Keyword research remains a cornerstone of successful SEO and content strategies. However, as Google’s algorithms have become more sophisticated, particularly with the introduction of helpful content updates, the approach to keyword research has shifted. Today, it’s not just about finding high-volume search terms; it’s about understanding user intent and providing valuable, question-answering content.
Let’s explore the essential questions your keyword research should address in 2024.
- What keywords drive conversions?
As always, the focus should be on keywords that drive business, not just traffic. Utilize advanced analytics and reporting tools to identify which keywords are leading to actual conversions. This means looking beyond simple click-through rates and considering metrics like time on page, bounce rate, and conversion path analysis. Google’s AI-driven algorithms now prioritize content that genuinely engages users and meets their needs.
- What keywords do you currently rank for?
Identifying keywords where you’re on the cusp of ranking well presents opportunities for optimization. Use Semrush or Ahrefs to find these low-hanging fruit keywords. Pay special attention to featured snippets and “People Also Ask” sections, as these are prime real estate in search results.
- What central topics can your keywords be categorized into?
Organizing keywords into topic clusters is more important than ever. Google’s Topic Layer, introduced with BERT, helps the search engine understand the nuances and relationships between topics. Ensure your content library reflects these topic hierarchies. Consider creating pillar pages comprehensively covering broad topics, with supporting content linking to these pillars.
- What keywords should you compete for?
Competitive analysis remains crucial. However, it’s not just about finding gaps in your content strategy. Look for opportunities to provide more helpful, in-depth answers than your competitors. Google’s helpful content update rewards sites that demonstrate expertise and deliver comprehensive information.
- What keywords could you use to generate content for immediate results?
When identifying content opportunities, focus on creating helpful, question-answering content. Look for long-tail keywords that signal specific user intents and create content that thoroughly addresses these queries. This might mean creating more FAQ pages, how-to guides, or in-depth explanations of complex topics.
- What questions are users asking related to your keywords?
Google’s focus on natural language processing (NLP) means understanding and answering user questions is more important than ever. Use tools to identify question-based searches related to your keywords and create content that directly addresses these queries.
- How do your keywords align with different stages of the customer journey?
It’s important to map your keywords to different stages of the customer journey – awareness, consideration, and decision. This allows you to create targeted content that meets users where they are in their buying process, improving the likelihood of conversion.
- What is the search intent behind your target keywords?
Understanding search intent is crucial. Google’s algorithms are increasingly adept at determining whether a user is looking for information, wanting to make a purchase, or seeking a specific website. Ensure your content matches the intent behind the keywords you’re targeting.
- How do your keywords perform across different devices?
With mobile-first indexing being the norm, it’s essential to understand how your keywords perform on different devices. Some queries may have different intents or results on mobile versus desktop.
- What is the seasonal trend of your keywords?
Some keywords may have seasonal fluctuations. Understanding these trends can help you plan your content calendar and SEO efforts more effectively.
Lexical Taxonomies
A lexical taxonomy is a hierarchical classification of words or terms based on their meanings and relationships. It organizes vocabulary into categories and subcategories, showing how different words relate to each other in terms of their meanings:
- Antonymy: Words with opposite meanings
- Co-hyponymy: Relationship between words that share a common hypernym
- Collocation: Words that frequently occur together
- Connotation: The emotional or cultural association of a word beyond its literal meaning
- Holonymy: The inverse of meronymy, representing the whole in a part-whole relationship
- Homonymy: Words that share the same spelling or pronunciation but have different meanings
- Hypernymy: The inverse of hyponymy, representing the superordinate term
- Hyponymy: A hierarchical relationship where one term is a subtype of another
- Meronymy: A part-whole relationship between words
- Metonymy: Using one entity to refer to another related entity
- Polysemy: Words with multiple related meanings
- Synonymy: Words with the same or similar meanings
- Troponymy: A manner relation between verbs
Incorporating lexical taxonomies into your keyword research can provide a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of your topic area. Here are additional questions to consider, focusing on various lexical relationships:
- What synonyms are associated with your primary keywords?
Exploring synonyms is crucial for capturing a wider range of search queries. Google’s natural language processing capabilities have improved significantly, allowing it to understand semantic relationships better. Identify synonyms for your main keywords and consider how you can naturally incorporate them into your content.
- Are there important antonyms to your target keywords that could provide content opportunities?
Sometimes, discussing the opposite of a concept can provide valuable context and depth to your content. For example, if you’re targeting effective time management, you might also want to address poor time management to provide a comprehensive view.
- What hyponyms (more specific terms) exist for your broader keywords?
Identifying hyponyms can help you create more targeted, long-tail keyword strategies. For instance, if dog is a primary keyword, hyponyms might include specific breeds like Labrador or Poodle. This can help you create more specific, niche content.
- Are there relevant hypernyms (more general terms) that could expand your keyword strategy?
Understanding the broader categories your keywords fall under can help you identify new content areas and ensure you’re covering topics comprehensively. If
Labrador is a key term, the hypernym dog might open up broader content opportunities.
- What meronyms (part-of relationships) are associated with your primary keywords?
Understanding meronyms is especially useful for product-related content, as it can help you create detailed, informative content. For a keyword like car, meronyms might include engine, tire, or transmission.
- How can holonyms (whole-of relationships) inform your content strategy?
The flip side of meronyms, holonyms can help you understand the bigger picture your keywords fit into. For leaf, a holonym might be tree or plant, which could lead to more comprehensive content ideas.
- Are there important collocations (words that often appear together) related to your keywords?
Understanding common word pairings can help you create more natural, relevant content. For example, heavy often collocates with rain, which could be important for weather-related content.
- What polysemes (words with multiple related meanings) are in your keyword list?
Identifying polysemes can help you create content that addresses different aspects or interpretations of a term. For instance, bank could refer to a financial institution or the side of a river.
- Are there homonyms (words that sound the same but have different meanings) that could affect your keyword strategy?
Being aware of homonyms can help you avoid confusion and ensure you’re targeting the right audience. For example, content about bows could be about archery equipment or hair accessories.
- What troponyms (verbs that are more specific versions of other verbs) could enhance your verb-based keywords?
For action-oriented content, considering troponyms can help you be more specific. If walk is a key term, troponyms like stroll, march, or trudge could provide more nuanced content opportunities.
Incorporating these lexical relationships into your keyword research can help you develop a more sophisticated and comprehensive content strategy. This approach aligns well with Google’s advanced natural language processing capabilities, helping you create content that covers a topic from multiple angles and meets a wider range of user intents and queries.
Tools for Question-Based Keyword Research:
- AnswerThePublic: Generates questions based on your seed keywords.
- BuzzSumo Question Analyzer: Finds questions people are asking across various platforms.
- AlsoAsked: Provides insights into People Also Asked questions on Google.
- Quora: A great platform to find real questions people are asking about your topics.
- KeywordTool.io: Offers a questions tab in its keyword research results.
- SEMrush’s Topic Research Tool: Helps identify questions and subtopics related to your main keywords.
- Google’s People Also Ask feature: While not a tool per se, it’s a valuable resource for question-based research.
By addressing these questions in your keyword research, you’ll be well-equipped to create content that not only ranks well but also genuinely helps your audience – a key factor in success with Google’s current and future algorithms.
