When the user wants to research keywords, find target keywords, or analyze search intent. Also use when the user mentions "keyword research," "keyword tool," "target keywords," "search volume," "search intent," "keyword difficulty," "topical map," "keyword clustering," "People Also Ask," "Google aut

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 Project context: Read root contextus.md when present and load only the modules relevant to this task. Without Contextus, use available project material or user provided facts and ask for missing information; do not create a parallel context system. 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 root contextus.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

keyword-research