Keyword targeting is one of the most important — and often misunderstood — aspects of content strategy. Too often, brands focus on high-volume terms without considering whether those keywords will actually drive meaningful traffic, conversions, or business impact. Search volume and difficulty metrics might seem like solid benchmarks, but they don’t tell the full story.
Decisions should be driven by which keywords you should rank for, not simply which ones you can rank for.
In this post, we’ll break down how to strategically analyze and prioritize keywords, so you can focus on the ones that truly matter, not just the ones that look good on paper.
Why thoughtful keyword analysis matters
If you’re still choosing keywords based on search volume and difficulty alone, you’re only seeing part of the picture. While those metrics provide a starting point, there’s more insights to be gained by digging deeper. Here’s why:
AI overviews are changing the game. With Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and zero-click results, many high-volume, top-funnel keywords won’t drive the traffic they once did. Dale Bertrand, CEO of Fire&Spark, shared in a recent CMI post, “According to Microsoft data, traffic from generative AI searches converts significantly better than traditional searches because users are educated within the search platform before visiting your website.” If your keyword strategy doesn’t account for this, you could end up chasing rankings that lead to minimal returns.
Content saturation is real. In fact, 56% of B2B buyers feel there is an “overwhelming amount of available content.” You need to ensure your content stands out and serves a unique purpose. Targeting the same broad terms as everyone else won’t move the needle if competitors already dominate the space.
The right keywords drive the right outcomes. Don’t just chase SEO vanity metrics — think about your broader SEO goals. Does your keyword strategy align with business objectives, search intent, and existing content gaps? “Three things I am always focused on,” notes CMO advisor Sophia Agustina, “are driving quality traffic/leads, generating demand and creating a strong sales partnership so we have the same goals that we can work towards together.” Keeping these outcomes in mind will help your content reach the right audience, support their journey, and ultimately convert.
Why keyword volume and difficulty don’t tell the full story
Many SEO strategies still rely on search volume and keyword difficulty as the primary factors for choosing target terms. These metrics help portray the viability of an opportunity through the lens of search demand and ranking achievability. While they provide useful insights, they don’t tell the full story — and in many cases, they can lead brands in the wrong direction.
1. High-volume keywords can be misleading
A keyword with 20,000 monthly searches might look like an obvious win, but that number alone doesn’t guarantee quality traffic, even if you’re able to rank and drive clicks. All organic traffic is not created equal. It’s important to think about the intent associated with a keyword, and what the user is trying to learn or accomplish.
Very broad, 101-level queries (i.e., “what is X”) might have high search volume, and are often worth addressing as part of comprehensively covering a topic, but will they bring in visitors who are likely to take valuable actions? In many cases a more specific longtail keyword (i.e. “how can I automate sales processes with X”?) will have lower volume but far more impact potential.
2. AI overviews and zero-click results reduce traffic potential
Google’s AI summaries are shifting search behavior, especially for high-level informational queries. If a keyword triggers an AI-generated response at the top of the page, users may never scroll down to organic results. That means search volume alone is no longer a reliable predictor of clicks.
3. Over-focusing on difficulty can cause you to overlook valuable opportunities
Many brands avoid keywords with high difficulty scores, assuming they’re out of reach. But keyword difficulty is a relative metric: it depends on the strength of your domain and the level of competition. In some cases, a moderately difficult keyword may be easier to win than expected, especially if you’ve developed strong topical authority. Conversely, an easy keyword isn’t always worth chasing if it lacks search intent alignment.
Diving deeper into keyword metrics
Building a keyword strategy that weathers the onslaught of algorithm updates, impact of AI summaries, and changes in customer behavior requires looking deeper than surface-level metrics. Here are three core factors that play a major role in keyword success:
1. Search intent
A keyword might have strong search volume, but if it doesn’t align with what your audience actually needs — or with the type of content your brand provides — it won’t deliver meaningful traffic. The best SEO strategies categorize keywords by intent (informational, navigational, transactional) to ensure they match user expectations.
2. Relevance
A keyword might be popular, but that doesn’t mean it’s relevant to your brand. Prioritizing keywords that align with your expertise and audience pain points leads to stronger engagement, higher conversions, and a better overall user experience. If a keyword doesn’t serve your brand’s strategic goals, it’s not worth pursuing — no matter how much search volume it has.
3. Existing content
Before targeting a new keyword, it’s important to assess whether you already have content ranking for similar terms. Overlapping keyword targets can lead to cannibalization, where multiple pages compete for the same traffic, weakening overall performance. Instead of creating new content for every keyword, a better (and far more efficient!) approach is to identify opportunities for content consolidation, updates, or strategic re-optimization of existing assets.
How to analyze keywords for optimized content planning
A well-planned keyword strategy doesn’t just focus on ranking. Those rankings must also translate into meaningful traffic. Here’s how to analyze and prioritize keywords to boost content performance.
1. Leverage existing rankings
Many brands have a deep library of existing content that can deliver more value with a bit of strategic oversight. It’s often more efficient to refresh an existing page targeting a keyword for which you lack SERP visibility versus creating something new, and can help you avoid cannibalization.
You may find content ranking for keywords you hadn’t been targeting. What this tells you is that your users (and Google) are finding value in the content for that search. If relevant to your buyers, optimizing around those keywords can earn an easy — and meaningful — win.
How to approach this:
- Audit existing rankings using tools like Google Search Console or an SEO platform to identify which keywords your site already ranks for.
- Avoid duplication by optimizing existing content instead of creating new pages when a keyword is already targeted.
- Identify refresh opportunities by focusing on keywords ranking outside of the top results, or those showing a downward trend. These are prime candidates for updates, internal linking, and improved optimization to push them higher.
2. Prioritize keywords that actually drive traffic
Even high-volume terms can underperform if they don’t lead to clicks.
How to approach this:
- Consider intent and funnel stage to ensure a keyword aligns with both user intent (informational, commercial, transactional) and your business goals.
- Look beyond search volume since a lower-volume keyword with strong commercial intent may drive more conversions than a broad, high-volume term.
- Factor in search behavior changes. AI-generated overviews are reducing clicks for top-funnel queries. Prioritize mid- and bottom-funnel terms that offer greater engagement potential.
3. Aim for complete topical coverage
Keyword selection should be structured and intentional, providing users with a clear journey through your site.
How to approach this:
- Map keywords to content pillars and subtopics to maintain a full-funnel content strategy that captures users at different stages of the buyer’s journey.
- Use topical maps to group keywords with similar intent, avoiding redundant content while determining whether multiple terms can be covered by a single, authoritative page.
- Build a connected experience by ensuring complete topical coverage, allowing users to navigate seamlessly between content pieces, increasing engagement, and reducing bounce rates.
4. Balance demand vs. whitespace opportunities
Identify high-value gaps in your content strategy — areas where you can rank well while meeting your audience’s needs.
How to approach this:
- Look for underutilized topics by identifying relevant keywords with search demand but limited high-quality content in your industry.
- Retain keyword variations even if multiple keywords share the same intent. This helps gauge total search volume potential and uncover subtle differences in search behavior.
- Find the biggest wins with the least competition by balancing search demand with keyword difficulty to prioritize low-competition, high-impact opportunities.
Drive valuable traffic with smarter SEO
A smarter approach to keyword selection helps you focus on what actually moves the needle. It ensures you’re targeting terms that drive real engagement, not just impressions. It creates a connected content journey, so users can easily find what they need and take the next step. And it uncovers valuable gaps — those high-opportunity spaces where your brand can stand out without battling overwhelming competition.
If your SEO efforts aren’t delivering the results you need, it might be time for a more strategic approach.
Keyword Analysis Checklist (Quick-Reference Guide)
✅ Check intent – Does this keyword align with what your audience actually wants?
✅ Evaluate competition – Can you realistically rank for it?
✅ Audit existing content – Will this keyword create duplicate efforts or cannibalization?
✅ Assess traffic potential – Is it likely to generate real clicks, or is it lost to AI overviews?
✅ Map to a topic cluster – Does it fit into your larger content strategy?
✅ Identify gaps and prioritize – Is this a high-value whitespace opportunity?
