Interior Design Keywords for SEO + AIO Made Easy
The past year has been a wild one for the home industry. 2025 brought a roller coaster of tariffs, inflation, rising and falling mortgage rates, and a complete upheaval in online search—thanks to Google’s core updates and the rise of AI search tools.
All of this has impacted homeowners and changed how they find (and decide to hire) home professionals like you.
As an interior designer, you can’t control tariffs, inflation, mortgage rates, Google, or ChatGPT.
But you can control how you present your services to clients using SEO keywords.
If prospects aren’t signing your proposals, that doesn’t mean they’re uninterested—it might just mean you haven’t met them where they are right now.
Today on The Kate Show, I’m sharing two key things you can do to keep your website relevant and keep leads coming in:
Reposition your existing services
Start using the right keywords on your website
Most of Your Clients Are Driven by Fear
Growing your business shouldn’t mean constantly trying to convince homeowners to pay for something they perceive as risky.
You also shouldn’t have to rely on Google Ads to get traffic—it’s expensive and often a sign that your sales funnel isn’t doing its job.
Remember: Google Ads don’t convert clients. Your website does the heavy lifting.
So instead of throwing more money at ads, focus on making your website organically magnetic to both search engines, AI, and real human clients.
It all starts with using the right words—both in how you describe your services and which keywords you choose.
Reframe Your Services to Keep Them Relevant
Uphill vs. Fulfill
If you’re constantly chasing leads or getting ghosted, it’s a sign your service is no longer fulfilling the most urgent need your clients have.
Self-Reflection and Redirection
Ask yourself this:
“How many times would I need to see an ad for something I didn’t feel safe buying before I finally just bought it anyway?”
Exactly—never.
Even if your potential clients want your service, they might feel this isn’t the right time to spend money on a remodel, new build, or full-service design.
No marketing tactic can overcome that fear—not a viral post, not a clever email, not even a fancy new website.
Why?
Because you’re trying to apply your old services to a new set of client problems.
Your services need to be repositioned first.
How to Reframe What You’ve Got
You don’t need to invent something new—you just need to repackage what already works.
For example:
If you offer project management, realize homeowners often think they can do it themselves. Instead, position that service as “stress-free project coordination” or “budget-protected project oversight.”
If you offer home organizing, stop labeling it as “organization.” Instead, position it around what it solves:
“Finance and efficiency prep” for downsizers
“Sensory overload minimization” for young families
“Clarity coaching for busy professionals” for working homeowners
Each of these communicates urgency and value—without changing your actual service.
💡 Remember: your deliverables stay the same, but your messaging changes.
You’ll also need to update the “how we work” sections on your site so the content aligns with your reframed service positioning.
Good Keywords for Interior Design SEO (and AIO)
Now, let’s talk keywords—both for traditional SEO and for AI Optimization (AIO).
Whether you’re a designer, organizer, or home stager, the process is the same:
Step 1: List Your Service Areas
For example, if you’re targeting Chicagoland, your list might include:
Gold Coast
Lincoln Park
Lakeview
Hinsdale
Winnetka
Highland Park
You don’t need a page for each neighborhood. Narrow it down to your top 3–4 areas, and Google will still recognize nearby regions.
Step 2: Define Your Top Services
After reframing them, pick your top 3 offerings—ones your ideal clients are actively searching for.
For example:
Kitchen interior design
MLS photo makeovers
Organizing for stay-at-home parents
(Avoid jargon like “full service” or “project management”—no one searches for that.)
Step 3: Match One Service + One Location per Page
Each “money page” on your website—Home, About, and each Service page—should target one keyword pairing.
Example:
Home page: Chicago window treatments
About page: Drapery workroom Deerfield
Services page: Window shades Glen Ellyn
How to Optimize a Webpage for a Specific Keyword
Once you’ve chosen your keyword (service + location), make sure it appears in these places:
URL: www.yourwebsite.com/interior-design-gold-coast
SEO Title: 50–60 characters (include keyword)
Meta Description: 150–160 characters (include keyword)
H1: Only one per page—include keyword
H2 or H3: At least one should include keyword
Alt Text: Add keyword to at least one image
Body Text: Use keyword in first 100 words and a few more times naturally throughout
Each money page should have at least 500 words, though top-ranking sites usually exceed 3,000 words total (not counting blog posts).
Why This Matters for 2025 SEO + AIO and Beyond
AI search tools—like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s SGE—pull content that matches user intent and tone.
If your website clearly communicates who your ideal client is and what specific problems you solve, AI will surface your content more often.
That means clearer messaging, stronger keywords, and service positioning that resonates emotionally and practically.
Your Interior Design SEO + AIO Must-Dos
Reframe your services to match your clients’ current mindset.
Update your service descriptions and “how we work” sections to reflect your new positioning.
Optimize every money page for one keyword pairing (service + location).
Write at least 500 words of copy per page.
Stop depending on ads—let your website do the work.
FAQs
How do I find keywords for my interior design website?
Start by listing your top service areas and your top services. Then pair one service with one location for each money page. Use those pairings as your core keywords. Verify their strength with tools such as SEOspace or Keywords Everywhere. It can be helpful to snoop around with SEOspace's competitor analysis tool to see what keywords your competitors are ranking for and whether you want to emulate them.
How do I get interior design clients when no one is reaching out or when leads are ghosting me?
That’s a sign your services aren’t aligned with your clients’ current priorities. Reframe your offers so they solve a more urgent or emotionally relevant problem—like financial peace, mental clarity, or family comfort.
Do I need to change my interior design services if I’m not getting clients?
Not necessarily. You likely just need to repackage what you already offer. Keep the service itself but adjust your messaging so it reflects the new realities of your market.
How do I get ChatGPT to send me potential interior design clients?
You can’t directly “get” AI tools to send clients your way—but you can make your website more visible to AI search by optimizing your content. Clear, keyword-rich, client-focused copy helps AI platforms surface your site when users ask for designers in your area.
How do I know if my website is optimized for Google and AI search?
Check for these signs:
Each money page targets one service + one location
Each page has at least 500 words
Your SEO title, meta description, H1, and image alt text include keywords
Your copy clearly addresses who you serve and what problems you solve
If you have Squarepace, use the SEOspace tool to check your website. You'll need to give SEOspace a specific keyword for each page if you want the most accurate SEO score.
If you can check those boxes, you’re already ahead of 90% of the home industry.
Resources
Download our marketing app to easily create blog and newsletter content on-the-go: www.socialitevault.com
