Keywords
Keywords is where you build the list of things you want to rank for, before any article gets written. It lives at SEO agent → Keywords.
How do I find keywords?
Choose Research keywords. You can give it a topic, or leave it blank and let it work from your business. You also choose how many keywords you want and which language they should be in.
Research starts from phrases people really search on Google and picks the ones that fit your store, so a keyword arrives with its search volume and difficulty. Where no searched phrases are found for a topic it suggests its own, and those can come without numbers.
It takes a few seconds. If it comes back with No new keywords found, try different wording - it will not repeat keywords you already have.
Can I see what my competitors rank for?
Yes. From competitors looks at the competitors you set in Knowledge, Brand and market and adds keywords they rank for on Google's first page and you do not. It leaves out their own names and searches that do not fit your store.
It needs at least one competitor saved with a website, and can be used once a day.
What do the label under a keyword and the line under Volume tell me?
The label is why people search the keyword:
| Intent | What the searcher wants | What answers it best |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | To learn something. | An article. |
| Commercial | To compare options before buying. | A comparison or a collection page. |
| Transactional | To buy. | A product or collection page. |
| Navigational | A specific site or brand. | Rarely worth targeting. |
The small line under Volume is the last twelve months of searches. When a keyword has a real season, its peak month is marked and named, which tells you when to publish for it.
Keywords you added by hand, and ones researched before these were shown, have neither. When there are some, Look them up under the table fetches both for them.
Can I rank for this keyword?
Under Difficulty, a label compares the sites already on page one with your own site:
| Label | What it means |
|---|---|
| Within reach | Your site is about as strong as the sites on page one. |
| A stretch | They are stronger. A very good page can still get there, but it takes longer. |
| Long shot | They are far stronger. Look for a narrower keyword first. |
Hover the label to see the two numbers behind it: the average domain rating of the sites on page one, and your own domain rating from Backlinks. Your rating comes from a backlink check, so until you have run one the Keywords page offers a link to it instead of a label. A keyword with no figure for its page one gets no label either.
Read it as a guide, not a promise. An average hides the weakest site on the page, and that is the one a new page replaces.
Once keywords carry the label, the bar above the table shows only the ones with one label, or puts the ones within reach first. Research uses it too: between two keywords that suit your store equally, it picks the one within reach.
What do the statuses mean?
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Suggested | Proposed by research, not yet chosen. |
| Selected | You want to write about it. |
| Used | An article has been written for it. |
| Archived | Set aside. |
Can I add my own?
Yes - research is a starting point, not a constraint. You can add keywords directly and delete ones you do not want. Deleting asks for confirmation and cannot be undone.
How do I turn one into an article?
Start an article from the keyword, which opens it in Articles with the target keyword already set.
How does position tracking work?
Switch Track on for a keyword and its Google position is checked every week. Position shows where your store ranks within the top 20 results, with the trend of the last eight weeks. A keyword you are not in the top 20 for reads >20.
Google shows different versions of a results page from one moment to the next, so each check reads the page three times and keeps the middle position.
Under your position are the competitors from Knowledge, Brand and market that rank for the same keyword, best placed first. Hover over them to see all of them.
Tracked keywords count against your plan's tracked-keyword allowance - see Plans. During the trial each tracked keyword is checked once; weekly checks start when you subscribe.
Do I have to do this manually?
No. Autopilot researches keywords and drafts articles on a schedule, steered by the topic themes you give it.