I’ll tell you right now, strong rankings don’t come from obsessing over one perfect keyword – especially with the rise in AI. Rankings come from choosing topics that actually matter for your clients, that matter to your business, and that help you show your knowledge.
A good keyword for SEO is one that matches search intent, has realistic competition, and brings the right audience to your business.
Quick note from Tianna: when I say “actually matter” I’m thinking about more than traffic. I’m asking: will this keyword bring in the right audience, people who are ready to move closer to working with you?
It’s also important to note that AI is changing the SEO game and will continue to do so in the following years. GEO or generative engine optimization (my preference over AEO) is creating a space where people search more in questions and sentence structure. We used to simply type two to three words in the google search but now we ask ChatGPT a whole paragraph specific request and ChatGPT gives us the perfect response.
If you want help building your first keyword list I have a free course walking you through my method build after 12 years in the industry.
What Does This Mean for Keywords?
This is where things are shifting. AI platforms now understand context, intent, and meaning. Not only exact keywords. So SEO is becoming less about one exact keyword and more about covering the topic as a whole.
That said, keywords still matter.
We still use keyword data to understand what people are searching for and to outline the topics we should be creating content around. It keeps your content focused and aligned with real demand.
But instead of trying to rank for one exact phrase, the goal is to fully answer the topic people are searching for.
NOTE: For paid ads, this is different. Exact keywords and long-tail keywords still matter a lot because targeting needs to be precise. We have not moved away from them there.
The Three Things I Look for in a Keywords
Here’s how I decide if a keyword is worth it: intent, difficulty, volume.
- Intent: Does this match what the searcher wants to do right now?
Is this an information based keyword or a transactional keyword? Meaning will people use this keyword to look for further information and answer questions they have or are they ready to purchase. Informational keywords are great for blogs that lead to product or service pages while transactional keywords are good for the product or service pages.
- Difficulty: Can my site actually compete on that page?
Difficulty in a keyword still has merit. If the keyword is above a 75 it will take a large amount of resources to rank for. I often avoid these unless they are site wide keywords that you’re ready to put on every page. If you have a domain rating (check an SEO tool to find this) above a 30 then you can start focusing on more difficult keywords. Until then these are likely not right for you.
- Volume: Are there enough searches to make it worth it?
The volume of the keyword matters look for keywords that have more than zero searches. The higher the volume the more opportunity it has. Volume is an average of the searches across that country in the last 6 months. Most tools will allow you to choose the country your keyword is focused on.
What is the Keyword Opportunity Score
I also want to talk about the idea of keywords opportunity. Opportunity is how much that keyword can actually move your business forward.
how to determine keyword opportunity:
Keyword opportunity = volume/difficulty
This gives you a somewhat arbitrary number but the idea is now you can rank your keywords not just on volume but by the amount of potential volume to resource allocation.
Why AI Loves Informational Queries
AI is built to reward clarity and helpfulness. That means informational keywords like “how to find a keyword,” “what is keyword difficulty,” or “blog keywords for beginners” are gold.
Your job is to be the best teacher on that page. Start with the straight answer, then expand with examples, steps, and a quick wrap-up. Even if AI shows an overview above you, people still click through because they want the detail and they want someone they can trust.
High Opportunity Keywords Aren’t Always About Volume
It’s so easy to chase the big shiny search volume. I’ve done it too. But volume alone is a trap. High opportunity keywords sit where clear intent, realistic competition, and your business goals overlap.
For newer sites, I usually recommend long-tail phrases in that 50–500 monthly search range. For established sites, you can anchor with bigger head terms and build clusters. Either way, the move is the same: target something you can answer completely, then expand into a bigger conversation.
(My thought here: SEMrush scores and keyword difficulty numbers are helpful, but I always trust the SERP first. Open the page. See what’s ranking. That tells you more than any number.)
How I Find Keywords As An SEO
I start with customer questions. What are people asking me on calls or in emails? Those are my seed terms. Then I’ll drop them into a keyword tool for variations and difficulty.
But the real step is pulling up the results page. If I see how-to guides and checklists, I know it’s informational. That’s a blog. If it’s full of product or service pages, it’s transactional. That’s a landing page.
Pick one main phrase, then two to four natural variations. Use the main one in your H1, URL, and opening. Use the variations as H2s. Then structure around subtopics, not synonyms. That’s how you write for a whole subject instead of just repeating one phrase.
Topic Mapping and How it Relates to Keywords
If you’re aiming for blog keywords, don’t just repeat them and hope magic happens. Show topical authority. Explain the whole process, give examples, and link to other posts that dig deeper.
As a baseline, I go for 500 words minimum. Most of the time 800–1,100 words is the sweet spot. Enough to cover it, but not so long it feels like a novel.
The Three Keyword Types and Where to Use Them
- Informational: for blog posts, guides, and tutorials. These build trust and pull people into your world.
- Transactional: for service pages, product pages, or ad landers. These convert.
- Branded: for your name or product names. Protect these on your homepage, service pages, and comparison pages.
Together, these build your funnel. Information fills it, transactional converts, branded makes sure people find you directly.
A Quick Example of Finding High Opportunity Keywords
Let’s say your audience asks, “how do I find a keyword for my blog?” Your primary is “how to find a keyword,” and your variations are “high opportunity keywords” and “blog keywords.” A quick SERP check shows step-by-step guides at the top, so you write one.
Lead with the answer, walk through difficulty, intent, and click potential, then close with a checklist and CTA. Link internally to your content on topic clusters or on-page SEO. That completeness is exactly what search engines and AI want.
Lets Recap: How to Choose a Good Keyword
If you’re not sure where to start, keep it simple.
Here’s the quick way to decide if a keyword is worth it.
Step 1: Check intent
Ask yourself what the person is trying to do.
Are they looking for information or are they ready to buy?
This tells you if it should be a blog post or a service page.
Step 2: Look at competition
Search the keyword and look at what’s ranking.
If the page is full of big, established sites, it may be hard to compete.
If you see smaller or similar businesses, that’s a good sign.
Step 3: Check search volume
Make sure people are actually searching for it.
You don’t need huge numbers, but you do want consistent demand.
Step 4: Make sure it fits your business
This is the most important step.
Will this keyword bring in someone who could actually become a client?
If the answer is no, it’s not worth your time.
If you want help building your first keyword list I have a free course made just for you that walks you through these steps.
