seo-keyword-research

name	seo-keyword-research
description	Deep competitive keyword research and SEO strategy. Takes a primary keyword and researches supporting keywords, competitor analysis, search intent, and per-page keyword mapping. Outputs docs/seo-analysis.md. Triggers on "keyword research", "SEO research", "SEO strategy", "competitive analysis", "rank for keyword".

SEO Keyword Research & Competitive Analysis

Comprehensive keyword research to rank for competitive markets.

Prerequisites

• docs/sitemap.md should exist (run sitemap-structure skill first)
• User provides primary keyword they want to rank for

Workflow

1. Gather Input - Primary keyword, location, business type, competitors (if known)
2. Competitive Analysis - Analyze top 5 ranking competitors via WebSearch
3. Keyword Discovery - Find primary, secondary, long-tail, local, question, and semantic keywords
4. Intent Classification - Categorize every keyword by search intent
5. SERP Analysis - Understand what Google rewards for target keywords
6. Keyword Mapping - Assign keywords to pages from docs/sitemap.md
7. Content Gap Analysis - Find opportunities competitors miss
8. Write Output - Create docs/seo-analysis.md

Input Template

Primary Keyword: [The main keyword you want to rank for]
Location: [Target geographic area]
Business Type: [Industry/niche]
Known Competitors: [URLs of competitors, if known - optional]

---

Keyword Research Process (WebSearch)

Step 1: Competitor Discovery

Search queries to run:

1. [primary keyword] - See who ranks #1-5
2. [primary keyword] [location] - Local competitors
3. [primary keyword] site:google.ch or site:google.de - Regional results
4. best [service] [location] - Review/comparison sites

For each top 5 competitor, note:

• Domain URL
• Title tag content
• Meta description
• Their apparent primary keyword
• Content depth (comprehensive or thin?)

Step 2: Competitor Analysis Framework

For each top 5 competitor, analyze:

Analysis Point	What to Look For
Title Tags	Keywords used, format, length (50-60 chars)
Meta Descriptions	CTAs, keywords, unique selling points
H1 Headlines	Primary keyword placement
Content Structure	H2/H3 topics they cover
Page Count	How many pages, what topics
Content Depth	Word count, comprehensiveness
Unique Content	What they do that others don't
Weaknesses	Gaps we can exploit

Step 3: Keyword Discovery

Search queries to run:

[primary keyword] + related searches
[primary keyword] + "wie", "was", "warum" (informational intent)
[primary keyword] + "kaufen", "buchen", "bestellen" (transactional intent)
[primary keyword] + "vergleich", "test", "erfahrung" (commercial investigation)
[primary keyword] + [location variations]
[primary keyword] + [service variations]

Keyword types to find:

Type	Description	Example	Priority
Primary	Main target, high competition	"Webdesign Zürich"	Must rank
Secondary	Supporting, medium competition	"Website erstellen lassen"	Should rank
Long-tail	Specific, lower competition	"Webdesign Agentur für KMU Zürich"	Quick wins
Local	Geographic variations	"Webdesign Winterthur"	Expansion
Semantic (LSI)	Related concepts	"Webentwicklung", "Homepage erstellen"	Natural use
Question	FAQ opportunities	"Was kostet eine Website?"	Content

Step 4: Search Intent Classification

Classify EVERY keyword by intent:

Intent	Signal Words (DE)	Signal Words (EN)	User Goal	Content Type
Transactional	kaufen, buchen, bestellen, preis	buy, book, order, price	Ready to buy	Service pages, pricing
Commercial Investigation	vergleich, beste, test, erfahrung	comparison, best, review	Comparing options	Comparison, reviews
Informational	wie, was, warum, anleitung	how, what, why, guide	Learning	Blog, FAQ, guides
Navigational	[brand name], [company]	[brand name], [company]	Find specific site	Homepage, about

Step 5: SERP Feature Analysis

For primary keywords, note what Google shows:

SERP Feature	Impact on Strategy
Featured Snippet	Target with structured content (lists, tables)
Local Pack (Map)	Need Google Business Profile optimized
Images	Optimize image ALT text, consider gallery
Videos	Consider video content creation
People Also Ask	FAQ content opportunities
Related Searches	Long-tail keyword ideas

Step 6: Keyword Difficulty Assessment

Estimate difficulty based on:

Factor	Low Difficulty	High Difficulty
Competitor Authority	Small local sites	Major brands/portals
Content Quality	Thin/outdated content	Comprehensive guides
Backlink Profiles	Few backlinks	Many quality backlinks
SERP Features	Organic results only	Many SERP features
Search Volume	Under 500/month	Over 5000/month

Difficulty Rating:

• Easy: Local competitors, thin content, low authority - Target immediately
• Medium: Mix of local and regional competitors - Target with quality content
• Hard: National brands, comprehensive content - Long-term target
• Very Hard: Major portals, Wikipedia, government sites - Consider alternatives

Step 7: Per-Page Keyword Mapping

Read docs/sitemap.md and assign keywords to each page:

Page	Primary Keyword	Secondary Keywords	Long-tail Keywords
Homepage	[main keyword]	[2-3 supporting]	[2-3 specific]
Services	[service keyword]	[service variations]	[specific services]
About	[brand + location]	[trust keywords]	[differentiators]
Contact	[contact + location]	[booking keywords]	[specific CTAs]

Rules:

• ONE primary keyword per page (avoid cannibalization)
• Related keywords support the primary
• Different intent = different page
• Homepage: brand + main service + location
• Service pages: specific service + location

Step 8: Content Gap Analysis

Identify opportunities competitors miss:

1. Topics they don't cover - Missing service pages, FAQ topics
2. Questions they don't answer - Use "People Also Ask" for ideas
3. Local pages they lack - Neighborhood/region targeting
4. Content depth gaps - Thin content you can expand on
5. Fresh content opportunities - Outdated competitor content

---

Output Format: docs/seo-analysis.md

# SEO Analysis - [Business Name]

## Executive Summary

**Primary Keyword:** [keyword]
**Target Position:** Top 3 within [X months]
**Competitive Landscape:** [Easy/Medium/Hard]
**Key Opportunities:** [1-2 sentence summary]

---

## Competitor Analysis

### Market Overview

| Rank | Competitor | Domain | Key Strength | Key Weakness |
|------|------------|--------|--------------|--------------|
| 1 | [Name] | [URL] | [strength] | [weakness] |
| 2 | [Name] | [URL] | [strength] | [weakness] |
| 3 | [Name] | [URL] | [strength] | [weakness] |
| 4 | [Name] | [URL] | [strength] | [weakness] |
| 5 | [Name] | [URL] | [strength] | [weakness] |

### Competitor Content Analysis

**[Competitor 1 - Current #1]**
- Title: "[their title tag]"
- H1: "[their H1]"
- Content Focus: [topics they cover]
- Strengths: [what works]
- Weaknesses: [gaps to exploit]

[Repeat for top 3 competitors]

### Competitive Advantages We Can Exploit

1. [Gap 1 - e.g., "No competitor has comprehensive pricing transparency"]
2. [Gap 2 - e.g., "All competitors have slow, outdated sites"]
3. [Gap 3 - e.g., "No one targets [specific long-tail keyword]"]

---

## Keyword Strategy

### Primary Keywords (Target: Position 1-3)

| Keyword | Difficulty | Intent | Target Page |
|---------|------------|--------|-------------|
| [keyword] | [Easy/Med/Hard] | [Trans/Comm/Info] | [page route] |

### Secondary Keywords (Target: Position 1-10)

| Keyword | Difficulty | Intent | Target Page |
|---------|------------|--------|-------------|
| [keyword] | [difficulty] | [intent] | [page route] |

### Long-tail Keywords (Quick Wins)

| Keyword | Intent | Target Page | Content Angle |
|---------|--------|-------------|---------------|
| [keyword] | [intent] | [page route] | [how to use it] |

### Local Keywords

| Keyword | Target Page | Priority |
|---------|-------------|----------|
| [service] [city] | [page route] | [P1/P2] |
| [service] [region] | [page route] | [P1/P2] |

### Question Keywords (FAQ Opportunities)

| Question | Intent | Where to Answer |
|----------|--------|-----------------|
| Was kostet [service]? | Commercial | Pricing page / FAQ |
| Wie funktioniert [service]? | Informational | Services page / FAQ |
| [Service] vs [alternative]? | Commercial | Blog / Comparison |

### Semantic Keywords (LSI)

Use these naturally throughout content:
- [semantic keyword 1]
- [semantic keyword 2]
- [semantic keyword 3]
- [semantic keyword 4]

---

## Per-Page Optimization Guide

### Homepage `/`

**Primary Keyword:** [keyword]
**Search Intent:** [Transactional/Navigational]

| Element | Recommendation |
|---------|----------------|
| Title (50-60 chars) | [Primary Keyword] - [Brand] - [Benefit] |
| Meta Description (150-160 chars) | [Description with keyword, USP, and CTA] |
| H1 | [Primary keyword naturally integrated] |
| H2 Topics | [List of H2s to include] |
| Keyword Density | 1-2% for primary, natural for secondary |
| Internal Links | Link to: [pages to link] |

**Secondary Keywords to Include:**
- [keyword 1] - use in [section]
- [keyword 2] - use in [section]

### Services Page `/dienstleistungen`

**Primary Keyword:** [keyword]
**Search Intent:** [intent]

| Element | Recommendation |
|---------|----------------|
| Title (50-60 chars) | [recommendation] |
| Meta Description (150-160 chars) | [recommendation] |
| H1 | [recommendation] |
| H2 Topics | [list] |

**Secondary Keywords to Include:**
- [keyword] - use in [section]

### About Page `/ueber-uns`

[Same format]

### Contact Page `/kontakt`

[Same format]

---

## Content Gap Opportunities

### Pages Competitors Have That We Should Consider

| Page Topic | Competitor Example | Potential Value |
|------------|-------------------|-----------------|
| [topic] | [competitor URL] | [why valuable] |

### Topics No Competitor Covers Well

| Topic | Keyword Opportunity | Recommended Content |
|-------|---------------------|---------------------|
| [topic] | [keyword] | [content type] |

### Blog/Content Ideas (Future)

| Topic | Target Keyword | Search Intent |
|-------|----------------|---------------|
| [topic] | [keyword] | [intent] |

---

## SERP Features Strategy

| Feature | Target Keywords | How to Optimize |
|---------|-----------------|-----------------|
| Featured Snippet | [keywords] | [strategy] |
| Local Pack | [keywords] | Google Business Profile |
| People Also Ask | [questions] | FAQ section |

---

## Implementation Priority

### Phase 1: Foundation (Launch)
- [ ] Optimize homepage for [primary keyword]
- [ ] Optimize services page for [service keywords]
- [ ] Implement all meta titles/descriptions
- [ ] Add FAQ schema for question keywords

### Phase 2: Expansion (Month 1-3)
- [ ] Target long-tail keywords with content
- [ ] Build local pages for [locations] if needed
- [ ] Create content for gap opportunities

### Phase 3: Authority (Month 3-6)
- [ ] Blog content for informational keywords
- [ ] Build backlinks for [target keywords]
- [ ] Local SEO (Google Business Profile)

---

## Success Metrics

| Metric | Current | 3-Month Target | 6-Month Target |
|--------|---------|----------------|----------------|
| Primary Keyword Rank | - | Top 10 | Top 3 |
| Organic Traffic | 0 | [target] | [target] |
| Pages Indexed | 0 | [all pages] | [all pages] |

---

Rules

1. ALWAYS use WebSearch for real competitor data - don't guess
2. Classify EVERY keyword by search intent
3. Map EVERY keyword to a specific page
4. Identify at least 3 competitive gaps
5. Provide actionable per-page recommendations
6. Prioritize quick wins (long-tail) alongside primary keywords
7. One primary keyword per page - avoid cannibalization

What This Skill Does NOT Do

• Create the sitemap (use sitemap-structure skill first)
• Write the actual content (use seo-content-optimization skill)
• Implement technical SEO (use technical-seo skill)
• Generate page content (provides strategy only)