SEO is simultaneously one of the highest-ROI marketing channels and one of the most consistently mismanaged. The mismanagement usually follows a pattern: chase keywords, publish content, wait, repeat. No architecture. No compounding. Here’s how to build SEO into a marketing function that actually compounds. Start with search intent, not search volume. High-volume keywords sound appealing until you realize the intent behind them is informational, not transactional. A keyword with 200 monthly searches and strong commercial intent is worth ten times more than a keyword with 20,000 searches from people who will never buy.