How to choose keywords that actually bring customers

Many people chase the keywords with the most searches. But the most-searched term is rarely the most valuable one. What counts is whether the person searching is actually about to buy.

Search volume is not the same as value

It is tempting to aim for terms with thousands of monthly searches. The problem is that high volume often means broad, unclear intent. Someone searching "marketing" could be anything from a student to a competitor — rarely a customer with their wallet ready.

A narrower search like "accountant for sole traders" has fewer hits, but every person behind that search knows fairly precisely what they are looking for. That is where the customers are.

Understand the intent behind the search

Every search has an intent. It helps to think in three rough categories:

• Information. "How much does a website cost" — the person is learning, but not necessarily ready to buy yet.
• Comparison. "Best accounting software for small businesses" — they are weighing up options.
• Purchase. "Accountant in Trondheim price" — here the intent is clear, and the distance to an enquiry is short.

You need content for all three, but purchase-oriented searches are the ones that bring customers fastest. Start there if you want to see results quickly.

Long, specific searches are your friend

Short terms like "lawyer" are extremely competitive, and their intent is vague. Longer phrases — often called long-tail — like "inheritance lawyer Stavanger" are easier to rank for and attract people who know exactly what they need.

For a small business, this is a gift. You avoid fighting the biggest players over the most generic terms. Instead, you own the specific searches where intent is strongest and competition is lowest.

How to find the words

You do not need expensive tools to get started:

1. Listen to your customers. What words do they use when describing their problem? Those words are usually exactly what people search for.
2. Look at Google's suggestions. Start typing a search and Google fills in common continuations. That is real search behaviour, for free.
3. Read "People also ask". The boxes of related questions show what people wonder about around your topic.
4. Check your competitors. Which services and topics do they have dedicated pages for? That reveals what is worth ranking for in your field.

Choose words you can win

A keyword you could technically rank for, but which is dominated by national chains and large websites, is not worth your time if you are a local business. Be honest about where you stand.

A good rule of thumb: choose words where the intent is clearly purchase-oriented, where the competition is manageable, and where you can genuinely create better content than what sits at the top today. Hit all three and you have found a word worth pursuing.

Measure the right thing

The ultimate goal is not to rank — it is to get customers. A page that sits in first place for a term nobody buys on is not a win. So keep an eye on which searches actually lead to enquiries, not just which ones bring visits.

Once you start choosing keywords by purchase intent rather than volume, the whole picture changes: fewer visitors, but more of them become customers.

If you would like help mapping which searches matter for your business, you can read more about how we approach SEO.