Question on keyword research

Hello everyone! I hope this is the right place to ask this question.

I've been a content writer for a few years. Now, I am working on improving my SEO.

Recently I have been sent a few lists to help get started on keyword research:

1. List of keywords given to me by client, that they want to rank for, after they looked through the website
2. List of keywords we rank high for on Google Ads
3. List of keywords from Moz

I am overwhelmed by all these lists.
My question is: How would I create a strategy that puts all this information together into a masterlist of keywords that we rank high for, are most relevant to us, and can help us rank above our competitors?

I appreciate any feedback I can get. Thank you in advance.

You can use tools like Semrush or Ahrefs to find all the keywords and check their volume, and ranking difficulty. you can find other competitors from there and then check the keywords they are ranking for. Analyze keywords manually. Then select the keywords you wanna target.

I’ll be explaining the steps using Ahrefs (you can also replicate this in most other SEO tools, but I highly recommend Ahrefs)

First, you need to know what’s the difficulty range of keywords that your site is currently ranking on (called KD in Ahrefs). You can find it in the ‘organic keywords’ tab after entering your site in Ahrefs. This will tell you what KD keywords you can aim for.

Look for the maximum KD keywords that are actually pulling in traffic on your site. If you have 2 or more such pages ranking, there’s a high chance you can rank more KWs in that range. For example: Let’s say you have 2 or more pages ranking on 16 KD keywords, then you can target all keywords under 16 (or even under 20) and there is a high chance they’ll rank.

Finally, here’s how you can build your master list:

Step 1: Check the KD of all keywords from list 1 and list 2

Step 2: Shortlist the keywords that are within your website's current KD range (or slightly higher)

Step 3: Remove the keywords that you are already ranking for (from list 3)

Step 4: Create awesome content satisfying the search intent of the keyword!


PS: I am assuming that the MOZ list is of keywords that your site is currently ranking for.

TechEinstien said:

You can use tools like Semrush or Ahrefs to find all the keywords and check their volume, and ranking difficulty. you can find other competitors from there and then check the keywords they are ranking for. Analyze keywords manually. Then select the keywords you wanna target.

Click to expand...

Right

You should use a specific tool and start with a low-competition keyword. I recommend Semrush for this task.

Using tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, Ubersuggest, you can find out if the keyword is hard to rank on search engines. Check out the competitors' ranking strategies for those keywords as well.

also try google keyword planner together with an excel sheet. cost 0, maximum yield

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you:

Analyze search volume and competition: To determine the potential value of each keyword, use keyword research tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush. These tools provide insights into search volume (how many people are searching for a specific keyword) and competition (how difficult it is to rank for a keyword). Consider both factors to prioritize keywords with a good balance of search volume and manageable competition.

Consider user intent: Keywords should align with the intent of users searching for them. Categorize keywords based on user intent, such as informational (research-based queries), commercial (looking to make a purchase), or navigational (seeking a specific website). This helps you understand the user's motivation behind the search and tailor your content accordingly.

Analyze competitor keywords: Utilize Ahrefs or SEMrush to identify the keywords your competitors are ranking for. This can provide valuable insights into the keywords you might have missed or help you uncover new keyword opportunities. Compare your competitor's keyword rankings with your own to identify gaps or areas for improvement.

Regarding Ahrefs and SEMrush, both are powerful keyword research and SEO tools. They offer similar features, including competitor analysis, keyword research, and backlink analysis. Both tools can provide valuable insights for your keyword strategy. Consider trying out both tools through their trial periods or subscriptions to determine which one better suits your needs and preferences, or you can buy account from some group buy service, check someone mentioned in this forum

good post, I will research more about keyword research as you suggest, I also tried some group buy service for ahrefs but no luck, most of them are not working, can you tell me which service you are using?

ldarrin846 said:

good post, I will research more about keyword research as you suggest, I also tried some group buy service for ahrefs but no luck, most of them are not working, can you tell me which service you are using?

Click to expand...

Group buy services for SEO tools typically offer shared accounts for popular tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and other SEO-related platforms at a lower cost compared to individual subscriptions. These services pool resources from multiple users to collectively purchase access to these tools. I tried some group buy service before, and you are right, most of them are not good. But I was using this service last 3 months and they work good

You can try first with Googla ads keyword planner tool, it is for free. Actually I can tell you that semrush and others are not so accurate for very low competition keywords.

You got into the right place obviously.
For getting keywords you can use the above said tools and stick to one always, I would suggest you - Semrush.
By filtering the keywords based on their KD, use it in content in the better way by analysing the competitors content and search intent.
Compare the lists and grab the common best keywords(their KD and volume ) and analyse the chance of using it in major content.

mfbb148 said:

Hello everyone! I hope this is the right place to ask this question.

I've been a content writer for a few years. Now, I am working on improving my SEO.

Recently I have been sent a few lists to help get started on keyword research:

1. List of keywords given to me by client, that they want to rank for, after they looked through the website
2. List of keywords we rank high for on Google Ads
3. List of keywords from Moz

I am overwhelmed by all these lists.
My question is: How would I create a strategy that puts all this information together into a masterlist of keywords that we rank high for, are most relevant to us, and can help us rank above our competitors?

I appreciate any feedback I can get. Thank you in advance.

Click to expand...

I would like to suggest you some Free keyword Research Tools:
getkeyword.io
Perpetua.io
Questiondb.io
Ryrob.com

These are really good services, and there you can find what you need.

Here's how I would do it.

1. Put it all together - You've got these three lists of keywords, right? Just mash 'em all together into one master list. Get rid of any duplicates.

2. Understand the user intent - Segment your master list by user intent. Generally, user intent falls into four categories: informational (looking for information), navigational (looking for a specific website), transactional (looking to buy something), and commercial (looking to compare products/services). Understanding the user intent can help you optimize your content accordingly.

3. Check for relevancy - Go through the list and make sure each keyword actually has relevance to your client's business, products, services, and website content. Irrelevant keywords, no matter how popular, won't bring in the right audience. You want people who are interested in what your client's selling, not random visitors.

4. Analyze the competition - Use the SEO tools to snoop on the competition. What are they ranking for? High-ranking keywords for your competitors that are also relevant to your business should be prioritized.

5. How hard is it? - Now check each keyword for how tough the competition is and how many people are searching for it. You might have to balance a bit here. A keyword lots of people are searching for might be really tough to rank for, so sometimes it's better to go for something a bit less popular but easier to get to the top with.

6. Consider current rankings - You've already got some keywords that are doing well in Google Ads, right? So, keep using those in your SEO stuff too, especially if they're not super competitive and a decent number of people are searching for them.

7. Align keywords and content: - Ensure you have content that can be optimized for each keyword on your list. If you don't have content for high-priority keywords, create it.

8. Keep an eye on things - SEO is not a set-and-forget strategy. You gotta keep an eye on how you're doing and tweak things as you go. Keep track of your keyword rankings, organic traffic, and other key metrics. As you gather data, refine your keyword list and your content strategy. SEO trends and keyword relevance can change over time, so it's important to stay flexible and adapt as needed. If something's not working, change it up. If something is working, do more of it.

So that's the basic idea. It surely takes a bit of thought and ongoing effort. But you've got this!

mfbb148 said:

Hello everyone! I hope this is the right place to ask this question.

I've been a content writer for a few years. Now, I am working on improving my SEO.

Recently I have been sent a few lists to help get started on keyword research:

1. List of keywords given to me by client, that they want to rank for, after they looked through the website
2. List of keywords we rank high for on Google Ads
3. List of keywords from Moz

I am overwhelmed by all these lists.
My question is: How would I create a strategy that puts all this information together into a masterlist of keywords that we rank high for, are most relevant to us, and can help us rank above our competitors?

I appreciate any feedback I can get. Thank you in advance.

Click to expand...

Not to offend anyone most answers here are generic.

Since you have the list of keywords they want you to write about you don't need expensive tools to continue from there. And I assume they are long tail keywords.

Download these two extensions;
1. Moz chrome extension ( To check for domain rating on serp)
2. Keyword everywhere to check volume

Then put the keyword on Google search and start looking for these weakness

1. Dr <20
2. Search intent not met(check related & PAA to understand the intent )
3. Forums/UGC on 1st page
4. Unhelpful content
5. less Topical Authority site
6. Low backlink profile

Look for 1 or more of these weaknesses on SERP on each keywords.

Then arrange them by the one with most weakness & volume on a sheet or notion.

Finally look for related topics to each keyword or topic that have topical relevancy to build a content structure/ network. Then start writing....

Let me know if you have Any questions.

Seopreneur01 said:

I’ll be explaining the steps using Ahrefs (you can also replicate this in most other SEO tools, but I highly recommend Ahrefs)

First, you need to know what’s the difficulty range of keywords that your site is currently ranking on (called KD in Ahrefs). You can find it in the ‘organic keywords’ tab after entering your site in Ahrefs. This will tell you what KD keywords you can aim for.

Look for the maximum KD keywords that are actually pulling in traffic on your site. If you have 2 or more such pages ranking, there’s a high chance you can rank more KWs in that range. For example: Let’s say you have 2 or more pages ranking on 16 KD keywords, then you can target all keywords under 16 (or even under 20) and there is a high chance they’ll rank.

Finally, here’s how you can build your master list:

Step 1: Check the KD of all keywords from list 1 and list 2

Step 2: Shortlist the keywords that are within your website's current KD range (or slightly higher)

Step 3: Remove the keywords that you are already ranking for (from list 3)

Step 4: Create awesome content satisfying the search intent of the keyword!


PS: I am assuming that the MOZ list is of keywords that your site is currently ranking for.

Click to expand...

Thanks for explaining. Doing great job!