Keyword research is often seen as a numbers game. Marketers chase high-volume keywords with the hope of grabbing more traffic. But traffic doesn’t pay the bills—conversions do. That’s why keyword intent should guide your SEO strategy from the very beginning. A few highly-targeted visitors ready to buy are worth more than thousands of casual browsers.
At Major Fluke, we approach keyword research as both art and science. It’s not just about identifying what people are searching for—it’s about understanding why they’re searching and mapping that intent to the right content at the right stage of the customer journey.
Here’s how we think about keyword research, the tools we use, and why you should start your content strategy from the bottom up.
Volume is Nice—But Intent is Everything
Let’s say you run a landscaping company. A keyword like “landscaping ideas” might have 10,000 monthly searches, while “landscaping company near me” has only 3,000.
Which one should you target?
If your goal is brand awareness or to inspire future customers, “landscaping ideas” might be worth exploring in blog content.
But if you want leads and sales now, the lower-volume keyword with purchase intent is far more valuable.
Search intent typically falls into four buckets:
- Informational – Users are researching (“what is solar net metering?”)
- Navigational – Users are looking for a specific site (“Tesla login”)
- Transactional – Users want to take action (“buy hiking boots online”)
- Commercial Investigation – Users are comparing before buying (“best CRM for real estate”)
When you prioritize intent over volume, you focus on the keywords that drive action. High-volume keywords are often vague, broad, and overly competitive.
By contrast, intent-focused keywords might bring in fewer visitors—but they’ll be the right visitors.
The Right Tools for the Job
Keyword research isn’t about guessing—it’s about using data to uncover real opportunities. At Major Fluke, we use a combination of paid and free tools to get the full picture.
SEMrush
SEMrush is a powerhouse for competitive research.
It helps us analyze what keywords your competitors rank for, where your content gaps are, and which keywords have strong intent.
We use it to build keyword clusters and track rankings over time.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs shines when it comes to backlink data and content gap analysis.
We often use Ahrefs to see which pages are earning links and what keywords are ranking well for similar content.
Its Keyword Explorer tool also gives us valuable insights on keyword difficulty and intent.
Keywords Everywhere
This browser extension adds keyword volume, CPC, and competition data directly into your search results.
Keywords Everywhere is perfect for quick research while browsing Google or YouTube, and great for understanding what people are searching in real-time.
These tools help us validate assumptions, uncover long-tail opportunities, and most importantly—align keywords with what your customers are actually trying to do.
Build Your Funnel from the Bottom Up
Once you’ve done your keyword research, the next step is knowing where to put those keywords. Many businesses make the mistake of starting with blog posts when their site is missing the content that actually converts.
Instead, build your SEO content funnel from the bottom up:
1. Bottom-of-Funnel (BOFU): Landing Pages
Start by targeting transactional and high-intent keywords. These are your service pages, product pages, or location-specific landing pages—anything designed to generate leads or sales.
These pages should target searches like:
- “roof replacement in Grants Pass”
- “best solar battery installation near me”
- “buy custom envelopes online”
These visitors are ready to act. Make sure the content matches their intent and is optimized to convert.
2. Middle-of-Funnel (MOFU): Trust-Building Content
Next, focus on content that helps users evaluate your brand and offerings. These are people who are interested, but not quite ready to commit.
This includes:
- About Us pages that tell your story and showcase your values
- Reviews and testimonials that build credibility
- Case studies that demonstrate results
- Whitepapers or guides that provide in-depth information
Here, keywords might be more branded or research-focused, like:
- “solar company case study”
- “how we helped reduce energy bills”
- “XYZ Roofing customer reviews”
3. Top-of-Funnel (TOFU): Blog Content
Finally, use your blog as a content marketing platform to capture broader, informational keywords that appeal to a larger audience.
These visitors are early in their journey, just starting to learn about their problem or your industry.
Blog topics might target:
- “how to prep your roof for winter”
- “solar tax credits explained”
- “best backyard landscaping ideas”
These keywords help attract traffic and build brand awareness.
Over time, this content helps nurture leads and bring them deeper into the funnel.
Our Approach at Major Fluke
At Major Fluke, we don’t start with a blog post—we start with your business goals. Our keyword research process begins with a technical SEO audit, followed by deep keyword analysis using tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Keywords Everywhere.
From there, we build a content roadmap that aligns with your sales funnel and targets high-intent keywords first.
By focusing on intent before volume, and conversion before clicks, we help our clients attract the right audience—and turn them into paying customers.
Final Thoughts
Keyword research isn’t about chasing the biggest numbers. It’s about understanding your audience, aligning with their intent, and building content that serves them at every stage of their journey. When you combine the right tools with a strategic funnel approach, SEO becomes more than traffic—it becomes a growth engine.
If you’re ready to go beyond basic keyword lists and build a strategy that drives real results, Major Fluke is here to help.
