Successful SEO is not just about ranking for keywords—it’s about providing the right content to the right audience at the right time. The most effective websites align their content strategy with the buyer’s journey, which includes three main stages: awareness, consideration, and decision. Each stage reflects a user’s mindset and intent. According to Moz (2023), aligning content to buyer intent leads to higher engagement and better conversion rates. This article explains how to create SEO content tailored to each stage, supported by accurate data, actionable steps, and E-E-A-T best practices.
Understanding the Buyer’s Journey
The buyer’s journey is a model that shows the steps a potential customer takes from first recognising a problem to making a purchase decision. The three stages are:
- Awareness: The customer identifies a need or problem.
- Consideration: The customer researches and compares potential solutions.
- Decision: The customer chooses a specific product or service.
By creating content that matches each of these stages, you can attract more traffic, build trust, and increase conversions (Google, 2023).
Stage 1: Awareness – Educating the Curious User
At the awareness stage, users are seeking information, not products. Their intent is informational. They may not know what solution they need, so content should help them understand their problem.
Keyword types:
- “What is…”
- “Why does…”
- “How to fix…”
Examples:
- “What is CRM software?”
- “How to reduce website bounce rate”
- “Why is my Wi-Fi slow?”
Best content formats:
- Blog posts
- Guides and tutorials
- Infographics
- Educational videos
SEO tips:
- Use long-tail, question-based keywords found via AnswerThePublic and AlsoAsked
- Optimise for featured snippets using 40–60 word summaries (Backlinko, 2023)
- Structure posts with H2s, bullets, and clear formatting
- Internally link to consideration-stage articles for deeper learning
E-E-A-T implementation:
- Share personal experience or first-hand examples
- Cite reliable sources like government or educational websites
- Include author bios with credentials
- Use HTTPS and a clean user interface to enhance trust
Stage 2: Consideration – Comparing and Evaluating
Users in the consideration stage are actively researching solutions. Their intent is navigational or comparative. They’re aware of the problem and looking for the best option.
Keyword types:
- “Best tools for…”
- “Top alternatives to…”
- “[Product A] vs [Product B]”
Examples:
- “Best CRM software for small business”
- “SEMrush vs Ahrefs”
- “Alternatives to Google Analytics”
Best content formats:
- Comparison articles
- Product roundups
- Case studies
- Checklists
SEO tips:
- Use structured data like Product or Review schema to help search engines display rich results
- Offer honest pros and cons, even about your own product, to build trust
- Use internal links to link awareness content for context and decision content for next steps
- Add downloadable whitepapers or templates as lead magnets
E-E-A-T implementation:
- Back claims with real data and test results
- Include customer testimonials or user-generated content
- Highlight credentials and past client work
- Be transparent when comparing competitors
Stage 3: Decision – Converting Interest into Action
At the decision stage, users are ready to act. Their intent is transactional. Content should focus on removing objections and reinforcing value.
Keyword types:
- “Buy…”
- “Schedule demo…”
- “Try free…”
Examples:
- “Buy Adobe Premiere Pro license”
- “Sign up for Grammarly premium”
- “Schedule a consultation with a business coach”
Best content formats:
- Product landing pages
- Pricing pages
- Testimonials
- FAQs
SEO tips:
- Optimise landing pages for speed, clarity, and conversion (Google, 2022)
- Use clear CTAs (“Start your free trial,” “Book a call now”)
- Include structured data like Organization schema to build brand trust
- Align ad copy, meta tags, and page headlines to user intent
E-E-A-T implementation:
- Show secure payment options and privacy policies
- Add trust badges (e.g., SSL, money-back guarantee)
- Feature customer support options (chat, email, phone)
- Use real team photos and contact information
Mapping Keywords to the Buyer’s Journey
To connect your keyword strategy to content, group keywords by search intent. Here’s an example for a video editing platform:
| Stage | Intent | Example Keywords | Content Type |
| Awareness | Informational | “How to edit videos for YouTube” | Beginner guide |
| Consideration | Comparative | “Top video editing tools” | Comparison post |
| Decision | Transactional | “Buy Adobe Premiere Pro” | Product landing page |
Use Google Search Console to track which queries your current content ranks for and fill gaps accordingly.
Case Example: HubSpot’s Funnel Strategy
HubSpot offers CRM and marketing tools. They use a full-funnel SEO approach:
- Awareness: “What is inbound marketing?”
- Consideration: “Best CRMs for startups”
- Decision: “HubSpot pricing” page
Each piece is optimised for user intent, ranks highly, and links users deeper into the funnel. HubSpot also uses E-E-A-T techniques—author bios, certifications, customer logos, and transparent pricing—to build trust and authority.
Common SEO Content Mistakes
- Focusing only on decision-stage content without supporting education
- Ignoring internal linking between funnel stages
- Writing thin content that lacks depth or examples
- Using aggressive CTAs too early in the journey
- Overusing keywords without addressing real user questions
Tools to Optimise Buyer Stage Content
| Tool | Use Case | Link |
| SEMrush | Keyword intent & content mapping | ✓ |
| Surfer SEO | Content brief creation & NLP scoring | ✓ |
| Frase.io | FAQ generation & SERP analysis | ✓ |
| Yoast SEO | On-page SEO on WordPress | ✓ |
| Grammarly | Writing quality & tone | ✓ |
Note
To maximise SEO performance, your content must meet users where they are. By understanding and targeting each stage of the buyer’s journey—awareness, consideration, and decision—you build a clear path from search to sale. When this strategy is combined with Google’s E-E-A-T principles, your site gains more than rankings: it earns user trust. Start by auditing your current content, fill in the gaps by intent stage, and optimise each piece to guide users through their journey with helpful, credible information.
More Read
References
Backlinko. (2023). How to optimise for featured snippets. https://backlinko.com/featured-snippets
Google. (2022). Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines. https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content
Google. (2023). Helpful content update and content-by-people principles. https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2023/09/helpful-content-update-september
Moz. (2023). SEO for every stage of the customer journey. https://moz.com/blog/buyer-journey-seo-strategy
Search Engine Journal. (2023). How to match search intent with SEO strategy. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-search-intent
SEMrush. (2024). Keyword intent explained and mapped. https://www.semrush.com/blog/keyword-intent-guide/
