The SEO community has been constantly reminded to prioritize the user in recent years.
One way we’ve embraced this for our clients is by going beyond basic keyword research to deeply analyze customer sophistication and intent.
This approach isn’t just surface-level SEO. It requires thorough research, strategic analysis and even some internal advocacy to reshape reporting systems and KPIs.
But once momentum builds, the rewards far surpass typical SEO efforts, offering:
Evergreen impact across the entire customer journey.
Comprehensive coverage of all stakeholders in major purchase decisions.
A more engaging website experience that fosters long-term user loyalty.
Now that you’re on board (I hope), let’s discuss how to get there.
1. Categorize customer sophistication by query
I won’t spend much time talking about beginner-level, top-of-funnel keywords since that’s where most SEOs already have plenty of experience.
But when identifying deeper levels of user sophistication, traditional keyword research isn’t enough.
Look for these types of keywords instead.
Problem-specific or situational queries
Stage-specific phrases
Users with more experience tend to use phrases related to specific challenges or stages of their journey.
Taking an example from the SaaS vertical, someone might search “best cloud security tool for compliance with SOC 2,” showing that they already understand the tools and standards they need.
Advanced research queries
Look for searches with multiple qualifiers, such as “best CRM for enterprise with customizable API integration.”
This shows a user who has already moved past the basic understanding and is searching for specific needs or features.
Long-tail keywords with specific modifiers
Advanced terminology
High-knowledge users often use industry-specific or technical language.
For example, in a healthcare context, instead of searching “IVF clinic,” they may search for “reproductive endocrinology specialist” or “pre-implantation genetic diagnosis.”
Technique or methodology-based searches
These users will likely look for specific treatments, tools or approaches.
In a therapy context, keywords like “CBT for social anxiety” or “evidence-based therapy in NYC” show users are aware of treatment methods and are researching on a more granular level.
Question-like queries
High-experience users might search with queries that reflect a deeper understanding of a subject.
For example, “how does IVF work for women over 40” or “what are the best therapy techniques for PTSD.”
2. Prioritize where in the funnel (i.e., customer sophistication level) to start
In my experience, SEOs tend to start where they can get the most immediate traction in volume, but that’s not always the best strategy.
You can build a more effective system of prioritization by considering several factors:
Business objectives
Align content development with key business goals.
If the immediate goal is to generate leads or increase conversions, you should prioritize content aimed at users further down the funnel (intermediate or advanced).
If the goal is brand awareness or growing organic traffic, tackle beginner-level content first.
Audience segmentation
Different audience segments require different levels of knowledge-based content.
If a large portion of your audience consists of users new to your product or service, start with beginner content.
If you have an expert or returning audience, prioritize high-knowledge content that differentiates your product or service from your competitors.
Keyword research
Determine the search volume and difficulty of keywords across different knowledge levels.
I often find that the higher the search volume, the tougher the competition.
This means you can find nice pockets of grabbable opportunity lower in the funnel as queries lengthen and sophistication increases.
Competitor research
Look at your competitors’ content strategy, especially what knowledge levels they’re targeting.
Identify content gaps or areas where they aren’t covering certain topics and prioritize creating content to fill that void and take control of the narrative.
Existing traffic and conversions
Understand which pages or content types are already driving traffic, engagement and conversions. This data can help you prioritize similar types of content that meet those goals.
For instance, if you have a page comparing your service to a top competitor’s service and that page has a good conversion rate, assess whether it makes sense to build similar comparison pages for other competitors.
Customer journey mapping
Understand the different stages of your customer’s journey and where content is needed to move them forward.
What questions does a customer have after getting some basic education on your key topic – and as they move along the journey? Make sure you’re creating content to answer those questions.
Key touchpoints
If users need more education early on in their decision-making process, focus first on top-of-funnel and middle-of-funnel content.
If users are closer to conversion or come with much pre-existing knowledge (like in B2B SaaS or specialized industries), start with middle-of-funnel and bottom-of-funnel content.
High-potential pages
Identify existing pages with high impressions but low rankings (often beginner or broad topics).
Building intermediate and advanced content that links back to these pages can increase their authority and rankings while guiding users through the knowledge funnel.
A balance of news-y and evergreen content
Keep your content strategy flexible to build a base that will keep paying off and capitalize on shorter-term interest spikes.
Start with evergreen beginner and intermediate content that will continuously bring in traffic over time and will serve users at all stages.
Monitor any trending or emerging topics in your industry (particularly for advanced content) and prioritize those to capture short-term traffic and establish your brand as a thought leader.
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3. Guide beginners through the full knowledge spectrum
Top-of-funnel queries for beginners are a great source of traffic.
The next challenge is to educate those users to guide them through the stages of awareness, knowledge, consideration and, ultimately, purchase intent.
Create a clear content hierarchy, organized by knowledge level (beginner, intermediate and advanced) to identify content gaps to address, from introductory material to more in-depth content.
Start simple with something like this:
One structure that’s been effective, site-UX-wise, is using broader top-of-funnel topics as pillar pages, with links to more detailed middle- and bottom-funnel pages that provide more specific insights and advanced knowledge.
From there, use contextual links to guide users through this natural flow.
Place links with clear, action-oriented anchor text that tells the user what they’re getting with a new page.
Link from broad introductory content to more specific areas as users’ knowledge grows.
Add a “Recommended for You” or “Related Articles” section at the end of every resource article. The recommended content should either expand on the current topic in more depth or introduce the next logical step in the user’s journey.
4. Build an SEO strategy to cover all decision-makers
Along with user sophistication (how much they know), it can be incredibly impactful to build a strategy to cover all decision-makers who all need to know something different.
For instance, for a marketing automation tool:
CMOs need to know how it helps their team perform better.
CTOs need to know how it integrates with an existing tech stack.
CFOs need to know how the tool’s fees and integration costs compare with the revenue it will drive and/or the ultimate operational costs saved.
I recommend structuring a content matrix to address all people involved in the decision by taking the following steps.
Identify stakeholders and their roles
Each stakeholder has different pain points, motivations and concerns. Understanding these is crucial for tailoring content to each group.
Map stakeholder needs to content topics
Create a list of questions, concerns and priorities for each stakeholder.
Organize these topics
Build a matrix by stakeholder role and content type based on their stage in the buying process (awareness, consideration, decision).
Identify and leverage cross-linking between roles
Influencers, end-users, and decision-makers will have overlap in concerns. Use internal linking to guide users between pieces of content relevant to different stakeholders.
5. Convince clients (or managers) to trade volume for purchase intent
Spending more time on middle- and bottom-funnel queries likely means less time gobbling up traffic at the top of the funnel. This also means your traffic growth may slow or even flat-line when you adopt this strategy.
Shifting to high-knowledge terms improves traffic quality and intent because users searching for these terms are usually further along in their research or decision-making process.
As a result, they’re more likely to engage with your content, convert or become long-term customers.
However, it’s essential to communicate the expected short- and long-term effects to your team and management and set up reporting to support your approach.
Make it clear from the beginning that high traffic doesn’t always mean actual business impact.
Broad/high-volume keywords bring in more clicks.
While high-knowledge keywords bring fewer users, they also bring better engagement metrics like time on page, engagement rate and conversions.
Segment your reporting to echo how you segment your content and UX, and you’ll start to see clear patterns you can share with your stakeholders.
Building a sophisticated SEO strategy
This is no small task. It requires adding multiple layers to your approach, which can be both time-consuming and complex.
However, the payoff is significant. As you refine your strategy, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of your business, industry, and users, ultimately improving your SEO efforts and every aspect of your work.
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