SEO / Keyword research

Keyword research services.

Our keyword research services find the searches your buyers actually make, sort them by intent and business value, then map each one to the page that should rank for it. You get a keyword map your team can act on, plus the follow-up questions AI search tools are likely to ask.

93%

of keywords in Ahrefs' US database get fewer than 10 searches a month.

Source: Ahrefs

58.5%

of US Google searches ended with zero clicks in 2024.

Source: SparkToro and Datos

360

clicks reach the open web for every 1,000 US Google searches.

Source: SparkToro and Datos

What our keyword research services include

  • 01

    Seed gathering

    Terms pulled from Search Console, sales calls and competitor rankings.

  • 02

    Intent labeling

    Every keyword tagged as informational, commercial, transactional or navigational.

  • 03

    Value scoring

    Each term scored on volume, difficulty and closeness to a sale.

  • 04

    Keyword clustering

    Related terms grouped so one page targets a whole cluster.

  • 05

    Page mapping

    Each cluster assigned to an existing page or a new page brief.

  • 06

    AI follow-up questions

    Sub-questions AI tools ask, mapped to sections and FAQs.

Signs you need keyword research

Pages with no traffic, topics picked by gut feel and two pages fighting over one search usually mean nobody has written down what buyers search for, in their own words, and which page on your site should answer each search. Fixing that gap comes before writing anything new at all.

  • Pages with no traffic. A page aimed at a search nobody makes can't rank its way to visitors, and most keyword ideas have tiny demand.
  • Topics chosen by guesswork. Your blog calendar comes from brainstorms, so posts rarely match demand.
  • Industry jargon everywhere. You say "revenue operations software," while buyers search "sales pipeline tool."
  • Pages fighting each other. Two posts target the same phrase, so Google splits clicks between them.

Good research also shows where to stop. A keyword with 5,000 searches and research-only intent may be worth less to you than one with 90 searches from people ready to buy.

Intent first, volume second

Search intent is what the searcher wants to do, and it decides which kind of page can rank. We sort every keyword by intent before looking at volume, because a high-volume term with the wrong intent brings visitors who never buy. The current top results show which intent Google expects.

IntentExample searchPage that ranks
Informationalhow does payroll software workGuide or explainer
Commercialbest payroll software for small businessComparison or review
Transactionalpayroll software pricingService, pricing or product page
NavigationalGusto loginThe brand's own page

With intent clear, we score each keyword on how many people search, how hard it is to rank, and how close the searcher is to buying. New sites rarely win terms held for years, so we weight difficulty by site strength. If the top five results are all guides and you planned a sales page, you're arguing with Google.

Get a free SEO review of your site.

Map my keywords

Keyword research for AI search

AI search tools split one question into many smaller, related ones. Google says AI Overviews and AI Mode may use a "query fan-out" technique, issuing several related searches across subtopics to build an answer. Your pages need to answer those sub-questions too.

We build a Fan-Out Map for each main keyword:

  1. Start with the main search, such as "payroll software for small business."
  2. List the follow-ups, like cost per employee, tax filing, contractors and switching providers.
  3. Check what AI tools already answer in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Mode, and which sources they cite.
  4. Assign each follow-up to a section or FAQ on the right page of your site.

Your keyword plan then covers both the blue links and the AI answer above them. When more than half of all US searches end without a click, being the cited source is often the visibility you get.

Sample deliverable: your keyword map

You get a keyword map in Google Sheets that your writers and developers can use the same day. Every row is one keyword cluster, with its intent, search volume, difficulty, target page and a priority score, so the next page to write or fix is always obvious.

ClusterIntentSearches/moTarget pagePriority
payroll software small businessCommercial2,400/payroll-software/High
payroll software pricingTransactional880/pricing/High
how to run payrollInformational6,600New guideMedium

Sample data for illustration.

Priority blends value and difficulty, so writers start at the top and work down. The map also flags overlap: when two pages chase one cluster, it names the page to keep and the one to merge or redirect. A second tab lists the AI follow-up questions for each cluster, and a third holds briefs for every new page. You own the file, so you can sort, filter or edit it as plans change.

Keyword research pricing

The number of topics, products or services the map covers sets the price. One service line can be mapped in days, and a store with hundreds of products takes a few weeks.

  • Starter Map

    Custom quote
    • One service line
    • Intent labels
    • Page mapping
  • Full Map

    Custom quote
    • Whole site
    • Clusters
    • Fan-Out Map
    • New page briefs
  • Map + Plan

    Custom quote
    • Full Map
    • 90-day content plan
    • Strategy call

What affects cost

  • Number of topics or product lines
  • How many markets or languages you target

Every plan starts with a free review, so your quote matches what your site actually needs.

Is this right for you?

Right for you if

  • You're launching a site or product line.
  • Your writers need a clear list.
  • Pages get impressions but lack focus.
  • Your pages lack a clear target search.

Not the right fit if

  • You already trust a current keyword map.
  • You sell something nobody searches for yet.
  • You only want a raw tool export.
  • You have no plans to publish or edit pages.

How it works, step by step.

  1. 01

    Gather

    We pull seeds from your data, sales team and competitors.

  2. 02

    Label

    Every keyword tagged by intent and scored for value.

  3. 03

    Map

    Clusters matched to pages or new briefs.

  4. 04

    Hand over

    A walkthrough call and your finished keyword map.

Questions, answered.

Ask us directly
Can I do keyword research for free?

Yes. Google Search Console shows the searches you already appear for, Google Keyword Planner gives free volume ranges, and autocomplete and People Also Ask reveal how people phrase questions. Free tools work for small sites. Paid tools add difficulty scores and competitor data.

What does keyword research do?

Keyword research shows which words and questions your buyers type into search engines, how often, and what they expect to find. It tells you which pages to create, which to improve, and which searches to skip because they won't bring customers.

How do I check how many times something was googled?

Use Google Keyword Planner, which is free with a Google Ads account, or a paid tool such as Ahrefs or Semrush. Google Trends shows how interest changes over time, though it shows relative interest scores, with no exact search counts.

What are the top 5 keyword research tools?

Google Search Console, Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, Semrush and Google Trends cover most needs. Search Console shows your real data, Keyword Planner gives volume ranges, Ahrefs and Semrush add difficulty and competitor data, and Trends shows seasonality across the year.

Do you have to pay for keywords?

For organic search, no. Ranking in Google's unpaid results is free; you pay only for the work to earn it. Paying for keywords applies to Google Ads, where you bid on searches so your ad appears above the organic results.

How much does keyword research cost?

Keyword research is usually a one-off project priced by scope. A map for one service line is a small job, and a full-site map with clusters and page briefs is a bigger one. Raw keyword lists without page mapping are hard to act on, so look for a map.

Appear now.

Know what to write next.

Your free keyword snapshot

  • Searches your competitors win and you miss
  • Pages competing for one keyword
  • A fixed quote for your full map
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