- May 11, 2014
- 2,088
- 1,990
Before we start you may want to read the previous guide "[NEWBIE GUIDE] Find Profitable Niches & Keywords".
I don't know if it's still the case, but a few years ago after upgrading your BHW account, you would gain a 30-day Semrush free trial! (One more reason to join the blue side!!)
Open Semrush and let's go!
Volume
The average number of times per month a keyword was queried on Google (on the national level).
Search volume gives you an insight into how popular certain keywords are and how much competition you'll be up against for those terms.
For example, if you're looking at a keyword with a high search volume, chances are you'll have to put in extra effort to rank for that term.
On the other hand, if the search volume is low, you may have an easier time ranking for it.
This will help you make informed decisions about the keywords you use, and what kind of content you should create to rank for those terms.
KD (keyword difficulty)
An estimation of how easy it would be to rank your website for this keyword with SEO.
CPC (cost-per-click )
The advertiser pays Google for a click on their PPC ad on this keyword’s SERP.
Cost Per Click is the amount announcers pay for each click on the ad and is important to understand when budgeting for campaigns.
Knowing the CPC of a keyword will also help you determine which keywords are more cost-effective than others, saving you time and money in the long run.
The higher the better but, Usually, the higher the CPC the most profitable the keywords are! Also important if you plan to monetize with Adsense because it will be directly correlated to your earning.
Competition
The density of advertisers bidding on this keyword for their ads on the national level. A score of 1.00 indicates the highest level of competition, and a score of 0.00 indicates no competition at all.
Trends
Keyword research isn't just about finding the right words — it's also important to consider the trends surrounding them. For example, if you're researching a particular keyword, you may find that it has been increasing or decreasing in popularity over the past few months.
This could be a great opportunity to capitalize on that trend and get more visibility for your website. Or the opposite, pay attention!
If the keyword has been decreasing in popularity, it may be a good idea to look for alternatives.
Trends can also give you a better understanding of the competition you're up against.
Knowing how much competition there is for certain keywords can help you decide whether it's worth optimizing your website for those terms or not.
So don't forget to consider trends when you're doing your keyword research — it will help you make more informed decisions.
Consider Seasonality
This involves taking into account the different times of the year when people might be
searching for specific terms or topics.
For example:
Select your target keywords
Once you have the list, you can start narrowing it down by looking at each keyword's search volume, competition, and relevance. You'll also want to consider the user intent behind each keyword, as this will help you determine which ones to target. For example, if someone is searching for a product, you'll want to optimize for keywords that focus on buying and pricing, rather than informational keywords.
Search Intent: What Do Users Really Want?
It's all about understanding what users are really looking for when they type a certain search query into a search engine. By understanding search intent, you can create content that
meets users' needs and helps them find what they're looking for.
To really understand search intent, you need to look at the context of each keyword. What kind of words are used in the query?
What kind of content are people expecting to find when they perform this search? Once you have a good understanding of search intent, you can start to create content that meets the user's needs.
This will lead to more organic traffic, higher rankings in search engine results, and more conversions.
So don't underestimate the power of keyword research and search intent. It can be the difference between success and failure.
What are Users Looking for When They Search?
Different keywords and phrases can indicate different search intents.
By understanding search intent, you can optimize your site for the right keywords and phrases to attract the right kind of visitors. So take the time to research search intent, and you could see a huge difference in your website's performance.
Why Is Search Intent Important?
Ensuring that your content is tailored to their specific needs can help you rank higher in search results, drive more traffic to your website, and ultimately convert more leads into customers.
It can also help you identify which keywords you should target and which you should avoid.
What is the Difference Between a User Search Intent and a Contextual Search Intent?
A user search intent is a user's goal in searching for a specific keyword or phrase. It could be anything from wanting to buy a product to look for information about a topic. The goal of user search intent is to ensure that when a user types in a particular query, they get the most relevant results.
On the other hand, contextual search intent is when a user searches for a keyword or phrase in the context of a larger query. This type of search is usually used when a user wants more specific information about a topic, or when they're trying to refine their search for better results.
What are the Different Types of Search Intent?
There are four main types of search intent:
Search intent type example:
Informational intent
Informational intent means that the user seeks information about a certain topic. This could include anything from researching a product before making a purchase decision to looking for a recipe.
Your content should be informative, comprehensive, and accurate to optimize for informational intent.
You should also focus on providing helpful and relevant information to the user, rather than trying to sell them something. It's also important to ensure that your content is well-written and easy to read. If you can provide a great user experience and show off your expertise, you can capture the attention of potential customers and build trust with them.
Commercial & transactional intent
When it comes to online search intent, commercial or transactional intent is key. This type of search indicates a customer is ready to make a purchase.
Understanding and optimizing this type of search is important because it can significantly
increase sales and revenue. To do this, you should ensure your website has all the necessary information customers need to make an informed decision.
This includes product information, pricing, availability, and customer reviews.
Navigational intent
When a user searches for a specific website or brand name to reach a particular page. This could be the home page, a product page, a blog post, or any other page.
It's important to be aware of this kind of intent because it usually indicates high levels of user engagement.
Keyword Analysis The Right Way
Once you have selected your first topics/keywords, you are ready for the analysis part!
By doing this task, you will discover many other interesting and profitable subtopics and keywords.
First, we will check the keywords "all" before looking for the "question".
I set the Semrush KD on 0-30 to see only the low-competition keywords that will bring traffic easily.
You can select higher comp but I want to find an easy one first.
Search intent: I select Informational, Transactional and commercial (navigational brings too much brand research of other sites)
Nice! the total volume is 50k+ for an average of 21 KD.
Many keywords are transactional and even commercial intent, this my friend is easy money!
Warning trend: the keyword "exercise bike black friday" is an obvious and good example,always check the trend.
Globally it seems this sub-niche has great potential so let if we can find another set of articles (1 pillar article + 20 inner pages) that easily:
The competition is easy. For example, you can start making a reviews article on this bike and earn via Amazon affiliate or simply using AdSense since this keyword has high CPC and high ad competition.
Note: Do not confuse the keywords difficulty "KD" and the "comp" which is the density of advertisers bidding.
You also got another great information: The related main keyword of this subtopic is "spin bike" so let's dive in again
25k volume, KD 20 but we are looking for 50k+, which is pretty good!
I check "bike" and organize the list "by volume".
More subtopics:
• Dirt bike
• Mountain bike
• Electric bike
"Dirt bike" sounds way more fun to explore than "exercise bike"
A lot of potential, many high search volume keywords and a total of 7m +
I can easily build an authority site about dirt bike
Now let's check the "questions", most of the time the intent of this research are
informational, a good way to bring traffic.
So from ebay's first keyword in less than five minutes I found 7M potential volume with a KD of 20!
Do you realize how easy it is? What a great feeling! Don't waste this "news possibility energy" and use it as fuel to take action!! You still have to create the site with a proper structure, write good content and set up a few other details!
Maybe it's your very first website, or maybe you lack confidence in your ability to well execute the steps of the guide and rank easily.
I can guarantee you that with a KD lower than 15 and a proper site structure you can rank without even investing/building any links.
This is a new income stream in front of you right now. 100% chance you will earn your first $100 / month in the next 3 months if you do the job!
Here is the result with a low KD of 0 -15!
Around 1M + search volume, average KD 11: That is very good
What is less good is the trend volatility for the main keywords, hopefully, the sub-keywords in total will be reequilibrated, so once it's ranked you have stable monthly traffic all year!
Keep exploring and grabbing data around your subtopics until you find your gem topics to start your site!
Note: you can select the keywords by country and therefore by language so if you speak several languages it is an advantage to finding a lower competition profitable niches
Checking the biggest to grab more data
So I checked the #1 site for "dirt bike"
Try to find site maps or arborescence categories. If not simply the menu can do the job
A new large list of subtopics/keywords in addition to new related topics like scooters and ATVs
You can repeat it to find new sub-niches and keywords!
Macro keywords tactic:
Find large keywords used in most niches to discover more niches, for example: "for sale"
You can find hundreds of new niches just by scrolling
Do the keyword research seriously but don't overdo it!
You need to keep moving!
You do not need to fill dozen of pages of keywords you need a general topic for your site and 1 pillar + 20 - 25 inners pages
The Pareto rule never lies: 20% of the input produces 80% of the output!
No need to become a fancy Semrush expert, at least not for your first set of articles!
Your first goal is to produce and publish articles to generate traffic.
After $1000 a month everything will be smoother and you may start to relax and outsource some tasks!
If you work hard you can even make a good $100 a day within 3-4 months. Not gonna lie, you will have to publish a lot of content to make $100+ daily within the first 3-4 months. So either investing in content writing or working full time on the project. Also building the right links fastens the process a lot, we will explore link-building later.
I don't know if it's still the case, but a few years ago after upgrading your BHW account, you would gain a 30-day Semrush free trial! (One more reason to join the blue side!!)
Open Semrush and let's go!
Volume
The average number of times per month a keyword was queried on Google (on the national level).
Search volume gives you an insight into how popular certain keywords are and how much competition you'll be up against for those terms.
For example, if you're looking at a keyword with a high search volume, chances are you'll have to put in extra effort to rank for that term.
On the other hand, if the search volume is low, you may have an easier time ranking for it.
This will help you make informed decisions about the keywords you use, and what kind of content you should create to rank for those terms.
KD (keyword difficulty)
An estimation of how easy it would be to rank your website for this keyword with SEO.
- 0-15 automatically rank; most of the time, there is not even an article for these keywords
- 15-30 easy to rank; most of the time, if there is an article about the keywords, its poor quality and not optimized, not expensive to rank in terms of backlinks
- 30-45 you can rank those keywords but you will need to spend time or invest in powerful backlinks like a guest post
- above 45 real competitors, you will do it once you already have good cashflow and can spend thousand on links and content every month
CPC (cost-per-click )
The advertiser pays Google for a click on their PPC ad on this keyword’s SERP.
Cost Per Click is the amount announcers pay for each click on the ad and is important to understand when budgeting for campaigns.
Knowing the CPC of a keyword will also help you determine which keywords are more cost-effective than others, saving you time and money in the long run.
The higher the better but, Usually, the higher the CPC the most profitable the keywords are! Also important if you plan to monetize with Adsense because it will be directly correlated to your earning.
Competition
The density of advertisers bidding on this keyword for their ads on the national level. A score of 1.00 indicates the highest level of competition, and a score of 0.00 indicates no competition at all.
Trends
Keyword research isn't just about finding the right words — it's also important to consider the trends surrounding them. For example, if you're researching a particular keyword, you may find that it has been increasing or decreasing in popularity over the past few months.
This could be a great opportunity to capitalize on that trend and get more visibility for your website. Or the opposite, pay attention!
If the keyword has been decreasing in popularity, it may be a good idea to look for alternatives.
Trends can also give you a better understanding of the competition you're up against.
Knowing how much competition there is for certain keywords can help you decide whether it's worth optimizing your website for those terms or not.
So don't forget to consider trends when you're doing your keyword research — it will help you make more informed decisions.
Consider Seasonality
This involves taking into account the different times of the year when people might be
searching for specific terms or topics.
For example:
- Camping gear will see a nice peak when people may be searching for your products in the summer.
- Skying equipment will not make much search volume in summer, mainly for winter.
- The Tech niche usually has a great volume of the latest gadgets but the turnover of new products is really fast.
Select your target keywords
Once you have the list, you can start narrowing it down by looking at each keyword's search volume, competition, and relevance. You'll also want to consider the user intent behind each keyword, as this will help you determine which ones to target. For example, if someone is searching for a product, you'll want to optimize for keywords that focus on buying and pricing, rather than informational keywords.
Search Intent: What Do Users Really Want?
It's all about understanding what users are really looking for when they type a certain search query into a search engine. By understanding search intent, you can create content that
meets users' needs and helps them find what they're looking for.
To really understand search intent, you need to look at the context of each keyword. What kind of words are used in the query?
What kind of content are people expecting to find when they perform this search? Once you have a good understanding of search intent, you can start to create content that meets the user's needs.
This will lead to more organic traffic, higher rankings in search engine results, and more conversions.
So don't underestimate the power of keyword research and search intent. It can be the difference between success and failure.
What are Users Looking for When They Search?
Different keywords and phrases can indicate different search intents.
- Are they looking for information?
- Are they looking for a product?
- Or are they looking for something else entirely?
By understanding search intent, you can optimize your site for the right keywords and phrases to attract the right kind of visitors. So take the time to research search intent, and you could see a huge difference in your website's performance.
Why Is Search Intent Important?
Ensuring that your content is tailored to their specific needs can help you rank higher in search results, drive more traffic to your website, and ultimately convert more leads into customers.
It can also help you identify which keywords you should target and which you should avoid.
What is the Difference Between a User Search Intent and a Contextual Search Intent?
A user search intent is a user's goal in searching for a specific keyword or phrase. It could be anything from wanting to buy a product to look for information about a topic. The goal of user search intent is to ensure that when a user types in a particular query, they get the most relevant results.
On the other hand, contextual search intent is when a user searches for a keyword or phrase in the context of a larger query. This type of search is usually used when a user wants more specific information about a topic, or when they're trying to refine their search for better results.
What are the Different Types of Search Intent?
There are four main types of search intent:
- informational: when someone is looking for information, such as facts or instructions
- navigational: when someone is looking for a specific page on a website or app
- transactional: when someone is looking to complete a purchase or take some other action, such as signing up for a newsletter
- commercial: search intent is when someone is looking to research a product or service
Search intent type example:
- Navigational intent: Trying to find something specific, usually its branded search, visitors want to visit the specific site they usually do not make good keywords
- Informational intent: Trying to learn more about something (“The best way to start fitness at home”)
- Transactional intent: Trying to complete a specific action (“buy the best exercise bike”)
- Commercial intent: Trying to learn more before making a purchase decision (“exercices bike vs elliptical bike”)
Informational intent
Informational intent means that the user seeks information about a certain topic. This could include anything from researching a product before making a purchase decision to looking for a recipe.
Your content should be informative, comprehensive, and accurate to optimize for informational intent.
You should also focus on providing helpful and relevant information to the user, rather than trying to sell them something. It's also important to ensure that your content is well-written and easy to read. If you can provide a great user experience and show off your expertise, you can capture the attention of potential customers and build trust with them.
Commercial & transactional intent
When it comes to online search intent, commercial or transactional intent is key. This type of search indicates a customer is ready to make a purchase.
Understanding and optimizing this type of search is important because it can significantly
increase sales and revenue. To do this, you should ensure your website has all the necessary information customers need to make an informed decision.
This includes product information, pricing, availability, and customer reviews.
Navigational intent
When a user searches for a specific website or brand name to reach a particular page. This could be the home page, a product page, a blog post, or any other page.
It's important to be aware of this kind of intent because it usually indicates high levels of user engagement.
- Good news: If users search specifically for your website, they're interested in your offers and it will increase your authority.
- Bad news: the visitors may also search for another brand, so don't mistake a brand name for keywords! In some niche it can be the case
Keyword Analysis The Right Way
Once you have selected your first topics/keywords, you are ready for the analysis part!
By doing this task, you will discover many other interesting and profitable subtopics and keywords.
First, we will check the keywords "all" before looking for the "question".
I set the Semrush KD on 0-30 to see only the low-competition keywords that will bring traffic easily.
You can select higher comp but I want to find an easy one first.
Search intent: I select Informational, Transactional and commercial (navigational brings too much brand research of other sites)
Nice! the total volume is 50k+ for an average of 21 KD.
Many keywords are transactional and even commercial intent, this my friend is easy money!
Warning trend: the keyword "exercise bike black friday" is an obvious and good example,always check the trend.
Globally it seems this sub-niche has great potential so let if we can find another set of articles (1 pillar article + 20 inner pages) that easily:
The competition is easy. For example, you can start making a reviews article on this bike and earn via Amazon affiliate or simply using AdSense since this keyword has high CPC and high ad competition.
Note: Do not confuse the keywords difficulty "KD" and the "comp" which is the density of advertisers bidding.
You also got another great information: The related main keyword of this subtopic is "spin bike" so let's dive in again
25k volume, KD 20 but we are looking for 50k+, which is pretty good!
I check "bike" and organize the list "by volume".
More subtopics:
• Dirt bike
• Mountain bike
• Electric bike
"Dirt bike" sounds way more fun to explore than "exercise bike"
A lot of potential, many high search volume keywords and a total of 7m +
I can easily build an authority site about dirt bike
Now let's check the "questions", most of the time the intent of this research are
informational, a good way to bring traffic.
So from ebay's first keyword in less than five minutes I found 7M potential volume with a KD of 20!
Do you realize how easy it is? What a great feeling! Don't waste this "news possibility energy" and use it as fuel to take action!! You still have to create the site with a proper structure, write good content and set up a few other details!
Maybe it's your very first website, or maybe you lack confidence in your ability to well execute the steps of the guide and rank easily.
I can guarantee you that with a KD lower than 15 and a proper site structure you can rank without even investing/building any links.
This is a new income stream in front of you right now. 100% chance you will earn your first $100 / month in the next 3 months if you do the job!
Here is the result with a low KD of 0 -15!
Around 1M + search volume, average KD 11: That is very good
What is less good is the trend volatility for the main keywords, hopefully, the sub-keywords in total will be reequilibrated, so once it's ranked you have stable monthly traffic all year!
Keep exploring and grabbing data around your subtopics until you find your gem topics to start your site!
Note: you can select the keywords by country and therefore by language so if you speak several languages it is an advantage to finding a lower competition profitable niches
Checking the biggest to grab more data
So I checked the #1 site for "dirt bike"
Try to find site maps or arborescence categories. If not simply the menu can do the job
A new large list of subtopics/keywords in addition to new related topics like scooters and ATVs
You can repeat it to find new sub-niches and keywords!
Macro keywords tactic:
Find large keywords used in most niches to discover more niches, for example: "for sale"
You can find hundreds of new niches just by scrolling
Do the keyword research seriously but don't overdo it!
You need to keep moving!
You do not need to fill dozen of pages of keywords you need a general topic for your site and 1 pillar + 20 - 25 inners pages
The Pareto rule never lies: 20% of the input produces 80% of the output!
No need to become a fancy Semrush expert, at least not for your first set of articles!
Your first goal is to produce and publish articles to generate traffic.
After $1000 a month everything will be smoother and you may start to relax and outsource some tasks!
If you work hard you can even make a good $100 a day within 3-4 months. Not gonna lie, you will have to publish a lot of content to make $100+ daily within the first 3-4 months. So either investing in content writing or working full time on the project. Also building the right links fastens the process a lot, we will explore link-building later.
