You’ve got a limited budget, limited time, and an infinite backlog of content ideas.
Something has to give.
Unfortunately, I see far too many teams making the wrong call. They chase the topics with the highest volume first, then wonder why the blog is growing but pipeline is flat.
So where should you start?
That’s exactly what I’m going to cover today.
I’ll be breaking down the exact content prioritization framework I lean on with virtually every single B2B SaaS company I work with — based on a 6-tier buyer intent hierarchy. Work backwards from the people closest to buying, not forwards from the people who don’t know you exist.
Why most content prioritization is backwards
The default playbook looks productive on paper. You’re shipping blog posts, the content calendar is full, and traffic metrics keep climbing. Most teams start with broad awareness topics because that’s where the volume is.
Here’s the problem:
While you’re building that top-of-funnel library, high-intent searches are happening without you.
What does that look like in practice?
Someone searches “[your brand] pricing” and finds a Reddit thread where one person called you “absolutely expensive” based on a custom quote they got two years ago. That’s now shaping the opinion of every prospect who runs that search.
The same risk applies to demos, reviews, feature comparisons, etc. If you don’t have content for those searches, someone else does. And chances are, your branded search results will be full of competitors positioning themselves favorably against you, outdated forum posts, or third-party sites with incomplete information.
They control the narrative.
You don’t.
But understanding the problem is step one. Here’s how to fix it:
The buyer intent hierarchy (6 tiers)
These tiers work backwards from most-aware to problem-aware. Each one represents a different proximity to the purchase decision.
- Brand content
- You vs them comparisons
- Alternatives to competitors
- Category research “best” lists
- Them vs them comparisons
- Jobs-to-be-done
Let’s start from the top.
Tier 1 — Brand content (highest intent)
These people already know you.
You’re part of their consideration and they’re going deeper on research specifically about you. How much it costs, what the product can actually do, if you’ve got the features they’re looking for, etc.
The assets here are pretty straightforward:
- [your brand] pricing
- [your brand] reviews
- [your brand] demo
- [your brand] features
Plus content for any specific standalone features or sub-products they might be looking for.
Why does this matter so much?
If you don’t have this content and someone else does, you’re leaving the door open for competitors to sneak in at the last minute — skewing perspective and costing you deals you could’ve won.
And if someone asks ChatGPT about your pricing and you have no content published that answers the question, you get no say in that answer. The LLMs will just pull from whatever exists.
Brand content isn’t vanity. It’s defense.
Tier 2 — You vs Them (comparison content)
At this point, prospects know you exist and are actively comparing you to alternatives. YOU are part of the comparison. This is where you’ll create comparison content to steer their research in the direction you want.
The topics here are also straightforward:
- [your brand] vs competitor 1
- [your brand] vs competitor 2
- [your brand] vs competitor 3
And so on for any relevant competitors in your space.
What happens if you don’t create them?
Your competitors will.
And when they do, they tell the story through their lens. They’ll highlight their strengths, minimize their weaknesses, and do the opposite for you.
Or…
You tell that story yourself, share your perspective, and shape the narrative on your terms.
Same principle applies to the AEO side too. Your comparison content can shape what ChatGPT says when someone asks how you stack up vs a competitor. If you’re not publishing it, you’re not part of that answer.
Comparison content isn’t optional if you want control of the conversation.
Tier 3 — Alternatives to competitors
These searchers are either unhappy with their current solution or they stumbled across a competitor during research and want to see what else is out there. Either way, they’re building a consideration set — and the book isn’t closed yet. That’s your opening.
How do you approach this content?
You include yourself as a legitimate alternative, give competitors honest credit where it’s deserved (nobody trusts the brand that trashes everyone else), and then point out trade-offs and gaps — ideally gaps your product fills. The goal isn’t to tear anyone down. It’s to give the reader a fair comparison that happens to highlight where you’re strongest.
This content tends to create a fairly linear path: Alternatives article leads to a head-to-head comparison, which leads to a pricing search, which leads to a demo booked.
(Of course, it’s never actually that clean of a path on person-by-person basis and you shouldn’t expect it to be.)
Tier 4 — Best lists
Now you’re reaching people who know they have a problem and are actively shopping for solutions, but haven’t anchored to specific brand names yet. They’re googling “best [your category] software” and building their shortlist from scratch. This is your first real chance to crack the consideration set before a competitor gets there.
The approach here is similar to alternatives content — be honest, be transparent about what you’re good at and where the trade-offs are, and do the same for competitors. Readers can smell bias instantly, and the brands that earn trust at this stage are the ones that give it straight.
Why is this tier so scalable?
The structure is largely the same across multiple list variations, so building them out isn’t a massive lift once you have the first one down:
- Start with the parent category (e.g., “best endpoint protection software”)
- Expand to subcategories (SIEM, EDR, vulnerability management, identity access management)
- Add industry modifiers (best cybersecurity for healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, SMBs) — actual best options vary by vertical
Each of those pages is more visibility in Google and ChatGPT. Best lists are a volume play with compounding returns.
Tier 5 — Them vs Them (3-way comparison content)
This is where two competitors are being compared — and you’re not mentioned at all.
The intent is still high. Someone searching “Competitor A vs Competitor B” is actively evaluating solutions and making a decision. The issue isn’t their readiness to buy — it’s that you’re not in the conversation.
So how do you get in?
The best approach is to turn it into a three-way comparison:
Competitor A vs Competitor B vs YOU.
You’re targeting their search intent while working yourself into the consideration set. This works especially well for challenger brands that don’t have the same name recognition yet — you’re piggybacking on the awareness your competitors already built.
It’s an arbitrage play. And on the AI side, this content helps shape what LLMs say about all three options when someone asks for a comparison.
Tier 6 — Jobs to be done (problem-aware content)
These are people who know they have a pain point but have no idea what solutions exist. They’re not searching for brands or categories — they’re searching for answers to operational problems.
What makes this different from basic awareness content?
It’s in the INTENT behind the topic.
- “How to detect payment fraud” is someone with a real operational challenge looking for solutions
- “What is a wire transfer” is basic education with no buying signal
Both technically live at or near the top of the funnel, but only one connects to an ICP with a problem your product can solve.
The topic patterns here follow a clear structure:
- “How to [solve ICP problem]”
- “[pain point] solutions”
- “fixing [operational challenge]”
Your content addresses the problem, introduces your product category as the solution, and positions you as an option worth evaluating.
From here, the path looks like this: problem-aware content leads them to a best list, which leads to alternatives, which leads to a head-to-head comparison, which leads to your brand pages. Each tier pulls them closer to a decision — with you in it.
How do you actually apply this?
Understanding the tiers is the first half. Here’s how to put them to work.
Audit what you already have
Start by mapping your existing content to the six tiers. Pull up everything you’ve published and categorize each piece by intent level.
What do most teams discover?
They have plenty of awareness content — blog posts about industry trends, educational guides, thought leadership — but they’re missing high-intent assets at the top.
- No clear pricing details anywhere (“Talk to sales” doesn’t count)
- No comparison content at all
- No alternatives pages
- No category-level content assets
The audit exposes exactly where you’re vulnerable, and once you see those gaps, priorities become obvious.
Prioritize based on what’s missing at the top
Fill Tier 1 and Tier 2 gaps before chasing Tier 4 through 6. If you don’t have a pricing page or direct “You vs Them” comparison content, creating “best software” lists will only drive traffic with nowhere for high-intent visitors to go.
What’s the right sequence?
Branded content first. Then you vs them. Then alternatives. Then best lists. Then them vs them. Then problem-aware. Work down the stack methodically, capturing demand before you try to create it.
Build down, not up
Only expand to lower tiers after you’ve locked down the high-intent ones.
What does the full flow look like?
Start with people who already want you. Then reach people who know you and are comparing options. Then people trying to leave a competitor. Then people building a shortlist from scratch. Then sneak into existing comparisons where you’re not mentioned. Then address problem-aware searchers at the entry point.
The further down you go, the more you’re working your way INTO consideration rather than converting people who are already considering you.
Build from conversion outward — not awareness inward.
Start capturing high-intent traffic today
Stop prioritizing content by volume or “awareness first” logic. Start from the people closest to buying and work backwards through the six tiers. The framework isn’t complicated — but the shift in thinking changes everything about where your content budget goes and what it produces.
Looking for a roadmap?
The Search Blueprint gives you a prioritized SEO / AEO roadmap with what’s missing, what to fix first, and where the biggest pipeline impact is hiding
Start with a discovery call to see if we’re a fit
Appreciate you scrolling (or skimming) all the way to the bottom, too. Shoot me a DM on LinkedIn to say hello.
