keyword-research

# SEO Content: Keyword Research

Guides keyword research for SEO: finding target keywords, assessing difficulty, understanding search intent, and building topical maps. ~95% of keywords get fewer than 10 searches/month; low-volume, high-intent terms often yield faster rankings and conversion.

**When invoking**: On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

## Initial Assessment

**Check for project context first:** If `.claude/project-context.md` or `.cursor/project-context.md` exists, read it for product, audience, and positioning.

Identify:
1. **Product/service**: What you offer
2. **Audience**: Who searches for it
3. **Goals**: Traffic, conversions, brand
4. **Tool access**: Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends, or SEO tools

## Discovery Methods

### Base Discovery

| Method | Purpose |
|--------|---------|
| **User perspective** | What pain points? What would they search? Customer language from product context |
| **Tool expansion** | Related keywords, questions, suggestions; Google autocomplete, PAA, Related Searches |
| **Competitor reverse** | Analyze competitor titles, H1, URL; identify topics they rank for; find gaps (#4–10 = opportunity) — see **competitor-research** |
| **Google PAA** | People Also Ask and Related Searches; high-value signals from real user behavior |
| **Extract from article** | When auditing existing content: extract seed keywords from title, H1, H2s, meta keywords, first 100 words; then search `"[primary keyword]"` or `"[primary keyword] related keywords"` for opportunities; use `"[primary keyword]" site:competitor.com` if competitors known |

### Google Autocomplete (Long-Tail Discovery)

Google autocomplete reflects real user searches; suggestions only appear if queries have actual traffic. Free; often uncovers low-volume long-tail that keyword tools miss. ~70% of search traffic is long-tail; lower competition, higher conversion.

**Alphabet method** (seed + space + letter):
- Type seed keyword + space + each letter: `keyword a`, `keyword b`, ... `keyword z`
- Record relevant suggestions; repeat with numbers 0-9
- Example: `SEO a` -> "SEO audit," "SEO agency"; `SEO b` -> "SEO basics," "SEO best practices"

**Position variants** (seed in different positions):
- **Prefix**: `a keyword`, `b keyword` (discover what users add before)
- **Suffix**: `keyword a`, `keyword b` (most common; alphabet method)
- **Middle**: `how to keyword a`, `best keyword for` (question + modifier combos)

**Question modifiers**:
- `how to keyword`, `what is keyword`, `why keyword`, `when to keyword`, `keyword vs`
- `keyword for beginners`, `keyword for small business`, `keyword without`

**Why it works**: Keyword tools filter low-volume terms; autocomplete only shows queries with real traffic. Use with PAA and Related Searches for full coverage. Categorize results by intent (informational, commercial, transactional).

### Incremental Discovery

- **User feedback**: Support, community, reviews, NPS—high-frequency questions = unmet search demand
- **Multi-platform search**: Reddit, Quora, X (Twitter), Hacker News—real questions and discussions

## Search Intent

| Intent | Content type | Example |
|--------|--------------|---------|
| **Informational** | Blog, guide, FAQ | "how to optimize sitemap" |
| **Navigational** | Brand page | "alignify login" |
| **Commercial** | Comparison, review | "SEO tools comparison" |
| **Transactional** | Product, pricing | "best SEO tool pricing" |

### Intent Identification

**Modifier words** (often signal intent):

| Intent | Modifiers |
|--------|-----------|
| Informational | "how," "what," "why," "guide," "tutorial" |
| Commercial | "best," "compare," "vs," "review," "top" |
| Transactional | "buy," "price," "cheap," "coupon," "free shipping" |
| Local | Location names |

**SERP check**: Search the term—knowledge cards/Wiki → informational; product lists/reviews → commercial; brand sites → navigational. Broader terms often show mixed SERP. See **serp-features** for feature types.

## Long-Tail Expansion

- **Google Autocomplete**: Alphabet method, position variants, question modifiers; see above. Primary source for long-tail.
- **Intent modifiers**: Core + "how," "best," "vs," "compare," "price"
- **Question words**: "how to," "what is," "why," "when"
- **Functional modifiers**: Core + "-er/-or" (e.g., "image optimizer" for tool-type queries); often higher conversion
- **Clustering**: Group by SERP overlap (same top pages), semantic similarity, or intent.

## Keyword Clustering & Topical Map

| Method | Use |
|--------|-----|
| **SERP overlap** | Keywords with overlapping top-ranking pages → same cluster |
| **Semantic** | Group by meaning, LSI, related concepts |
| **Intent-based** | Group by intent; separate pages if intent differs within cluster |

**Pillar–cluster** (map keywords to structure):
- **Pillar** (Hub): Broad topic page; links to clusters
- **Cluster** (Spoke): Focused subtopic; links back to pillar
- Target long-tail first; then pillar. Interlink clusters within topic.
- See **content-strategy** for full pillar-cluster planning and implementation.

## Evaluate & Screen

| Factor | Consider |
|--------|----------|
| **Search volume** | Monthly searches; ~100+/month typical floor; niche can relax |
| **Keyword difficulty (KD)** | New sites target lower KD |
| **CPC** | Higher CPC often = stronger commercial intent |
| **SERP features** | Featured Snippet, PAA, zero-click; SERP features can satisfy intent without click—affects real traffic; see **serp-features** (Zero-Click section), **featured-snippet** |
| **Screening order** | 1) Remove irrelevant 2) Filter very low volume 3) Assess achievability 4) Prioritize commercial/transactional |

## Product Positioning Test (SEO Fit)

Test if positioning is clear enough for search:

- **XXX + Function words**: Generator, Creator, Maker, Builder, Changer, Shortener, Scraper, Converter, Downloader, Translator, Extender, Summarizer, Resizer, Remover, Extractor, Recorder, Rewriter, Solver, Calculator; or Platform, Tool, Software, App, Provider, Assistant, Copilot
- **Input + to + Output**: e.g., "image to video," "text to speech"—clear input/output signals intent

**Agent/Copilot products**: Pure native Agent hard to grow via SEO; users rarely search "agent." Release related features first (e.g., CRM, sales bot for sales agent) to build traffic, then funnel to Agent product.

## Principles

- **Core rule**: Someone must search it—validate with tools; avoid inventing terms
- **Functional keywords**: Tool-type (-er/-or) often convert better; users are closer to action
- **Multi-language**: Re-research in target language; don't translate existing lists. See **translation** for translation workflow.

## SEO–PPC Keyword Synergy

Keyword research serves both SEO and Google Ads. Align both channels to avoid duplication, cannibalization, and wasted spend.

| Data flow | Use |
|-----------|-----|
| **keyword-research → google-ads** | Keyword list, clusters, intent; support terms (login, forum, pricing) → negative keywords for PPC |
| **google-ads → keyword-research** | PPC conversion rate, Search Terms report → SEO priority; high-converting PPC terms = worth ranking organically |
| **keyword-research → landing-page** | Clusters → dedicated LP per intent; PAA questions → FAQ sections |
| **GSC organic rank 4+** | If you rank well organically, consider reducing/pausing PPC on those terms to avoid cannibalization |

**PPC data for SEO priority**: `SEO ROI ≈ (Organic clicks × PPC conversion rate × Customer value) − SEO cost`. Use PPC conversion data to validate which keywords to pursue in organic.

**Reference**: [Backlinko – SEO and PPC: 8 Smart Ways to Align](https://backlinko.com/seo-and-ppc)

## Data Sources

| Source | Use |
|--------|-----|
| **Ahrefs** | Keywords Explorer, Site Explorer |
| **SEMrush** | Keyword Overview, Organic Research |
| **GSC** | Search queries, impressions, clicks |
| **GA** | Traffic by landing page |
| **PostHog** | Feature/search usage |

## Report Workflow

1. **Parse** — Read Excel/CSV, infer keyword, volume, KD, intent, etc. from headers
2. **Enrich** — Web search, visit competitor/product pages; read `project-context.md` if present
3. **Build** — Structure data for report
4. **Generate** — Output report in chosen format

## Output Format

- **Keyword list** with volume, KD, intent
- **Keyword mapping** to pages/content
- **Content gaps** (competitors rank, you don't)
- **Priority** ranking for implementation
- **Topical map** (cluster → pillar → page mapping)

### Report Structure Reference

| Section | Content |
|---------|---------|
| Executive Summary | Priorities (top 3) |
| Keyword Overview | Total keywords, primary intent, avg KD, content gaps count |
| Keyword List | Keyword, volume, KD, intent, priority, target page |
| Keyword Mapping | Page/URL, target keywords, status |
| Content Gaps | Keywords competitors rank for that you don't |
| Action Plan | Priority, action, impact, effort |
| Appendix | Search intent reference (Informational, Commercial, Transactional, Navigational) |

## Related Skills

- **seo-strategy**: SEO workflow, Product-Led SEO, audit approach; keyword research is Content phase
- **google-ads**: Keywords inform Search targeting; PPC data feeds back into SEO priority
- **paid-ads-strategy**: When to use paid vs organic; channel selection
- **content-strategy**: Keywords inform content plan; topic clusters
- **content-optimization**: Keyword placement, density vs stuffing, H2 keywords
- **title-tag, meta-description**: Keywords in title, description
- **heading-structure**: Keywords in H1, H2
- **link-building**: Keywords inform link targets
- **serp-features**: SERP features in keyword screening; PAA, Featured Snippet
- **featured-snippet**: Snippet-worthy query targeting
- **competitor-research**: Competitor keyword/topic analysis; reverse engineering
- **faq-page-generator**: PAA questions to FAQ sections; question-based keyword to FAQ content