mkurman/keyword-research

--|---------| | 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

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