TL;DR: Customer journey = awareness → consideration → decision stages. Content for each stage different. Keyword intent matches journey stage. Don't pitch buying at awareness stage.
3 Stages
1. Awareness
User identifies problem. Searching for information.
- Keywords: "what is X", "why X happens", "symptoms of X".
- Content: blog posts, guides, educational.
- Intent: informational.
2. Consideration
User evaluating solutions.
- Keywords: "best X", "X vs Y", "X reviews".
- Content: comparisons, reviews, pros/cons.
- Intent: commercial investigation.
3. Decision
User ready to buy.
- Keywords: "buy X", "X price", "X discount".
- Content: product/service pages, pricing, free trials.
- Intent: transactional.
Content Mapping
For each target keyword, identify stage:
| Keyword | Stage | Content Type |
|---|---|---|
| "what is CRM" | Awareness | Guide |
| "best CRM small business" | Consideration | Comparison list |
| "HubSpot CRM price" | Decision | Product page |
Linking Between Stages
- Awareness → Consideration.
- Consideration → Decision.
- Nurture readers through journey.
Measurement
Not every stage converts immediately. Attribution:
- First-touch: how they found you.
- Last-touch: what converted.
- Multi-touch: all touches.