Tools to Map Keyword Intent to Buyer Journey Stages

Most marketers we meet have spreadsheets full of keywords. They have search volumes, difficulty scores, and cost-per-click estimates. Yet, they often struggle to answer a simple question: “If someone types this into Google, are they trying to learn, compare, or buy?” Without knowing the answer, you might write a blog post for a user who wants to buy a product, or pitch a sales page to someone who just wants a definition. This mismatch results in high bounce rates and wasted budget. The solution lies in using the right tools to identify the intent behind every search term and assigning it to a specific stage in the buyer’s journey.

All-in-One Platforms: Automated Intent Classification

For many teams, the starting point is a broad SEO platform that can process thousands of keywords at once. Tools like Semrush have made this easier by automating the classification process, giving us a baseline to work from.

Semrush: The “Intent” Column
Semrush simplifies the process by assigning a specific intent label—Informational, Navigational, Commercial, or Transactional—to nearly every keyword in its database. When we look at the Keyword Magic Tool, we can instantly filter a list of 1,000 ideas to show only “Commercial” keywords. This allows us to isolate the terms that belong in the consideration stage of the buyer journey, such as “best crm for small business” or “hubspot vs salesforce.”

“We treat automated intent labels as a compass, not a map. They point you in the right general direction, but you still need to look at the actual search results to verify what the user truly wants.” – Strategy Team at Emulent Marketing

Moz: Analyzing SERP Features
Moz takes a slightly different approach with its Keyword Explorer. Instead of just giving you a label, it puts a heavy focus on the “SERP Analysis” section. This feature shows you exactly what Google is displaying on the first page. If we see a “People Also Ask” box and a Featured Snippet, we know Google views this as an Awareness stage query. If we see a row of Shopping ads and a Local Pack, the intent is clearly Decision-based. By looking at these visual cues, we can map keywords to the journey with high accuracy.

Mapping Intent with SEO Platforms

Buyer Stage	Semrush Label	Typical SERP Features (Moz)
Awareness	Informational	Featured Snippets, Knowledge Panels, Video Carousels
Consideration	Commercial	Top 10 Lists, Review Stars, Comparison Tables
Decision	Transactional	Shopping Ads, Product Listings, Sitelinks

The Source of Truth: Google Search Console

While third-party tools are helpful, Google’s own data offers the most direct view into user behavior. Google Search Console (GSC) does not provide a neat “intent” column, but it gives us the raw queries that real people use to find our site. We can use this data to refine our understanding of where our current content sits in the funnel.

Using Regex to Filter for Intent
We can use Regular Expressions (Regex) in GSC to filter thousands of queries instantly. For example, to find Awareness stage keywords, we might apply a filter for question modifiers like ^(who|what|where|when|why|how). To identify Decision stage terms, we filter for words that signal action, such as (buy|price|cost|deal|sale|coupon). This manual segmentation often reveals specific phrasing nuances that automated tools miss.

Analyzing Click-Through Rate (CTR) for Context
High impressions with low clicks on a “Transactional” page might indicate that the user intent is actually “Informational.” If a user searches for “marketing automation software” and skips our product page to click on a “What is Marketing Automation?” guide, they are telling us they are still in the Awareness phase. Watching these patterns helps us adjust our content strategy to match reality.

Competitive Intelligence: Validating with Ad Spend

Sometimes the best way to determine if a keyword signals “ready to buy” is to see if anyone is paying for it. Tools like SpyFu allow us to look at the paid search history of a keyword, which serves as a strong proxy for Transactional intent.

“If your competitors have been bidding on a keyword for two years straight, you can be certain it drives revenue. That longevity is the strongest signal of Decision-stage intent you will find.” – Strategy Team at Emulent Marketing

SpyFu: Advertiser History
When we analyze a keyword in SpyFu, we look at the “Advertiser History” report. If major brands in our space are consistently bidding on a term, we categorize it as bottom-of-funnel (Decision stage), regardless of what other tools might say. Conversely, if a keyword has high volume but zero advertisers, it is almost certainly an Awareness stage topic that helps with traffic but not direct conversions.

SpyFu: Ad Copy Analysis
We also examine the actual ad copy competitors use. Are they offering a “Free Guide” (Awareness/Consideration) or a “20% Discount” (Decision)? The offer they pitch gives us a clue about where they believe the user is in the journey. If every ad pushes a demo request, we know the user is likely evaluating vendors.

Content Intelligence: Grading Your Match

Once we have mapped a keyword to a stage, we need to verify that our content satisfies that specific intent. This is where content intelligence tools like MarketMuse and Clearscope come in. They analyze the top-ranking pages to understand the depth and angle required to win.

MarketMuse: Intent Profiles
MarketMuse analyzes a query and tells us the dominant intent profile—such as “Know” (Informational) or “Do” (Transactional). But it goes deeper by showing us the “fractured” intent. Sometimes, a search result page is a mix of 50% guides and 50% product pages. MarketMuse helps us decide which angle to take or if we need to create a hybrid page that serves both audiences.

Clearscope: Term Usage and Depth
Clearscope grades our content based on the terms found in top-ranking results. If we are targeting a Consideration stage keyword like “best email marketing tools,” Clearscope will flag if we are missing terms related to “pricing,” “reviews,” or “integrations.” Missing these signals tells Google—and the user—that our page is incomplete, pushing us down the rankings.

“You cannot force a user to move faster than they are ready to. If the tools show that a keyword is for research, do not try to sell them a product immediately. Give them the answer they came for, and they will trust you when they are ready to buy.” – Strategy Team at Emulent Marketing

Tools for Content Validation

• MarketMuse: Intent Analysis – Identifies if a topic requires a long definition or a quick answer.
• Clearscope: Content Grading – Ensures your draft covers all the sub-topics relevant to the user’s stage.
• Surfer SEO: Structure Audit – Compares your word count and element usage against top competitors to match expectations.

Connecting the Tools to Your Strategy

Using these tools in isolation is not enough. The power comes from combining their insights. We might start with Semrush to get a broad list of “Commercial” keywords, cross-reference them with SpyFu to see who is bidding on them, and then use Clearscope to write the perfect comparison guide. This layered approach ensures that we are not just guessing at what the user wants but building a strategy based on multiple data points.

The Emulent Marketing Team works daily to turn these complex data signals into clear content plans that drive revenue. If you need help building a strategy that meets your customers exactly where they are, contact the Emulent Team today.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if a keyword has mixed intent?
Mixed intent happens when the search results show different types of content, such as a mix of blog posts and product pages. If you see this, you can often choose which intent you want to target, or create a comprehensive page that offers both information and a path to purchase.

Why does Google change the intent of a keyword?
Google changes results based on what users click. If people stop clicking on product pages for a certain term and start clicking on guides, Google will shift the results to favor informational content. This is why regular monitoring of your main keywords is important.

Can I target two stages of the journey with one page?
It is difficult to do this well. A page that tries to explain “what is X” (Awareness) while also hard-selling “buy X” (Decision) often fails to do either effectively. It is usually better to create separate pages linked together, guiding the user from one stage to the next.