Not all keywords are created equal. Search engine results pages can look dramatically different depending on a searcher’s intent. This changes their search experience as well as how they discover and interact with your content. Discover how to take your keyword research to the next level as we take you on a journey through time and space drawing on Kwasi Studios’ study of search engine results pages for 2,000 keywords. You’ll learn to place proven keyword research techniques in the context of user journeys, intent and the diverse range of properties that form search engine results pages.

1. @WojKwasi #BigDigitalADL

2. Follow along at:
@WojKwasi #BigDigitalADL

3. “It all begins with words
typed into a search box.”

4. https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33511/Answers-to-Your-Top-7-Questions-About-the-State-of-SEO-in-2012.aspx
Search Demand

5. Overview
1. Traditional Keyword Research
(and how to do it in under a minute)
2. The Search Experience
3. SERP Formations Study
(Bonus: 9 Key Optimisation Tactics)

6. * Why re-invent the wheel?

7. How keyword research works today
IDEATION VALIDATION

8. Ideation
Brainstorm / Generate lists of words

9. Validation
Quantify terms – incl. volume, competition, difficulty

10. How can you do this
better than anyone else?

11. Innovate
1. Come up with better ideas
2. Get better insights to find opportunities

12. Who likes burgers?

13. Start with the Basics
Make a list of your own keywords
(Gather lists from clients / other resources)

14. Find Synonyms
Use thesaurus.com

15. Add Modifiers
Commercial / Transactional

16. Local Modifiers

17. Question Modifiers

18. We now have our seed list

19. It’s time to Validate…

20. It’s time to Validate…

21. Keyword Planner
https://adwords.google.com/ko/KeywordPlanner

22. Ubersuggest.io
https://ubersuggest.io/

23. KeywordTool.io
https://keywordtool.io

24. KWFinder
https://app.kwfinder.com

25. AHREFs
https://ahrefs.com/keywords-explorer

26. Answer The Public
http://answerthepublic.com/

27. Answer The Public: Questions
http://answerthepublic.com/

28. Moz
Keyword Explorer
https://moz.com/explorer/

29. SEM Rush
Competitor & Top Sites into Domain Overview / Organic Research
https://www.semrush.com/au/info/empty/domain_organic/

30. Similar Searches + More

31. Question…

33. Keyword Research
(in under a minute)
1. Save a SERP to your local machine
e.g. https://www.google.com.au/search?q=burgers+adelaide
2. Rename to <keyword.html>
e.g. burgers-adelaide.htm
3. Upload to ftp server
4. Go to Keyword Planner and enter URL
e.g. http://www.kwasistudios.com/test/burgers-adelaide.html

34. Keyword Research
(in under a minute)

35. Keyword Research
(in under a minute)

36. Try it with Bing too…

38. * It’s all about the user

39. Next Level
For better results than anyone else,
you can’t just have better tools and techniques:
You need a better process too.

40. Understanding Intent
This traditional two-stage keyword research process
misses 2 crucial stages at the beginning & end:
Understand your searchers & understand the
opportunities.
IDEATION VALIDATION
UNDERSTAND
SEARCHER
UNDERSTAND
OPPORTUNITY

41. Understanding User Journeys
AWARENESS CONSIDERATION DECISION

42. Understanding User Journeys
Before you can start brainstorming keywords, you have to
really understand what it is that’s driving your customers to
search at every stage of their user journey.
AWARENESS CONSIDERATION DECISION

43. Do they have an issue they need addressed?
ISSUE
AWARENESS CONSIDERATION DECISION

44. Have they clearly defined the issue
and given a name to their need?
ISSUE FIX
AWARENESS CONSIDERATION DECISION

45. Have they decided on the fix and
are ready to make a deal?
ISSUE FIX DEAL
AWARENESS CONSIDERATION DECISION

46. Understanding Motivations
You need this to understand their motivations and
understand the terminology they will use at each stage -
these will become the themes/buckets you explore during
the Ideation stage of keyword research.

47. Keywords themes based on motivations
Stage Motivation Keywords Content Landing Pages
Issue
I want food quick
because I’m hungry
places that deliver in
adelaide, fast food
delivery
Our Quick & Easy Food
Options Delivered
/fast-food-delivery-
adelaide
Fix
I want a burger
delivered
burgers adelaide
delivered, burger
delivery adelaide
Burger Delivery in
Adelaide
/burgers-adelaide-
delivered
Deal I want Woj Burger
woj burgers adelaide,
woj burgers delivered
Woj Burgers – Quickest
Used Salisbury Steak
Delivery in Adelaide
/contact

48. Alignment = The Search Experience

49. * Research just in…

50. Not all SERPs are created equal in 2017
It’s no longer 10 blue links
https://www.slideshare.net/crumplezone/beyond-10-blue-links-the-future-of-ranking

51. So we studied 2,000 SERPs
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

52. Why we did the SERP study
We set out to identify the
most probable compositions of Google SERPs
for different keyword types and
to identify key optimisation tactics for each formation.
1. What SERPs are most likely to look like and include for each type of keyword.
2. Best ways to work with the SERPs features to include them in our search strategies.
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

53. Method: Identify Keyword Types
Celebrity Name
(as a practice swing: these results were the easiest to verify).
Commercial Keywords + Brand Name
Brand Name
(global and very well-known companies)
Commercial Keywords + Transactional modifier
(e.g. “buy”)
Brand Name
(lesser known companies)
Commercial Keywords + Location
Brand Name + Location Question-Based Longtail Keywords
Commercial Keywords
(products or services)
Statement-Based Longtail Keywords
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

54. Method: Gather Keywords
10 keyword types
200 per keyword type
2,000 keywords
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

55. Method: Deep Dive!
Moz’s Keyword Explorer for rough list of feature types
*didn’t tell us the most common “formation” for each keyword type
Lots of manual deep diving!
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

56. Celebrity Names
e.g. Barrack Obama, Matt Damon, Dwayne Johnson, Caitlyn Jenner, Miley Cyrus
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

57. Celebrity Names
Top Stories
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

58. Celebrity Names
In-Depth Articles
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

59. Celebrity Names
Tweets
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

60. Celebrity Names
Big Juicy Knowledge Panel
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

61. Big Brands – Little or no news
e.g. Louis Vuitton
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

62. Big Brands – Little or no news
AdWords (Top)
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

63. Big Brands – Little or no news
Knowledge Panel
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

64. Big Brands – Little or no news
Site Links
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

65. Big Brands - Newsworthy
e.g. Deutsche Bank - In addition to Knowledge Panel there were Top Stories,
Tweets and In-Depth Articles (no AdWords or Site Links)
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

66. Lesser-Known Brands
Similar to Big brands (little or no news): Knowledge Panel + extra Reviews
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

67. Lesser-Known Brands
Knowledge Panel (more local-centric)
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

68. Lesser-Known Brands
Reviews
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

69. Brand Name + Location
• 1 location = similar to lesser known brand
• Multiple = local pack
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

70. Brand Name + Location
Local Pack
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

71. Commercial: Generic,
Branded & Transactional
• e.g. mirrored wardrobe, jag watches, buy socks, cheap flights to bali
• Some Ads Top, Ads (Shopping) Right, Knowledge Panels & Reviews
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

72. Commercial: Generic,
Branded & Transactional
Shopping
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

73. Commercial: Generic,
Branded & Transactional
Images
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

74. Location Modified
Commercial Keywords
• E.g. divorce lawyers sydney, diamond rings adelaide, fresh flowers brisbane
• Local Packs & Ads Top, Ads Bottom - Some had Ads (Shopping) Rights
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

75. Question-Based Longtail Keywords
• E.g. what will happen if trump wins, why does ice float
• AdWords (top/bottom), Featured Snippets + Videos; Some showed Images + In-Depth Articles
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

76. Question-Based Longtail Keywords
Featured Snippet
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

77. Question-Based Longtail Keywords
Featured Snippet
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

78. Question-Based Longtail Keywords
Videos
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

79. Statement-Based Longtail Keywords
e.g. resume writing template, improve your credit score, christmas tree decorating ideas
AdWords (top and bottom), Featured Snippets and Related Questions
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

80. Statement-Based Longtail Keywords
Featured Snippet
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

81. Statement-Based Longtail Keywords
Related Questions
http://kwasi.co/serp2017

82. What this means for your KWR
During your keyword research you need to observe the
SERP formation and consider additional tactics as part of
your SEO strategy

83. * Pssst... Write this down

84. 1. Insights

85. 2. Ideation

86. 3. Quantify

87. 4. Qualify

88. Keyword Research Today
INSIGHTS IDEATION QUANTIFY QUALIFY
Understand the
searcher’s
user journey
Come up with
killer keyword
ideas
Validate your
ideas - where
are the
opportunities?
Understand the
opportunities in
context of the
search
experience

89. Now you can get back to your
other 99 problems

90. @WojKwasi
These slides:
http://kwasi.co/keyword17
SERPs study:
http://kwasi.co/serp2017