IDENTIFYING TARGET KEYWORDS

IN 8 SIMPLE STEPS
Keyword research is the foundation of every successful SEO and PPC strategy. To optimize your site,
you need to identify the right keywords to target that will bring traffic and conversions. However,
finding the right keywords can be easier said then done. That's why we came up with this simple 8
step process - to give you a place to start when conducting keyword research. Log in to SEMrush
and follow these steps to generate a list of target keywords in no time!

Search your main keyword in the search bar. If the topic is too specific
to get enough results, try to generalize it (think simple 1-2 word phrase).

Navigate to the Phrase Match report1 to identify long tail keywords.

Apply filters for Keyword Difficulty2 (SEO) and Competitive Density3

(PPC) to narrow your results to a targetable range.

Export filtered list to either CSV or XLS.

For more results, reference the Related Keywords4 report

and find related topics to target. Apply filters if necessary.

Query the related topics and repeat steps 2-5 as many times as you
need to generate keyword lists for each related topic you want to target.

Combine your exports into one master list.

Classify each keyword by searcher intent5,6 (informational, navigational,

commercial, transactional) to determine priority of targeting.

1 The Phrase Match report is a keyword research report under the Keyword Analytics section on SEMrush that
generates a list of all the keywords in the SEMrush database that include the queried word or phrase.

2 Keyword Difficulty is an index (from 1-100%) showing how difficult it would be to overrun your competitors in the
Google top 100 with the specified search terms and phrases. The higher the percentage, the more effort you’ll
need to outrank your competition for a targeted keyword.

3 Competitive Density is a metric (from 0.00-1.00) showing the density of advertisers bidding on a particular
keyword. The higher the Competitive Density, the harder it will be to bid on a keyword and get your ad to rank
above the other domains.

4 The Related Keywords report is another keyword research report under Keyword Analytics that generates a list
of all the keywords in the SEMrush database that are the most relevant to a keyword queried in the search bar.

5 Searcher intent refers to the what the user's end goal is when entering a search query.

6 Transactional intent signifies a user wants to make a purchase (ex: buy size 10 Nike running shoes), commercial
intent means a user is conducting commercial research (ex: places to buy running shoes in Philadelphia), and
informational intent means a user is searching for general information that won't likely result in a purchase or
action (ex: when were shoelaces invented).