What Are End of Funnel Keywords?

So you've got a website up and running, and you want to attract users from search engines because you've heard that's where customers tend to hang out. You wouldn't be wrong to think that Google alone serves up billions of queries per day and redirects a large portion of the world's traffic, but adding your site as an option is easier said than done.

Search engines aren't in the habit of handing out precious traffic to just any Tom, Dick and Harry with a newly purchased domain, they use a complex algorithm to rank websites, and this algorithm takes into account many factors, including the relevance and popularity of the keywords used on the website.

If a keyword is present on your website, you can technically index for it, but ranking for it is another story.

Then, even if you rank for a certain keyword, it doesn't mean you're going to get traffic; ranking number one for some ultra-niche, obscure keyword with no traffic isn't going to help you get leads.

So what you need to do is rank in the top 1-3 or 4-10, aka page one of search results, for a keyword that has a meaningful amount of daily volume that pertains to your business.

Keywords Are Not Created Equal

So what does everyone do? Dogpile is on top of optimising for the most common search terms that come to mind or some variation, like near me or a location like a city.

Again, this is not wrong, but it doesn't mean there's an endless supply of users who are smashing those search terms into their keyboards.

Some keywords are more valuable than others because they are more relevant to the content of the website or because they are more popular among users.

For example, a website about cars might use the keyword "car" to attract visitors.

However, this keyword is very broad and is used by many other websites.

As a result, it is not very valuable to the website.

A more valuable keyword would be "used car for sale," which is more specific and is more likely to be used by people who are looking for information about used cars.

In addition to relevance and popularity, search engines also consider the difficulty of ranking for a particular keyword. Some keywords are more difficult to rank for than others because they are more competitive.

For example, it is more difficult to rank for the keyword "car" than for the keyword "used car for sale."

As a result of these factors, not all keywords are created equal in the eyes of the search engines. Some keywords are more valuable than others because they are more relevant, popular, and difficult to rank for.

The Final Step in the Customer Journey

In digital marketing and SEO, understanding different types of keywords is crucial for creating an effective content strategy. Each grouping of keywords serves a different purpose: some are to inform, some are to compare, some are to educate, some are to drive conversions, and that's what we all want: conversions.

To drive direct conversions from the search, your best bet is showing up for keywords where the user has a strong intent to perform a purchase. We in the SEO biz commonly refer to them as end-of-funnel keywords or bottom-of-the-funnel keywords that play a particularly vital role in converting prospects into customers.

What Are End of Funnel Keywords?

End-of-funnel keywords, also known as bottom-of-funnel (BOFU) keywords, are search terms that indicate a user is ready to make a purchase or take a specific action.

These keywords represent the final stage of the customer journey, where visitors have already identified their problem, researched solutions, and are now ready to make a decision.

What you're essentially doing is trying to capture the customer right before they plan to pull out the credit card. Instead of merely providing education and convincing, you just want to be at the finish line waiting to capture that purchase intent.

Now, does that work? Yes and No!

If you're the only service provider or seller in your area, well, you have free reign on all those lovely end-of-funnel queries, but that's hardly ever the case; you'll have to share the impressions and clicks with your competitors.

As more competitors come into the market, search engines will try to serve up variety to keep everyone happy and give everyone a piece of the pie, but that also means diluting the pie into smaller slices.

While optimising for end-of-funnel is important, they only form one part of your keyword strategy.

Characteristics of End of Funnel Keywords

These magical keywords that lead to conversions are what everyone thinks of when they consider SEO.

It's the I want to rank for "Pajamas In Perth" energy.

So, what qualifies a keyword as the end of the funnel?

High Purchase Intent

These keywords typically demonstrate clear buying intent. Users searching with these terms are no longer in the research phase – they're ready to pull the trigger on a purchase or commitment.

Specific and Detailed

End-of-funnel keywords are usually longer and more specific than awareness or consideration-stage keywords.

They often include:

• Brand names
• Product specifications
• Purchase-related modifiers
• Location-specific terms
• Pricing information

Examples in Action

• "Buy [Product Name] online"
• "Best price for [Product]"
• "[Brand Name] vs [Competitor] pricing"
• "Purchase [Service] in [Location]"
• "[Product] discount code"
• "Sign up for [Service]"

Why End of Funnel Keywords Matter?

These keywords often have the highest conversion rates because they target users who are ready to take action. While they might have lower search volume compared to top-of-funnel keywords, they typically deliver better ROI.

Higher Competition, Higher Value

Because these keywords are so specific, they often face higher competition than broader terms. This means you might have a lower chance of ranking for them despite the fact that the traffic you get is more valuable.

This is where you need to start thinking strategically and start to break out the spreadsheets and the calculator.

Instead of being dead set on trying to rank number 1 for that one keyword that you think will make or break your business, look at the impressions it generates for your site and then apply a realistic impression share, then apply an average conversion rate and see what it's potentially worth to you.

If the cost to create content, links and more works out to be less than what you can generate from a top 3 ranking, by all means, throw the kitchen sink at it; if not, perhaps it's better that you focus on other keywords instead.

Accept the fact that you can and will be priced out of certain keywords.

How to Identify End of Funnel Keywords

So, where do I find these keywords for my brand?

Look for Action-Oriented Terms

Focus on keywords that include:

• Purchase-related words (buy, order, purchase)
• Comparison terms (vs, versus, comparison)
• Price-related terms (cost, pricing, discount)
• Action words (download, subscribe, sign up)

Analyse User Intent

Consider whether the keyword suggests someone who is:

• Ready to make a purchase
• Comparing final options
• Looking for specific product information
• Seeking pricing details

Implementing End of Funnel Keywords

Content Optimisation

When creating content around end-of-funnel keywords:

• Focus on conversion-oriented pages
• Include clear calls to action
• Provide detailed product information
• Address common purchase objections
• Include pricing and availability details

Landing Page Best Practices

Your landing pages should:

• Load quickly
• Be mobile-friendly
• Include trust signals
• Offer clear purchase paths
• Provide multiple contact options

Measuring Success

Track these metrics to gauge the effectiveness of your end-of-funnel keyword strategy:

• Conversion rates
• Revenue per visitor
• Time to purchase
• Cart abandonment rates
• Return on ad spend (ROAS)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

End-of-funnel keyword obsession is the fastest way to taint your SEO experience; I've seen this too many times; it's ugly, it's painful, and you do not want this.

Yes, you should add all the end-of-funnel keywords with reasonable volume to your site; yes, you can do some clever interlinking and off-page linking with anchor text, but learn to accept what you cannot change.

You can only extract so much juice from one keyword before you need to move on.

Don't Neglect Other Funnel Stages

While end-of-funnel keywords are valuable, they shouldn't be your only focus. A well-rounded SEO strategy includes keywords for all stages of the customer journey.

Avoid Over-Optimisation

Don't stuff your content with the same keywords over and over; you'll only see a lower return and a lot of keyword cannibalisation. Focus on creating natural, helpful content that addresses user intent while incorporating variations of keywords organically.

The Light At The End Of The Funnel

Understanding and implementing end-of-funnel keywords isn't just about improving your SEO – it's about connecting with customers when they're ready to take action, making them a crucial element of any comprehensive digital marketing strategy.

End-of-funnel keywords are powerful tools in your digital marketing arsenal, but you have to accept that they have their limits. By understanding and properly implementing these keywords, you can attract highly qualified traffic that's more likely to convert and also set reasonable expectations for yourself, your efforts and your possible ROI.

Regularly analyse and adjust your keyword strategy based on performance data to maximise results.

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Recommended reading

If you enjoyed this post and have a little extra time to dive deeper down the rabbit hole, why not check out the following posts on SEO and search updates.

• Google Launches Neural Matching Algorithm
• Is Pushing Live Too Many Pages Risky For SEO
• Why Ranking #1 Does Not Always Equal Improved Leads or Sales
• 10 Reasons Why Your Site Doesn't Rank For *Insert Keyword*
• Google Trial More Related Searches On Mobile
• Google Launches Expandable Featured Snippets

Tags: SEO, Search Engine Optimisation