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<\/a><\/p>\nBy the time I was searching for the best deal on a MacBook, I had already done the bulk of my research \u2014 comparing specs, vendors, and reviews. And that tortellini search? It introduced me to brands I never would\u2019ve found if they hadn\u2019t optimized for the SEO-driven customer journey.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the real question: If your brand isn\u2019t showing up when customers are searching, how much business are you losing to competitors?<\/p>\n
Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Customer journey SEO is simply where SEO and customer journey mapping intersect. While most businesses focus on SEO as a way to rank higher, that\u2019s only part of the equation.<\/p>\n The best SEO strategies do <\/em>drive traffic. But they take it a step further, supporting customer inquiries through every step of the journey from discovery to purchase, maximizing visibility, engagement, and conversions.<\/p>\n So, how do you integrate SEO into your customer journey? It starts by understanding the three core types of search: navigational, informational, and transactional.<\/p>\n As you can imagine, each phase correlates with different types of search queries. Aligning your SEO strategy to the customer journey means tying your efforts to each type of search.<\/p>\n Your prospect has a solid idea of what they\u2019re looking for and just wants help going to a specific site.<\/p>\n Using my MacBook example above, some navigational searches I used were:<\/p>\n I knew I wanted an Apple product, and I was headed to different vendors I trusted to find out more about the models and to get the best price.<\/p>\n Successful SEO optimization for navigational searches focuses heavily on branding.<\/p>\n Your prospects are looking for answers, knowledge, and help. This usually means more top-of-funnel content. Examples of these searches for new laptops might be:<\/p>\n When I was still deciding on a MacBook version and confirming that I wanted Apple over Windows, I looked for content like blog posts, comparison articles, and product reviews.<\/p>\n Successful SEO optimization for information searches means leaning into content marketing.<\/p>\n Your prospects are ready to buy. They might be looking for the best deal, still deciding between options, or looking for confirmation that their top pick is truly their best bet. Examples of these searches might be:<\/p>\n At this stage, I was really just looking for the best deals and best options, so I looked at product pages and pricing comparisons.<\/p>\n Finally, successful SEO optimization for transactional searches means emphasizing information-rich product pages.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what that looks like in a visual:<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Before you optimize for SEO, you need to map out your customer\u2019s journey. A customer journey map helps you visualize exactly where potential buyers engage with your brand \u2014 and where gaps exist.<\/p>\n Marketing Consultant Kerry Bodine explains it best in this must-watch video:<\/p>\n The great thing about customer journey maps is that they put customers first. By sketching a sticky-note map of people progressing through a theoretical funnel, you are putting the focus on customers.<\/p>\n I firmly believe that\u2019s how every organization should function \u2014 elevating, honoring, and giving pride of place to the customers. This level of customer obsession leads to loyalty, referrals, and competitive advantage.<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>Don\u2019t make the mistake of thinking customer journey maps<\/a> are the same as sales funnels.<\/p>\n While sales funnels do <\/em>provide a broad-based sketch of a process and can be a good starting point, they don\u2019t actually map the journey. With that in mind, it\u2019s best to think of them as two separate entities serving two separate purposes.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n For the purposes of this article, I\u2019ll stay high level. We\u2019ve got a great post that goes into detail on creating your customer journey map<\/a>, and I definitely encourage running through it.<\/p>\n With that said, here\u2019s how to create your map and make it SEO-friendly.<\/p>\n We typically break this down into three stages:<\/p>\n In fact, you can see them in the screenshot below of our free customer journey map template<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now, it\u2019s time to figure out what they\u2019re searching for at each phase. I want you to consider search intent as well as the specific keywords and questions.<\/p>\n With that in mind, start mapping out the types of searches they\u2019re likely making. You can usually shorten this page by using your SEO marketing software<\/a> (it\u2019s HubSpot, right?).<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>Revisit this regularly. Consumer habits and markets change, which means search patterns do, too.<\/p>\n This is where the customer journey SEO comes in. It\u2019s important to understand the types of content that best fit each phase before diving headlong into mapping. Here\u2019s a quick rundown of how things often break down at each stage:<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>Don\u2019t overcomplicate it. Start with these quick wins:<\/p>\n Want more detail? Check out our free Customer Journey Mapping lesson<\/a>.<\/p>\n Your customer journey map can take MANY different forms and should help you identify what your customer is experiencing at each stage of the journey.<\/p>\n If the first template you find isn\u2019t working for you and you can\u2019t easily adjust it for your needs, I recommend opening up your favorite infographic tool to see what customer journey templates exist. I did a quick Canva search, and clicked on one of the first designs that caught my eye. As you can see below, there are several different options right below it.<\/p>\n I usually end up combining visuals with tables or spreadsheets because both are helpful to me.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n If your brand isn\u2019t visible at the right moments, your competitors will be. That\u2019s why SEO isn\u2019t just about rankings. I want you to instead think about it through the lens of making it easy for your audience to find you when it matters most \u2014 or at the start of the customer journey.<\/p>\n If they can\u2019t find you \u2014 clearly the best option \u2014 customers will veer off to a competitor. Or, even worse, they\u2019ll get lost and end up frustrated or back at ground zero. So, findability is not an option.<\/p>\n Your SEO strategy<\/a> should be built around user intent. Here\u2019s how to optimize your content<\/a> for each stage of the journey based on the customer journey map and content overview you mapped out above (you did that, right?).<\/p>\n Find each touchpoint in your customer journey and use your favorite SEO keyword research tools<\/a> to develop a list of keywords<\/a> your customers are likely using.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say a customer is researching luxury vacations. They start with informational searches (\u201cBest Caribbean resorts\u201d), progress to navigational searches (\u201cFour Seasons Bora Bora vs. Ritz-Carlton Maldives\u201d), and finally move to transactional searches (\u201cFour Seasons Bora Bora best deal\u201d).<\/p>\n Type of website: <\/strong>Family vacation planning service<\/p>\n Customer:<\/strong> Suburban mom planning for family vacation<\/p>\n Point in customer journey: <\/strong>Getting a sense of travel costs for her upcoming family vacation.<\/p>\n Query type: <\/strong>Informational<\/p>\n Possible Keywords:<\/strong><\/p>\n Now, take those keywords and plug them into your SEO strategy. How? Let\u2019s take one keyword from the above example \u2014 \u201chow much vacation can I afford?\u201d Here\u2019s what you might do:<\/p>\n After conducting an effort like that, you will start to dominate that keyword. More to the point, you will also dominate this phase of the customer journey. Whenever potential customers engage in informational searches for this phase, they will likely see your website in the search results.<\/p>\n SEO can have quick wins, but it\u2019s also a bit of a long game. And as I touched on above, things change as markets and technology evolve. So what worked 10 years ago didn\u2019t work 5 years ago \u2014 and definitely doesn\u2019t now. To that end, what works well today will barely scratch the surface in the next 5-10 years.<\/p>\n So, use Google Analytics to track conversions and tools like Ubersuggest or Ahrefs to track SEO performance. Then, improve underperforming content and create new content to meet your new needs.<\/p>\n Keywords and on-page SEO will help your customer journey optimization efforts immensely. But there\u2019s another piece of the puzzle that matters, too \u2014 technical SEO<\/a>. By improving your domain health and ensuring that your site is usable and functional, you build even more trust with Google and other search engines. And that ensures that your customer journey SEO efforts pay off.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not deep into the SEO world, it\u2019s probably worth bringing in a technical expert, but you can do a lot of this stuff yourself if interested. You can check out our free Technical SEO lesson here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
What is customer journey SEO?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Understanding Different Types of Searches<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Navigational Searches:<\/strong> When Customers Already Know You<\/h4>\n
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Informational Searches: <\/strong>When Customers Are Exploring Options<\/h4>\n
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Transactional Searches: <\/strong>When Customers Are Ready to Buy<\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nMapping Your Customer Journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Creating Your Customer Journey Map<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Step 1: Identify the key stages in your customer journey.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nStep 2: Map your customer search behavior.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Step 3: Connect the customer journey to SEO efforts.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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More Customer Journey Mapping Examples<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"customer](\"https:\/\/web-stil.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/seo-customer-journey-4-20250414-2043631.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nA Step-by-Step Guide to Align SEO With Your Customer Journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Step 1: Make a list of keywords\/queries for each point in the customer journey that involves a specific query type.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Step 2: Optimize for intent.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Step 3: Measure and refine.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Step 4: Improve technical SEO for visibility.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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