Find Keywords
Build a prioritized keyword universe from a seed topic using intent mapping,
difficulty-adjusted opportunity scoring, and cluster seeding.
Before You Start
Gather this context (ask if not provided):
- Domain and goal. What site is this for? What is the primary conversion (leads, sign-ups, sales, traffic)?
- Seed topic. The core subject area — not a single keyword but the business category (e.g., "project management software", "personal injury law Chicago").
- Existing rankings. Does the site already rank for terms in this area? Existing rankings tell you where to defend vs. expand.
- Constraints. Budget, team size, content velocity — these determine whether to chase head terms or focus on long-tail.
Step 0: Cannibalization Screen
Before building a new keyword list, check what the site already targets. Creating
a new page for a keyword you already rank for can split authority and hurt both pages.
For each keyword you're considering:
- Search
site:yourdomain.com [keyword] — does an existing page already target this term?
- Check Google Search Console — is an existing page already getting impressions for this keyword?
- If yes: update the existing page instead of creating a new one.
- If multiple pages rank for the same keyword: you have a cannibalization problem. Consolidate before expanding.
Low-Hanging Fruit Check
Before chasing new keywords, look for existing wins:
- Positions 11-20 — You're almost on page 1. These keywords need content improvements or better internal linking, not new pages.
- High impressions, low clicks — Title/meta description optimization can unlock traffic without new content.
- Declining positions — Keywords where you're losing ground may need content refreshes (see recover-content).
Address these before building net-new keyword lists.
Keyword Universe Construction
Build the universe in three tiers:
Tier 1 — Head Terms (high volume, high difficulty)
- Typically 1-2 words
- Define the category
- Target with pillar pages or the homepage
- Realistic timeline: 6-18 months for new sites
Tier 2 — Body Terms (medium volume, medium difficulty)
- Typically 2-3 words, specific enough to indicate intent
- Target with dedicated landing pages or cluster articles
- 3-6 month window for established sites
Tier 3 — Long-tail Terms (lower volume, low difficulty)
- 3+ words, specific intent
- Fastest to rank, highest conversion rate
- Target with blog posts, FAQ sections, supporting content
- 4-12 week window for fresh content
For each tier, produce:
| Keyword |
Monthly Volume |
Difficulty (0-100) |
Intent |
Tier |
Priority |
| ... |
... |
... |
informational / transactional / navigational / commercial |
1/2/3 |
high / medium / low |
Intent Classification
Classify every keyword by search intent and sub-category:
Informational (user wants to learn)
| Sub-category |
Signal Words |
Example |
Content Type |
| Educational |
what, why, definition, explain |
"what is SEO" |
Guide, explainer |
| Instructional |
how to, steps, tutorial, guide |
"how to set up GA4" |
Step-by-step tutorial |
| Exploratory |
types of, techniques, strategies |
"link building techniques" |
Comprehensive roundup |
| Troubleshooting |
not working, fix, error, why is |
"why is my site not ranking" |
Diagnostic guide |
Commercial Investigation (user is evaluating)
| Sub-category |
Signal Words |
Example |
Content Type |
| Comparison |
vs, compared to, or |
"Ahrefs vs SEMrush" |
Side-by-side comparison |
| Review-seeking |
review, worth it, honest |
"Ahrefs review" |
In-depth review |
| Best-of |
best, top, tools for |
"best SEO tools" |
Curated list |
| Evaluation |
for [audience], features, pricing |
"SEO tools for small business" |
Buyer's guide |
Transactional (user is ready to act)
| Sub-category |
Signal Words |
Example |
Content Type |
| Purchase |
buy, price, discount, deal |
"buy Ahrefs subscription" |
Product/pricing page |
| Signup/Trial |
free trial, sign up, demo |
"Ahrefs free trial" |
Landing page |
| Download |
download, template, PDF, checklist |
"SEO checklist PDF" |
Gated resource |
| Hire/Engage |
hire, agency, near me, book |
"SEO agency near me" |
Service page |
Navigational (looking for a specific brand)
| Sub-category |
Signal Words |
Example |
Content Type |
| Brand search |
[brand name] |
"HubSpot" |
Homepage/brand page |
| Feature search |
[brand] + [feature] |
"Ahrefs keyword explorer" |
Feature page |
| Support/docs |
[brand] + login, docs, help |
"Ahrefs API docs" |
Support content |
SERP Feature Correlation by Intent
Use this to anticipate which SERP features you can target per keyword:
| SERP Feature |
Informational |
Commercial |
Transactional |
Navigational |
| Featured Snippet |
Very High |
High |
Low |
Low |
| People Also Ask |
Very High |
Very High |
Low |
Medium |
| AI Overview |
Very High |
High |
Low-Medium |
Low |
| Shopping Results |
Very Low |
Medium |
Very High |
Low |
| Local Pack |
Low |
Low |
High |
Low |
| Sitelinks |
Low |
Low |
Medium |
Very High |
Conversion Potential by Intent
| Intent |
Avg Conversion Rate |
Nurture Length |
| Informational |
0.5-2% |
Long (weeks to months) |
| Commercial Investigation |
2-5% |
Medium (days to weeks) |
| Transactional |
5-15% |
Short (immediate to days) |
| Navigational |
N/A — brand-dependent |
N/A |
Common Classification Mistakes
| Mistake |
Correct Classification |
| Treating "best CRM software" as informational |
Commercial Investigation |
| Treating "how much does X cost" as informational |
Commercial / Transactional |
| Ignoring local intent in "SEO services" |
Transactional (local) |
| Assuming single intent for "SEO tools" |
Mixed — check the SERP to confirm |
Two keywords with different intents should never target the same page.
Opportunity Scoring
Score each keyword:
Opportunity Score = (Volume x (1 - Difficulty/100)) x Intent Multiplier
Intent multipliers:
- Transactional: 1.5
- Commercial investigation: 1.3
- Informational: 1.0
- Navigational: 0.2
This surfaces low-competition, high-intent targets over vanity volume plays.
Cluster Seeding
Group the keyword universe into topic clusters:
| Cluster Name |
Pillar Keyword |
Supporting Keywords (3-5) |
Total Volume |
| ... |
... |
... |
... |
Each cluster needs one pillar page (head term) and 3-8 supporting pages (body + long-tail).
Output Format
Keyword Research: [topic or domain]
Summary
- Total keywords: [count]
- Total addressable volume: [sum]
- Difficulty range: [min]-[max]
- Clusters identified: [count]
Priority Matrix
[Tiered keyword table]
Cluster Seeds
[Cluster table]
Start Here — Top 5 Keywords
For each of the 5 highest-opportunity keywords:
- Why this keyword now (difficulty, intent, business value)
- What page type to create
- Which cluster it anchors or supports
Pro Tip: Use the free Blog Keyword Generator
and Autocomplete Research
tools at seojuice.com for seed keyword discovery. SEOJuice MCP users can run
/seojuice:keyword-analysis for live ranking data and /seojuice:content-strategy to see
content gaps — keywords your competitors rank for that you don't.
