traffic – it’s about gain quality leads that may turn into potential customers. These quality leads make the difference, leading to stronger engagement and better SEO results.
But how to choose and implement them in your SEO strategy?
This article covers what keywords with high intent are, how to use them in your strategy, and transform your business.
High-intent keywords are terms with high conversion potential, meaning people who search for them are more likely to take an action or make a purchase. These keywords come from users who are already deep in the SEO segmentation funnel. They are not just searching – they are ready to buy, subscribe, or take the next step towards conversion. They engage in ways that bring them closer to becoming customers.
On Ahrefs, you can add a filter to include specific words like buy, best, pricing, and how to, to find high-intent keywords that show strong user intent. You can optimize your content for different stages of the SEO funnel and adapt it to what users are looking for.
These keywords are powerful because they help attract visitors who are more likely to convert into leads or customers.
For example, if a user searches for “best CRM tools for agency”, they’re just not looking for CRM tools in general – they are ready to find the best one that fits their business needs.
High-intent content with the right commercial/transactional keywords helps establish a strong authority and expertise in your industry. Unlike general, informative content, high-intent content does more than just create blog posts. It targets people who are ready to buy and are at the bottom of the funnel (BOFU).
Other benefits high-intent content offers are:
Before focusing on high-intent content, it’s important to understand what it is, why it matters, and how it connects with your audience’s needs and goals. That way, you can create a better strategy that directly answers specific user queries and converts them into potential customers.
Tip: If you are struggling with creating the right SEO strategy for your SaaS business, take a look at our blog on SaaS buyer’s journey stages, and learn how to adjust your content according to the user search intent.
If you want to gain more conversions with the right SEO for SaaS strategy, let’s take a look at the four types of keywords by search intent. Understanding the differences between these keywords will help you optimize your content that aligns with your goals.
When you are trying to buy something, you don’t just click on the first link that pops out on Google and buy that product/service. You don’t want to waste your money if something isn’t valuable, right?
Therefore, the research is most important in this phase. Users often start their journey with good research.
For informational purposes, they will type, for example, “How to choose the right camera for photography?” into a search engine. In this case, using relevant keywords in a blog that explains in detail the different types of cameras, their features, and factors to consider when choosing, along with recommendations, tips, etc., can attract that user directly to the page that answers their questions.
When we talk about navigational intent, a user will type “Nikon cameras” into a search engine, meaning they are looking for a specific brand rather than general information. It’s essential to make sure that your website ranks higher for these navigational searches so that the users are directed to the page they want. This helps them to easily find their answers and reach your website without additional steps or unnecessary detours.
When users search for information like “Why buy a Nikon DSLR camera?”, they also want to make a purchase in the future. However, this is where they need more time and persuasion. In this case, it is necessary to provide as much information as possible to make the purchase easier for the user and encourage them to convert.
Most common keywords for these types of searches include:
They want to compare different products and find out the one that perfect matches their needs.
Local keywords are another commercial keyword example. These keywords are really important for someone in their area who is trying to find the best solution. Your content should be optimized to appear in local SEO searches, and common high-intent keywords to use are:
A typical example is when your business is listed on Google, where providing as much information as possible, such as opening hours, reviews, and contact details, can help you rank higher. This way, customers can find you quickly, which also builds authority.
The most common reason for making a transactional intent is when a user plans to make a purchase. At this stage, users already know what they want, and they are actively searching for it. They often mention specific product-related terms such as “Nikon DSLR camera”.
These customers literally have their card in hand when searching for these keywords:
The image below indicates that a user searching with this type of query is ready to purchase running shoes. They’re not looking to research or compare options because they already know what they want.
Therefore, every page on this SERP is designed to guide the user directly to make a purchase with just one click.
By ensuring a website is well-optimized using that particular keyword and ranks higher for these high-intent keywords, you make it easier for users to find your page and complete their purchase directly from your website.
Here are important factors to consider when finding the right keywords:
The first step is to understand your audience in depth. Explore what they are looking for, what problems they need to solve, and what motivates them to take action. Identify keywords they are more likely to use when they are ready to make a purchase or take an action.
The better you understand your audience’s intent, the more effective you can rank your page higher and drive conversions.
You can start by creating a buyer persona, and learn how to use ideal customer profile for SEO. Include behaviour, pain points, and their goals.
To choose the best keywords, you can use your favorite SEO tools, like Ahrefs or SEMrush, and find high-performing keywords to boost your website traffic.
You can start with a seed keyword, i.e., the one you want to use to start your keyword research journey.
For example, in the Keyword Explorer section, type your keyword. In the matching terms menu, you can see the clusters relevant to your content. The ones marked with I/C are ideal for users because they lead them to purchase, while at the same time, they give general information and educate.
Then, explore the Keyword Difficulty (KD), Search Volume (SV), and Traffic Potential (TP) to filter out low-value keywords and focus on high-intent opportunities.
Ideally, you want low KD and high SV and TP for high-intent keywords, but before choosing, consider the user’s intent and relevance to your product or service. Even a high-traffic keyword won’t convert if it doesn’t match what your audience is ready to buy or act on.
Your journey doesn’t stop here. You still need to improve your research by analyzing your competitors. After you choose the keywords, check on the competitor’s high-ranking results and fill the gaps in your strategies.
Let’s take a look at this example. The keyword you choose is “best marketing tools”. In the SERP overview, you will find your competitors that rank for the same or similar keywords, so you can further analyze their content, heading structure, and find out any gaps in their approach. These gaps are useful for identifying new opportunities and optimizing your content.
The best keywords to target for your SEO strategy are the long-tail keywords. They are specific, long phrases that users search when they know exactly what they want. They are certain of their choice and want to land on a page that will directly link them to buy or take another action.
For example, the phrase “best SEO tools for SaaS businesses” is a long-tail, high-intent keywords that show a clear intention to purchase. Through our case studies, we show how we address these queries and showcase what makes the SaaS product unique.
Depending on the user’s journey, their query could have high or low intent.
If you are not sure whether you are targeting a high or low-impact keyword, let’s take a look at the following example.
The main keyword here is “seo for finance company”. We can see that the content here provides informational intent, what SEO for a finance company is, unique SEO challenges, etc.
This is a low-intent keyword because the user is still in the research phase, where they need more information to solve their problem before buying the product. They still need convincing before pressing the “purchase” button.
On the other hand, the main keyword here is “seo services for finance company”, which is with transactional intent. We can see that the page is a service page, rather than an informational blog with practical tips. This means that the users already know what they want, and they only need a little time convincing to press the “buy” or another action button.
This is a high-intent keyword because it can produce higher conversion rates. We can also see a “Book a Call” CTA button, which makes the user journey easier by allowing it to take immediate action without unnecessary steps. This directs them straight from their initial search to the desired outcome: getting exactly what they were looking for.
Let’s learn how to implement them properly in your SEO strategy.
When creating a meta title and meta description, there is one important thing to keep in mind. Search engines expect a meta title and description to contain the high-intent keyword that is relevant to the content on that page.
Meta titles and meta descriptions are a great opportunity to show your brand and attract the right audience to your website.
Include the keyword and create a title that accurately, concisely, and powerfully summarizes the content on your page and attracts new users.
Make sure that each subheading contains one keyword (primary or secondary) or semantic keywords. Don’t try to put multiple keywords into a single subheading, as it can lead to keyword stuffing, which we want to avoid.
Well-structured subheadings with focused keywords help search engines understand your content hierarchy while keeping it user-friendly and natural.
Good examples are:
Try to incorporate the keywords throughout the text as naturally as possible. Google’s algorithm can better understand the topic and intent of your page. Also, overusing it can harm readability, as well as the SEO rankings.
Therefore, place the keyword strategically to improve the user experience and fit it naturally without feeling forced.
A great way to improve your high-intent SEO strategy is to create listicle blogs. These kinds of articles offer structured and easily digestible content that provides a wide range of different products with their key benefits, advantages, or recommendations. When using it in your high-content strategy, it should catch the reader’s attention and help them choose from the list.
So, they already know what they are looking for, but they need a little more convincing about the purchase decision. That’s why we help them while listing the best solution to solve their problem.
Our blog on SEO companies for small business is a common example of a high-intent commercial keyword because there are several companies you should choose that best fit your needs. In other words, the user wants to hire the best SEO company because they have a small business.
By listing the best SEO companies, we move them to the bottom of the funnel, i.e., the stage where people take action.
Implementing high-intent keywords in your SEO strategy it’s an important part of turning users into potential customers. Knowing how to strategically create high-intent content, you will directly connect with your audience’s needs, especially in the last step of their journey. The goal here is to provide value, so remember that this will not only increase your online presence but also build trust that leads to higher conversions.
Without the proper strategy, creating high-intent content is just guesswork. Book a free consultation, and start generating leads today.
The content that targets users ready to buy or take an action, rather than just searching, is known as a high-intent content strategy. Here, users search specific keywords that are high-intent and guide them directly towards conversion.
Examples here include product pages and comparison guides.
When a user is ready to take an action, they typically search with the common keywords that indicate he is ready to buy, such as:
High intent phrases signal that users are ready to act, buy, or subscribe, while low intent keywords are more informational because the user is in the research phase.
High intent keywords: Buy, Order, Sign up, Purchase, etc.Low intent keywords: How to, Types of, Common Ideas, etc.
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