Case study · 02
Keyword intent, not just keywords
Mapping every query to why someone typed it before a single line of copy gets written — because ranking is easy; earning the click and the conversion is the real game.
- Search intent
- Keyword mapping
- Content strategy
The problem
Keywords without a why
Most keyword lists treat every query the same. "Best laptop" and "how to clean a laptop screen" both get filed under laptops — but the searcher wants completely different things.
The result: pages that rank for the wrong reason, bounce hard, and tell the algorithm the page doesn't actually help.
The reframe
One page, one intent
I rebuilt the keyword map around intent buckets — learn, compare, buy, act. Every page now has exactly one job, and the titles, structure and calls-to-action all serve that single job.
Rankings become a side effect of being the most obvious answer.
Process
From keyword list to intent map
Pull the raw list
Gathered every query the brand could plausibly win — head terms, long tail, questions and local variants.
Tag the intent
Sorted each query into learn / compare / buy / act and noted where it sits in the funnel.
Group by mission
Clustered queries that belong on the same page — one page per query type, never one page for everything.
Rewrite the briefs
Each content brief now leads with the searcher's question and ends with the right next step.
Close the gaps
Flagged queries with no home page and prioritised new pages by value versus effort.
Working notes
Intent in practice
Worth the discipline
Want your keyword list rebuilt around intent?
Send me your keywords. I'll return them sorted by intent with a suggested page for each group.