The Ultimate Guide to Keyword Research for SEO

Keyword research is the foundation of a solid SEO strategy. It's what helps you understand what people are searching for online and how you can create content that meets their needs.

A good keyword research process starts with identifying your target audience and their search intent. This can be done by analyzing your competitors' content and identifying gaps in the market.

Your search volume should be moderate to high, ideally between 1,000 and 10,000 searches per month. This will give you a good balance between relevance and competition.

By focusing on long-tail keywords, you can target specific searches and stand out from the competition. For example, targeting "best Italian restaurants in New York" is more effective than just "Italian restaurants".

Keyword research tools can be a game-changer for your SEO strategy. There are many tools available, including free options like Semrush's keyword research tool, which leverages an extensive database of 25.23 billion keywords.

Some popular free keyword research tools include KeywordTool.io, which provides a list of 502 keyword ideas, and Ubersuggest, which offers up to three free searches a day. These tools can help you brainstorm more keyword ideas and provide insights into monthly search volumes.

If you're considering investing in a keyword research tool, keep in mind that it can save you time and give you a competitive advantage. According to the article, using a professional keyword research tool can help you find hundreds of keyword ideas in one click, and provide data you wouldn't find elsewhere, like keyword difficulty and search volume.

Here are some popular keyword research tools with their key features:

Keyword research tools can be overwhelming, but don't worry, we've got you covered. Semrush's free keyword research tool is a great starting point, leveraging their extensive database of 25.23 billion keywords.

Semrush is a highly effective keyword research tool, featuring an intuitive user interface, accurate search volume data, an extensive database, and precise trending term insights. It's especially good for pay-per-click (PPC) keyword research.

Another popular tool is Ahrefs, which offers keyword volumes for Google, Bing, YouTube, and Amazon. However, it's only accurate 39.53% of the time, compared to Semrush's score of 60.47%.

For competitor-based research, you can use tools like KWFinder, which allows you to quickly find top keywords. Alternatively, you can use KeywordTool.io, which generates 502 keyword ideas for your seed keyword.

If you're looking for a more comprehensive tool, consider Semrush's Keyword Magic Tool, which provides a list of similar keywords and allows you to sort based on specificity. Ahrefs also offers a free keyword generator, but it's limited to viewing data for only 10 keywords.

Other notable tools include Serpstat, which allows you to access data from many different databases, and Sistrix, which enables you to bulk upload up to 10,000 keywords.

Here's a quick rundown of the top free keyword research tools:

These tools can help you save time, access valuable data, and gain a competitive advantage in your SEO strategy.

Choosing a website for keyword research is a crucial step. Google Keyword Planner is a great tool to cut down your keyword list.

You can use it to narrow down your options and focus on the most relevant keywords. Prioritize low-hanging fruit, as they are often the easiest to rank for.

To refine your list, check the monthly search volume (MSV) for each keyword. This will help you understand the potential traffic you can get from each keyword.

Consider factoring in SERP features as you choose keywords. This will give you a better idea of what to expect in the search engine results page.

A mix of head terms and long-tail keywords is essential in each bucket. This will ensure you're targeting a wide range of search queries.

It's also a good idea to see how competitors are ranking for these keywords. This will give you a better understanding of the competition and help you adjust your strategy accordingly.

Keyword research is a critical component of search engine optimization (SEO) that involves identifying the keywords your audience uses when searching for the products or services you offer.

It requires delving into your audience's language and analyzing search traffic volume data to uncover popular and relevant keywords. Without effective keyword research, you might find yourself using language that doesn't resonate with your audience.

Keyword research is an SEO practice of finding, analyzing, and using the phrases people use to search for information on the internet. It's about getting to know the language of your potential visitors and using this knowledge to optimize your content.

There are four main types of search intent: informational, navigational, transactional, and commercial. Understanding these types of search intent is crucial to creating content that matches user search intent.

Keyword search volume is the average number of times a keyword is searched for during a specific period, generally calculated monthly. It provides insight into how popular certain keywords are and how much potential organic search traffic you could drive to your site by targeting them.

Here are some key benefits of keyword research:

By understanding keyword research and its importance, you can create content that resonates with your audience and improves your website's visibility in search results.

Conducting keyword research is a crucial step in understanding what people are looking for in your niche. You can use Google Keyword Planner to cut down your keyword list by getting search volume and traffic estimates for keywords you're considering.

Google Trends can help you determine which terms are trending upward and are worth more of your focus. It's also a good idea to check the trend history and projections in Google Trends before deleting any keywords.

Prioritizing your keyword list is essential to avoid overwhelming yourself with too many keywords. Aim for several hundred keywords, but remember that more than 1000 keywords are probably too many. Focus on the long-tail keywords that have lower search volume but also lower competition.

To merge your lists of keywords, remove duplicates and irrelevant keywords, and categorize the remaining keywords. This will make your keyword set more manageable.

You can further expand your list of keywords by searching for interesting combinations of keywords. This is known as the long-tail principle, where you discover a lot of keywords with low to moderate monthly search volume that combined make up for a high search volume.

Here's a table showing the properties of long-tail keywords:

To find long-tail keywords, you can use tools like Google Trends, Google's related searches at the bottom of search results, and other keyword research tools.

Competitor keyword research is a crucial process that helps you understand the keyword phrases your competitors prioritize to attract their audience. This analysis will allow you to identify keywords that your competitors are targeting successfully and where they may be underperforming.

You can check keywords with high impressions but low number of clicks in your Search Console, which may indicate a big traffic potential but you're not ranking high enough. This is especially true if you rank on the 2nd or lower SERP, but the clicks are very low.

Analyzing these keywords can help you see whether they're worth the effort, especially in terms of search volume and difficulty.

You can't target every single keyword, so you need to prioritize your list. Large companies often go after high search volume keywords, but that's not always the best approach for smaller businesses.

Prioritize keywords that have a chance of ranking for based on your website's authority. You can also consider keywords that have little competition, as they're more likely to rank high.

More than 1000 keywords are probably too many to target, even for a small business. You'll likely end up with several hundred keywords, so it's essential to focus on the most important ones.

Think about which keywords you want to rank for now, and which ones aren't as important immediately. Understand your priorities and plan the creation of your content accordingly.

By focusing on long-tail keywords, you can tap into a high search volume without competing with high-volume keywords. The long tail principle states that a large number of low- to moderate-search-volume keywords can add up to a significant search volume.

Check your Search Console to see if there are keywords with high impressions but low number of clicks. This could indicate a big traffic potential but not ranking high enough.

Look for keywords that have a high number of impressions and very low number of clicks. If you rank on the 1st SERP, but the clicks are very low, it's an issue with low click-through rate.

You can check all the keywords you rank for with the domain by selecting Search results in the Performance section. Sort the results by the number of impressions to see which keywords are relevant but not engaging.

Analyze these keywords to see if they're worth the effort, especially in terms of search volume and difficulty. If they are, you can improve the optimization of the article for these keywords.

Keyword research is essential for crafting a content plan that resonates with your audience. By leveraging keyword search volume, you can create relevant content that you know your audience will be interested in.

To start, make a list of important, relevant topics based on what you know about your business. Fill in those topic buckets with keywords and understand how intent affects keyword research. This will help you identify the types of topics your target audience searches for.

Here are some general topic buckets for a business like HubSpot: “SEO” (201K)“blogging” (60.5K)“CRM software” (49.5K)“social media marketing” (405K)“email marketing” (22.2K)“lead generation” (18.1K)“inbound marketing” (8.1K)“marketing analytics” (6.6K)“marketing automation” (6.6K)“AI marketing” (4.4K)

By understanding the search volume of these topics, you can gauge how important they are to your audience and create content that addresses their needs.

Customer Acquisition is all about guiding your users from awareness to purchase.

Producing excellent content that meets the needs of your users is crucial.

By researching keywords for their popularity, search volume, and general intent, you can identify the questions that most people in your audience want answers to.

For instance, the Purranormal Detective Agency would do better to produce excellent content on the broader topic of paranormal investigators, which has a monthly search volume (MSV) of 800.

A strong call-to-action is essential to lead users into the buyer journey from the awareness stage to the point of purchase.

Keyword search volume is your compass in crafting a content plan or even a full strategy that resonates with your audience. It enables you to write relevant content that you know they'll be interested in.

To start, make a list of important, relevant topics based on what you know about your business, just like HubSpot did with their topic buckets such as "SEO" (201K), "blogging" (60.5K), and "CRM software" (49.5K). These topics should be the foundation of your content strategy.

Understanding how intent affects keyword research is crucial. Analyze your topic buckets to determine how people search and think on the internet. This will help you create content that covers the topic thoroughly and satisfies users' needs.

To fill in those topic buckets with keywords, brainstorm phrases you think potential customers might use to search for content related to that particular topic. For instance, if your topic bucket is "marketing automation", you might come up with keywords like "AI marketing tools", "marketing automation tools", and "how to use marketing automation software."

Here are some topic buckets and their corresponding keywords to illustrate this point:

By researching keywords with a high volume of monthly searches, you can identify and sort your content into topics or buckets that you'll use to create content. This will help you understand the way people search and think on the internet and create content that resonates with your audience.

Keyword research is a crucial step in SEO. It helps you understand what your target audience is searching for and what keywords they use to find content like yours.

To start, you can use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find keywords related to your business or niche. This tool is free and provides a wealth of information, including search volume and competition data.

Brainstorming sessions can also be a great way to generate keywords. Write down as many ideas as you can and then narrow them down based on relevance and search volume.

Analyzing search volume over time helps identify market and search trends by giving a glimpse into the evolving interests of your target audience.

Noticing a steady increase or sudden spike in search volume for a keyword is a good indicator of the topics your audience is currently interested in.

Conducting effective keyword research can provide insights into current marketing trends.

This helps you center your content on relevant topics and keywords your audience is looking for.

Identifying market trends through keyword research can be a powerful tool for creating content that resonates with your audience.

Brainstorming is an essential step in the keyword research process. It's where you start by writing down all the keywords for which your website should be found. Keep these keywords generic in nature, as you'll dig deeper into very specific keywords later on.

As you brainstorm, think about your website's purpose and what topics you want to cover. Don't worry too much about the specifics at this stage, just focus on getting a list of potential keywords. You can use tools like Google Trends to help you identify popular topics and related keywords.

To get started, try writing down 10-20 generic keywords that relate to your website's niche. For example, if you're a coffee shop, your keywords might include "coffee", "coffee shop", "coffee beans", and "coffee drinks." Remember, these keywords should be broad and general, not too specific.

As you brainstorm, consider what questions your target audience might be searching for answers to. What problems do they want to solve? What topics are they interested in? By understanding these questions, you can create content that addresses their needs and increases your chances of ranking for relevant keywords.

Don't be afraid to get creative and think outside the box. Brainstorming is all about generating ideas and exploring different possibilities. Take your time, and don't worry if your list seems overwhelming at first. You can always narrow it down later.

In fact, it's better to have too many keywords than not enough. As mentioned earlier, you can't tell the exact number of keywords you should have, but a few hundred is a good starting point. Just remember to prioritize your list and focus on the most important keywords first.

Originality versus findability is a delicate balance. You might think it's better to stand out and use different keywords than your competitors, but that's not always the case.

Using uncommon names for products can be a wise marketing decision because people can remember them more easily. For example, renting out vacation cottages instead of vacation homes can make your product more memorable.

However, very few people search for [vacation cottages], so optimizing your text for that term won't generate much traffic or reach many potential customers.

Niche forums are a treasure trove of keyword ideas. By searching for keywords like "keyword forum", "keyword" + "forum", and "keyword" + "forums", you can find active forums related to your topic.

You can analyze these forums to find the ones worth targeting. Look at the number of posts/comments and the last post dates to identify whether the forum is active or not. If you see a niche forum with thousands of threads and last post from an hour ago, you've found a gem.

By diving into a specific category, you can find a lot of threads and possible keyword ideas based on the topics people actively discuss. A well-maintained forum can be a great source of inspiration for your content.

Here are some search queries you can use to find niche forums:

This will give you a list of potential forums to explore. Remember, a forum that's been around since the 90s with thousands of threads and active users is a goldmine of keyword ideas.

Our free keyword tool has a massive database of 25.23 billion keywords, making it an invaluable resource for finding low-competition keywords and sparking ideas for blog content.

This tool is especially useful for those just starting with SEO, as it can help you achieve top-ten rankings for over 13,000 keywords by employing strategies like pinpointing low-competition keywords and providing insights into monthly search volumes.

You can use keyword research tools like Semrush, which has an intuitive user interface, accurate search volume data, and precise trending term insights, to your advantage by brainstorming more keyword ideas based on exact-match keywords and phrase-match keywords.

Some popular keyword research tools include KWFinder, KeywordTool, and Long Tail Pro, which can save you a lot of time by providing hundreds of keyword ideas in one click and offering data you wouldn't find elsewhere, like keyword difficulty and search volume.

A professional keyword research tool can give you a competitive advantage against those who don't use any keyword tool, and with it, you'll cover both the first and second step of the keyword research process: FINDING and ANALYZING keywords.

There are two basic methods to approach keyword research in a tool: searching based on a seed keyword and competitor-based research.

Here are some of the main advantages of using a professional keyword research tool:

Keyword research best practices involve using tools to identify relevant keywords, such as Google Keyword Planner, which can provide insights into search volume and competition.

To get started, it's essential to have a clear understanding of your target audience and their search behavior. You can use tools like Google Trends to analyze popular search terms and identify gaps in the market.

A good keyword research strategy involves analyzing your competitors' keywords, as seen in the example of analyzing competitors' websites to identify relevant keywords. This can give you valuable insights into what keywords are driving traffic to their sites.

By following these best practices, you can create a solid foundation for your keyword research and improve your online visibility.

Removing useless keywords from your keyword set is a crucial step in the process. You should go through your list and eliminate any keywords that don't make sense for you to target, such as those referring to your competitors.

For example, if you're selling high-end TVs, it doesn't make sense to target keywords like 'Amazon Samsung led TV' or 'best buy Samsung led TV', as these are branded searches for your competitors.

You should also remove keywords that don't match your target audience, such as 'cheap Samsung LED TV', which is unlikely to be used by someone looking for a high-end TV.

To make the process easier, you can use the outcome of "Step 1: Brainstorm" as a reference to identify which keywords to remove.

Avoid overthinking the number and placement of keywords, as it can lead to unnecessary complexity.

Don't follow keyword density recommendations, as they're often outdated and not a reliable metric for success.

Stuffing keywords into text unnaturally is a major no-no, and it's essential to remember that "LSI keywords" are a myth.

Here are some specific things to avoid in your keyword research:

The Keyword Research Process is a crucial step in identifying the right keywords for your business. It consists of six steps: Brainstorm, Compile existing keywords, Compile new keywords, Merge lists, Retrieve information on keyword attractiveness, and Expand with long-tail keywords.

To get started, you'll need to Brainstorm a list of potential keywords related to your business. For example, if you're running an eCommerce platform selling high-end TVs, you might think about keywords like "4K TVs" or "smart TVs".

The next steps involve compiling lists of existing and new keywords, and then merging them into one comprehensive list. This will give you a solid foundation for your keyword research.

The Keyword Research Process is a crucial step in creating a successful online presence. It involves six steps that will help you identify the right keywords for your eCommerce platform.

The first step is to brainstorm potential keywords related to your business. This can be done by thinking about your products, target audience, and competitors.

A good example of this is an eCommerce platform selling high-end TVs. Let's say they want to double their revenue within a year. Boosting organic traffic to their website is a key part of this plan.

The six steps of the Keyword Research Process are:

During this phase, the first shapes of your Keyword Strategy will become clear. This will help you understand what keywords to map to what pages on your website.

Keyword search volume data is an integral part of in-depth keyword research. It helps you gauge the interests of your target audience and create content that matches their search intent.

The goal of keyword research is to create high-quality content that converts users, not just to drive huge numbers of users to your pages. As one expert puts it, "I would rather have 100 readers that convert at 10% than 10,000 readers that convert 0.01%."

Merging all the keywords you've gathered into one spreadsheet is a crucial step in the Keyword Research Process. You can use Microsoft Excel, Open Office, or Google Spreadsheets to do this. This will help you keep track of all your keywords in one place.

It's essential to keep the source of each keyword in a separate column, as this can be useful later on when you're choosing which keywords to incorporate into your website. You can add column headings to give a good overview of your data and easily sort based on the column headings.

Freezing the first row is also a good idea, as it will make it easier to sort and manage your data. This is particularly useful when you have a large number of keywords to manage.

Here are the key steps to merge your keywords:

For example, if you're running an eCommerce platform selling high-end TVs, your merged keyword lists might look like this:

By merging your keywords into one spreadsheet, you'll be able to easily see which keywords are most relevant to your business and which ones need more attention.

In the real world, keyword research isn't always as extensive as we'd like. But that doesn't mean you can't make your content rank.

You can still use your article or blog to rank for related keywords by using tools like Google Trends to check which keyword you'd like to rank for.

In the real world, you don't always have time for extensive keyword research.

Your keyword research will not always be as extensive, and that's okay.

You can still use tools like Google Trends to quickly check which keyword you'd like to rank for.

Take some time to think about how to make your article or blog fit your strategy.

If you're writing valuable content, you might as well make it rank.

To test your keyword research skills, let's take a look at a competitor's domain. By checking the keywords your competitor ranks for, you can find new interesting topic ideas you can cover with your website. This can be done using a tool that shows a list of keywords a website is ranking for.

For example, checking the domain of a popular coffee blog, homegrounds.co, shows a list of hundreds of keywords this website is ranking for. This can give you a wealth of new topic ideas to explore.

Google Penguin has penalized unnatural usage of keywords, so it's essential to use keyword research techniques correctly. To get started, let's say you have a blog about hiking and want to rank for keywords like "hiking" or "hiking trails".

The final step in keyword research is to organize and enrich the final keyword set, which involves repeating some of the previous steps to refine the list.

You'll need to remove duplicates and useless keywords, and categorize them for better organization.

To make the most of your keyword research, it's essential to retrieve information on the attractiveness of keywords, which will help you understand their potential impact.

This step can be time-consuming, especially if you've found more keywords than you can map to pages, but it's a crucial part of the process.

Here's a summary of the steps to repeat:

By following these steps, you'll be well-prepared for the next phase of keyword research: the Keyword Strategy.

Keyword research is essential for SEO, and it all starts with understanding what keywords are. Keywords are any words or phrases that a user types into the search engine to find certain information on the internet.

The keyword is a gateway that leads people to the organic search results and ultimately, to the website where they find what they're looking for. This is why finding the right keywords is so important.

Google Hummingbird has improved semantic search and focus on search intent, making keyword research even more crucial.

Analyzing your competitors' websites is a great way to find interesting keywords. You can use the list of competitors you wrote down to analyze the keywords they are visible for in the organic and paid results in Google, as well as the anchor texts used in the links to their websites.

Competitor gap analysis can help you identify areas of untapped opportunity. Focus on keywords where competitors dominate the first page, but you have room for improvement organically.

To analyze visibility in organic search results, you can use Conductor. Simply login to Conductor, go to 'Discover' > 'Explorer', and enter the domain of the page you want to optimize or the keyword you want to rank for.

You can filter the results by 'Keyword ranking' and download the keyword list as an .xlsx file using the button to the right of the search bar. This will give you a list of keywords where you can improve your ranking.

Here's a step-by-step guide to conducting competitor gap analysis:

Keyword research is a crucial part of SEO, and it all starts with understanding the basics.

Google Hummingbird has improved semantic search and focus on search intent, making it more important than ever to find the right keywords.

Keywords are any words or phrases that a user types into the search engine to find certain information on the internet.

The keyword is a gateway that leads people to the organic search results and ultimately, to the website where they find what they're looking for.

Finding the right keywords is so important in SEO because it helps you adjust your content strategy and optimization to target specific phrases.

Keywords are discovered through a process called keyword research.

As your trusty assistant, I'm here to help you navigate the world of keyword research. To get started, it's essential to check your competitor's domain to find new topic ideas. This can be done by using a tool that shows a list of keywords your competitor ranks for.

By examining the keywords your competitor is ranking for, you can discover new and interesting topic ideas to cover on your website. For example, if you enter the domain of a popular coffee blog, you'll see a list of hundreds of keywords they're ranking for.

One tool you can use for this purpose is Google Trends, which shows related searches at the bottom of search results. You can also use Google's related searches to find new keyword ideas.

Another useful tool is Google Keyword Planner, which can help you discover new keywords. To use it, select "Discover new keywords" and enter your seed keyword to get suggestions. Keep in mind that Google Keyword Planner is part of Google Ads, and its competition column only reflects PPC campaign competition, not organic difficulty.

To expand your list of keywords, you can use the long-tail principle, which involves finding interesting combinations of keywords. This can help you discover a lot of keywords with low to moderate monthly search volume. By combining these keywords, you can create a high search volume that's comparable to a few generic keywords with high individual search volume.

Here are some tools you can use to find long-tail keywords:

Remember, the goal is to find keywords that are relevant to your seed keyword and have a low to moderate monthly search volume. With the right tools and a bit of manual checking, you can discover a wealth of new keyword ideas to help you optimize your website.

Wikipedia is a treasure trove of keywords. Its nested structure allows you to drill down from broad topics to narrow sub-topics with ease. You can browse through tables of contents and sub-chapters to find specific keywords.

Wikipedia's search feature is particularly useful for this purpose. For example, you can start with a broad keyword like "exercise" and narrow it down to a specific topic like "indoor rowing techniques" in just a few clicks.

In fact, Wikipedia's search can help you discover a comprehensive table of related subtopics at the bottom of a page, giving you a great insight into the structure and depth of a topic.

You can also use a free tool to scrape topic ideas and keywords from Wikipedia for you. This can save you a lot of time and effort.

By leveraging Wikipedia, you can get a huge source of keyword ideas in no time.

Keyword research is a crucial step in creating content that resonates with your target audience. Analyzing competitor keywords can help you identify gaps in the market and opportunities to differentiate your strategy.

Competitor keyword research involves analyzing the keywords your competitors are targeting in their online content. This can include websites, blog posts, and online advertising. By understanding the keywords your competitors prioritize, you can identify potential areas to focus on and improve your ranking.

A good keyword research tool can help you analyze competitor keywords with ease. It's a tedious task to find keywords manually, but with a proper tool, it's just a few clicks away. Competitor keyword research is one of the most valuable features of keyword tools.

Analyzing competitor keywords can help you discover new topic ideas. By checking your competitor's domain, you can find hundreds of keywords they're ranking for. For example, if you check the domain of a popular blog about coffee, you might find a list of keywords they're ranking for.

Manually searching for keywords in an incognito browser can give you a sense of the terms your competitors rank for. This can help you identify potential quick wins and bigger, more challenging SEO goals.

Here's a quick way to get a sense of the terms your competitors rank for:

By following these steps, you can gain valuable insights into your competitors' keyword strategies and identify opportunities to improve your own. Remember, just because your competitor is doing something doesn't mean you need to – but understanding their strategy can help you make informed decisions about your own content.

Keyword research is a crucial step in creating content that resonates with your target audience. It involves identifying the right keywords to use in your website's content to improve search engine rankings and drive more traffic.

To get started, you can use Google's autocomplete feature to find related search queries. Simply type your seed keyword into Google search and add letters or numbers to see the suggestions. For example, if you're researching email marketing, you can try typing "email marketing a, b, c..." to see the suggestions.

Google's keyword suggestions can be a great source of inspiration for new keyword ideas. You can also use the Google Ads Keyword Planner to get suggestions. To access this feature, login to Google Ads, choose your account, and click on 'Tools' > 'Keyword Planner'. Then, choose the option 'Search for new keywords using a phrase, website, or category' and fill in some of your promising keywords.

Another way to find keyword suggestions is to use the YouTube Autocomplete feature. YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, and its autocomplete suggestions can be a good indicator of popular search queries. You can use the YouTube Keyword Tool to scrape the autocomplete results automatically.

Here are some tips for using autocomplete and suggestions in your keyword research:

By using these tools and techniques, you can uncover a wealth of keyword suggestions to inform your content creation and improve your search engine rankings.

Keyword research is a crucial step in understanding what people are searching for online, and how you can create content that resonates with them. By analyzing competitor keywords, you can identify gaps in the market and create content that stands out.

To conduct competitor keyword research, you can use tools like Rank Tracker by SEO PowerSuite, which allows you to monitor SERP data and identify keyword gaps. This tool also integrates with Google Search Console and Keyword Planner, providing a free version for unlimited testing.

When analyzing competitor keywords, it's essential to consider user intent and how it affects keyword research. User intent is now one of the most pivotal factors in ranking well on search engines like Google. By understanding the intent behind a search, you can create content that addresses the problem a searcher wants to solve.

Here are some common SERP feature snippets to consider:

By understanding what keywords your competitors are ranking for, you can identify opportunities to improve your own ranking. Remember to also check what you rank for on the 2nd or 3rd SERP, as these can be low-hanging fruit that can bring in impressions and clicks.

Paid results are a treasure trove of keyword data. This data is valuable because it gives insight into what keywords work for your business, what keyword variations people use, and so on.

To export the keywords from Google Ads, log in to Google Ads, choose your account, and click on the tab 'Keywords'. Configure this report to show the keyword data from 'All time' using the date picker on the top right.

Make sure the report includes CTR and conversion data to get a comprehensive view of your keyword performance. Conversions are processes in online marketing that lead to a defined conclusion.

Here are the steps to export keyword data from Google Ads:

Ranking on 2nd-3rd SERP is a great way to find low-hanging fruit among the keywords you already rank for.

You can do this by checking the average position for the queries in your Search Console, and sorting the queries by this dimension. This will help you find relevant keywords that you're already ranking for, but could be improved.

In fact, it's a good idea to check what you rank for on the 2nd or 3rd SERP, as this can bring you impressions and clicks.

To do this, select the Average position in the Performance section, and sort the queries by this dimension. You might be surprised at what you find.

For example, you might find that you rank for keywords like "4 cup coffee maker" with an average position around the 2nd or 3rd SERP. This could be a great source of traffic for your blog.

Here are some options for improving your ranking for these keywords:

Either way, with a quality article dedicated to the topic, you have a high chance of ranking for the keyword on a better position than with the general post.

Keyword difficulty is a metric that estimates how hard it is to rank for a certain keyword. It takes into account the authority of the websites ranking in the first Search Engine Results Page (SERP).

The difficulty metrics used in keyword tools consider two things: the number of backlinks and the quality of backlinks. Authority metrics like Domain Authority and Page Authority by Moz, and Citation Flow and Trust Flow by Majestic, try to capture the authority of a page into one number on a scale from 1 to 100.

Don't rely solely on keyword difficulty as it's just a guideline, not an absolute value. If your content is better and more relevant, you can outrank websites with higher authority.

You can also estimate keyword difficulty by considering the age of the domains and the keyword Golden Ratio. For example, a keyword with a 6-months-old website in the first SERP could be easy to rank for.

Here are some key takeaways to keep in mind:

There's no definitive answer, as it depends on factors like search intent, keyword competition, industry type, and seasonality.

In the tech industry, 500 searches per month for a keyword might be considered low.

Context is key, a keyword search volume of 200 per month might be low in one niche but high in another.

The collectible vintage typewriter industry is a niche, and 500 monthly searches for an SEO keyword related to this industry may be considered high.

A keyword search volume of 200 per month might be low in the tech industry but high in the collectible vintage typewriter industry.

You need to consider the context and industry type when determining high search volumes for keywords.

Keyword difficulty is a metric that estimates how hard it is to rank for a certain keyword. The higher the keyword difficulty, the harder it will be to rank for the keyword with your website.

The difficulty metrics used in keyword tools consider the authority of the websites ranking in the 1st SERP. If there are many low-authority websites in the first SERP, there is a high chance of ranking for the keyword.

The website's authority is calculated based on two things: the number of backlinks and the quality of backlinks. The number of backlinks refers to how many pages link to the given website, while the quality of backlinks depends on the authority and relevance of the linking pages.

Domain Authority and Page Authority by Moz, and Citation Flow and Trust Flow by Majestic are popular authority metrics. These metrics try to capture the authority of the page into one number on a scale from 1 to 100.

To work with keyword difficulty correctly, remember not to take it as the only clue. The metric should serve only as a guideline, not an absolute value. If your content is better and more relevant, you can outrank websites with higher authority.

Don't compare the numbers between different tools, as each keyword research tool uses different data to calculate their keyword difficulty. Instead, compare the difficulty metrics between the keywords.

Here are some key takeaways to keep in mind when working with keyword difficulty:

Domain age can be a useful alternative way to estimate keyword difficulty. Focusing on relatively young ranking websites can give you an edge.

You can check the age of the domains to find SERPs with young websites in the first position. For example, a keyword with a 6-months-old website in the first SERP could be easy to rank for.

The Keyword Golden Ratio method allows you to find long-tail keywords you should be able to rank for immediately. This method can be a game-changer for your keyword research.

Sometimes, high authority websites may appear in the SERP even if they're not entirely relevant to the search query. This can make the difficulty metric seem higher than it actually is.

Keep in mind that difficulty metric is not the only factor to consider when evaluating keyword difficulty. Always do a SERP analysis to get a more accurate picture.