Understanding who you are targeting strengthens every part of your search presence. Search engines interpret relevance more clearly. Content performs better because it matches real intent. Visibility in the right contexts builds authority. Conversion improves because the right people arrive in the first place. Without this work, every other SEO effort has to work harder than it should.
Target audience
If the wrong people are finding your site, SEO will never deliver meaningful results.
Why target audience matters
Many brands invest in SEO and see traffic rise, rankings improve, and visibility increase. Yet enquiries, leads, and sales stay flat.
The issue is rarely technical. More often, it comes down to one thing. The strategy is built for the wrong audience. Stage 2 of our approach exists to correct that. This is where we define exactly who your search presence is built for, so every decision that follows is designed to attract people who are capable of engaging, converting, and driving real business value.
ChatGPT, YouTube, AI Overview, Gemini, Google, Perplexity,
ChatGPT, YouTube, AI Overview, Gemini, Google, Perplexity,
ChatGPT, YouTube, AI Overview, Gemini, Google, Perplexity,
ChatGPT, YouTube, AI Overview, Gemini, Google, Perplexity,
ChatGPT, YouTube, AI Overview, Gemini, Google, Perplexity,
Our approach to defining the right audience
01
Brand immersion
During the first month of working together, we run a full brand immersion session. This is where we gain a deep understanding of your brand, positioning, offer, and commercial priorities. We explore what makes your business different, where you want to compete, and what success from search actually looks like for you.
02
Audience and ICP definition
From the immersion session, we define a clear target ICP. We identify who you want to attract through search, the problems they are trying to solve, how they make decisions, and what builds trust at different stages of intent. The strategy is then focused on audiences with genuine potential to engage and convert, not just inflate traffic numbers.
03
Search intent mapping
Once the audience is defined, we analyse how those people actually search. We look at how they phrase problems, research options, compare solutions, and how intent changes as they move closer to taking action. This allows us to map search behaviour accurately and avoid targeting terms that generate interest without outcome.
04
Strategy alignment and application
The final step is embedding audience insight directly into the search strategy. The target ICP shapes how we approach keywords, content, page structure, and messaging. Every recommendation is tested against one question. Does this attract the right audience and support commercial outcomes?
Peter Tyson
Increasing year-on-year revenue by 149% through technical SEO
To strengthen their SEO foundations and improve overall site performance, Peter Tyson partnered with Circulate to deliver a tailored technical SEO strategy focused on long-term scalability.
Target audience
Without clear audience alignment, SEO becomes inefficient.
Without clear alignment: Content is created without intent. Keywords are targeted without commercial relevance. Traffic increases without contributing to business outcomes. Search performance feels unpredictable and difficult to scale. When audience clarity is in place, everything improves.
With clear alignment: Pages have purpose. Visibility aligns with commercial goals. Later SEO activity compounds instead of conflicting. This is where SEO becomes strategic rather than reactive.
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Target audience FAQs
Who is this stage for?
This stage is for brands that want SEO to deliver outcomes, not just activity. It is suited to teams that are tired of traffic that does not convert, operate in competitive markets, and understand that sustainable growth starts with clarity rather than tactics.
Is this just another audience or persona exercise?
No. This is not a theoretical exercise or a document that gets filed away. The audience work directly informs keyword targeting, content direction, page structure, and messaging. If it does not change how SEO is executed, it does not belong in this stage.
Why can’t we just start with keywords?
Because keywords without audience context are guesswork. Two people can search the same term with completely different intent. Without knowing who you want to attract and why, keyword targeting often leads to traffic that never converts. Audience clarity ensures keywords are chosen for relevance and commercial impact, not volume alone.
We already know our customers. Do we still need this?
Most brands understand their customers from a sales or marketing perspective, but not from a search perspective. The way people describe problems, compare options, and signal intent in search often differs from internal language. This stage translates existing knowledge into something search engines and users actually respond to.
How long does this stage take?
This work is completed during the first month of working together, alongside the brand immersion session. Building this foundation early prevents wasted effort and allows search performance to scale more efficiently.
Does this apply to all types of brands?
Yes. Whether you are B2B, B2C, ecommerce, or service-led, search performance depends on relevance to the right audience. The specifics change, but the principle does not.
What happens after this stage is complete?
Once the audience is clearly defined, it becomes the foundation for everything that follows. Google Search, AI Search, Social Search, Digital PR, and conversion optimisation all perform more effectively because they are built around the same understanding of who you want to reach.
SEO Podcast.
Hosted by our founder, Danny Daley, the Born to Be Found SEO podcast gives ambitious brands and marketers a place to strengthen their understanding of search marketing in the ever-evolving world of AI.