How can you prioritize and organize your keyword research data more effectively?

1 Understand your goals and audience

Before you dive into any keyword research tool, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your content and who you want to reach. Your goals and audience will influence the type of keywords you should look for, the intent behind them, and the competition level. For example, if your goal is to generate leads for a B2B software company, you might want to focus on keywords that indicate a problem, a solution, or a comparison, and target decision-makers or influencers in your niche.

2 Use a keyword research framework

A keyword research framework is a systematic way of finding, analyzing, and grouping keywords based on different criteria. It can help you avoid getting lost in the data and ensure that you cover all the relevant aspects of your topic. One popular keyword research framework is the topic cluster model, which involves creating a pillar page that covers a broad topic, and then linking it to several subpages that cover specific subtopics or keywords. This way, you can create a comprehensive and coherent content structure that boosts your authority and relevance.

3 Prioritize keywords by value and difficulty

Not all keywords are created equal. Some keywords might have high search volume, but low conversion rate or high competition. Others might have low search volume, but high conversion rate or low competition. To prioritize your keywords, you need to evaluate them based on their value and difficulty. Value refers to how relevant and profitable a keyword is for your business, while difficulty refers to how hard it is to rank for it. You can use metrics such as keyword difficulty, organic click-through rate, cost per click, and return on investment to measure these factors.

5 Track and update your keywords regularly

Keyword research is not a one-time activity. It's an ongoing process that requires regular tracking and updating. You need to monitor how your keywords are performing in terms of ranking, traffic, conversions, and revenue, and adjust your strategy accordingly. You also need to update your keywords based on changing trends, user behavior, and market conditions. You can use tools such as Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and rank trackers to track and update your keywords.

6 Experiment and test your keywords

Finally, you need to experiment and test your keywords to find out what works best for your business and audience. You can use tools such as Google Trends, Google Keyword Planner, and Google Search to discover new keyword opportunities, analyze user intent, and identify gaps and opportunities in your content. You can also use tools such as A/B testing, heatmaps, and surveys to test different variations of your keywords, headlines, meta tags, and content, and measure their impact on your performance.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?