keyword-research

Keyword Research

> SEO & GEO Skills Library · 20 skills for SEO + GEO · ClawHub · skills.sh
> System Mode: This research skill follows the shared Skill Contract and State Model.

Discovers, analyzes, and prioritizes keywords for SEO and GEO content strategies. Identifies high-value opportunities based on search volume, competition, intent, and business relevance.

System role: Research layer skill. It turns market signals into reusable strategic inputs for the rest of the library.

When This Must Trigger

Use this when the conversation involves any of these situations — even if the user does not use SEO terminology:

Use this whenever the task needs reusable market intelligence that should influence strategy, not just an ad hoc answer.

What This Skill Does

Quick Start

Start with one of these prompts. Finish with a short handoff summary using the repository format in Skill Contract.

Basic Keyword Research

Research keywords for [topic/product/service]

Find keyword opportunities for a [industry] business targeting [audience]

With Specific Goals

Find low-competition keywords for [topic] with commercial intent

Identify question-based keywords for [topic] that AI systems might answer

Competitive Research

What keywords is [competitor URL] ranking for that I should target?

Skill Contract

Expected output: a prioritized research brief, evidence-backed findings, and a short handoff summary ready for memory/research/.

Data Sources

> Note: All integrations are optional. This skill works without any API keys — users provide data manually when no tools are connected.

> See CONNECTORS.md for tool category placeholders.

With ~~SEO tool + ~~search console connected:
Automatically pull historical search volume data, keyword difficulty scores, SERP analysis, current rankings from ~~search console, and competitor keyword overlap. The skill will fetch seed keyword metrics, related keyword suggestions, and search trend data.

With manual data only:
Ask the user to provide:

Proceed with the full analysis using provided data. Note in the output which metrics are from automated collection vs. user-provided data.

Instructions

When a user requests keyword research:

At the start of each phase, announce: [Phase X/8: Name] so the user can track progress.

Phase 1/8: Scope

Ask clarifying questions if not provided:
- What is your product/service/topic?
- Who is your target audience?
- What is your business goal? (traffic, leads, sales)
- What is your current domain authority? (new site, established, etc.)
- Any specific geographic targeting?
- Preferred language?

Phase 2/8: Discover

Start with:
- Core product/service terms
- Problem-focused keywords (what issues do you solve?)
- Solution-focused keywords (how do you help?)
- Audience-specific terms
- Industry terminology

Phase 3/8: Variations

For each seed keyword, generate variations:

## Keyword Expansion Patterns
   
   ### Modifiers
   - Best [keyword]
   - Top [keyword]
   - [keyword] for [audience]
   - [keyword] near me
   - [keyword] [year]
   - How to [keyword]
   - What is [keyword]
   - [keyword] vs [alternative]
   - [keyword] examples
   - [keyword] tools
   
   ### Long-tail Variations
   - [keyword] for beginners
   - [keyword] for small business
   - Free [keyword]
   - [keyword] software/tool/service
   - [keyword] template
   - [keyword] checklist
   - [keyword] guide

Phase 4/8: Classify

Categorize each keyword:

Phase 5/8: Score

Score each keyword (1-100 scale):

### Difficulty Factors
   
   **High Difficulty (70-100)**
   - Major brands ranking
   - High domain authority competitors
   - Established content (1000+ backlinks)
   - Paid ads dominating SERP
   
   **Medium Difficulty (40-69)**
   - Mix of authority and niche sites
   - Some opportunities for quality content
   - Moderate backlink requirements
   
   **Low Difficulty (1-39)**
   - Few authoritative competitors
   - Thin or outdated content ranking
   - Long-tail variations
   - New or emerging topics

Opportunity Score

Formula: Opportunity = (Volume × Intent Value) / Difficulty

Intent Value assigns a numeric weight by search intent:
- Informational = 1
- Navigational = 1
- Commercial = 2
- Transactional = 3

### Opportunity Matrix
   
   | Scenario | Volume | Difficulty | Intent | Priority |
   |----------|--------|------------|--------|----------|
   | Quick Win | Low-Med | Low | High | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
   | Growth | High | Medium | High | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
   | Long-term | High | High | High | ⭐⭐⭐ |
   | Research | Low | Low | Low | ⭐⭐ |

Phase 6/8: GEO-Check — AI Answer Overlap

Keywords likely to trigger AI responses:

### GEO-Relevant Keywords
   
   **High GEO Potential**
   - Question formats: "What is...", "How does...", "Why is..."
   - Definition queries: "[term] meaning", "[term] definition"
   - Comparison queries: "[A] vs [B]", "difference between..."
   - List queries: "best [category]", "top [number] [items]"
   - How-to queries: "how to [action]", "steps to [goal]"
   
   **AI Answer Indicators**
   - Query is factual/definitional
   - Answer can be summarized concisely
   - Topic is well-documented online
   - Low commercial intent

Phase 7/8: Cluster

Group keywords into content clusters:

## Topic Cluster: [Main Topic]
   
   **Pillar Content**: [Primary keyword]
   - Search volume: [X]
   - Difficulty: [X]
   - Content type: Comprehensive guide
   
   **Cluster Content**:
   
   ### Sub-topic 1: [Secondary keyword]
   - Volume: [X]
   - Difficulty: [X]
   - Links to: Pillar
   - Content type: [Blog post/Tutorial/etc.]
   
   ### Sub-topic 2: [Secondary keyword]
   - Volume: [X]
   - Difficulty: [X]
   - Links to: Pillar + Sub-topic 1
   - Content type: [Blog post/Tutorial/etc.]
   
   [Continue for all cluster keywords...]

Phase 8/8: Deliver

Produce a report containing: Executive Summary, Top Keyword Opportunities (Quick Wins, Growth, GEO), Topic Clusters, Content Calendar, and Next Steps.

Quality bar — every recommendation must include at least one specific number. If it reads like the left column, rewrite it before including.

> Reference: See references/example-report.md for the full report template and example.

Validation Checkpoints

Input Validation

Output Validation

Example

> Reference: See references/example-report.md for a complete example report for "project management software for small businesses".

Advanced Usage

Tips for Success

Save Results

After delivering findings to the user, ask:

> "Save these results for future sessions?"

If yes, write a dated summary to memory/research/keyword-research/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>.md containing:

If any findings should influence ongoing strategy, recommend promoting key conclusions to memory/hot-cache.md.

Reference Materials

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