Keyword Research

Keyword Research Without Expensive Tools

Find content topics and prioritize them using free tools and systematic frameworks.

Boundary

Own keyword-led topic discovery and prioritization. Audience-led editorial programs, portfolio balance, production capacity, calendars, and cluster depth measurement are out of scope.

Required Input

Ask the user for:

1. Niche/Industry - What space are you in?
2. Target Audience - Who are you writing for?
3. Business Goal - Traffic, leads, sales, authority?
4. Existing Content - Do you have a site/blog already?

The 6 Circles Method

Generate 13 content ideas from a single seed keyword using nested topic clusters.

Structure

                    ┌─────────────────────┐
                    │   PRIMARY KEYWORD   │  ← 1 pillar topic
                    │   (Largest Circle)  │
                    └─────────────────────┘
                              │
            ┌─────────────────┼─────────────────┐
            ▼                 ▼                 ▼
     ┌───────────┐     ┌───────────┐     ┌───────────┐
     │ Sub-topic │     │ Sub-topic │     │ Sub-topic │  ← 3 supporting themes
     │     A     │     │     B     │     │     C     │
     └───────────┘     └───────────┘     └───────────┘
            │                 │                 │
      ┌─────┼─────┐     ┌─────┼─────┐     ┌─────┼─────┐
      ▼     ▼     ▼     ▼     ▼     ▼     ▼     ▼     ▼
     [1]   [2]   [3]   [4]   [5]   [6]   [7]   [8]   [9]  ← 9 content pieces

Process

1. Identify Primary Keyword - High-traffic, high-intent topic in your niche
2. Brainstorm 3 Sub-topics - Related themes that support the primary
3. Generate 3 Pieces per Sub-topic - Specific articles addressing aspects of each

Content Types for Supporting Pieces

Free Tool Arsenal

Demand Research

Intent Discovery

Community Mining

Research Protocol

Step 1: Seed Generation (50-100 keywords)

## Seed Keywords for [Niche]

### From Google Autocomplete
- [keyword] + a-z variations
- "how to [keyword]"
- "best [keyword] for"
- "[keyword] vs"

### From People Also Ask
- [question 1]
- [question 2]
- [question 3]

### From Reddit r/[subreddit]
- Top posts this month: [themes]
- Common questions: [list]
- Pain points mentioned: [list]

### From Answer the Public
- Questions: [list]
- Prepositions: [list]
- Comparisons: [list]

Step 2: Competition Assessment (Manual SERP Analysis)

For each target keyword, analyze top 10 results:

Step 3: Prioritization Matrix

Score each keyword 1-10:

Prioritize: Opportunity score >3, Intent fit >6

Sweet Spot Targets

Output Format

# Keyword Research: [Niche/Topic]

## 6 Circles Content Plan

### Primary Keyword: [keyword]
- Monthly searches: [range]
- Competition: [low/medium/high]
- Intent: [informational/commercial/transactional]

### Sub-topic A: [theme]
1. [Article idea] - [target keyword] - [volume]
2. [Article idea] - [target keyword] - [volume]
3. [Article idea] - [target keyword] - [volume]

### Sub-topic B: [theme]
4. [Article idea] - [target keyword] - [volume]
5. [Article idea] - [target keyword] - [volume]
6. [Article idea] - [target keyword] - [volume]

### Sub-topic C: [theme]
7. [Article idea] - [target keyword] - [volume]
8. [Article idea] - [target keyword] - [volume]
9. [Article idea] - [target keyword] - [volume]

## Prioritized Content Queue

| Priority | Topic | Keyword | Volume | Difficulty | Opportunity |
|----------|-------|---------|--------|------------|-------------|
| 1 | [topic] | [keyword] | [vol] | [1-10] | [score] |
| 2 | [topic] | [keyword] | [vol] | [1-10] | [score] |
| 3 | [topic] | [keyword] | [vol] | [1-10] | [score] |

## Quick Wins (Low Competition, Decent Volume)
- [keyword 1] - [rationale]
- [keyword 2] - [rationale]
- [keyword 3] - [rationale]

## Content Gaps Found
- [gap 1] - competitors missing [what]
- [gap 2] - outdated content on [topic]
- [gap 3] - no good [format] exists for [query]

## Reddit/Community Insights
- Top pain point: [description]
- Common question: [question]
- Terminology used: [terms]

## Next Steps
1. [ ] Create pillar content for [primary keyword]
2. [ ] Write [specific article] targeting [quick win keyword]
3. [ ] Research [sub-topic] deeper for more ideas

Reddit Mining Protocol

Search Queries

site:reddit.com "[niche]" + "how do I"
site:reddit.com "[niche]" + "help"
site:reddit.com "[niche]" + "struggling with"
site:reddit.com "[niche]" + "recommend"
site:reddit.com "[niche]" + "vs"

What to Extract

• Questions asked repeatedly → Content opportunities
• Complaints about existing solutions → Angle differentiation
• Terminology and slang → Keyword variations
• Recommended resources → Competitor analysis
• Upvote patterns → Topic demand signals

Integration with Other Skills

What This Skill Does NOT Do

• Provide exact search volume (use Keyword Planner for ranges)
• Guarantee rankings
• Replace comprehensive SEO audits
• Analyze existing site performance (use Google Search Console)