seo-keyword-research

SEO Keyword Research Skill

Find trending, high-opportunity keywords BEFORE writing blog content. This skill turns generic blog topics into SEO-optimized content that ranks.

When to Use

• User asks to write a blog post or article
• User wants keyword research for a topic
• User needs a content calendar or content plan
• User wants to optimize existing content for SEO
• Any blog generation task for a tech/developer-focused audience

Core Principle

Always research keywords BEFORE generating blog content.

BAD:  Write blog -> Hope it ranks -> Usually doesn't
GOOD: Research keywords -> Find breakout opportunity -> Write optimized blog -> Ranks well

Keyword Priority System

When analyzing Google Trends RELATED_QUERIES results, prioritize keywords in this order:

1. Breakout Keywords — HIGHEST priority

• formatted_value: "Breakout" = 5000%+ growth
• Very low competition (trend is new)
• Use as PRIMARY blog keyword
• Create content IMMEDIATELY (first-mover advantage)

2. High-Growth Keywords — VERY HIGH priority

• formatted_value: "+100%" or higher
• Low to moderate competition
• Use as primary or strong secondary keyword
• Create content within 2-4 weeks

3. Moderate-Growth Keywords — HIGH priority

• formatted_value: "+50%" to "+99%"
• Moderate competition
• Use as secondary keywords in body content

4. Long-Tail Keywords — STRATEGIC priority

• Question-based queries (how, what, why, when, where)
• Low competition, high conversion
• Use as H3 headings — target featured snippets and voice search

5. Established Keywords — MODERATE priority

• Top queries with stable interest, high competition
• Use in body content, not as primary target

SEO Research Workflow

Step 1: Keyword Discovery (1 API call — REQUIRED)

Query RELATED_QUERIES with the user's blog topic:

curl -s "https://serpapi.com/search?engine=google_trends&q=USER_TOPIC&data_type=RELATED_QUERIES&date=today+3-m&api_key=$SERPAPI_KEY"

From the response, extract:

• Breakout keywords → candidate primary keywords
• High-growth keywords (+100%) → secondary candidates
• Question-based queries → H3 headings and featured snippet targets

Select the primary keyword:

1. First breakout keyword (if any)
2. Else first high-growth keyword
3. Else top query by score

Step 2: Content Structure (1 API call — REQUIRED)

Query RELATED_TOPICS with the same topic:

curl -s "https://serpapi.com/search?engine=google_trends&q=USER_TOPIC&data_type=RELATED_TOPICS&date=today+3-m&api_key=$SERPAPI_KEY"

Extract topic titles from rising + top results. These become your H2 section headings (pick 3-5).

Step 3: Trend Validation (1 API call — OPTIONAL)

Only if choosing between multiple candidate keywords or validating viability:

curl -s "https://serpapi.com/search?engine=google_trends&q=KEYWORD&data_type=TIMESERIES&date=today+12-m&api_key=$SERPAPI_KEY"

Compare recent 2-month average vs. earlier 2-month average. If recent > earlier, trend is rising — proceed. If declining, consider a different keyword.

Step 4: Generate Blog Outline

Build the outline using this structure:

Title: [Primary Keyword] — [Benefit/Number] [Year]
  (max 60 characters, must include primary keyword)

Meta Description: (150-160 chars, primary + 1-2 secondary keywords)

# [H1 — same as or variation of title]

## Introduction (150 words)
  - Primary keyword in first 100 words
  - Hook with a problem or question
  - Preview what they'll learn

## [H2: Related Topic 1 from Step 2]
### [H3: Long-tail question from Step 1]
  Content answering the question (150-200 words)
### [H3: Another long-tail question]
  Content (150-200 words)

## [H2: Related Topic 2]
### [H3: Long-tail question]
### [H3: Long-tail question]

## [H2: Related Topic 3]
### [H3: Long-tail question]
### [H3: Long-tail question]

## Conclusion (100 words)
  - Summarize key points
  - Primary keyword mentioned once
  - Call-to-action

Target: 1500-2500 words total

Keyword Placement Rules

| Location | Rule |

|----------|------|

| Title | Include primary keyword, max 60 chars |

| H1 | Same as title or slight variation |

| H2 headings (3-5) | Use related topics, natural language |

| H3 headings (8-12) | Use long-tail keywords, question format |

| First paragraph | Primary keyword in first 100 words |

| Body content | Primary keyword 1-2% density, secondary 0.5-1% |

| Conclusion | Primary keyword once |

| Meta description | Primary + 1-2 secondary, 150-160 chars |

Never keyword-stuff. Content must read naturally. Google penalizes unnatural repetition.

Quality Checklist

Before generating the blog, verify:

• [ ] Found at least 1 breakout or +100% keyword (or justified using established keyword)
• [ ] Have 3-5 H2 topics from RELATED_TOPICS
• [ ] Have long-tail keywords for H3 headings
• [ ] Primary keyword is specific enough to rank for
• [ ] Blog structure follows the outline template above
• [ ] Meta description is written (150-160 chars)
• [ ] Target length is 1500-2500 words

If no breakout or high-growth keywords exist for the topic, inform the user that SEO opportunity is limited and suggest alternative angles or related topics that do have growth.

Budget Awareness

Free tier: 250 searches/month

| Strategy | Calls/Blog | Monthly Capacity |

|----------|-----------|-----------------|

| Minimal (recommended) | 2 | 125 blogs |

| Standard | 3 | 83 blogs |

| Complete | 4 | 62 blogs |

Default to 2 calls (RELATED_QUERIES + RELATED_TOPICS). Only add TIMESERIES or GEO_MAP when specifically needed.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Skipping research — writing without checking trends misses breakout opportunities
2. Ignoring breakout keywords — using a generic term when a breakout variant exists
3. Keyword stuffing — repeating keywords unnaturally; keep density at 1-2%
4. No long-tail keywords — missing featured snippet and voice search opportunities
5. Generic H2 headings — always use RELATED_TOPICS data for section structure

Example Script

For a complete working example, run:

python scripts/blog_seo_research.py "your blog topic"

See [scripts/blog_seo_research.py](scripts/blog_seo_research.py) for the implementation.

References

• [references/keyword-placement-guide.md](references/keyword-placement-guide.md) — Detailed placement rules and examples
• [references/tech-blog-examples.md](references/tech-blog-examples.md) — Real-world examples for tech/developer blogs