Keyword research: Our best explainers, deep dives, and curated outside resources
With Natural Language Processing evaluating most content online, keyword research is more important than ever. Here's everything we've ever published about it.
Read on for links to everything The Content Technologist has ever published about keyword research.
Keywords are trending up post-2022, believe it or not
Ah, the mighty keyword! It’s at the core of search engine optimization, the word or phrase that users type into search bars to populate a hundred websites, all vying for the number one position. It’s the recipient of a lot of hatred from digitally native writers, forced to put aside their originality and brilliant ideas to write “SEO content” to placate the masses and get found online.
But somehow, amid all the hate, amid new developments in artificial intelligence and generative search, the keyword is trending up again, more popular than it’s been in a decade.
Google Trends graph for the word "keyword," worldwide, depicting a roller-coaster graph
Why is the keyword suddenly cool again? I'd wager that newfound popularity has something to do with the rise of Large Language Models (LLMs) and their semantic analysis techniques, but I haven't done the research on that. What I have researched is the semantic analysis techniques themselves. I've implemented solutions with natural language processing in mind, and I know how critical keyword research is to content success.
To learn previously unpublished details about research process and theory for building better content, take our new audience research course.
But if you want to read more about where keyword data comes from, expert SEO content strategies for choosing keywords, and a good bit of storytelling from the past five years, read on.
As an experienced SEO and content strategist who has executed keyword research for clients in more than 40 industries, I've dived deep into results for startups, cultural institutions, and Fortune 500 companies alike. Most advice available about keyword research online is patchy or rudimentary, and very little of it is written with content quality and editorial processes in mind.
But! There are bright spots! This guide compiles everything The Content Technologist has published about keyword research, as well as other online resources I stand behind.
The Content Technologist on search query research
As a consultant, I've been working with keyword research since 2013, when Google introduced natural language processing (NLP) to its organic search algorithms. In The Content Technologist newsletter, I've been writing about keyword research since 2019. Here's where I've nerded out directly in the newsletter:
Keyword research illuminates how audiences think about the content they can find online. It helps website publishers and content marketers see things from our audience's point of view, at scale.
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What is Google even thinking? How does Google see keywords?
What Google does, every other search and AI company follows. Big G is a constant spectre in keyword research and search engine optimization (SEO). Most keyword research, when used properly, can apply to any system that uses natural language processing (NLP), but Google's the leader, so we look tothem first.
We've published a lot about Google, as well as the and the role of search in content discovery in the newsletter.
Using keyword data in a research-based content strategy
It's not just finding the data. It's all about how you use it to make content better. At The Content Technologist, we're all about keyword research insights that involve empathizing with our audience by understanding the language they use. Language and brand fit matter far more than the numbers or competition.
Here are some posts that emphasize how we recommend using keyword research data, not just the metrics themselves.
Want to learn The Content Technologist approach to keyword research, step by step? Check out our new keyword research course, where we'll distill our thoughts about keyword research into easily executable steps.
The Content Technologist published regular reviews of content strategy software from 2019 until 2022. Although reviews are not currently part of our content strategy, our library of keyword research tool reviews can shine light on what's out there.
High-quality resources about keyword research from around the web
As an experienced SEO and content strategist, I'll be real: Most advice available about keyword research online is patchy or rudimentary; far too focused on metrics than content; and rarely written with content quality and editorial processes in mind.
But! Here are a few resources I really like, explicating in-depth techniques and brilliant best practices, from experts across the web:
Search Engine Journal created some brilliant graphs about long-tail keyword strategy.
Keyword research will remain a critical component of digital content development throughout the 2020s. Elevate your research and analysis skills today!