How to Create Good SEO Keywords: 8 Strategies I Follow in 2025

What does your keyword research process look like? Pick a topic, run it through a keyword tool, choose the phrase with the highest volume?

That’s how I used to do it too. But after years of creating SEO content — some that ranked, some that flopped — the pattern became obvious: high-volume keywords aren’t always good keywords.

Wrong intent, poor conversions, overlapping pages… chasing numbers without context leads to wasted effort. The keywords that actually drive results? They’re intentional. They fit cleanly into your site structure, match exactly what searchers want, and support long-term topical authority.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to find good SEO keywords — the kind that bring the right target audience to your page and help convert and scale.

1. Differentiate Between Topical and Supporting Long-Tails

Not every long-tail keyword is a good keyword that deserves its own page. This is where a lot of keyword strategies go wrong. They are big on long tail keywords, treating slight variations as separate opportunities and ending up with multiple pages that target the same search intent.

That’s how keyword cannibalization happens — when two or more pages compete against each other in search for the same term. This weakens both and confuses Google about which one to rank. 

You don’t gain more visibility — you just split your own relevance.

To avoid that, break long-tail keywords into two types:

• Topical keywords: These reflect unique, standalone intent. They get their own page.
  
• Supporting keywords: These are phrasing variations or semantically similar terms. They belong within the main topical page — in H2s, body copy, meta tags, and alt text.

For example:

• “best email marketing software for nonprofits” = Topical
  
• “email tools for nonprofits” = Supporting
  
• “email platforms for nonprofit organizations” = Supporting
  

A quick way to validate this is by running a manual SERP check. Search each variation and compare the top-ranking pages. If the top 5–10 results are mostly the same, it’s one intent. That means one single page, regardless of how many variations there are. 

Once the primary keyword is locked in, build the rest of the keyword set around it. You can include these variations as supporting keywords in the same article. That’s a good way to try and rank for all those keywords without cannibalizing.

This step is foundational — it’s what keeps the site structure clean, prevents content bloat, and helps each page build stronger topical relevance.

2. Prioritize SERP Gaps Over Keyword Gaps

Most keyword tools offer “content gap” features — comparing your site against competitors to show keywords they rank for that you don’t. That’s useful, but also a strategy that probably hundreds of other competitors are targeting too.

If you want to identify opportunities with lower competition and higher potential, look for SERP gaps instead. These are cases where the content that’s already ranking is thin, outdated, off-topic, or doesn’t fully satisfy search intent.

The only catch: identifying SERP gaps takes time. Manually reviewing pages, evaluating quality, and spotting what’s missing doesn’t scale easily — especially across a long list of keywords.

That’s where the SEO AI Agent helps.

Use a prompt like:

“Analyze the SERPs for [keyword] and highlight weaknesses in the top-ranking content. What’s missing? What could be done better? Which keyword provides the best opportunity based on the SERPs?”

The SEO AI Agent understands the prompt, analyzes the SERPs, and identifies opportunities with SERP gaps for you to target.

Instead of guessing or manually opening every result, the agent gives a quick readout of:

• Where current content falls short
  
• What’s missing in the ranking pages
  
• What format or angle could outperform the current top results
  

This makes it easier to identify keywords that may have moderate volume, but where competition is weak — a much more realistic ranking opportunity.

You don’t always need new keywords — sometimes, you just need to create something significantly better than what already exists.

3. Choose Keywords Based on Actual SERP Intent

Just because a keyword looks promising in a tool doesn’t mean the content you want to create will match what Google wants to rank.

Most tools label keyword intent as “informational,” “transactional,” or “navigational” — but those tags can be vague or flat-out wrong. Especially for mixed-intent queries like:

• “start a blog”
  
• “email marketing”
  
• “freelance writing”
  

Some users are looking to learn, others want tools, and some are ready to take action immediately. If the content doesn’t match the dominant SERP format, it won’t perform — no matter how strong the keyword looks in a tool.

To avoid this, start with a manual SERP check:

1. Google the keyword.
   
2. Review the top-ranking pages.
   
3. What type of content is showing up? Guides? Listicles? Product pages? Job boards? Tools?
   

If the page format you’re planning doesn’t match what Google is favoring, it’s better to reframe the content or target a different query.

To make this process faster and more scalable, I run ambiguous keywords through the SEO AI Agent to classify SERP intent with more precision.

Prompt example:

“Analyze the SERP for [keyword] and tell me the dominant search intent. Is it informational, commercial, or mixed? What kinds of content are currently ranking?”

This extra layer of validation makes it easier to avoid mismatches between keyword and content format — a common reason pages don’t rank even if the keyword looks like a perfect fit on paper.

4. Turn Objections into BOFU Keyword Gold

Some of the best bottom-of-funnel (BOFU) keywords don’t come from keyword tools at all — they come from your users’ objections.

Sales calls, live chat transcripts, demo recordings, and support tickets are packed with phrases that reflect product awareness, hesitations, comparisons, and decision-stage questions. These aren’t just valuable for sales — they’re also a goldmine for SEO.

The problem is: these transcripts are messy. Manually reading through dozens of conversations to extract keyword opportunities isn’t scalable.

That’s where the SEO AI Agent becomes a major time-saver.

Here’s the workflow:

1. Grab a sales or support chat transcript.
   
2. Paste it into the agent.
   
3. Use an AI prompt like:
   

“Read this chat transcript and extract keyword opportunities related to product hesitations, comparisons, and high-intent questions. Return a list of specific SEO keywords or topics worth creating content around.”

What comes back is a list of:

• Product vs competitor queries
  
• Objection-based keywords (e.g. “is [product] worth it?”)
  
• Integration and feature-specific questions
  
• Use-case-driven topics (e.g. “can [product] be used for [industry]?”)

These become high-converting BOFU articles, landing pages, or FAQ entries that rank not because of volume, but because they directly address what users want to know before making a decision.

And unlike traditional SEO tools, this method gives you phrasing straight from the user’s mouth — which often performs better in both ranking and engagement.

5. Use Google Autocomplete to Surface Query Modifiers

When you search a topic in Google, the autocomplete suggestions that appear as you type are one of the easiest ways to uncover how people actually phrase their questions and create good SEO keywords.

These autocomplete modifiers reveal high-intent variations, especially when users are looking for something specific, like:

• “for beginners”
  
• “without coding”
  
• “vs [competitor]”
  
• “step-by-step”
  
• “with examples”
  
• “in 2024”

This works especially well when looking for content formats. For instance, typing “email subject lines” might surface:

Each of these represents a tighter, more actionable angle — often with lower competition and higher intent than the broad parent topic.

Autocomplete doesn’t replace your keyword research tools — but it complements them by showing how people naturally complete their thoughts when searching. It’s raw, unfiltered intent, straight from the search bar.

6. Cluster Strategically — Don’t Just Group by Similarity

It’s not enough to just find a list of keywords — the real power comes from how you organize them.

Most people group keywords based on phrase similarity. While that can be a helpful starting point, what matters more is grouping by intent and content relationship.

A good topic cluster isn’t just a bunch of related keywords — it’s a system where every page:

• Targets a distinct but connected subtopic
  
• Supports and links to a central, authoritative page (the pillar)
  
• Strengthens the overall topical relevance of your site
  

Here’s how to build one:

1. Identify your primary topic — this becomes your pillar page.
   
2. Break down all related subtopics or questions — these become supporting articles.
   
3. Internally link supporting articles to the pillar and vice versa, using contextual anchor text.

Example cluster:

Each of those supports the pillar while also ranking for their own keywords. And when the entire cluster is interlinked and live, it sends a strong signal to Google that you’ve covered the topic in depth.

7. Target BOFU to Build TOFU

Most content strategies start at the top of the funnel — targeting broad, informational queries to bring in traffic. But traffic alone doesn’t always lead to results.

A more strategic approach is to start with bottom-of-funnel (BOFU) keywords — the ones closest to purchase intent — and build upward from there.

BOFU keywords typically include:

• “[tool] vs [tool]”
  
• “is [product] worth it”
  
• “best [category] tools for [use case]”
  
• “[product] pricing”
  
• “[competitor] alternatives”
  

These queries come from users already in research or decision mode. They don’t just want information — they’re evaluating options. That makes them far more likely to convert, even with lower search volume.

Start by identifying 5–10 of these keywords that are directly relevant to your product or service. Build highly targeted content around each one — comparison pages, alternative lists, product-led use cases, etc.

Once that foundation is in place, create top-of-funnel (TOFU) content that links back to those BOFU assets. This creates a funnel that flows naturally:

• TOFU blogs attract awareness
  
• Internal links direct users to BOFU pages
  
• BOFU content handles conversion

This reverse approach not only drives better-qualified traffic early on — it also helps shape the rest of your content strategy around what actually converts.

Instead of casting a wide net and hoping readers work their way down the funnel, you start with the end in mind — and build content that supports it from the top.

8. Update and Consolidate Before Creating Anything New

When new keyword opportunities pop up — either through tools, customer insights, or trend alerts — the instinct is to start a new article. But that’s not always the best move.

Before creating anything new, check whether a similar page already exists on your site. If it does, it’s often more effective to update or expand the existing content than to add another page targeting the same or adjacent intent.

Creating multiple pages with overlapping keywords risks cannibalization and spreads link equity too thin. Updating and consolidating helps you:

• Strengthen existing URLs
  
• Preserve backlinks
  
• Maintain topical authority
  
• Improve rankings with less effort
  

Here’s the process:

1. Identify the new keyword or topic.
   
2. Search your own site for existing content on a similar theme.
   
3. Compare the new query with what’s already ranking on your page.
   
4. Decide: Is this a new intent or a natural extension of the existing page?
   

When it’s unclear whether a new keyword overlaps or warrants a separate URL, the SEO AI Agent can help you make the call.

Final Thoughts: How to Create Good SEO Keywords

Good SEO keywords aren’t just high-volume search terms — they’re high-fit, high-intent, and high-impact.

They map cleanly to your content structure, match what users expect to find, and help your pages rank without competing against each other. That’s the difference between doing keyword research and building an SEO strategy that scales.

If there’s one thing that’s helped speed up and sharpen this workflow, it’s the SEO AI Agent. From SERP analysis and intent classification to turning transcripts into conversion-focused keyword opportunities — it saves hours of manual work and makes decision-making a lot clearer.

If you’re tired of relying on surface-level data from keyword tools and want to start building smarter, search-intent-driven content — start using the SEO AI Agent in your process.

FAQs about How to Create Good SEO Keywords

1. What are good SEO keywords?

Good SEO keywords aren’t just high in search volume — they’re relevant, specific, and tied to clear search intent. They align with your content’s purpose, fit naturally into your site’s structure, and attract the right audience based on where they are in the buying journey. 

A good keyword supports your topical authority and contributes to conversions — not just clicks.

2. Which tools can I use to create good SEO keywords?

Most standard keyword tools are good for discovery, but creating good keywords often requires deeper analysis — like understanding real search intent, spotting weak SERPs, or extracting insights from customer conversations. That’s where the SEO AI Agent helps. It can analyze SERPs, flag mixed intent, and turn raw transcripts or support chats into high-quality, conversion-ready keywords.

3. How do I avoid keyword cannibalization when creating content?

Start by grouping keywords based on intent, not just phrasing. If multiple keywords return nearly identical SERPs, treat them as variations — not separate topics. Use only one as the primary focus and include the rest as supporting terms within the same piece. This avoids creating competing pages that confuse search engines and dilute your authority.

Niyati Mahale

Niyati Mahale is a Content Writer @Writesonic. She specializes in artificial intelligence and B2B, with a flair for combining effective storytelling and SEO best practices to create impactful content.