Help, I don't know how

To do keyword research

Seriously, I don’t.

There’s no SOP, blog, or YouTube tutorial out there that clearly defines the steps.

I won’t find a Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, etc. anywhere.

At least, not one that's going to help me…

Just like everything else in SEO, keyword research depends.

I onboarded a new brand over the weekend, they’re in the outdoor adventure space.

This keyword research process was truly unique, just like all of the other brands I work with.

There’s no one-size-fits-all framework.

Most of the time, it’s chaotic.

I have 3 Semrush tabs, 5 Sheets, 2 Google Docs, and the Crisis Hotline website (kidding) open at all times.

It’s a mess.

I’m on the search for the perfect keyword for each money page that’s 1) high-converting, 2) low competition, and 3) going to make the brand a sh*t ton of money.

On top of that, I’m looking for topical keywords to build tight clusters around each of the main collections.

Not just any keywords though. Specifically I’m looking for ones that demonstrate the brand’s topical authority and are relevant to the ICP, all without getting distracted by high search volumes and clickbait pieces.

Hint: high search volume is not the be-all and end-all, you need topical keywords that are going to help your money page rank higher, not just drive traffic. Think about your ideal customer & work from there. What does their journey look like before they buy?

With all of these things to consider, where am I meant to start?

Well, there’s a few options…

Some may suggest my competitors. Others say I should check my existing rankings in Semrush or Search Console. And one oddball says I should start from scratch.

All of them are right.

Yep. It may seem wild to admit, but I don’t have a set process for how to do keyword research.

Because every brand is different.

Some have 1 product, others have 580 collections. The brand I worked on over the weekend had 583 collections, another of ours has just 1 product.

Some have 130+ blogs, others have none. I onboarded a brand 2 weeks ago that had 0 blogs. Last year, one with 135 blogs.

Some have no real competitors, others have many. Again, I’ve worked with both.

Each of these require a bespoke approach, which I appreciate. Honestly, I think it keeps me sharp.

All that being said, these are the two big things that I look for when I bring on a new brand:

1) I identify the 2-3 most important money pages. Important is variable based on search volume, competitors, existing topical & domain strength, profit margins, and other components of the company itself.

2) Once I have these, I map the most efficient route to building topical authority for each of these money pages.

Now, how do I find the keywords for both the money pages & topical pages?

In no particular order, I look at existing rankings, check their competitors, check traffic levels & average position in GSC, and in some cases, search from scratch.

It changes every time — I think it’s the one process that I’ll never standardize.

Kind of like Google’s algorithm, it’s a crapshoot.

And I only roll 7s.

Catch you guys on Wednesday.

Kai