SEO has been dominated by an almost religious devotion to keywords for too long. Some SEOs have obsessively tracked keyword rankings and placement, often treating these metrics as the ultimate measure of success. This method was born in the early days of search engines, when algorithms were more rudimentary and easily manipulated by keyword stuffing and other tactical manoeuvres.
Back then, websites would cram their pages with repetitive phrases, often at the expense of readability and user experience. However, the question that rarely seemed to be asked was: “Does this content solve the problem that brought the user here in the first place?” It’s a question we do ask here at totalsurf, however, and it’s one you should keep at the front of your mind.
The problem with a purely keyword-focused strategy is that it fails to acknowledge why people search in the first place. Users don’t type queries into search engines for fun; they do so because they have specific needs, questions or problems requiring solutions.
These needs represent the actual intent behind searches, whether informational (“how to fix a leaky tap”), navigational (“Waitrose near me”), transactional (“buy waterproof hiking boots”), or commercial investigation (“best washing machines 2025 reviews”).
When SEOs get fixated solely on ranking for specific terms without considering the underlying user needs, they miss opportunities to create genuinely valuable content. Content that addresses actual pain points will naturally incorporate relevant keywords whilst also delivering what users truly seek: answers, solutions and guidance that actually improve their situations.
The most effective SEO isn’t about choosing between keywords and users; it’s about intelligently integrating both considerations. Keywords are invaluable tools for understanding how users articulate their needs and how search engines categorise information. They provide critical insight into the language that connects users with content. However, these keywords should be seen as signposts pointing toward deeper user requirements rather than ends in themselves.
So how do you get the balance right? Well, your strategy should begin with some thorough research into the challenges and questions your audience faces.
What problems keep them awake at night?
What obstacles prevent them from achieving their goals?
Once you’ve clearly identified these pain points, your keyword research becomes a way of discovering how users express these needs in their search queries. By doing this, you’ll ensure your content is firmly grounded in addressing genuine user requirements whilst still incorporating the language that’s necessary for search visibility.
The key to transitioning to a more user-focused approach is making some systematic changes to how SEO is practised. To get this right, you should:
When SEOs switch their mindset from “How can I rank for this keyword?” to “How can I best solve this user’s problem?”, we create content that naturally satisfies both search engines and humans. The beauty of contemporary search algorithms is that they reward precisely this approach.
As machine learning and natural language processing continually advance, search engines are becoming ever more adept at identifying content that really meets user needs, making user-centricity good practice, as well as good business.
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