We define category keywords as search terms that indicate a searcher is actively<\/em> looking for products or services in a specific category. For example \u201cbest accounting software\u201d or \u201ccontent marketing agencies\u201d.<\/p>\n Category keywords make up one of the three main buckets that we think of for high buying-intent, or \u201cbottom of the funnel\u201d, keywords. The other two being jobs-to-be-done<\/a> and comparison and alternatives<\/a> keywords.\u00a0<\/p>\n The defining characteristic of category keywords are their extremely high buying intent \u2014 users are actively looking to buy your type of product or service. They don\u2019t need to be educated on the problem or led through a buyer\u2019s journey; they\u2019re ready to buy now.\u00a0<\/p>\n Due to their high buying-intent, category keywords tend to convert at much higher rates than most SEO keywords. In our study of 90+ rankings across dozens of clients\u2019 accounts<\/a>, category keywords had an average conversion rate of 4.85%, whereas most blog posts that target more informational (\u201ctop-of-funnel\u201d) keywords typically convert at 0.5% or less (many don\u2019t convert traffic to product leads at all). This is nearly 10x the difference.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, from talking to and seeing the analytics of over a hundred companies over the years, we\u2019ve noticed that the vast majority of companies only target one or two category keywords with their homepage or product pages.<\/p>\n This gross underutilization of category keywords is problematic for several reasons:<\/p>\n All of this leads to brands leaving tons<\/em> of conversions on the table in their SEO and content strategy.\u00a0<\/p>\n In this post, we\u2019ll cover how we solve these issues and have approached targeting hundreds of category keywords for dozens of clients. Specifically, we\u2019ll cover:<\/p>\n At Grow and Convert, we think of category keywords as falling into one of three main types:\u00a0<\/p>\n Understanding these distinctions will help you identify\u00a0 which are the most valuable for your company in terms of conversion potential, so you can focus your efforts.<\/p>\n Main category keywords are the most straightforward. These keywords directly describe the core product or service your business offers. For instance, if you sell accounting software, your main category keywords would be\u00a0 \u201caccounting software\u201d and variants like \u201cbest accounting software\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n Keep in mind that while synonyms may appear interchangeable to us, Google displays different search results for each variant.<\/p>\n Note that there are many synonyms that seem to mean the same thing to a human, that Google ranks different results for. Therefore, you\u2019ll need to target each separately to rank for both.<\/p>\n For example, people might also search for accounting software using terms like\u201cbookkeeping software\u201d or \u201cfinancial management software.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n If Google is ranking the same web pages for both your main category keyword and one of its synonyms, it means you don\u2019t need to create a unique page for each keyword. Google is viewing them as having the same intent.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, if the SERPs for each keyword show different web pages ranking, it suggests the intent behind the keywords differs, meaning Google won\u2019t rank the same pages for both. In this case, you\u2019ll need to create separate pages to cater to each specific intent and rank for each.<\/p>\n Finally, note that a single company, brand, or even product may have multiple category keywords to target, not due to synonyms, but because the product or service has distinct features or use cases that correspond to different categories.\u00a0<\/p>\n For example, we\u2019ve had web analytics software clients whose products serve as \u201cheat mapping tools\u201d, \u201cwebsite visitor tracking software\u201d, \u201cvisitor recording software\u201d and \u201cfunnel analysis software\u201d \u2014 all valid category keywords.\u00a0<\/p>\n Note that these are different from side category keywords (discussed below<\/a>) because these companies have multiple main offerings, whereas side category keywords are not part of the main offering.\u00a0<\/p>\n Our recommendation:<\/strong> Take the time to list every possible category keyword related to all features and use cases of your product(s). Cast a wide net and use keyword research tools to verify search volume and prioritize the order in which you target these keywords (more on that below).\u00a0<\/p>\n In an analysis of 95 different articles across various clients (mentioned above<\/a>), we found that main category keywords convert at a rate of 4.85%<\/strong> on average, which is significantly higher than the average blog post.<\/p>\n We find that typical blog posts focusing on high-volume, top-of-funnel keywords like \u201cwhat is accounting\u201d and \u201cproject management trends\u201d tend to convert at a rate of 1% or less. We\u2019ve even observed instances where clients\u2019 blog posts, before implementing a conversion-focused strategy, converted at extremely low rates, like 0.03% to 0.19%, with some generating no conversions at all over extended periods.<\/p>\n Category keywords with a layer of specificity target a particular niche within your broader category. Using our accounting software example, a layer of specificity could be \u201caccounting software for freelancers\u201d or \u201ccloud-based accounting software.\u201d<\/p>\n In our experience, these layers of specificity attract a more qualified audience because they target searchers who are looking for a solution tailored to their<\/em> specific pain points. As a result, they provide an amazing conversion<\/em> opportunity if your product has features that cater to those pain points.\u00a0<\/p>\n For example, say someone is searching for \u201caccounting software for small businesses.\u201d Searching for \u201caccounting software\u201d by itself shows high buying intent. But the addition of \u201csmall business\u201d indicates a person motivated to solve specific pain points. So, if your accounting software has features that cater to small businesses, and you can create content that addresses those pain points \u2014 and show how your product solves them \u2014 you\u2019re in a great position to convert the searcher into a customer.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Because of this, in our past client data, we\u2019ve seen that category keywords with a layer of specificity have the potential to convert at a much higher rate than broader category keywords. For instance, we wrote a post for a client targeting the keyword \u201cmarketing asset management software\u201d which had a conversion rate of 15.2%. This was significantly higher than the average conversion rate of 4.85% for posts targeting general category keywords.\u00a0<\/p>\n Finally, we\u2019ve noticed that these longer-tail category keywords often have less competition since most businesses focus on higher-volume keywords. So they can be a good option for getting fast results.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Category keywords with a layer of specificity convert at a rate of 2.96% on average, but can convert as high as 15+%.\u00a0<\/p>\n Side category keywords represent features or use cases that are closely related to your main offering, but not the primary focus. For example, that same accounting software might have a feature for invoicing so side category keywords would include \u201cinvoicing software\u201d and \u201conline invoicing tools\u201d.<\/p>\n A common objection to targeting side keywords is that companies feel it narrowly defines their business and limits their perceived offerings (\u201cWe aren\u2019t just<\/em> invoicing software!\u201d). They worry that focusing on a specific feature, like \u201cemail sequencing,\u201d will make customers think that\u2019s all they offer (\u201cBut we\u2019re an entire marketing automation platform!\u201d).<\/p>\n In our experience, this issue is easily addressed within <\/em>the content. Specifically, the content should, of course, speak to the intent of the software (e.g. covering invoicing software needs and how you provide those features) while also showing how the targeted feature fits within the\u00a0 larger product or service ecosystem, and explaining\u00a0 the benefits of your entire<\/em> product suite (e.g., why it\u2019s convenient to have invoicing and accounting in the same software).<\/p>\n This way, you can use people\u2019s demand for specific features or point solutions to expose them to your offering, even if it\u2019s more comprehensive than what they searched for. Not everyone will need your larger solution, of course, but as we share below, these still convert decently well.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Another objection we sometimes hear is that companies are hesitant to target certain side category keywords because that area isn\u2019t their strong suit and they question whether or not it will actually convert customers on its own. For example, a company with an email marketing platform might have simple CRM capabilities, but they know they can\u2019t replace a dedicated CRM platform like HubSpot.<\/p>\n This is a fair objection and one that warrants consideration. If you truly feel you aren\u2019t strong in a specific feature category, then it\u2019s fair to decide not to target it, even if there are keywords with good search volume. If your product isn\u2019t strong in those categories, the chances of those customers being good long-term paying customers are low. Ultimately, it comes down to opportunity cost and prioritization. If you have other more valuable keywords to target, go after those first. (More on this later.)\u00a0<\/p>\n In the same study mentioned above, side category keywords convert at a rate of 1.94% on average. Although this is the lowest converting type of category keyword on average, it\u2019s still about 2x the conversion rate of top-of-funnel blog posts.\u00a0<\/p>\n The key to finding lots of different category keywords is understanding how your customers talk about the products or services you provide (main category keywords) and which aspects of your solutions get them most engaged (side category keywords, layers of specificity). You need firsthand data on how they perceive and talk about your products, how they describe their problems, and what language they use when searching for solutions.<\/p>\n The best approach is to have direct conversations with your customer-facing teams. <\/strong>We\u2019ve talked about this extensively before, including:\u00a0<\/p>\n This step gives you a list of pain points. Then, you correlate those with\u00a0 SEO keywords from keyword research tools (like Ahrefs, Semrush, or any others). These tools provide data on search volume, keyword difficulty, and can suggest variations and synonyms that you may not have considered.<\/p>\n You can also look at Google\u2019s autofill suggestions that appear when you start typing a query, the \u201cpeople also ask\u201d sections, and related searches. These features can reveal common search patterns and variations that you can incorporate into your strategy.<\/p>\n Finally, you can utilize online communities and forums like Reddit to see how people phrase their pain points and describe solutions like yours.<\/p>\n By combining customer insights with a variety of keyword research methods, you can develop a comprehensive and targeted list of category keywords that are much more likely to resonate with your ideal audience and drive conversions.<\/p>\n Most SEO folks prioritize keywords based on search volume alone \u2014 the higher the volume, the better. Instead, we recommend starting with the category keywords that are most closely aligned with your product\u2019s strengths because these will likely have the highest conversion rates.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Then, consider your current domain authority and resources. It might be more strategic to initially target less competitive keywords and gradually build up to more challenging ones. Tools like Ahrefs and Clearscope can help assess keyword difficulty and provide insights into search volume and ranking potential.<\/p>\n For example, let\u2019s say you offer a CRM platform known for being easy to use and budget-friendly. Rather than immediately targeting \u201cCRM software,\u201d you might start with terms like \u201caffordable CRM platform\u201d which align with your key differentiators and are less competitive.\u00a0<\/p>\n On the other hand, if it\u2019s a particularly valuable keyword, it\u2019s totally reasonable to decide to target it early on because it will likely take longer to rank. We typically start with a mix of both.\u00a0<\/p>\n Finally, you\u2019ll need to monitor the performance of your targeted keywords and track conversion rates. This allows you to adjust your strategy so you can focus on keywords that deliver the best results and iterate on those that underperform.\u00a0<\/p>\n Most companies target category keywords through their homepage and product pages and save their blog for top-of-funnel content. However, in our experience, blog posts often outperform product pages for category keywords because they:\u00a0<\/p>\n In many cases, the top-ranking results for category keywords are list posts or articles that thoroughly explore how a specific product addresses a pain point. This is because when someone searches for a category keyword, they\u2019re often in the research phase and are looking for a range of options and how to choose the best one for their needs.<\/p>\n Unlike product pages which focus only on your solution, detailed blog content can discuss the benefits and use cases of the product or service, compare options, teach readers how to evaluate those options, and naturally lead readers to your offering. This comprehensive approach better serves searchers looking to understand the full landscape before making a decision. It also allows you to craft a more in-depth sales pitch around the specific pain points of that reader.\u00a0<\/p>\n Plus, because you have to deeply satisfy intent in order to rank, your homepage can only target a limited number of keywords effectively. In contrast, you can create numerous blog posts that each focus on a specific variation of the category keyword.\u00a0<\/p>\n For example, you could have one blog post targeting \u201caccounting software for small businesses,\u201d another targeting \u201caccounting software for freelancers,\u201d and yet another targeting \u201caccounting software with time tracking.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n This strategy allows you to cast a wider net and capture a larger share of organic traffic, while still maintaining a laser focus on satisfying the intent of each specific keyword.\u00a0<\/p>\n All of this helps you rank higher for more keywords and convert more of your readers to paying customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n We define category keywords as search terms that indicate a searcher is actively looking for products or services in a specific category. For example \u201cbest accounting software\u201d or \u201ccontent marketing agencies\u201d. Category keywords make up one of the three main buckets that we think of for high buying-intent, or \u201cbottom of the funnel\u201d, keywords. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39562,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[98],"tags":[24417,16812,14719,5831,1463,12733,25202],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-39561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marketing","tag-category","tag-identify","tag-keywords","tag-offering","tag-product","tag-seo","tag-tied"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
Types of Category Keywords<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Main Category Keywords<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Average Conversion Rate for Main Category Keywords: 4.85%<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"Conversion](\"https:\/\/www.growandconvert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/category-keywords-7-1024x521.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nCategory Keywords with a Layer of Specificity<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Layer](\"https:\/\/www.growandconvert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/category-keywords-5-1024x434.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nAverage Conversion Rate: 2.96%<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"Conversion](\"https:\/\/www.growandconvert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/category-keywords-9-1024x521.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nSide Category Keywords<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Side](\"https:\/\/www.growandconvert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/category-keywords-1-1024x858.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nAverage Conversion Rate: 1.94%<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"Conversion](\"https:\/\/www.growandconvert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/category-keywords-4-1024x547.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nHow to Find Category Keywords<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How to Prioritize Which Category Keywords to Target First<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"CRM](\"https:\/\/www.growandconvert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/category-keywords-8.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"Affordable](\"https:\/\/www.growandconvert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/category-keywords-3.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nTargeting Category Keywords with Blog Posts vs Product or Homepages<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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![\"Homepage](\"https:\/\/www.growandconvert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/category-keywords-6-1024x554.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nLearn More About Our Agency<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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