In this video, I will guide you through the process (in a nutshell) of how I do keyword research using Ahrefs. You’ll see how I create a keyword list, generate relevant keywords, analyze low-hanging fruit keywords, and explore competitors’ keywords.
And here’s an SOP based on the video:
## SOP: Keyword Research with Ahrefs
### Objective:
The objective of this SOP is to guide on how to conduct keyword research using Ahrefs. This includes creating a keyword list, using seed keywords, analyzing competitors’ keywords, generating relevant keywords, and selecting the most optimal keyword.
### Key Steps:
1. Create a Keyword List:
– Log in to Ahrefs and go to Keywords Explorer.
– Click on “New List” and name it based on the site’s topic (e.g., “credit score”).
– Add the main keyword to the list and click “Create.”
2. Use Seed Keywords:
– Identify broad terms related to the site’s topic.
– If you have a site, find seed keywords on the actual site.
– If you don’t have a site, use broad terms relevant to the topic.
– Add 3 to 7 seed keywords to the keyword list.
3. Analyze Competitors’ Keywords:
– Identify competitors in the same industry or niche.
– Enter the competitor’s domain into Ahrefs’ search bar.
– Repeat this process for at least three competitors.
– Go to the “Organic Keywords” section to see the keywords the competitor ranks for.
– Select relevant keywords and add them to the keyword list.
4. Generate Relevant Keywords:
– Go to the keyword list in Ahrefs.
– Click on “Matching Terms” to generate more keywords.
– Review the generated keywords and select those that make sense for the site.
– Add the selected keywords to the keyword list.
5. Filter Keywords by Difficulty:
– Check the Domain Rating (DR) of the site.
– Use the “Lowest DR” feature to filter keywords based on the site’s DR.
– Apply the filter to narrow down the list to keywords where it’s realistic to rank.
– Review the filtered keywords and select those that make sense for the site.
– Add the selected keywords to the keyword list.
6. Sort Keywords by Traffic Potential:
– Go to the keyword list in Ahrefs.
– Sort the keywords by “Traffic Potential” from highest to lowest.
– Review the keywords and select the most optimal keyword based on relevance and difficulty.
– Consider the keyword’s difficulty and the number of backlinks required to rank.
– Add the selected keyword to the keyword list.
7. Consider Additional Informational Keywords:
– If there is a blog, generate informational keywords for blog post topics.
– Go to the keyword list in Ahrefs.
– Click on “Questions” to narrow down the list to informational keywords.
– Review the generated keywords and select those that can be used as blog post topics.
– Add the selected informational keywords to the keyword list.
### Cautionary Notes:
– Ensure that the selected keywords are relevant to the site’s topic and industry.
– Consider the keyword difficulty and the site’s ability to rank for the selected keywords.
– Use the “Lowest DR” filter to narrow down the list to realistic ranking opportunities.
– Review the keywords manually to ensure they make sense for the site’s goals and target audience.
### Tips for Efficiency:
– Use the seed keywords and competitors’ keywords to generate a comprehensive list of relevant keywords.
– Sort the keywords by traffic potential to prioritize the most valuable opportunities.
– Consider the keyword difficulty and required backlinks when selecting the most optimal keyword.
– Generate informational keywords for blog post topics to enhance content strategy.
