What is an SEO funnel?
Are you ready to quit chasing quick fix marketing trends that fade as fast as they appear?
I know myself and my clients definitely feel that way.
Constantly staying on top of the latest flash in the pan trend is an unreasonable and unsustainable approach—and that’s why I’ve said goodbye to that nonsense. Sure, I stay connected to my community on a couple of social media platforms, but I’m not dependent on them to ensure my business’s success. I treat any leads from socials as bonuses—it’s an invaluable marketing mindset shift.
Real, sustainable business growth comes from building a solid foundation, and that starts with understanding the power of a search or discovery based marketing funnel. (I’ll get more into why the term “funnel” isn’t the best in just a minute—just wait.)
This isn't about magic solutions; it's about a strategic, step-by-step approach to attract, engage, and convert potential clients. In this guide, I'll break down what an SEO funnel is, why it's crucial for your business, and how to build one effectively, from setting the right foundation to measuring your success and making necessary adjustments.
Let's dive in.
What does “funnel” mean in marketing?
Confession: I despise the word "funnel" when we're talking about anything other than baking supplies or tornados.
Funnel is an exceptionally imprecise term marketers use to describe how potential clients move through our marketing ecosystem, and it often ignores the nuances and complexities of human behavior.
With that said, that doesn't mean you shouldn't have some sort of marketing ecosystem—that's why when I work hands-on with clients we always talk about the whole 360º view, even if we're doing a relatively straightforward SEO strategy project.
Oftentimes, folks aren't familiar at all with that their marketing ecosystem is—smart, accomplished professionals can get a long way before they need to really about the nuts and bolts of what this “marketing funnel” looks like. So, to make things even easier, here’s what an Alignthority®-style marketing funnel ecosystem can look like:
In my approach to understanding the “funnel”-style thinking around marketing, there are three segments everyone needs to properly nurture their marketing ecosystem:
Discovery: How people find you.
Connection: How people engage with you.
Belief: How people experience you.
This is counter to the concept of “Know Like Trust,” which is often cited by amateur marketers in a gross over-simplification of why people buy. People move up and down this ecosystem as they search for help and answers—it’s rarely as neat and tidy as “Know Like Trust.”
What is an SEO funnel, specifically?
An SEO funnel is a strategic approach that guides potential clients from the moment they find you in a search engine to becoming an engaged audience, and eventually, loyal clients. This process requires a nuanced understanding, as every touchpoint needs to work in harmony to convert visibility into actual business growth.
SEO funnels start with search engines like Google, YouTube, or Pinterest at the top of your marketing ecosystem. This is a critical point to keep in mind! Tools like social media, podcasts, and referral networks are great but they’re not part of an SEO funnel!
In short, SEO funnels are designed to heavily leverage that “Discovery” phase of your marketing ecosystem, ensuring you have a steady stream of qualified leads in your business, so you’re not faced with the dreaded peaks and valleys that can make business feel like an involuntary rollercoaster ride. Remember, rollercoasters are only fun if you want to be on the ride!
We design SEO funnels intentionally around your Sphere of Authority (I teach this concept and how to identify it in Summer of SEO), which is essentially what you want to be known for—nope, we don’t start with keywords, we start with concepts. This is an essential piece to remember as you’re designing an SEO funnel, we’re thinking bigger than keywords here! For example, I’m quite intentionally known for expertise around SEO funnels for service or knowledge businesses, but I’ve also designed my marketing ecosystem so that I’m known for movement marketing expertise, and framework or model development. I’ve gone so far as to brand and trademark this particular Sphere of Authority—that’s how powerful starting with the concepts can be!
Once we identify your Sphere of Authority, then we can build your SEO funnel using the following steps!
The Core Steps to Building Your SEO Funnel
Step #1: Setting the Right Foundation
The first step is understanding that SEO is not just about keywords and techy stuff like site speed.
Ready to thrive with an SEO funnel?
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Like I said earlier, it’s about having a strategy that aligns with your business goals. You begin by identifying what makes your business unique and crafting content that showcases your expertise. This foundational strategy should be unskippable, even if you’re feeling tempted to jump straight into tactics.
Step #2: Creating Intentional Content
Your content should serve as a guide for your audience. Start by identifying one to five core areas of authority where you want to be seen as the expert (and in which you have expertise!).
What would you like people to always say, “You need to speak to [Your Name]” about? This content should be anchored in what your audience already cares about, using the language they use, not technical jargon. This is where your inner strategist comes out to play—you’ve got to listen to what people are saying about your subject matter. The best keywords start with real people and real conversations.
Step #3: Forming a Topic Cluster
Again, let’s go back to that ecosystem concept—this is what your content is, a living, breathing ecosystem that supports itself while growing and flourishing over time.
You’ll want to create a main pillar piece and support it with three to five additional supporting pieces. These supporting pieces dig deeper into aspects of your main content while always linking back, forming a network of authority that both search engines and users can navigate easily. Remember that Sphere of Authority concept? That’s where that concept comes to life!
Step #4: Utilizing Keywords Thoughtfully & Strategically
Research keywords by exploring the phrases your audience uses. I swear, this is something you can do! (Or, get an assist from a pro like me in one of my SEO consulting sessions.)
Tools like Keywords Everywhere and KeySearch (affiliate link) can be invaluable in this quest, as they’re much more accessible both price-wise and learning curve-wise. The trick is to weave these keywords naturally into your content—titles, subheadings, and throughout the body—without degrading readability or user experience.
Remember, your goal isn't to trick search engines, but to meet your audience where they are.
Step # 5: Crafting an Engaging User Experience
Aside from creating content, consider the user experience: how humans engage with your website, the information you present, and how your site and content makes them feel.
Your website's navigation, layout, and calls to action should guide prospects smoothly through their journey. Use strong bios and testimonials to build trust, and create an inviting digital atmosphere where you encourage visitors to engage further, whether it’s through subscribing to a newsletter or scheduling a call.
Step #6: Measuring Success and Making Adjustments to Your SEO Funnel
Finally, remember that SEO isn’t a one-and-done deal. (Sorry!)
It requires continuous learning and adjustment. Use analytics to track your progress. Pay attention to what content is driving engagement and where drop-offs occur, and adjust your strategy accordingly. Learn the basics of your analytics program, what the most important metrics are to you (these may not be the same as what people tell you should follow). If you want to get started learning about web analytics, we have a very simple, foundational guide to web analytics you can read here.
Key Takeaway: Building an SEO Funnel
Building an SEO funnel isn’t about outsmarting the system; it’s about working smarter with a customer- or client-focused mindset. By providing valuable, well-organized content and continually refining your approach, you’ll position yourself as a credible authority in your field, and the results will follow.
With a bit of patience and effort, you can create a thriving online presence that continues to drive value long into the future.
Squarespace isn't magically going to solve your search engine optimization concerns—but no platform will. It's all in how you use your website and your content marketing strategy.