Researching SEO Keywords

SEO Keyword Research Assistant

When to use this skill

• User asks for keyword research
• User needs keyword variations
• User wants to analyze search intent
• User mentions finding content gaps
• User needs low-competition keywords

Workflow

• Identify seed keywords
• Generate variations and long-tails
• Classify search intent
• Identify opportunities
• Group by topic clusters
• Prioritize for content

Instructions

Step 1: Gather Seed Keywords

Required inputs:

Seed keyword sources:

Step 2: Generate Keyword Variations

Variation types:

Modifier categories:

Step 3: Search Intent Classification

Intent types:

Intent identification patterns:

## Informational Intent

- "how to [action]"
- "what is [topic]"
- "why does [thing happen]"
- "[topic] explained"
- "[topic] tutorial"

## Commercial Investigation

- "best [product category]"
- "[product A] vs [product B]"
- "[product] review"
- "[product] alternatives"
- "top 10 [products]"

## Transactional Intent

- "buy [product]"
- "[product] price"
- "[product] discount code"
- "[product] free trial"
- "order [product] online"

## Navigational Intent

- "[brand] login"
- "[brand] website"
- "[brand] support"

Step 4: Keyword Opportunity Analysis

Opportunity scoring:

Opportunity matrix:

Step 5: Question-Based Keywords

Question patterns to generate:

Question generation template:

## Questions for: [Seed Keyword]

### How questions

- How to [action with keyword]?
- How does [keyword] work?
- How much does [keyword] cost?
- How long does [keyword] take?

### What questions

- What is [keyword]?
- What are the benefits of [keyword]?
- What is the best [keyword]?
- What [keyword] should I use?

### Why questions

- Why is [keyword] important?
- Why use [keyword]?
- Why does [keyword] fail?

### Comparison questions

- [Keyword A] vs [Keyword B]?
- Is [keyword] better than [alternative]?
- What's the difference between [A] and [B]?

Step 6: Topic Cluster Organization

Cluster structure:

## Topic Cluster: [Pillar Topic]

### Pillar Page (main keyword)

- Target: [High-volume keyword]
- Intent: [Informational/Commercial]
- Content: Comprehensive guide (3,000+ words)

### Cluster Content (supporting pages)

| Topic        | Keyword   | Intent   | Internal Link |
| ------------ | --------- | -------- | ------------- |
| [Subtopic 1] | [keyword] | [intent] | → Pillar      |
| [Subtopic 2] | [keyword] | [intent] | → Pillar      |
| [Subtopic 3] | [keyword] | [intent] | → Pillar      |
| [Subtopic 4] | [keyword] | [intent] | → Pillar      |

Cluster example:

## Topic Cluster: Email Marketing

### Pillar Page

- Target: "email marketing guide"
- Intent: Informational
- Content: Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing

### Cluster Content

| Topic           | Keyword                         | Intent        |
| --------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------- |
| Getting started | "how to start email marketing"  | Informational |
| Tools           | "best email marketing software" | Commercial    |
| Templates       | "email marketing templates"     | Informational |
| Automation      | "email marketing automation"    | Commercial    |
| Metrics         | "email marketing KPIs"          | Informational |
| B2B focus       | "b2b email marketing"           | Commercial    |
| List building   | "how to build email list"       | Informational |

Step 7: Competitor Gap Analysis

Gap analysis template:

## Competitor Keyword Gap Analysis

### Competitors Analyzed

1. [Competitor 1 URL]
2. [Competitor 2 URL]
3. [Competitor 3 URL]

### Keywords They Rank For (You Don't)

| Keyword   | Volume | Difficulty | Competitor  | Priority   |
| --------- | ------ | ---------- | ----------- | ---------- |
| [keyword] | [vol]  | [KD]       | [who ranks] | [priority] |

### Content Gaps Identified

| Topic   | Competitor Coverage | Your Coverage | Action        |
| ------- | ------------------- | ------------- | ------------- |
| [topic] | 3 articles          | 0 articles    | Create pillar |
| [topic] | 1 article           | Outdated      | Update        |
| [topic] | None                | None          | First mover   |

Step 8: Keyword Prioritization

Prioritization framework:

Priority tiers:

## Keyword Priorities

### Tier 1: Immediate (This Month)

- Low difficulty + high relevance
- Quick wins for traffic
  | Keyword | Volume | KD | Intent |
  |---------|--------|----|----|

### Tier 2: Short-term (1-3 Months)

- Medium difficulty + commercial intent
- Revenue-driving content
  | Keyword | Volume | KD | Intent |
  |---------|--------|----|----|

### Tier 3: Long-term (3-6 Months)

- High difficulty + high volume
- Authority-building pillar content
  | Keyword | Volume | KD | Intent |
  |---------|--------|----|----|

Output Format

## Keyword Research: [Topic/Niche]

**Seed keywords:** [List of seeds]
**Target audience:** [Who you're reaching]
**Business goal:** [Traffic/Leads/Sales]

---

### Keyword List

| Keyword | Volume | KD  | Intent | Priority |
| ------- | ------ | --- | ------ | -------- |
|         |        |     |        |          |

### By Search Intent

**Informational:**

- [keywords]

**Commercial:**

- [keywords]

**Transactional:**

- [keywords]

---

### Topic Clusters

[Cluster organization]

---

### Question Keywords

[Question-based keywords for FAQ/content]

---

### Quick Wins (Low KD, Decent Volume)

| Keyword | Volume | KD  | Content Type |
| ------- | ------ | --- | ------------ |
|         |        |     |              |

---

### Content Recommendations

1. [Recommendation 1]
2. [Recommendation 2]
3. [Recommendation 3]

Validation

Before completing:

• Keywords classified by intent
• Volume and difficulty included
• Question keywords generated
• Topic clusters organized
• Priority tiers assigned
• Quick wins identified
• Content recommendations provided
• Competitor gaps noted

Error Handling

• No seed keywords: Ask for main product/service or topic area.
• Too broad: Narrow with audience, location, or specific use case.
• No volume data: Note as "volume unknown" and prioritize by relevance.
• All high difficulty: Focus on long-tail variations or question keywords.
• No competitors identified: Search top 3 ranking for seed keywords.

Resources

• Ahrefs - Keyword research and competitor analysis
• SEMrush - Keyword gap and difficulty
• Ubersuggest - Free keyword ideas
• AnswerThePublic - Question keywords
• AlsoAsked - People Also Ask data
• Google Search Console - Current rankings