Low Funnel Keywords – The What, Why & How To Guide

Imagine a customer walking into a store. They know exactly what they want to buy, and they’re ready to make a purchase. All they need is to find the right product and check out.

Low funnel keywords in SEO are like that customer. They’re searchers who are ready to buy. They’ve done their research, and they’re now at the point where they’re comparing products and services or looking for the best deal.

If you want to attract these high-intent searchers to your website, you need to start targeting bottom-of-the-funnel keywords in your SEO campaigns.

“Low-funnel keywords, which represent the final phase in the customer’s journey, are an indispensable ingredient in your SEO strategy”

In this post, we will explore the concept of low funnel keywords, explain what they are, how they differ from other types of keywords, why they are crucial in SEO strategies, and how to find and implement them.

What Do Low-Funnel Keywords Mean?

Low funnel keywords are specialized search terms and phrases used specifically by consumers who are at the ‘decision-making’ stage of the buyer’s journey, sitting at the lowest point in the sales or conversion funnel.

They are also called bottom-of-the-funnel keywords or (BoFu keywords). Such keywords are often more specific, include actual product names, brands, service specifics, or calls to action, and tend to drive conversions efficiently.

Where do low-funnel keywords fit in?

Think of your customer’s journey as an inverted pyramid or ‘funnel’. At the top of this marketing funnel, you have a broad audience with various interests – these are your top-of-funnel visitors. As you move down the funnel, the audience narrows. And right at the bottom – that’s where your low funnel leads reside. These are people who are prepared to whip out their credit cards, fill out a form, or sign the dotted line.

• Top Funnel: Awareness stage, seeking information or learning
• Mid Funnel: Consideration stage, comparing options
• Low Funnel: Decision stage, ready to take action

Types of Low-Funnel Keywords

When it comes to low-funnel keywords, it’s essential for content marketers to understand that they are not all created equal. The question remains “Which of the keywords in your niche are bottom-of-funnel keywords, and how many of them are there?”

Depending on the nature of your business or the particular stage of the sales funnel you are targeting, there are different types of bottom-of-funnel keywords you may want to consider. Here’s a look at some of them:

• Product-specific keywords: These keywords often include the exact name or model number of a specific product. When users search using these keywords, it usually indicates they have already done their research and are ready to make a purchase. For example, in the electronics industry, a search for “Samsung Galaxy S10” and “jade green ornament watch” would be a product-specific, low-funnel keyword.
• Branded keywords: When consumers are highly aware of your brand and are searching specifically for products or services you offer using your brand name, these are branded keywords. Typically, these keywords suggest some amount of loyalty and purchase intent, making them high-value low-funnel keywords such as “reviews of the new MacBook Air.”
• Transactional keywords: These are terms that indicate a clear intent to buy a product or service to make a transaction. They often include phrases like “buy”, “order”, “purchase”, or “where to buy”. For instance, “buy iPhone 12 online” would be a transactional, low-funnel keyword.
• Comparison keywords: These include words like “vs.”, “compare”, or “or”, and they indicate that the user is in the decision-making or the lower funnel stage. Although not necessarily at the very bottom of the funnel, these searches often represent users on the brink of purchasing, making them critical to consider. Examples include “Mailchimp vs. Klaviyo” and “Top reviewed piano instructors”.
• Location-specific keywords: These keywords are often used when they’re looking to buy from a store or provider in their immediate vicinity. ‘Near me’ or specifics about the location often characterize these types of keywords. The intent shows that the consumer is ready to make a purchase and just needs to find the right location. For example, ‘iPhone 12 stores near me’.

Grasping these keywords can help you optimize your SEO strategy more effectively. Remember, the more specific and relevant your keywords are, the higher the likelihood of turning those clicks into customers.

Why Should SEO Experts Target Low-Funnel Keywords?

Low-funnel keywords take on considerable significance when it comes to driving conversions. They play a crucial role in guiding potential consumers to your product or service at the exact moment they’re ready to make a purchase. Pages ranking for bottom-of-funnel keywords typically convert at 1%–5%, while top-of-funnel informational pages usually see conversions around 0.01%–0.5%.

• They convert better. Searchers who use low-funnel keywords are more likely to convert into customers than those using general or informational keywords. Search queries with “transactional” search intent have higher ROI for SEO spend.
• They’re less competitive. Low-funnel keywords are typically less competitive than general or informational keywords. This means that you’re more likely to rank well for them, and you’re less likely to be competing against major brands.
• They’re more profitable. Customers who convert from low-funnel keywords are typically more valuable than customers who convert from general or informational keywords. This is because they’re more likely to buy more expensive products or services, and they’re more likely to become loyal customers.

The power of low-funnel keywords lies not just in the ability to attract visitors to your site but in their capacity to convert these visitors into paying customers. Needless to say, their conversion rates are better than top-of-funnel keywords or middle-of-the-funnel keywords.

What do bottom-of-the-funnel conversions look like? 

Bottom-of-the-funnel conversions are the ultimate goal of any digital marketing or SEO strategy. It doesn’t always mean a traditional purchase. Let’s see what these conversions typically look like:

• Purchase: It is the most straightforward type of conversion. In an e-commerce context, this means the customer has selected a product or service, added it to their cart, and completed the checkout process.
• Form fills: For certain types of businesses, a form fill might represent a conversion. This could mean a user filling out a “Contact Us” form, booking an appointment, or scheduling a demo.
• Subscription or sign-up: In situations where your online business is based on a subscription model, a conversion could mean a user signing up for a newsletter or upgrading from a free version to a premium subscription.
• Call to action click: Clicking a Call to Action (CTA) can also be a type of conversion, particularly in a content marketing strategy where the goal might be to get users to download a white paper, an eBook, sign up for a webinar, or request a demo.

Understanding and recognizing these manifestations of bottom-funnel conversions is crucial to properly track, measure, and ultimately improve your marketing strategies.

Identifying Low Funnel Keywords: Tools And Techniques For Success

Getting started with low-funnel keywords can seem like a daunting task if you don’t know where to start. However, by using certain keyword research tools and techniques, you can effectively find keywords and start leveraging them in your SEO strategy.

Keyword Research Tools and Techniques

To begin, tap into keyword research tools to pinpoint those with a higher buyer intent. Some popular ones include:

• Google Keyword Planner: It is a free tool by Google and is great for finding keywords with commercial intent. Along with search volumes, and competition levels, it even suggested bid prices for AdWords, which can be indicators of commercial intent.
• SEMrush: A great tool for detailed keyword analysis. It shows you keywords that competitors are ranking for, as well as variations and related terms. So you can understand the keyword landscape in your industry and figure out bottom-of-funnel search terms.
• Ahrefs: It has an extensive keyword explorer. You can see keyword difficulty, search volume, and the estimated clicks for keywords. It’s useful for finding less competitive keywords with high purchase intent.
• Long Tail Pro: As the name suggests, this tool is great for finding long-tail keywords, which are often more specific and closer to the low-funnel stage.

When using a keyword research tool to find low-funnel keywords, be sure to filter the results by search intent. These tools can dig deep into keyword analytics and reveal high buying intent keywords- the key characteristic of low funnel keywords.

Analyzing competitor keywords

Another way to find bottom-of-the-funnel keywords is to analyze your competitors’ websites. Look for the keywords that your top competitors are using in their page titles, meta descriptions, and header tags. These keywords are likely to be low-funnel keywords, as your competitors are using them to attract searchers who are ready to buy.

Leverage Google Autocomplete

Google’s autocomplete suggestions- those terms that pop up when you start typing something into the search bar. These can consist of phrases longer than the original seed keyword, known as “long-tail keywords”. As per study by Wix, long-tail keywords account for approximately 70% of all web searches. They often have less search volume, hence less competition. But they usually have a higher conversion rate, making them perfect low-funnel keywords.

When you search for a keyword on Google, you’ll see a list of related searches at the bottom of the page. These related searches can be a good source of low-funnel keyword ideas.

Once you have completed your funnel keyword research, your website content and SEO campaigns to target those keywords.

Implementing Low Funnel Keywords In SEO Campaigns

While understanding and identifying low-funnel keywords are essential, the next crucial step is their implementation in your SEO campaigns. So, how can you do that? Let’s dive in.

On-page SEO with low-funnel keywords

Incorporating low-funnel keywords into your on-page SEO is a tactical approach to drive a distinct audience to your website. Think of these keywords as the golden ticket to increasing your conversion rates.

1. Embed them in your content

From your blog content and email marketing posts to website content to comparison pages, landing pages to listing descriptions, low funnel keywords should be carefully integrated into your content marketing too.

Your page title, meta description, and header tags should incorporate low-funnel keywords. This pattern is aimed at attracting individuals ready to convert directly from SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).

URLs play a crucial role in SEO as well. Optimized URLs containing low-funnel keywords can encourage potential buyers to click and visit your web page. A well-constructed URL gives users a glimpse into the content of the page, which can be a decisive factor for click-through rates.

2.Harness the power of CTAs

To get more conversions through your low-funnel keywords, it’s crucial to craft compelling Calls to Action (CTAs). Start by integrating the low-funnel keywords seamlessly into your CTA text. These are the phrases your audience uses when they’re ready to make a purchase, so they should reflect intent and urgency. Try using action verbs that encourage immediate response.

For instance, instead of ‘Try our premium product,’ say, ‘Buy our premium product now’.

You should also consider personalization. Tailor the CTAs to match the specific needs and interests of your audience using low-funnel keywords. A clear and personalized CTA like ‘Get your custom SEO strategy now’ would be more effective than a generic ‘Click here’.

If your low funnel keywords are longer phrase comparison keywords, naturally incorporate them into the CTA or use them to provide additional context around the CTA button.

Example: If “buy organic coffee beans online” is your low funnel keyword, a CTA like “Ready to awaken your senses? Buy organic coffee beans online now!” can be remarkably effective.

3.Optimizing product pages for E-commerce sites

Optimizing e-commerce product pages with low-funnel keywords involves integrating these highly specific, purchase-intent keywords into crucial parts of the page.

To optimize e-commerce product pages with low-funnel keywords, you first need to identify the organic keywords that potential consumers would use, most likely in the final stage of their buying journey. Offering detailed product specifications plays a key role in successfully optimizing the product page with category keywords. The following product description includes specific keywords a person might search when looking for these wallets, such as “RFID-blocking wallet” and “RFID-enabled cards”.

Also, consider incorporating customer reviews and ratings as they are a valuable source that showcases real-life, organic use of low-funnel keywords. Product page URLs should also be SEO-optimized with targeted keywords.

4.Leveraging local intent BOFU keywords

Local intent BOFU keywords combine “local” geographical information with “bottom-of-the-funnel” keywords that signal a readiness to purchase. They are hyper-specific, enabling you to zero in on the precise needs and location of your potential customers.

Smart use of these organic keywords can enhance your online visibility in relevant search results, boost website traffic, generate conversions, and, ultimately, increase revenue.

5.Bridging the gap with internal linking 

Lastly, remember to use lower funnel keywords in your internal linking strategy. Connect different low-funnel pages on your website using these keywords as anchor text. This creates a cohesive web of interlinked pages that guides users through the conversion journey more effectively.

Off-page SEO strategies for low-funnel keywords

Off-page SEO, as the name suggests, relates to the SEO activities performed outside your website. Despite not having direct control over this, it plays a crucial role in search engine ranking. Let’s delve into some off-page SEO strategies that effectively leverage low-funnel keywords and help you rank for bottom-of-funnel content.

1. Link building with low-funnel keywords

Establishing high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites is one of the potent off-page SEO techniques. When it comes to low-funnel keywords, you can embed them within the anchor text of your backlinks.

For instance, if you sell running shoes and one of your low funnel keywords is “best-running shoes for comfort”, consider making it the anchor text in your backlink strategy.

2. Guest posting

Guest posting allows you to share your expertise on other reputable websites and attracts their audience to your site. In your guest posts, use low-funnel keywords sparsely and tactically. This can increase the relevance of the backlink and draw CPC traffic that’s more likely to convert.

3. Product reviews and ratings

Encourage satisfied clients to post reviews on your product or service. People near the end of the sales funnel search for reviews and testimonials to validate their potential purchases.. Encourage the use of specific product names or features in these reviews, as they often coincide with low-funnel keywords.

Content marketing with targeted landing pages

Low-funnel keywords play a crucial role in SEO campaigns, but their effectiveness can be further maximized when they are incorporated into targeted landing pages.

“A well-designed, keyword-focused landing page can drastically increase conversion rates, turning website visitors into potential customers.”

Therefore, it’s essential to carefully design, create, and optimize your landing pages keeping lower funnel keywords at the core of your strategy. This can be done in a number of ways. For example-

1.Service pages

The specificity of service pages makes them an ideal landing platform for users who key in low-funnel keywords. When users see a dedicated page to search for specific products or services, and your page is the one that answers their needs, it creates instant relevancy and potential for conversion.

Integrating low-funnel keywords in your service pages also improves your Search engine rankings. This can help increase the authority and trust for your service pages, leading to better SERP rankings and more conversions.

2.Case study

Case studies have a unique power to drive engagement and generate conversions on a landing page. They act as evidence of your business’s capabilities, highlighting real-life examples of how your product or service has helped solve customer problems.

3.Use case blog posts

Use case blog posts are typically written to address a specific customer’s problem or need. Since use-case blog posts are written around the practical use of your products/services and include low-funnel keywords, they are inherently more relevant to a specific target audience. This relevancy, combined with the right low-funnel content, can be a valuable source for product research for your users and boost your search rankings.

Paid Search: Reaching audience through Google Ad campaigns

When you want to ensure your content gets seen by the right people, paid search can be an ideal avenue. Google Ads, in particular, offers a robust platform where low-funnel keywords can truly shine. Say, for example, someone types in “organic dog food for sale.” If you’ve focused on this as one of your low-funnel keywords, your ad would appear.

Also, Google has the ability to tag users who are currently in the market for certain products or services. This means they’ve been conducting related searches and are, therefore, more likely to make a purchase. By honing in on these users, you can make your low-funnel keywords work even harder for you.

Brands That Made Big With BoFu Keywords

Discover how some big brands mastered the art of capturing high-intent audiences at the crucial “buying” stage of the customer journey.

Adidas

The global sportswear manufacturer drastically increased their organic traffic by focusing on low-funnel keywords related to product categories and specific product models. For example, they employed precise search tags such as “Adidas Ultraboost men’s running shoes” to cater to very specific customer queries. This strategy significantly reduced the gap between discovery and purchase, enhancing their conversion rates.

Sephora

Another success story is Sephora. This leading beauty retailer utilized bottom-of-funnel keywords that were not only product-specific but also problem-solving, such as “best skincare products for acne,” targeting customers who are ready to purchase. This tactful positioning of the brand as a solution provider significantly improved its search engine ranking and increased product sales.

Wayfair

Wayfair, the American e-commerce giant specializing in home goods, harnessed low-funnel keywords’ potential in its SEO strategy. Knowing the vast majority of their customers come online with a specific product in mind, Wayfair focused its keyword optimization on specific home furniture and décor items. For instance, instead of merely using keywords like “home furniture,” Wayfair narrowed it to specifics like “white wooden queen-sized bed frame.” This strategic move led to a significant surge in their organic traffic and, thereby, sales.

Common Mistakes To Avoid When Targeting Low Funnel Keywords

Mastering the use of bottom-of-funnel keywords can be tricky. Let’s see what are the pitfalls that marketers often encounter when targeting these high-intent search terms.

Over-optimizing your content

It’s quite tempting to prioritize bottom funnel keywords on every page, but it potentially harms your SEO efforts. Google might penalize you for over-optimization. Instead, adopt a natural approach, placing keywords strategically and sparingly in your content. Let it flow naturally.

Forgetting about LSI keywords

Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) keywords are often overlooked. These are keywords semantically related to your main keyword, and if used appropriately, they can help Google understand your content better, improving ranking. Ignore them, and you’re missing out on potential ranking improvements.

Neglecting search intent

Targeting low-funnel keywords without considering the search intent of your users is a common mistake that can lead to lower conversion rates. Your content should be aligned with what your audience is looking for at the point of their buyer’s journey.

Targeting overly competitive keywords

At times, low-funnel keywords can be highly competitive. Trying to rank for these keywords without a robust SEO strategy can result in wasted time and resources. Hence, balance out your strategy by also focusing on less competitive yet still relevant low-funnel keywords.

Ignoring conversion optimization

Remember that the ultimate goal of targeting low-funnel keywords is to lead your prospects to conversion. If your targeted keywords are not compelling enough or don’t lead to a well-optimized conversion pathway, you may drive traffic but fail to convert it, which renders your efforts futile.

But Why Not Skip To The End Of The Funnel?

You might be wondering, “Why not take a shortcut and just skip to the end of the funnel?” This thought may seem logical, given that bottom-of-funnel content targets consumers who are closest to making a purchase. However, it’s crucial to remember that customer journeys are typically not linear. Various factors influence their path toward conversion, and skipping to the end of the funnel may mean missing out on essential opportunities for engagement and rapport-building with your audience.

Bypassing the initial stages of the funnel could lead you to overlook the broader audience who are still in the awareness or consideration stages. These potential customers need nurturing through informative and engaging content, which might eventually lead them to become conversions in the future.

Conclusion

To wrap up, integrating low-funnel keywords effectively into your SEO strategy can be a game-changer, driving potential customers at the decision-making stage straight to your offerings. Remember, finding the optimal balance between keyword use, user intent, and high-quality content is crucial for success. Stay ahead of the curve and unlock the potential of low-funnel keywords!

FAQs

If you find yourself pondering about this topic, you’re not alone. Here, we’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions for low-funnel keywords

What are some examples of low-funnel Keywords? 

Low funnel keywords often include phrases that signal an intent to purchase, such as “buy,” “discount,” “deal,” “premium,” and “best.” They also include descriptive or specific terminology relevant to the product or service, such as the product name, SKU, part number, brand name, or specific features.

Is it more beneficial to focus on low-funnel keywords or high-funnel keywords for SEO? 

Both low-funnel and high-funnel keywords have a critical role to play in SEO. Creating content with high-funnel keywords helps to attract a broader audience, while bottom-of-funnel keywords are more likely to attract people who are ready to purchase. Consequently, a successful SEO strategy typically involves a combination of both.

How can I track the performance of my bottom-of-funnel keywords? 

There are numerous SEO tools available to track the performance of your keywords, such as Google Analytics, SEMrush, and Ahrefs. These tools can provide you with valuable insights, like how often your target keywords are being searched, which specific keywords are driving traffic to your site, and which keywords are leading to conversions.

Are low-funnel keywords more expensive to bid on for PPC? 

As low-funnel keywords often have high conversion rates, they can be more competitive and, therefore, more expensive to bid on in PPC campaigns. However, while they may require a larger initial investment, these keywords often provide a higher return on investment (ROI) for the marketers, as they bring in customers who are ready to make a purchase.

Why is it important not to ignore search intent when implementing low-funnel keywords? 

Understanding the search intent behind a keyword is essential in driving targeted traffic to your site. Visitors are more likely to convert if the content they find matches the intent of their search. So, even though a keyword might be considered a low funnel if the search intent doesn’t align with your product or service, the conversion rate will likely be low.