Keyword research is often treated as just a numbers game—look for high-volume, low-competition keywords, and hope for the best. The truth is, it’s never been just about traffic. Sure, getting more visitors to a site is nice, but if those visitors don’t convert into leads or sales, what’s the point? (Vanity metrics have no value)
In B2B fintech and payments, it is even more important. Unlike B2C, where impulse purchases are common, B2B buyers go through longer decision cycles, multiple stakeholders, and extensive research before committing. That’s why my keyword research process is not just about ranking but about finding terms that match buyer intent, influence decision-makers, and drive revenue. Here’s how I approach it.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that search intent is everything. People don’t search randomly—they have a specific need, and understanding that need is key to creating content that resonates.
For B2B business, search intent often falls into these categories:
Informational Keywords – Used for research and education. Example:
"What is cross-border payment reconciliation?" → Ideal for blog posts.
Navigational Keywords – When someone is looking for a specific brand, solution, or product. Example: "PingPong payments pricing" → Indicates interest in a specific service and is best optimized via product pages or branded content.
Commercial Keywords – Used when comparing solutions or evaluating vendors. Example: "Stripe vs. Payoneer for global payments" → Listicles, comparison articles, or case studies work best here.
Transactional Keywords – Show immediate buying intent. Example:
"Open a multi-currency business account in the US" → Best for landing pages, service pages, or PPC campaigns.
I’ve seen many marketers focus only on transactional keywords, thinking that’s where the conversions happen. The problem? These keywords are ultra-competitive (very expensive to test) and often have lower shared volume. By creating content around informational and commercial keywords, you can capture decision-makers early in their journey, nurture them with valuable insights, and guide them toward choosing your solution.
For example, a blog post on “How to Reduce FX Fees for International Transactions” might not seem directly transactional. But if your company offers a low-cost FX solution, embedding that within the content makes it a natural lead generator.
Once I have a clear list of the types of keywords that fit our business goal, it’s time to dig into the data. I use a mix of Ahrefs, SEMrush, Google Keyword Research and Google Search Console to build my keyword list. But staring at a spreadsheet with thousands of suggestions is overwhelming. The key is filtering smartly.
Here’s my process:
Start with a broad seed list: Keywords like “cross-border payments,” “B2B money transfers,” “international payment”. Use filters to sort by search intent. In Ahrefs, I’ll add modifiers like “how,” “best,” “vs.,” “solution” to categorize intent. Set realistic search volume thresholds. In fintech, low search volume isn’t necessarily a bad thing. A keyword with only 300 searches/month could still be valuable if it attracts the right buying committee.
For example, a keyword like “B2B payment fraud prevention” might not drive thousands of searches, but if the right CFOs and payment managers find our content, it could lead to high-value leads. I also look at SERP (Search Engine Results Page) dominance. If a keyword is dominated by huge brands like Visa or Mastercard, I evaluate whether I have a realistic chance of ranking—or if I should target long-tail variations instead.
Once I have my keyword list, the real work begins—mapping keywords to specific content types. In fintech and B2B payments, the approach is strategic:
Blog posts & whitepapers → Informational queries
Example: “How do virtual IBANs work?” → Educates and builds authority
Comparison articles & case studies → Commercial investigation queries
Example: “Payoneer vs. Wise Business: Which is Better for B2B Payments?”
Landing pages & solution pages → Transactional queries
Example: “Open a B2B virtual account in Europe” → Clear CTAs for conversions
I also ensure content matches user expectations. If a keyword’s top-ranking results are all product pages, I won’t waste time creating a blog post—I’ll optimize a service page instead.
Not all high-intent keywords are equally valuable for revenue generation. Like I mentioned early, some may attract high traffic but low conversion rates, while others have low search volume but strong commercial intent. Instead of chasing broad fintech keywords like "international payments platform", I prioritize queries that signal a problem my product can solve.
A VP of Finance searching for "accounts receivable for global clients" is likely experiencing a real pain point. If I can provide the insight to the team and create content that educates them on the inefficiencies of traditional B2B invoicing and position my solution as a fix, we are directly influencing a potential high-value lead. This leads to higher engagement, longer session durations, and more conversions, even if the search volume is relatively low.
Working with the content team and making sure designing content for Lead Generation, Not just rankings. Ranking well is meaningless if visitors don’t take the next step. Every content piece I create is built around a clear path to conversion. Here’s what that looks like:
If a blog post on "How to reduce FX fees for cross-border payments" is attracting CFOs, the CTA shouldn’t be “Read more blogs.” Instead, I integrate a case study download, an ROI calculator, or a demo request. Remember, most of B2B buyer is ready to convert immediately. I make sure high-intent content has email capture forms, gated whitepapers, or a newsletter sign-up to nurture leads over time.