SEO Keyword Research Assistant

When to use this skill

• User asks for keyword research

• User needs keyword variations

• User wants to analyze search intent

• User mentions finding content gaps

• User needs low-competition keywords

Workflow

• Identify seed keywords

• Generate variations and long-tails

• Classify search intent

• Identify opportunities

• Group by topic clusters

• Prioritize for content

Instructions

Step 1: Gather Seed Keywords

Required inputs:

Field Purpose

Main topic/product Core focus area

Target audience Who you're reaching

Business goal Traffic, leads, sales

Competitors For gap analysis

Current rankings What you already rank for

Seed keyword sources:

Source How to Use

Product/service names Direct terms

Customer questions Support tickets, FAQs

Competitor content What they rank for

Industry terms Jargon, acronyms

Problem statements Pain points

Step 2: Generate Keyword Variations

Variation types:

Type Formula Example (seed: "email marketing")

Long-tail [seed] + [modifier] "email marketing for small business"

Question [question word] + [seed] "how to start email marketing"

Comparison [seed] vs [alternative] "email marketing vs social media"

Best/top best [seed] + [qualifier] "best email marketing software 2026"

How-to how to [action] + [seed] "how to improve email marketing"

Guide [seed] + guide/tutorial "email marketing guide for beginners"

Tool [seed] + tool/software "email marketing automation tools"

Cost [seed] + cost/pricing "email marketing software pricing"

Modifier categories:

Category Modifiers

Intent buy, compare, review, learn, find

Time 2026, today, now, quick, fast

Quality best, top, free, cheap, premium

Audience for beginners, for developers, for small business

Location near me, in [city], [country]

Format template, checklist, guide, examples

Step 3: Search Intent Classification

Intent types:

Intent Signal Words Content Type Funnel Stage

Informational how, what, why, guide, learn Blog, guide, tutorial Top (awareness)

Navigational [brand name], login, website Landing page, homepage Middle

Commercial best, review, compare, vs, top Comparison, review Middle (consideration)

Transactional buy, price, discount, order Product page, pricing Bottom (decision)

Intent identification patterns:

Informational Intent

• "how to [action]"
• "what is [topic]"
• "why does [thing happen]"
• "[topic] explained"
• "[topic] tutorial"

Commercial Investigation

• "best [product category]"
• "[product A] vs [product B]"
• "[product] review"
• "[product] alternatives"
• "top 10 [products]"

Transactional Intent

• "buy [product]"
• "[product] price"
• "[product] discount code"
• "[product] free trial"
• "order [product] online"

Navigational Intent

• "[brand] login"
• "[brand] website"
• "[brand] support"

Step 4: Keyword Opportunity Analysis

Opportunity scoring:

Factor Low Competition Signal

Search volume 100-1,000/month (sweet spot for new sites)

Keyword difficulty Under 30 (tool-dependent)

SERP features Few featured snippets, no ads

Top results Forums, outdated content, thin pages

Domain authority Low DA sites ranking

Opportunity matrix:

Volume Difficulty Priority

High Low 🔥 Top priority

Medium Low ✅ Quick wins

High Medium 📈 Long-term targets

Low Low ⚡ Easy content

High High 🎯 Authority builders

Low High ❌ Skip

Step 5: Question-Based Keywords

Question patterns to generate:

Question Word Focus

How Process, tutorial

What Definition, explanation

Why Reasoning, benefits

When Timing, triggers

Where Location, source

Which Comparison, selection

Can/Could Possibility, capability

Should Recommendation, advice

Is/Are Verification, validation

Question generation template:

Questions for: [Seed Keyword]

How questions

• How to [action with keyword]?
• How does [keyword] work?
• How much does [keyword] cost?
• How long does [keyword] take?

What questions

• What is [keyword]?
• What are the benefits of [keyword]?
• What is the best [keyword]?
• What [keyword] should I use?

Why questions

• Why is [keyword] important?
• Why use [keyword]?
• Why does [keyword] fail?

Comparison questions

• [Keyword A] vs [Keyword B]?
• Is [keyword] better than [alternative]?
• What's the difference between [A] and [B]?

Step 6: Topic Cluster Organization

Cluster structure:

Topic Cluster: [Pillar Topic]

Pillar Page (main keyword)

• Target: [High-volume keyword]
• Intent: [Informational/Commercial]
• Content: Comprehensive guide (3,000+ words)

Cluster Content (supporting pages)

Cluster example:

Topic Cluster: Email Marketing

Pillar Page

• Target: "email marketing guide"
• Intent: Informational
• Content: Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing

Cluster Content

Step 7: Competitor Gap Analysis

Gap analysis template:

Competitor Keyword Gap Analysis

Competitors Analyzed

1. [Competitor 1 URL]
2. [Competitor 2 URL]
3. [Competitor 3 URL]

Keywords They Rank For (You Don't)

Content Gaps Identified

Step 8: Keyword Prioritization

Prioritization framework:

Criteria Weight Score (1-5)

Search volume 20%

Keyword difficulty 25%

Business relevance 25%

Conversion potential 20%

Content gap 10%

Priority tiers:

Keyword Priorities

Tier 1: Immediate (This Month)

• Low difficulty + high relevance
• Quick wins for traffic

  Keyword	Volume	KD	Intent

Tier 2: Short-term (1-3 Months)

• Medium difficulty + commercial intent
• Revenue-driving content

  Keyword	Volume	KD	Intent

Tier 3: Long-term (3-6 Months)

• High difficulty + high volume
• Authority-building pillar content

  Keyword	Volume	KD	Intent

Output Format

Keyword Research: [Topic/Niche]

Seed keywords: [List of seeds] Target audience: [Who you're reaching] Business goal: [Traffic/Leads/Sales]

Keyword List

By Search Intent

Informational:

• [keywords]

Commercial:

• [keywords]

Transactional:

• [keywords]

Topic Clusters

[Cluster organization]

Question Keywords

[Question-based keywords for FAQ/content]

Quick Wins (Low KD, Decent Volume)

Content Recommendations

1. [Recommendation 1]
2. [Recommendation 2]
3. [Recommendation 3]

Validation

Before completing:

• Keywords classified by intent

• Volume and difficulty included

• Question keywords generated

• Topic clusters organized

• Priority tiers assigned

• Quick wins identified

• Content recommendations provided

• Competitor gaps noted

Error Handling

• No seed keywords: Ask for main product/service or topic area.

• Too broad: Narrow with audience, location, or specific use case.

• No volume data: Note as "volume unknown" and prioritize by relevance.

• All high difficulty: Focus on long-tail variations or question keywords.

• No competitors identified: Search top 3 ranking for seed keywords.

Resources

• Ahrefs - Keyword research and competitor analysis

• SEMrush - Keyword gap and difficulty

• Ubersuggest - Free keyword ideas

• AnswerThePublic - Question keywords

• AlsoAsked - People Also Ask data

• Google Search Console - Current rankings