SEO Glossary
What Are Bottom-of-Funnel Keywords?
Bottom-of-funnel keywords are search terms used by people who are close to taking action, such as contacting a provider, requesting a quote, booking a demo, making a purchase, or choosing between vendors.
Bottom-of-Funnel Keywords Definition
Bottom-of-funnel keywords, often shortened to BOFU keywords, are search queries that show a user is near the decision stage of the buying journey. These keywords often include terms like hire, buy, pricing, quote, demo, agency, services, near me, reviews, or brand-specific comparisons.
Why Bottom-of-Funnel Keywords Matter
Bottom-of-funnel keywords matter because they often attract users who are much closer to becoming leads or customers. These searchers already understand the problem, know they need a solution, and are now deciding who to contact, what to buy, or which provider to trust.
While top-of-funnel keywords can help build awareness, BOFU keywords are usually more connected to revenue. They may have lower search volume, but they often have stronger business value because the searcher is closer to taking action.
For example, a top-of-funnel keyword might be:
“What is SEO?”
A bottom-of-funnel keyword is more action-oriented:
“Hire SEO agency for small business”
The second search suggests the user is much closer to contacting a provider.
Want to Rank for Keywords That Drive Revenue?
Rank Rise helps businesses identify and target bottom-of-funnel keywords that attract high-intent prospects, qualified leads, and sales opportunities.
Talk to Rank RiseHow Bottom-of-Funnel Keywords Work
Bottom-of-funnel keywords work by revealing when a searcher is ready to evaluate providers, compare final options, or take action. Strong SEO strategies use these keywords to create pages that make the decision easier.
1. Identify High-Intent Modifiers
Words like hire, buy, pricing, quote, consultation, demo, agency, company, provider, services, reviews, and near me often suggest the user is near the decision stage.
2. Match the Query to a Conversion Page
BOFU keywords often need service pages, local landing pages, quote pages, pricing pages, demo pages, product pages, comparison pages, or case study pages.
3. Reduce Buyer Friction
Users searching BOFU keywords need confidence. Clear pricing guidance, process explanations, proof points, testimonials, FAQs, and next steps can reduce hesitation.
4. Use Strong Trust Signals
Bottom-of-funnel pages should include credibility markers such as reviews, case studies, examples, client outcomes, clear differentiators, industry expertise, and transparent service descriptions.
5. Make the Next Step Obvious
A BOFU page should make it easy to act. That may mean scheduling a call, requesting a quote, booking a demo, calling the business, starting a trial, or filling out a form.
Examples of Bottom-of-Funnel Keywords
Bottom-of-funnel keywords usually contain action, provider, pricing, location, or comparison signals. Here are common examples:
Bottom-of-Funnel Keyword Checklist
A strong BOFU keyword strategy focuses on terms that are most likely to turn into pipeline, leads, sales, or booked meetings. Key improvements include:
- Identify keywords with hire, buy, pricing, quote, demo, service, agency, provider, or near me modifiers
- Separate bottom-of-funnel keywords from informational and commercial research keywords
- Create service pages for high-intent service searches
- Create local pages for high-intent location searches
- Add pricing guidance, process details, FAQs, and buyer objections
- Include proof points such as reviews, testimonials, case studies, or examples
- Make calls, forms, demo requests, or quote requests easy to find
- Use internal links from informational content to BOFU pages
- Track qualified leads, booked meetings, opportunities, and revenue
- Update BOFU pages regularly based on sales feedback and conversion data
Target Keywords That Are Closest to Revenue
Rank Rise helps businesses find, prioritize, and rank for bottom-of-funnel keywords that attract prospects who are ready to compare, contact, and convert.
See Rank Rise SEO ServicesExample of Bottom-of-Funnel Keywords
Imagine three users search for SEO-related topics:
“What is SEO?” — top-of-funnel awareness
“Best SEO agency for small business” — commercial comparison intent
“Hire SEO agency near me” — bottom-of-funnel intent
The bottom-of-funnel query is the closest to action. A strong page for that search should build confidence quickly, explain the service clearly, answer final objections, and make it easy to contact the business.
Who Needs Bottom-of-Funnel Keyword Targeting?
Bottom-of-funnel keyword targeting is useful for businesses that want more qualified leads, better sales opportunities, and stronger ROI from SEO or paid search.
B2B Companies
B2B companies can use BOFU keywords to capture prospects who are evaluating vendors, requesting demos, comparing pricing, and preparing to contact sales.
Local Service Businesses
Local companies can target searches like near me, quote, cost, service provider, reviews, and emergency service to capture ready-to-act customers.
Ecommerce Brands
Ecommerce brands can target BOFU keywords around buy, pricing, reviews, discounts, product comparisons, and high-intent category searches.
Agencies and Consultants
Expert-led businesses can target users who are ready to hire, book a consultation, compare providers, or request a proposal.
Common Bottom-of-Funnel Keyword Mistakes
- Chasing broad, high-volume keywords while ignoring lower-volume high-intent terms
- Sending BOFU traffic to generic blog posts instead of conversion-focused pages
- Using weak CTAs on pages where users are ready to take action
- Failing to answer pricing, process, timeline, and trust-related questions
- Not including testimonials, case studies, reviews, or proof points
- Ignoring local modifiers such as near me, city names, and service-area searches
- Measuring only traffic instead of qualified leads, meetings, pipeline, and revenue
Bottom-of-Funnel Keywords FAQs
What are bottom-of-funnel keywords?
Bottom-of-funnel keywords are search terms used by people who are close to taking action, such as hiring a provider, requesting a quote, booking a demo, making a purchase, or choosing between final options.
How are bottom-of-funnel keywords different from commercial intent keywords?
Commercial intent keywords usually show evaluation or comparison. Bottom-of-funnel keywords are even closer to action and often include terms like hire, buy, quote, demo, pricing, contact, agency, provider, or near me.
Why are bottom-of-funnel keywords important for SEO?
They are important because they attract searchers who are more likely to convert into leads, customers, demos, booked meetings, quote requests, or sales opportunities.
What are examples of bottom-of-funnel keywords?
Examples include “hire SEO agency,” “SEO services pricing,” “request SEO quote,” “digital marketing agency near me,” “book SEO consultation,” “best SEO agency for local business,” and “SEO agency reviews.”
How do you optimize for bottom-of-funnel keywords?
You can optimize for BOFU keywords by creating service pages, pricing pages, quote pages, demo pages, comparison pages, local landing pages, and case study pages with strong CTAs, trust signals, and clear next steps.
Related Rank Rise Resources
Explore more ways Rank Rise helps businesses improve keyword targeting, search intent, AI discovery, and qualified lead generation.
Final Takeaway
Bottom-of-funnel keywords are some of the most valuable search terms in SEO because they capture users who are close to taking action. The best BOFU strategy focuses on matching high-intent searches with conversion-ready pages that answer final questions, build trust, and make the next step easy.