Keyword Research Pt. 2: How to Find Keywords for Your Website - 1.3. SEO Course by Ahrefs

Summary

In this lesson on keyword research, Sam Oh outlines a two-step process for generating keyword ideas: discovering relevant keywords and validating their potential. Using Ahrefs' Keyword Explorer, Sam demonstrates how to find seed keywords, apply filters for search volume and traffic potential, and check search intent to match business needs. He also shares techniques for refining keyword lists using modifiers like 'best' or 'how,' and shows how to analyze competitor pages for additional keyword opportunities. By the end of the lesson, viewers are equipped with tools to generate a solid list of keywords for their SEO strategy.

Takeaways

• 😀 Keyword research is the process of finding search terms people use in search engines, which helps optimize your website content.
• 😀 The process of keyword research is divided into two main steps: generating keyword ideas and validating their worth.
• 😀 Step 1 involves generating keyword ideas by using keyword research tools, which provide data like search volume, keyword difficulty, and other SEO metrics.
• 😀 Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer is used as a primary tool in this course, though there is a free version (Ahrefs Keyword Generator) for beginners.
• 😀 Start by identifying seed keywords that are broad and related to your niche, like 'golf balls' or 'golf clubs' for a golf blog.
• 😀 Using keyword modifiers (e.g., 'best', 'top', 'how', 'what') can help refine your search and identify keywords that align with searcher intent.
• 😀 Applying filters, such as a minimum search volume of 300 monthly searches, can help narrow down keyword ideas to more manageable lists.
• 😀 Traffic potential is more important than search volume because it shows the actual traffic a keyword can generate from search results.
• 😀 Business potential is crucial for affiliate websites; keywords that match search intent and allow for product recommendations are valuable.
• 😀 To discover additional keyword ideas, research your competitors' top-performing pages and extract keywords that they rank for but are not included in your seed keywords.
• 😀 The process of finding relevant keywords should be iterative—after refining your list, continue to test and expand using additional keyword seeds and modifiers.

Q & A

What is the primary goal of keyword research in SEO?

The primary goal of keyword research is to identify keywords that people are searching for in search engines, with the aim of attracting relevant traffic to a website.

What are the two macro steps in the keyword research process?

The two macro steps in keyword research are: 1) Generating keyword ideas, and 2) Validating whether those keywords are worth targeting.

Why is it important to use a keyword research tool?

A keyword research tool helps to provide valuable data about keywords, such as search volume, keyword difficulty scores, and other SEO metrics. It also helps discover potential topics to target.

What is a seed keyword, and how is it used in keyword research?

A seed keyword is a broad term related to your niche, which serves as the starting point for discovering more specific keyword ideas. In the example, 'golf balls,' 'golf clubs,' and 'golf hats' are seed keywords for a golf blog.

What does the Phrase Match report in Ahrefs show?

The Phrase Match report in Ahrefs shows keywords that include your seed keywords, helping you discover related keywords that may be relevant to your niche.

How does search volume impact keyword selection?

Search volume indicates the number of people searching for a keyword each month. Filtering keywords by minimum search volume helps identify terms with enough search demand, making them worth targeting.

What is traffic potential, and why is it more reliable than search volume?

Traffic potential refers to the actual traffic a keyword can drive to your site, based on the search visits received by the top-ranking pages. It is more reliable than search volume because not all searches result in clicks.

How do you determine if a keyword matches search intent?

To determine if a keyword matches search intent, you should analyze the top-ranking pages for that keyword. For example, if the pages are product reviews or listicles, the search intent is likely informational or transactional.

What is the role of keyword modifiers in narrowing down keyword ideas?

Keyword modifiers, like 'best,' 'top,' 'review,' and 'how,' help refine keyword ideas by indicating specific types of content that match user intent. For example, 'best golf balls' suggests a comparison or review-based post.

How can you find additional keyword ideas beyond your initial seed keywords?

To find additional keyword ideas, you can analyze the top pages of competitors' websites using tools like Ahrefs. This reveals keywords driving traffic to your competitors that may not be directly related to your seed terms.

What is the benefit of using the Traffic Share by Domains report in Ahrefs?

The Traffic Share by Domains report in Ahrefs helps identify organic search competitors who are ranking for keywords similar to yours. This lets you find additional keywords that you may not have considered by analyzing their top pages.