4d • 💬 General Discussion
How to find the keywords that actually bring in customers, not just traffic.
Every keyword falls into one of three intent buckets, and only one of them actually gets you the phone call.
Informational intent
Someone typing "how does a heat pump work" or "signs of a plumbing leak" is learning. They're not ready to buy. They might be a homeowner researching before they call anyone, or a DIY curious person who will never call anyone. Ranking for these terms brings traffic but almost no leads.
Navigational intent
Someone typing "Rico Plumbing Austin" is looking for a specific business. Great for branded searches but useless for finding new customers unless they already know your name.
Transactional intent (this is where the money is)
Someone typing "emergency plumber near me" or "AC repair Austin same day" is ready to book. They just need to find the right business. These are the searches you want to rank for.
How to find transactional keywords for your business:
1. Google autocomplete
Type your service and city into Google and see what auto-fills. "Plumber in Dallas" might auto-complete to "plumber in Dallas open now" or "plumber in Dallas emergency." Those are real customer intents Google sees every day.
2. People Also Ask boxes
Search your main service on Google and scroll to the "People Also Ask" section. Every question there is a real query customers are typing. Note the ones that indicate someone ready to hire, not someone researching.
3. Google Search Console (free)
Go to Performance and look at your top queries. These are searches you're already showing up for. Sort by clicks. High clicks + high position = your money keywords.
4. Semrush free plan (5 searches per day)
Type in a competitor URL and check their top organic keywords. Look for terms with modifiers like "near me," "same day," "emergency," "24/7," "affordable," or "best." Those are transactional signals.
5. AnswerThePublic free (a few searches per day)
Type your service and it maps out every question people ask around it. Filter for questions that indicate someone at the decision stage, not the research stage.
The intent modifiers that mean money:
- "near me"
- "emergency"
- "same day"
- "24/7"
- "affordable"
- "cost of"
- "best"
- "who does"
- "cheap"
- "in [my city]"
If a keyword contains one of these, it's likely transactional. Prioritize those first.
The mistake that wastes budgets:
Ranking for informational keywords feels productive because traffic goes up. But if that traffic doesn't call, it's not a business asset. It's a vanity metric.
Build your service pages around transactional intent. Save the informational content for a blog if you want to build authority, but don't confuse the two.
What's one keyword you're currently targeting? Drop it in the comments and let's figure out if it's actually going to bring you customers
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How to find the keywords that actually bring in customers, not just traffic.
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