| name | keyword-discovery |
| description | Keyword research, find keywords, what keywords should I target, keyword analysis. Covers seed discovery, expansion, intent classification, qualitative difficulty assessment, and topic clustering. Produces 150-300 prioritized keywords. Does NOT return numerical search volumes or difficulty scores — those require a keyword-data MCP (DataForSEO / Ahrefs / Semrush — Path B). Instead, uses observable SERP signals for relative assessment.
|
| argument-hint | [topic or seed keyword] [--non-interactive] |
| allowed-tools | Read Glob Grep Write Bash WebFetch WebSearch |
Keyword Discovery Skill
Walk the user through a complete keyword research pipeline, producing a prioritized keyword plan they can act on immediately. Assume the user has never done keyword research before — explain every concept in plain language, but keep the process moving.
Cross-model note
Works identically on current Opus / Sonnet / Haiku models. Expansion + intent classification + clustering all benefit from batch parallelism where per-keyword work is independent.
Execution: parallel-first
- Phase 1 seed gathering: user interview serializes naturally
- Phase 2 expansion: long-tail / question / modifier / LSI / medium-tail expansion runs per-seed; per-seed WebSearch-autocomplete checks parallelize
- Phase 3 intent classification: per-keyword SERP inspection independent — batch WebSearch calls
- Phase 4 difficulty assessment: per-keyword SERP + competitor inspection independent — batch
- Phase 5 clustering: synthesis step, not parallelizable
- Phase 6 prioritization: synthesis step, not parallelizable
Capability Honesty
Read references/CAPABILITIES.md. Key constraints:
- Real search volume numbers (e.g., "1,200 searches/month") require a keyword-data API — Path B
- Real keyword difficulty scores (e.g., "KD 42") require link-graph + SERP competitor strength — Path B
- What this skill DOES provide: observable SERP signals (who ranks, SERP feature presence, autocomplete prominence, competition density) interpreted qualitatively (High/Medium/Low, Easy/Moderate/Hard)
When the user wants real numbers, recommend a DataForSEO / Ahrefs / Semrush MCP integration.
Mode Flags
--non-interactive — Use reasonable defaults for Phase 1 questions, record unanswered items in awaiting_user_review
Overview
Six phases in order:
- Seed Keyword Discovery — gather raw inputs
- Keyword Expansion — broaden the list
- Search Intent Classification — tag every keyword
- Qualitative Difficulty Assessment — observable competition signals
- Topic Cluster Mapping — organize into hierarchy
- Prioritization — produce ranked action plan
Work through each phase sequentially. Present findings after each phase before moving on.
Phase 1: Seed Keyword Discovery
Gather Context
Before generating a single keyword, ask:
- Business basics — What does the business do? Products / services?
- Target audience — Ideal customers? Language / jargon they use?
- Top 3 competitors — Up to three main rivals (URLs or brands)
- Existing keywords — Already targeting any? List them, or "none"
Seed Sources
Mine seeds from every source below:
| Source | What to extract |
|---|
| Business context | Industry terms, product names, service categories, brand modifiers |
| Competitor analysis | Terms competitors rank for (from WebSearch of competitor sites); recurring themes in their title tags, H1s, meta descriptions |
| Customer language | Phrases from support tickets, reviews, forum posts, testimonials — words customers use, not marketing copy |
| Question mining | Questions from Reddit, Quora, "People Also Ask" boxes (observable via WebSearch) |
| Google autocomplete | Type each seed + capture suggested completions; same for YouTube + Amazon if relevant |
| Internal site search | If available, top queries visitors type on-site |
Deliver as a numbered table. Aim for 30-50 seed keywords before moving on.
Phase 2: Keyword Expansion
Expand each seed using four strategies. Go from ~40 seeds to 150-300 candidate keywords.
2a. Long-Tail Variations (3-5 word phrases)
Add specificity. Long-tail keywords convert better because they match precise needs.
2b. Question-Based Keywords
Prepend: who, what, when, where, why, how.
2c. Modifier Keywords
- Best / Top / Review / Comparison / vs — commercial intent
- Alternative / Cheap / Free — budget-conscious buyers
- Near me / [City] — local intent
- Template / Example / Checklist — resource seekers
- For beginners / For enterprises / For [audience] — audience fit
2d. LSI / Semantic Keywords
Related terms that appear alongside the seed in top-ranking content.
2e. Medium-Tail Keywords
"Sweet spot" — 2-3 words, moderate competition. Often fastest wins.
Group the expanded list by strategy so the user can see where each keyword came from.
Phase 3: Search Intent Classification
Every keyword gets exactly one intent tag.
Intent Types
| Intent | Signal words | What Google shows |
|---|
| Informational | how to, what is, guide, tutorial, why, tips | Blog posts, Wikipedia, knowledge panels, videos |
| Commercial | best, top, review, comparison, vs, alternative | Listicles, review sites, comparison tables |
| Transactional | buy, price, discount, coupon, sign up, download | Shopping results, product pages, pricing pages |
| Navigational | [brand name], login, support, contact, app | Official site, login, app store |
How to Classify
Look at the actual SERP (WebSearch):
- Shopping carousel / product ads → Transactional
- Video pack or PAA → likely Informational
- Comparison articles dominate → Commercial
- Single brand dominates positions 1-3 → Navigational
Mixed intent → label dominant, note secondary.
Add an "Intent" column to the keyword table.
Phase 4: Qualitative Difficulty Assessment
Honest framing: This phase uses observable SERP signals to estimate relative difficulty (Easy / Moderate / Hard). It does NOT produce numerical difficulty scores. For real Keyword Difficulty metrics, integrate a DataForSEO / Ahrefs / Semrush MCP (Path B).
Factors to Evaluate (per target keyword, batch WebSearch)
| Factor | Easy signal | Hard signal |
|---|
| Who ranks now | Forums, small blogs, thin content | Major brands, .gov, Wikipedia |
| Content format | Short articles, outdated posts | In-depth guides, interactive tools |
| SERP features | Featured snippet available | Knowledge panel from Wikipedia |
| Commercial value | No ads = lower commercial value | Heavy ads = lucrative but competitive |
| Domain diversity | 10 different domains on p1 | 3 domains own 7 results |
| Content age | Many results from 3+ years ago | All results from last 6 months |
Difficulty Scale (qualitative)
- Easy: Thin/outdated content ranks; few strong domains; featured snippet available. Well-written article can rank in weeks.
- Moderate: Mix of strong and weak pages; requires comprehensive content + some backlinks. Expect 2-6 months.
- Hard: P1 is all high-authority with deep content. Requires significant authority, backlinks, time (6-12+ months).
Add "Difficulty" and "Observed Opportunity" columns:
# | Keyword | Intent | Difficulty | Observed Opportunity
1 | project management for nonprofits | Commercial | Easy | Featured snippet slot available, weak top-3
2 | project management software | Commercial | Hard | Heavy ad spend, strong DR domains
Volume Signal (qualitative, not numerical)
Use observable signals to estimate relative volume:
- High signal: prominent autocomplete, multiple SERP features, heavy ad coverage
- Medium signal: autocomplete present, some SERP features
- Low signal: no autocomplete, thin SERP, no ads
Do NOT invent "monthly search volume" numbers. Mark relative volume as High/Medium/Low.
Phase 5: Topic Cluster Mapping
Organize keywords into a content hierarchy.
Hierarchy
Pillar Topic (broad, 1-2 words, high relative volume)
+-- Subtopic A (medium-tail, 2-3 words)
| +-- Long-tail query 1
| +-- Long-tail query 2
+-- Subtopic B
+-- Long-tail query 3
+-- Long-tail query 4
How to Build Clusters
- Identify pillars — broadest, highest-relative-volume terms → comprehensive pillar pages (2,000-4,000 words)
- Group subtopics — medium-tail as subtopics → supporting articles (1,000-2,000 words)
- Attach long-tail — become sections within subtopic articles, standalone FAQ entries, or short posts
- Map internal links — every subtopic links up to pillar; pillar links down to every subtopic; subtopics in same cluster link to each other where relevant
Present the full cluster map and confirm with the user before prioritization.
Phase 6: Prioritization
Scoring Criteria (qualitative)
| Criterion | Scale | Description |
|---|
| Business relevance | 1-10 | How closely does this keyword relate to the product/service? |
| Volume signal (relative) | High / Medium / Low | From observable SERP signals — NOT numerical volume |
| Competition level | Easy / Moderate / Hard | From Phase 4 |
| Content gap | Yes / No | Does the site already have content targeting this? |
| Estimated effort | Low / Medium / High | Time + resources to create ranking content |
The Three Lists
1. Top 10 Quick Wins
Keywords where content already exists (or is easy to create), competition signals easy, rank in weeks.
2. Top 10 Strategic Targets
High-relevance with moderate competition. Dedicated content + some link building. Expect results in 2-6 months.
3. Top 10 Long-Term Plays
High-competition, high-reward. Build toward these by first ranking for easier related keywords.
Content Type Recommendations
| Content Type | When to use |
|---|
| Blog post | Informational long-tail, how-tos |
| Landing page | Transactional, product comparisons |
| Comprehensive guide | Pillar topics, informational medium-tail |
| Tool or calculator | "Calculator", "template", "generator" queries |
| Video | "How to" queries where Google shows video results |
| FAQ section | Question-based long-tail |
| Case study | "[Industry] + results/example" |
The 70/20/10 Content Mix
- 70% Foundation — how-to guides, tutorials, listicles, FAQ. Safe, proven formats. Start here.
- 20% Growth — original research, data-driven posts, expert roundups, detailed comparisons. Higher effort, differentiates.
- 10% Moonshots — interactive tools, contrarian pieces, original frameworks, viral-potential content. Most underperform but wins are outsized.
Tag each content calendar entry with its mix category.
Delivery Checklist
Tone and Style
- Plain language. Define jargon first time used.
- Specific actions. "Write a blog post" is not actionable. "Write a 2,000-word comparison of X vs Y targeting commercial intent" is.
- Tables for any list > 5 items.
- Summary after each phase.
- When lacking real search volume data, say so honestly and use relative estimates based on observable signals.
