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name: find-keywords description: > Build a prioritized keyword list for a website, topic, or campaign. Use when the user asks about keyword research, finding keywords to target, building a keyword list, search demand, keyword difficulty, intent mapping, or which keywords to prioritize. For writing content around keywords, see brief. For grouping keywords into clusters, see build-clusters. metadata: version: 1.0.0

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):

1. Domain and goal. What site is this for? What is the primary conversion (leads, sign-ups, sales, traffic)?
2. Seed topic. The core subject area — not a single keyword but the business category (e.g., "project management software", "personal injury law Chicago").
3. Existing rankings. Does the site already rank for terms in this area? Existing rankings tell you where to defend vs. expand.
4. 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:

1. Search site:yourdomain.com [keyword] — does an existing page already target this term?
2. Check Google Search Console — is an existing page already getting impressions for this keyword?
3. If yes: update the existing page instead of creating a new one.
4. 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

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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.