What is a Keyword Funnel?
A keyword funnel is a marketing strategy that involves using specific keywords or phrases to guide potential customers through different stages of the buying process.
At the start of the funnel, people search for broad keywords about a general topic or problem. In the middle, keywords get more specific to solutions and product types. At the bottom, keywords are very targeted to brand names or final purchase decisions.
The goal is to create content and ads with relevant keywords for each funnel stage. This leads visitors from awareness to consideration and finally to conversion. So they go from not knowing about you, to researching options, to becoming actual paying customers.
Setting up a full keyword funnel helps convert more searchers into buyers through tailored content for each phase.
Why is this concept important?
The keyword funnel is critical as it helps businesses understand how customers search for products and services online. Here are some of the key benefits:
Better targeting
Knowing the exact keywords people use at different points while shopping is very useful.
By knowing this, businesses can target their content and messaging more effectively.
This can lead to higher click-through rates, lower bounce rates, and ultimately, more conversions.
Improved SEO
Optimizing content for each set of keywords in the funnel helps boost search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic to a website.
Increased conversions
Creating content matched to what users need at each funnel stage increases conversions.
For example, someone at the awareness stage needs educational basics. Someone ready to buy needs pricing and product details.
When content gives readers what they want for where they are in their journey, they are more likely to convert by:
Making a purchase
Signing up for a newsletter
Downloading an eBook
Calling your sales team
Stages of keyword funnel
The basic funnel stages include:
Top of the funnel (TOFU)
Middle of the funnel (MOFU)
Bottom of the funnel (BOFU)
The specific stages of a keyword funnel typically include:
Awareness
This is the top of the funnel (TOFU) where potential customers are searching for information about a particular problem or need.
They use broad keywords to find general information and solutions for their issues.
At this awareness stage, users are still researching and learning. They are trying to understand their problem and the possible ways to tackle it.
The keywords are wide and not very targeted. The goal here is education around a topic area or problem.
Examples include:
"Best restaurants in Los Angeles"
"How to lose weight"
"Marketing strategies"
Consideration
This stage corresponds to the middle of the funnel (MOFU). At this stage, potential customers have identified their problems or needs and are actively searching for possible solutions.
Users are learning the pros and cons of different solutions for their needs. They evaluate products and services to see what might work.
At this stage, the user has moved beyond the research phase. The keywords used at this stage are more focused and specific.
Examples include:
"Italian restaurants in Los Angeles"
"Weight loss tips for women over 40"
"Content marketing best practices"
Conversion
At the bottom of the funnel (BOFU), potential customers have decided on a solution and are ready to make a purchase.
They may be using branded or specific product keywords to find the best deals or make a purchase.
The keywords used at this stage are usually very specific and often include words like "buy," "purchase," or "subscribe."
Examples include:
"Buy Italian food online"
"Purchase a gym membership"
"Subscribe to a digital marketing newsletter"
Is bottom-of-the-funnel the only important stage?
Keywords at the bottom of the funnel show what people search right before purchasing.
Targeting these final keywords in content and ads catches customers ready to convert. This leads to more sales. However, helping visitors at all stages is still important.
Complete keyword research and content for awareness, consideration, and decision stages keeps people progressing.
By continuously increasing the number of prospects at each stage, businesses can move closer to conversion.
How to use the keyword funnel?
Here are some ways to do this for your own advantage:
Conduct keyword research
Start by identifying the keywords and phrases that potential customers are using at each stage of the funnel.
This will help you create targeted content and advertising campaigns that appeal to customers at each stage.
Create content for each stage of the funnel
Once you have identified the keywords, create content that's aimed at customers at each stage.
This can include blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, and other types of content that provide value and help move customers closer to conversion.
Optimize for search engines
Make sure your content is optimized for search engines by using relevant keywords and phrases in your titles, meta descriptions, and throughout your content.
Use paid advertising
Consider using paid advertising to target customers at specific stages of the funnel. For example, use search ads to target customers at the bottom of the funnel who are ready to make a purchase.
Track and measure results
Use analytics tools to track and measure the effectiveness of your keyword funnel. This will help you identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to optimize your funnel.
How to find keywords by funnel stage?
To find keywords, follow these steps:
TOFU keyword research
When conducting top-of-the-funnel (TOFU) keyword research, it's important to understand that users at this stage are often looking for information and solutions, but may not yet be aware of specific products.
To conduct TOFU keyword research, businesses can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to identify relevant keywords that users are searching for.
These tools can help businesses identify popular search queries related to their industry or product.
Another approach is social listening. Monitor relevant conversations on social media, forums, review sites, etc. Pay attention to the questions and topics people discuss.
Both methods help identify wide, high-level keywords people use when first learning about a problem or product category. Capture these early-stage keywords to create content that introduces and educates potential new customers.
For example:
If a business sells eco-friendly cleaning products, they might research keywords like "green cleaning products," "natural cleaning supplies," or "environmentally-friendly cleaners."
They might also identify related keywords and topics like "sustainable living," "eco-friendly household products," or "reducing carbon footprint."
Middle-of-the-funnel (MOFU) keyword research
When conducting MOFU keyword research, it's important to understand that users at this stage are actively researching and comparing different options related to their problem or need.
So keywords become more focused on specific products.
To conduct MOFU keyword research, businesses can use tools like Google Trends, BuzzSumo, or Answer the Public to identify the most common questions and topics related to their product or service.
Another useful method for MOFU keyword research is analyzing the search behaviour of competitors.
This reveals useful words and phrases people use while evaluating options in your industry.
For example:
If a business sells accounting software, they might research keywords like "accounting software comparison," "best accounting software for small businesses," or "cloud-based accounting software."
They might also identify related keywords and topics like "bookkeeping software," "financial management software," or "inventory management software."
Bottom-of-the-funnel (BOFU) keyword research
In the final funnel stage, visitors are ready to purchase or convert. So target very specific keywords about exact products, services, or transactions.
To conduct BOFU keyword research, businesses can again use tools like Google Search Console, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to analyze the search behaviour of users. These tools can help businesses identify the specific search queries that led to conversions.
Another useful method for BOFU keyword research is targeting transactional keywords and specific product or service names.
By targeting these keywords, businesses can increase the likelihood that users who are ready to make a purchase will find their website and take action.
For example:
If a business sells QuickBooks accounting software, they might target keywords like "buy QuickBooks online," "QuickBooks pricing," or "QuickBooks discounts."
They might also identify related keywords and topics like "QuickBooks free trial," "QuickBooks setup," or "QuickBooks customer support."
Conclusion
The keyword funnel is a helpful marketing strategy. It involves using different keywords to reach people at different points in the buyer's journey.
Creating content tailored to keywords for each funnel stage keeps visitors engaged. It gives them what they need whether they're discovering a topic, comparing options, or ready to buy.