How do you target high-intent search queries in B2B SEO?
Start with buyers, not learners. Sam Dunning says skip the high-traffic informational keywords and focus on the 3–5% of dream clients who have sales intent...
Start with buyers, not learners. Sam Dunning says skip the high-traffic informational keywords and focus on the 3–5% of dream clients who have sales intent right now — then work backwards from there.
Quick Answer
- Avoid the "top funnel trap" — high-traffic "how to" and "what is" posts attract tire-kickers, not buyers.
- Target searches people make when they have sales intent: comparing options or solving a crisp problem.
- Start with the 3–5% who are in market now and exhaust every way they search, then work backwards.
Why high-intent beats high-traffic
The mistake Sam calls the top funnel trap (or traffic trap) is chasing informational queries — how to build a website, what is a KPI — that drive tons of traffic. The problem: those searchers aren't buyers. They're "tire kickers" or people learning the niche.
His advice is deliberately simple:
"Work out what dream clients search... when they have sales intent for your solution, your service, your software, [when] they're comparing options, or they have a crisp problem to solve. Start with that kind of three to 5% that are in market now." — Sam Dunning
Once you've mapped how in-market buyers search, exhaust every variation of those queries, and then work backwards from there to build the content that meets them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the top funnel trap?
It's chasing high-traffic informational keywords that pull in learners and tire-kickers instead of buyers. Sam Dunning says the traffic looks good but doesn't convert.
How many buyers are actually in-market at once?
Sam says roughly 3–5% are in market now. He recommends starting there — with people who have real sales intent — rather than the much larger group just gathering information.
How do you find high-intent keywords?
Identify the searches people make when comparing options or solving a crisp problem, exhaust every way they can search for your solution, and work backwards from there.
Watch the full interview
Sam Dunning and Dane Frederiksen go deeper on B2B SEO and content in the full interview.
Want the full conversation?
Watch the full interview with Sam Dunning or jump straight to the YouTube video.