How Canva Won SEO by Targeting the Right Keywords (Not the Biggest Ones)

If you’re a business owner in the U.S. or Canada, you’ve probably been told to go after the big keywords in your industry. You know the ones, high volume and high competition, nearly impossible to rank for unless you have a multi-million dollar SEO budget.

But Canva’s growth story shows us a smarter path.

Canva’s Smarter SEO Bet

When Canva was starting out, it didn’t try to compete with giants for broad terms like “design software” or “graphic design tools.”

Instead, Canva zoomed in on specific, intent-rich searches:

• Instagram post template
• Resume template
• Business card template

Why was this brilliant? Because people searching for templates weren’t just browsing. They were ready to take action.

Why Intent Beats Volume

Ranking for “design software” might sound glamorous, but it’s a vague keyword. Someone searching that might be comparing tools, learning design, or just exploring.

But “resume template”? That’s someone ready to design a resume today.

By chasing these smaller, intent-driven keywords, Canva didn’t just get traffic — it got signups. Each template page was a direct on-ramp to the product itself.

The Scale Effect

Canva didn’t stop at a handful of templates. They multiplied this strategy across thousands of categories:

• Social media graphics
• Business documents
• Marketing materials
• Invitations and event designs

Every page was another entry point for a new user. That’s how Canva turned an SEO strategy into a massive growth engine.

And it worked. By 2023, Canva had over 170 million monthly active users worldwide and today is valued at $26 billion, with organic distribution still at its core.

The Takeaway for Website Owners

If you’re chasing only the biggest, broadest keywords in your niche, you’re likely missing the real opportunities.

Instead, ask yourself:

• What smaller keywords signal that someone is ready to act?
• Where are the intent-rich entry points that my competitors are overlooking?

Start by targeting lots of low to moderate search volume keywords with clear action intent. Each one is a doorway into your business.

Why This Works in the AI Search Era

With AI Overviews and tools like Perplexity or ChatGPT Search summarizing results, the competition for broad terms will only get tougher.

But intent-rich, specific searches? They’re harder for AI to generalize away. A person searching for “Instagram story template for fashion brand” still wants an actual, usable template — not just a paragraph of advice.

That’s where your content can stand out.

The Bottom Line

Canva didn’t build a $26B company by ranking for “design software.” They did it by understanding search intent and multiplying small wins at scale.

The question for you: Are you still chasing broad keywords, or are you building content that meets people exactly where they’re ready to act?

Connect with me on LinkedIn and let’s design an SEO strategy that brings in signups, not just traffic.