{"id":147934,"date":"2022-10-14T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-14T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=147934"},"modified":"2026-03-13T08:56:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T13:56:54","slug":"keyword-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build a Keyword Strategy That Gets Results"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"intro-txt\">Most guides conflate keyword <em>research<\/em> with keyword <em>strategy<\/em>, but they\u2019re different things. Research gives you data. Strategy gives you direction: which keywords to target, in what order, with what type of content, and how you\u2019ll measure success.<\/div>\n<p>This article covers how you can transform your keyword list into a well-planned strategy that\u2019s geared toward achieving your SEO&nbsp;goals.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-196008-_x1yrd35razde\"><\/a><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\"> What is a keyword strategy (and how is it different from keyword research)?&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>Keyword research is the process of finding popular search terms. Typically, you\u2019d use a tool like Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keyword-generator\">free keyword generator<\/a> and get hundreds of keyword ideas related to your&nbsp;topic.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"896\" height=\"1044\" class=\"wp-image-196009\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-free-keyword-generator-displaying-top-keyw.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' free keyword generator displaying top keyword ideas for &quot;plumbing&quot;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-free-keyword-generator-displaying-top-keyw.png 896w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-free-keyword-generator-displaying-top-keyw-365x425.png 365w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-free-keyword-generator-displaying-top-keyw-768x895.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 896px) 100vw, 896px\"><\/p>\n<p>Keyword strategy, on the other hand, decides which of these keywords matter for your site, at your current stage of growth, and in which order they should be prioritized.<\/p>\n<p>Think of it as the decision-making layer that sits on top of research.<\/p>\n<p>Without a keyword strategy, you end up with an overwhelming list of potential search terms to target and no sense of priority. With it, you know exactly what to work on next and&nbsp;why.<\/p>\n<h2><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\"> Your SEO goal shapes your entire keyword strategy&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>Before you touch a keyword list, get clear on what you\u2019re actually optimizing for. The right strategy looks very different depending on your&nbsp;goal:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Rankings:<\/strong> Prioritize topical coverage, ownership of branded search results, and closing competitor gaps. Keywords are chosen for positioning and your ability to rank well, not necessarily conversion.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Traffic:<\/strong> Prioritize terms with high traffic potential, or high search volume and low competition, to drive higher click-through rates. In a traffic-building strategy, you may accept lower commercial intent in exchange for&nbsp;reach.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Revenue:<\/strong> Prioritize transactional and bottom-of-funnel keywords. Such a strategy targets fewer terms but with higher value per visit. This is also where paid data becomes most useful, since cost-per-click signals tell you which keywords actually convert.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Authority:<\/strong> Prioritize broad topical coverage and branded search results. The goal is to become the go-to resource in your space for your topic, a foundation that strengthens every other goal on this&nbsp;list.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Once you know what goal you\u2019re aiming for with your keyword strategy, here\u2019s how to start building it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n<p><em>New to SEO? Check out our primer on keyword research. It will familiarize you with keyword tools and common metrics.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/keyword-research\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-research\/\"><em>How to Do Keyword Research for SEO (Start to Finish)<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"1. Find keywords with genuine traffic potential\"> Step 1: Find keywords with genuine traffic potential&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>When building a keyword strategy, your initial instinct is likely to sort by search volume and work down the list, adding the highest-volume keywords first. Resist it.<\/p>\n<p>Search volume tells you how many people search for a term each month, but it doesn\u2019t tell you how much traffic you\u2019d actually get by ranking for&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, the keyword \u201cfreelancing tips\u201d has 1 million searches a month in the US, but only gets about 200 clicks. Looking at the search results, we can see that\u2019s likely because there\u2019s an AI Overview at the top, followed by a Reddit thread and a post on Medium (which has very high authority).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1069\" height=\"684\" class=\"wp-image-196010\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-analyzing-the-search-results-for-freel.png\" alt=\"Example of analyzing the search results for &quot;freelancing tips&quot; in Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-analyzing-the-search-results-for-freel.png 1069w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-analyzing-the-search-results-for-freel-664x425.png 664w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-analyzing-the-search-results-for-freel-260x166.png 260w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-analyzing-the-search-results-for-freel-768x491.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1069px) 100vw, 1069px\"><\/p>\n<p>It would be quite difficult for a newer or smaller brand to get traffic from such a keyword, despite it being searched for millions of times each&nbsp;year.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, there are many other keywords on the same topic of freelancing that have a higher ratio of <a href=\"https:\/\/help.ahrefs.com\/en\/articles\/9046244-what-is-traffic-potential\">traffic potential<\/a> (TP) to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/search-volume\">search volume<\/a> (SV):<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1405\" height=\"750\" class=\"wp-image-196011\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/keyword-list-for-the-topic-of-freelancing-in-ahref.png\" alt=\"Keyword list for the topic of freelancing in Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/keyword-list-for-the-topic-of-freelancing-in-ahref.png 1405w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/keyword-list-for-the-topic-of-freelancing-in-ahref-680x363.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/keyword-list-for-the-topic-of-freelancing-in-ahref-768x410.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1405px) 100vw, 1405px\"><\/p>\n<p>Some even have more traffic potential than search volume because they belong to a cluster of keywords that, when combined and targeted in a piece of content, can deliver significant traffic.<\/p>\n<h2><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"2. Analyze what\u2019s already working for competitors\"> Step 2: Analyze what\u2019s already working for competitors&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>Another approach is to reverse-engineer competitors who are a few steps ahead of&nbsp;you.<\/p>\n<p>Enter each competitor\u2019s domain in Ahrefs <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>, and navigate to the Top Pages report.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1423\" height=\"1040\" class=\"wp-image-196012\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-top-pages-report-showing-which-of-a-compet.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' Top Pages report showing which of a competitor's pages get the most traffic.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-top-pages-report-showing-which-of-a-compet.png 1423w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-top-pages-report-showing-which-of-a-compet-582x425.png 582w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-top-pages-report-showing-which-of-a-compet-768x561.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1423px) 100vw, 1423px\"><\/p>\n<p>Here you\u2019ll find their highest-traffic pages, and can reverse-engineer what\u2019s driving visits to them. You\u2019ll often discover keyword opportunities you\u2019d never have thought to search for directly.<\/p>\n<p>The goal at this stage is to filter a long list of keywords about your topic based on those that have a realistic chance of sending meaningful traffic, not just terms that look impressive in a spreadsheet.<\/p>\n<h2><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"3. Score each keyword's business potential\"> Step 3: Score each keyword\u2019s business potential&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>Each keyword your potential customers search for has value for your business. But some have more value than others.<\/p>\n<p>Take these three keywords about computer components, for example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201cgraphics card\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 Searchers are shopping around or looking for more information. They\u2019re nowhere near ready to&nbsp;buy.<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cb550 vs x570 motherboard\u201d <\/strong>\u2013 Searchers have done some shopping around and narrowed down their options. They\u2019re almost ready to&nbsp;buy.<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201camd ryzen 5 3600\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 Searchers have decided what they want. They\u2019re ready to&nbsp;buy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Given that some of these searchers are closer to buying a computer part than others, some keywords arguably have more \u201cbusiness potential\u201d for a computer parts store. You\u2019ll need to apply a similar thought process to find the search terms you should prioritize in your keyword strategy.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a quick cheat sheet for scoring the \u201cbusiness potential\u201d of your keywords:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1408\" class=\"wp-image-196013\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/how-to-score-a-keyword-using-ahrefs-business-pote.png\" alt=\"How to score a keyword using Ahrefs' Business Potential framework\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/how-to-score-a-keyword-using-ahrefs-business-pote.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/how-to-score-a-keyword-using-ahrefs-business-pote-543x425.png 543w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/how-to-score-a-keyword-using-ahrefs-business-pote-768x601.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/how-to-score-a-keyword-using-ahrefs-business-pote-1536x1201.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\"><\/p>\n<p>Just keep in mind that the way you score a keyword may differ from how someone else scores it.<\/p>\n<p>It depends on how valuable it is for <em>your<\/em> business. For example, if you don\u2019t sell the \u201cAMD Ryzen 5 3600,\u201d that keyword has a \u201cbusiness potential\u201d score of 0 for you, not&nbsp;3.<\/p>\n<h2><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"4. Assess ranking difficulty realistically\"> Step 4: Assess ranking difficulty realistically&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>Keywords vary in ranking difficulty for a number of reasons. This doesn\u2019t mean you should avoid those that are harder to rank for than others, but it\u2019s important to take ranking difficulty into account when building your keyword strategy.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the main things we recommend you look at to assess ranking difficulty:<\/p>\n<h3><a id=\"post-196008-_hdpm4onywyfa\"><\/a>Backlinks<\/h3>\n<p>Backlinks are one of Google\u2019s top ranking factors. The more <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/high-quality-backlinks\/\">high-quality backlinks<\/a> the current top-ranking pages have, the harder it\u2019ll be to compete with&nbsp;them.<\/p>\n<p>For a rough idea of how many backlinks you\u2019ll need to crack the top 10 positions on Google, check the Keyword Difficulty (KD) score in Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>. This is based on the number of links to the top-ranking pages.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"956\" height=\"968\" class=\"wp-image-196014\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/keyword-metrics-for-micro-atx-case-in-ahrefs-ke.png\" alt=\"Keyword metrics for &quot;micro atx case&quot; in Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer indicating a low difficulty score\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/keyword-metrics-for-micro-atx-case-in-ahrefs-ke.png 956w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/keyword-metrics-for-micro-atx-case-in-ahrefs-ke-420x425.png 420w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/keyword-metrics-for-micro-atx-case-in-ahrefs-ke-768x778.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 956px) 100vw, 956px\"><\/p>\n<p>For a more thorough assessment, scroll to the SERP overview and check the \u201cDomains\u201d column to see the number of linking websites to each&nbsp;page.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"676\" class=\"wp-image-196015\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/linking-domains-to-the-top-ranking-pages-for-micr.jpeg\" alt=\"Linking domains to the top-ranking pages for &quot;micro atx case&quot;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/linking-domains-to-the-top-ranking-pages-for-micr.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/linking-domains-to-the-top-ranking-pages-for-micr-680x299.jpeg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/linking-domains-to-the-top-ranking-pages-for-micr-768x338.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"><\/p>\n<p>Just keep in mind that these numbers only tell you the quantity of links to each page. To understand link quality, you\u2019ll have to review each page\u2019s backlink profile. You can get to this by clicking on the number in the \u201cBacklinks\u201d column.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1992\" height=\"904\" class=\"wp-image-196016\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/backlinks-report-for-one-of-the-top-ranking-pages.png\" alt=\"Backlinks report for one of the top-ranking pages for &quot;micro atx case,&quot; via Ahrefs' Site Explorer \" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/backlinks-report-for-one-of-the-top-ranking-pages.png 1992w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/backlinks-report-for-one-of-the-top-ranking-pages-680x309.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/backlinks-report-for-one-of-the-top-ranking-pages-768x349.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/backlinks-report-for-one-of-the-top-ranking-pages-1536x697.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1992px) 100vw, 1992px\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/backlink-audit\/\">How to Do a Basic Backlink Audit<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\n<h3><a id=\"post-196008-_hr78my8hkqq3\"><\/a>Authority<\/h3>\n<p>Many SEOs believe that popular websites rank more easily on Google. For that reason, most take a website authority metric like <a href=\"https:\/\/help.ahrefs.com\/en\/articles\/1409408-what-is-domain-rating-dr\">Domain Rating (DR)<\/a> into account when assessing a keyword\u2019s ranking difficulty.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"764\" height=\"304\" class=\"wp-image-196017\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/twitter-poll-run-by-tim-soulo-indicating-64-9-of.png\" alt=\"Twitter poll run by Tim Soulo indicating 64.9% of SEO professionals (from 445 votes) pay attention to Domain Rating when evaluating if they can rank for a given keyword.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/twitter-poll-run-by-tim-soulo-indicating-64-9-of.png 764w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/twitter-poll-run-by-tim-soulo-indicating-64-9-of-680x271.png 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 764px) 100vw, 764px\"><\/p>\n<p>Google representatives have said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MD6ABXMMuaI&amp;t=1427s\">many<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/SEO\/comments\/tp3s83\/how_can_i_increase_da_of_my_website_it_is_at_31\/\">times<\/a> that Google doesn\u2019t evaluate a site\u2019s authority. But there are a few ways site authority can indirectly affect rankings.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Internal links<\/strong> \u2013 High-authority sites tend to have more high-authority pages, and internal links from those pages may help other pages to rank higher.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Familiar brands<\/strong> \u2013 Searchers likely want to see household names for some queries. If that\u2019s not you, you may have a harder time ranking.<\/li>\n<li><strong>siteAuthority signal<\/strong> \u2014 A siteAuthority attribute was found in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hobo-web.co.uk\/googles-product-reviews-updates-signals-in-the-google-content-warehouse-api-leak\/\">Google\u2019s 2024 Content Warehouse API leak<\/a>, stored in the same module used in primary scoring. Google cautioned against firm conclusions, but its presence there is hard to ignore.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are in the camp that thinks Google takes site authority into account or just want to err on the safe side, check the top-ranking pages\u2019 DR scores in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>. If they\u2019re all much higher than your site\u2019s DR, you may want to prioritize other keywords.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1442\" height=\"934\" class=\"wp-image-196018\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/domain-rating-dr-of-the-top-ranking-sites-for-3.jpeg\" alt=\"Domain Rating (DR) of the top-ranking sites for &quot;3090 graphics card&quot;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/domain-rating-dr-of-the-top-ranking-sites-for-3.jpeg 1442w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/domain-rating-dr-of-the-top-ranking-sites-for-3-656x425.jpeg 656w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/domain-rating-dr-of-the-top-ranking-sites-for-3-768x497.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1442px) 100vw, 1442px\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Recommendation<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>To find your site\u2019s DR score, enter your domain into <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>. <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"582\" height=\"664\" class=\"wp-image-196019\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/domain-rating-dr-in-ahrefs-site-explorer.png\" alt=\"Domain Rating (DR) in Ahrefs' Site Explorer \" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/domain-rating-dr-in-ahrefs-site-explorer.png 582w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/domain-rating-dr-in-ahrefs-site-explorer-373x425.png 373w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 582px) 100vw, 582px\"><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h3><a id=\"post-196008-_7uvmem5o4qg0\"><\/a>Quality<\/h3>\n<p>If the top-ranking pages for your keyword are high quality, it\u2019ll take more time and effort to compete.<\/p>\n<p>For example, the folks ranking #1 for \u201cbest air purifier\u201d tested 47 air purifiers over eight years to make their recommendation. It\u2019s going to cost an awful lot of time, effort, and money to compete on content quality.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1234\" height=\"270\" class=\"wp-image-196020\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/it-would-be-hard-to-compete-with-the-top-ranking-p.png\" alt=\"It would be hard to compete with the top-ranking page for &quot;best air purifier&quot; on content \" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/it-would-be-hard-to-compete-with-the-top-ranking-p.png 1234w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/it-would-be-hard-to-compete-with-the-top-ranking-p-680x149.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/it-would-be-hard-to-compete-with-the-top-ranking-p-768x168.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1234px) 100vw, 1234px\"><\/p>\n<p>Compare this to the top results for many other queries that have no background information on how recommendations were chosen. It\u2019ll likely be much easier to beat these on content quality than the former.<\/p>\n<p>Based on your assessment of the attributes above (backlinks, authority, and quality), you can give keywords a \u201cranking potential\u201d score like&nbsp;so:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1410\" class=\"wp-image-196021\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/how-to-score-a-keywords-ranking-potential-using-a.png\" alt=\"How to score a keyword's ranking potential using Ahrefs\/ framework\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/how-to-score-a-keywords-ranking-potential-using-a.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/how-to-score-a-keywords-ranking-potential-using-a-543x425.png 543w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/how-to-score-a-keywords-ranking-potential-using-a-768x602.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/how-to-score-a-keywords-ranking-potential-using-a-1536x1203.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Recommendation<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>You can score your keywords\u2019 business, traffic, and ranking potential with <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1pxb8bon328osrFq2_gEX2Lsr9f-d_wQsslBqe-BofJw\/copy\">our free keyword strategy template<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This strategy document lets you see the most promising keywords at a glance.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if we assess a few keywords for our hypothetical computer parts store, the keyword \u201camd ryzen 5 3600\u201d has high TP, BP, and RP. So the row is all&nbsp;green.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1156\" height=\"116\" class=\"wp-image-196022\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-a-good-keyword-to-prioritize.png\" alt=\"Example of a good keyword to prioritize \" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-a-good-keyword-to-prioritize.png 1156w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-a-good-keyword-to-prioritize-680x68.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-a-good-keyword-to-prioritize-768x77.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1156px) 100vw, 1156px\"><\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, \u201chow to install ram on pc\u201d has high TP but low BP and RP. So the row is mostly red.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1152\" height=\"114\" class=\"wp-image-196023\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-a-not-so-good-keyword.png\" alt=\"Example of a not-so-good keyword \" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-a-not-so-good-keyword.png 1152w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-a-not-so-good-keyword-680x67.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-a-not-so-good-keyword-768x76.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1152px) 100vw, 1152px\"><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"5. Map keywords to search intent and content type\"> Step 5: Map keywords to search intent and content type&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>These days, knowing a keyword has traffic potential and business value still may not be enough. If the content you create doesn\u2019t match what searchers actually want, you won\u2019t rank, regardless of how good the potential is.<\/p>\n<p>The most reliable way to figure out <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-intent\/\">search intent<\/a> is to look at what\u2019s already ranking. Google has essentially done the research for you: the top results tell you what format and angle searchers expect.<\/p>\n<p>For example, people searching for \u201cbacklink checker\u201d are clearly looking for a free tool. We know this because all of the top-ranking results are free&nbsp;tools.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1086\" class=\"wp-image-196024\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/people-searching-for-backlink-checker-are-lookin.jpeg\" alt=\"People searching for &quot;backlink checker&quot; are looking for a free tool\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/people-searching-for-backlink-checker-are-lookin.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/people-searching-for-backlink-checker-are-lookin-601x425.jpeg 601w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/people-searching-for-backlink-checker-are-lookin-768x543.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"><\/p>\n<p>If the results for your keyword aren\u2019t quite so clear, you can also try out our AI keyword intent analyzer available in Keywords Explorer:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1413\" height=\"725\" class=\"wp-image-196025\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/keyword-intent-analysis-using-ahrefs.png\" alt=\"Keyword intent analysis using Ahrefs\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/keyword-intent-analysis-using-ahrefs.png 1413w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/keyword-intent-analysis-using-ahrefs-680x349.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/keyword-intent-analysis-using-ahrefs-768x394.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1413px) 100vw, 1413px\"><\/p>\n<p>To stand virtually any chance of ranking for this keyword, you\u2019ll need to create a free tool. Unless you have a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/big-data\">backlink database<\/a> like ours, that will be almost impossible.<\/p>\n<p>You can also analyze the following to assess whether your content can meet a keyword\u2019s intent or&nbsp;not.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Content type<\/strong>: Are the top results blog posts, product pages, landing pages, or tools? A keyword like \u201cbacklink checker\u201d is dominated by free tools. You can\u2019t write your way around that.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Content format<\/strong>: Are they listicles, how-to guides, comparisons, definitions? \u201cHow to do keyword research\u201d calls for a step-by-step guide. \u201cBest project management software\u201d calls for a ranked list.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Content angle<\/strong>: Is there a dominant hook across the results? \u201cEasy,\u201d \u201cfor beginners,\u201d \u201cin 2025\u201d. These signal what the audience cares about&nbsp;most.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It\u2019s also worth considering the queries people search on AI platforms like ChatGPT, AI Mode, and Perplexity. Many of these platforms use a technique called <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/query-fan-out\/\">query fan-out<\/a>, which expands one keyword into a cluster of related searches that add more context to the user\u2019s search and intent.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1266\" height=\"699\" class=\"wp-image-196026\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/query-fan-out-in-ai-search.png\" alt=\"Query fan-out in AI search\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/query-fan-out-in-ai-search.png 1266w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/query-fan-out-in-ai-search-680x375.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/query-fan-out-in-ai-search-768x424.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1266px) 100vw, 1266px\"><\/p>\n<p>These fan-out queries anticipate a searcher\u2019s follow-up question and actions. They can provide great insight into what to include in your content to capture that \u201cnext&nbsp;step\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>A page that only answers the surface question may get cited once; a page that addresses the surrounding questions becomes a reference point. Mapping intent well means thinking about what your reader will want to know next, not just what they searched for.<\/p>\n<h2><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"6. Group keywords into priority topic clusters\"> Step 6: Group keywords into priority topic clusters&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>Targeting keywords in isolation is inefficient. A single page, if it covers a topic well, will naturally rank for dozens of related terms, not just the one you optimized for.<\/p>\n<p>For example, this page on Healthline\u2019s website ranks for over 2,500 related keywords on Google and many more in AI search platforms:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1419\" height=\"663\" class=\"wp-image-196027\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/search-visibility-metrics-of-healthlines-article-1.png\" alt=\"Search visibility metrics of Healthline's article in Ahrefs Site Explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/search-visibility-metrics-of-healthlines-article-1.png 1419w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/search-visibility-metrics-of-healthlines-article-1-680x318.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/search-visibility-metrics-of-healthlines-article-1-768x359.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1419px) 100vw, 1419px\"><\/p>\n<p>This performance is due to topic clustering, the practice of grouping related keywords into a single content piece to cover a topic comprehensively, rather than targeting each keyword in separate pieces of content.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also how our Traffic Potential metric works. It estimates traffic based on all the keywords for which a top-ranking page appears, not just&nbsp;one.<\/p>\n<p>In practice, this means identifying a head term (say, \u201cemail marketing\u201d) and mapping out all the supporting topics around it. You can easily do this using the <a href=\"https:\/\/help.ahrefs.com\/en\/articles\/13040767-what-is-parent-topic-and-how-to-use-it#:~:text=Parent%20topic%20data.-,How%20can%20I%20see%20what%20keywords%20share%20the%20same%20parent%20topic,Keywords%20column%20to%20see%20all%20keywords%20grouped%20under%20that%20parent%20topic%3A,-This%20feature%20is\">Cluster by Parent Topic<\/a> feature in Keywords Explorer, where you can see the traffic potential across the whole cluster or for the parent topic:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1254\" height=\"601\" class=\"wp-image-196028\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-keyword-clusters-for-the-topic-of-emai.png\" alt=\"Example of keyword clusters for the topic of &quot;email marketing&quot;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-keyword-clusters-for-the-topic-of-emai.png 1254w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-keyword-clusters-for-the-topic-of-emai-680x326.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/example-of-keyword-clusters-for-the-topic-of-emai-768x368.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1254px) 100vw, 1254px\"><\/p>\n<p>To also make your keyword clusters AI-friendly, you can use Brand Radar to find relevant query fan-outs.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1327\" height=\"389\" class=\"wp-image-196029\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/query-fan-outs-in-ahrefs-brand-radar.png\" alt=\"Query fan-outs in Ahrefs' Brand Radar\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/query-fan-outs-in-ahrefs-brand-radar.png 1327w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/query-fan-outs-in-ahrefs-brand-radar-680x199.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/query-fan-outs-in-ahrefs-brand-radar-768x225.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1327px) 100vw, 1327px\"><\/p>\n<p>Content that targets each cluster builds authority in the broader topic, and that authority flows back to help your site rank for more competitive terms.<\/p>\n<p>This is also where query fan-outs become a practical tool. When building a cluster, ask: what questions would an AI system explore to fully answer the head term? Those fan-out questions are often exactly the supporting content gaps you should be filling.<\/p>\n<p>You can check out <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/ai-content-helper\">AI Content Helper<\/a> to help you unpack search intent\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1402\" height=\"771\" class=\"wp-image-196030\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-ai-content-helper-intent-analysis-2.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' AI Content Helper intent analysis\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-ai-content-helper-intent-analysis-2.png 1402w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-ai-content-helper-intent-analysis-2-680x374.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-ai-content-helper-intent-analysis-2-768x422.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1402px) 100vw, 1402px\"><\/p>\n<p>\u2026 and to find sub-topics to cover in your content:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"849\" height=\"644\" class=\"wp-image-196031\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-ai-content-helper-topic-gap-analysis-and-r-2.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' AI Content Helper topic gap analysis and recommendations\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-ai-content-helper-topic-gap-analysis-and-r-2.png 849w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-ai-content-helper-topic-gap-analysis-and-r-2-560x425.png 560w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-ai-content-helper-topic-gap-analysis-and-r-2-768x583.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 849px) 100vw, 849px\"><\/p>\n<p>You can also add fan-out queries to see what sub-topics they relate to that you can include in your content.<\/p>\n<p>Cover a topic thoroughly, using traditional keywords and query fan-outs, and you\u2019re more likely to show up in both traditional search results and AI-generated answers.<\/p>\n<h2><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"7. Building your keyword strategy (bringing it together)\"> Step 7: Building your keyword strategy (bringing it together)&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>When you have many keywords and clusters competing for limited time and resources, you need to think strategically about what gets prioritized.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Prioritize first: <\/strong>Clusters with high business potential and rankability. There\u2019s a strong commercial fit and a realistic path to ranking.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Long-term bet<\/strong>: High business potential with low rankability (right now). These are opportunities worth building towards as your authority grows.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Traffic play<\/strong>: High rankability with low business potential. Target these only if the intent is a good fit, but don\u2019t overinvest. Good for reach and building authority in moderation. Too much and you start to attract the wrong audience altogether.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Deprioritize<\/strong>: Low business potential and low rankability. These will not deliver a decent return on investment, and efforts spent on these clusters may never deliver results in competitive search results.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Work on your immediate priorities and a handful of long-term bets in tandem. Immediate priorities lead to quick wins. Long-term bets require supporting content built out gradually so you\u2019re positioned to compete later.<\/p>\n<p>When prioritizing keywords, it\u2019s not about their individual metrics, such as traffic potential and search volume. You\u2019ve already filtered out any that won\u2019t bring in traffic in the earlier steps of this process.<\/p>\n<p>Rather, it\u2019s about your ability to rank for them. That\u2019s dependent on your site\u2019s current situation and authority level.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-528\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-528 tablepress-responsive tablepress-ahrefs-width-full\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Your situation<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Recommended approach<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">New or small site (DR under&nbsp;30)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Long-tail first: target specific, lower-competition terms to build topical authority before going after competitive terms<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Growing site (DR 30\u201360)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Cluster approach: own the supporting keywords around a topic first, then use that authority to compete for the competitive head&nbsp;term<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Established site (DR&nbsp;60+)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Competitive terms are within reach: you have the authority to go after high-volume, high-difficulty terms with the right content<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-528 from cache -->\n<p>You can\u2019t earn a high level of authority overnight, so be patient.<\/p>\n<p>Show up each day and do your SEO reps (create content, build links to it), and over time, you\u2019ll start to earn more authority for each <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/topic-clusters\/\">topic cluster<\/a> you\u2019ve been expanding.<\/p>\n<h2><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"8. Build a tracking and iteration system\"> Step 8: Build a tracking and iteration system&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>The difference between a keyword <em>project<\/em> and a keyword <em>strategy<\/em> is what happens after you publish.<\/p>\n<p>Rankings shift. New competitors emerge. Content that was comprehensive six months ago may have gaps today. A strategy that isn\u2019t regularly revisited quickly becomes a list of things you did&nbsp;once.<\/p>\n<p>At a minimum, track your target keywords over time in a tool like Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/rank-tracker\">Rank Tracker<\/a> to see what\u2019s moving and what&nbsp;isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"985\" class=\"wp-image-196032\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/overview-of-keyword-ranking-in-ahrefs-rank-tracke.png\" alt=\"Overview of keyword ranking in Ahrefs' Rank Tracker\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/overview-of-keyword-ranking-in-ahrefs-rank-tracke.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/overview-of-keyword-ranking-in-ahrefs-rank-tracke-680x327.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/overview-of-keyword-ranking-in-ahrefs-rank-tracke-768x369.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/overview-of-keyword-ranking-in-ahrefs-rank-tracke-1536x739.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/p>\n<p>You can also track traffic earned from organic and AI search in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/web-analytics\">Web Analytics<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"801\" height=\"597\" class=\"wp-image-196033\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-web-analytics-tracking-traffic-from-organi.jpeg\" alt=\"Ahrefs' Web Analytics tracking traffic from organic and AI search to your website\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-web-analytics-tracking-traffic-from-organi.jpeg 801w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-web-analytics-tracking-traffic-from-organi-570x425.jpeg 570w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ahrefs-web-analytics-tracking-traffic-from-organi-768x572.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 801px) 100vw, 801px\"><\/p>\n<p>When a page isn\u2019t gaining traction after a few months, the first question to ask is whether you targeted the correct keyword to begin with. Check that before you blindly make content edits.<\/p>\n<p>Revisit your strategy quarterly. As your domain authority grows, terms that were previously out of reach become realistic targets. The keywords you start with shouldn\u2019t be the same ones you\u2019re chasing a year&nbsp;in.<\/p>\n<h2><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\"> How keyword strategy needs to adapt to AI search&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>AI Overviews and AI-powered answer engines are changing which keywords are worth targeting and what it means to be visible for&nbsp;them.<\/p>\n<p>For many informational queries, <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/ai-overviews-reduce-clicks-update\/\">58% of clicks that used to go to the top organic results<\/a> are now absorbed by AI-generated answers.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1315\" class=\"wp-image-196034\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ai-overview-impact-on-click-through-by-ranking-pos.jpg\" alt=\"AI Overview impact on click-through by ranking position data from Ahrefs' study\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ai-overview-impact-on-click-through-by-ranking-pos.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ai-overview-impact-on-click-through-by-ranking-pos-496x425.jpg 496w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ai-overview-impact-on-click-through-by-ranking-pos-768x658.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"><\/p>\n<p>If your SEO goal is to build visibility and brand authority, it may still make sense to target these keywords so you can show up in AI responses and traditional organic results.<\/p>\n<p>You can also track your performance and visibility using Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/brand-radar\">Brand Radar<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1408\" height=\"848\" class=\"wp-image-196035\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/tracking-ai-visibility-with-ahrefs-brand-radar.png\" alt=\"Tracking AI visibility with Ahrefs' Brand Radar\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/tracking-ai-visibility-with-ahrefs-brand-radar.png 1408w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/tracking-ai-visibility-with-ahrefs-brand-radar-680x410.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/tracking-ai-visibility-with-ahrefs-brand-radar-768x463.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px\"><\/p>\n<p>Where close competitors are mentioned and cited in AI responses, and you\u2019re not, that\u2019s a gap in your keyword strategy that you\u2019ll need to&nbsp;close.<\/p>\n<p>However, if your goal is to attract people who are likely to click on your site with the intent to buy something, then you\u2019re better off targeting keywords with a higher traffic potential and fewer AI features in the search results.<\/p>\n<p>You can filter out keywords with AI Overviews in Ahrefs using the <strong>SERP features<\/strong> filter:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1497\" height=\"1579\" class=\"wp-image-196036\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/using-the-serp-features-filter-in-ahrefs-keywords.jpg\" alt=\"Using the SERP features filter in Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer to filter by the presence of AI Overviews in search results.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/using-the-serp-features-filter-in-ahrefs-keywords.jpg 1497w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/using-the-serp-features-filter-in-ahrefs-keywords-403x425.jpg 403w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/using-the-serp-features-filter-in-ahrefs-keywords-768x810.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/using-the-serp-features-filter-in-ahrefs-keywords-1456x1536.jpg 1456w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1497px) 100vw, 1497px\"><\/p>\n<p>The right keywords for your brand depend on your goals and current situation. There\u2019s no right or wrong way to go about&nbsp;this.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-196008-_dg4l0tv48njc\"><\/a><strong>Final thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>A keyword strategy isn\u2019t something you build once and file away. It\u2019s a framework for making better decisions (about what to create, what to improve, and what to leave alone) that compounds over time as your site&nbsp;grows.<\/p>\n<p>The steps here give you that framework:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find keywords with real traffic potential<\/li>\n<li>Score them for business value<\/li>\n<li>Assess what you can realistically rank&nbsp;for<\/li>\n<li>Match your content to what searchers actually want<\/li>\n<li>Build out topics systematically<\/li>\n<li>Keep revisiting as things change<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Start with a small, focused list of priority keywords. Get those right. Then expand.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article covers how you can transform your keyword list into a well-planned strategy that\u2019s geared toward achieving your SEO&nbsp;goals. Keyword research is the process of finding popular search terms. Typically, you\u2019d use a tool like Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer or<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":195,"featured_media":148152,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[328],"tags":[],"coauthors":[458,336],"class_list":["post-147934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-keyword-research","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Build a Keyword Strategy That Gets Results<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A keyword strategy goes beyond building a list of terms. It clarifies what to target, when, and why. Here&#039;s how to build one using Ahrefs&#039; own framework.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-strategy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Build a Keyword Strategy That Gets Results\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Follow these four steps.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-strategy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-10-14T06:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-13T13:56:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/fb_keyword_strategy.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Despina Gavoyannis, Joshua Hardwick\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Follow these four steps.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/keyword-strategy\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/keyword-strategy\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Despina Gavoyannis\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/143d08bacfea1ed0736d76ad138ce704\"},\"headline\":\"How to Build a Keyword Strategy That Gets Results\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-10-14T06:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-13T13:56:54+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/keyword-strategy\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":3152,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/keyword-strategy\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/10\\\/fb_keyword_strategy.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Keyword Research\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/keyword-strategy\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/keyword-strategy\\\/\",\"name\":\"How to Build a Keyword Strategy That Gets Results\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/keyword-strategy\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/keyword-strategy\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/10\\\/fb_keyword_strategy.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-10-14T06:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-13T13:56:54+00:00\",\"description\":\"A keyword strategy goes beyond building a list of terms. It clarifies what to target, when, and why. Here's how to build one using Ahrefs' own framework.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/keyword-strategy\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/keyword-strategy\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/10\\\/fb_keyword_strategy.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/10\\\/fb_keyword_strategy.png\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\",\"description\":\"Link Building Strategies &amp; SEO Tips\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Ahrefs\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/ahrefs-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/ahrefs-logo.png\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"Ahrefs\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/Ahrefs\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/ahrefs\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/ahrefs\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/c\\\/ahrefscom\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/143d08bacfea1ed0736d76ad138ce704\",\"name\":\"Despina Gavoyannis\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/Despina-Gavoyannis-scaled.jpg18160744e97f916a45416ab6ccdfe2c0\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/Despina-Gavoyannis-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/Despina-Gavoyannis-scaled.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Despina Gavoyannis\"},\"description\":\"Despina Gavoyannis is a Senior SEO Specialist at Ahrefs, a leading marketing platform for search, AI, and beyond. She has worked in SEO for over 10 years, specializing in revenue-driven strategies and collaborating closely with cross-functional teams, including UX designers, developers, and marketers.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/despina-gavoyannis\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/despina-gavoyannis\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Build a Keyword Strategy That Gets Results","description":"A keyword strategy goes beyond building a list of terms. It clarifies what to target, when, and why. Here's how to build one using Ahrefs' own framework.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-strategy\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Build a Keyword Strategy That Gets Results","og_description":"Follow these four steps.","og_url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-strategy\/","og_site_name":"SEO Blog by Ahrefs","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/","article_published_time":"2022-10-14T06:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-13T13:56:54+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/fb_keyword_strategy.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Despina Gavoyannis, Joshua Hardwick","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_description":"Follow these four steps.","twitter_creator":"@ahrefs","twitter_site":"@ahrefs","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-strategy\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-strategy\/"},"author":{"name":"Despina Gavoyannis","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/143d08bacfea1ed0736d76ad138ce704"},"headline":"How to Build a Keyword Strategy That Gets Results","datePublished":"2022-10-14T06:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-13T13:56:54+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-strategy\/"},"wordCount":3152,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-strategy\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/fb_keyword_strategy.png","articleSection":["Keyword Research"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-strategy\/","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-strategy\/","name":"How to Build a Keyword Strategy That Gets Results","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-strategy\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-strategy\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/fb_keyword_strategy.png","datePublished":"2022-10-14T06:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-13T13:56:54+00:00","description":"A keyword strategy goes beyond building a list of terms. It clarifies what to target, when, and why. Here's how to build one using Ahrefs' own framework.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-strategy\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-strategy\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/fb_keyword_strategy.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/fb_keyword_strategy.png","width":1200,"height":630},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/","name":"SEO Blog by Ahrefs","description":"Link Building Strategies &amp; SEO Tips","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Ahrefs","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ahrefs-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ahrefs-logo.png","width":2048,"height":768,"caption":"Ahrefs"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/","https:\/\/x.com\/ahrefs","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ahrefs\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/ahrefscom"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/143d08bacfea1ed0736d76ad138ce704","name":"Despina Gavoyannis","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Despina-Gavoyannis-scaled.jpg18160744e97f916a45416ab6ccdfe2c0","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Despina-Gavoyannis-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Despina-Gavoyannis-scaled.jpg","caption":"Despina Gavoyannis"},"description":"Despina Gavoyannis is a Senior SEO Specialist at Ahrefs, a leading marketing platform for search, AI, and beyond. She has worked in SEO for over 10 years, specializing in revenue-driven strategies and collaborating closely with cross-functional teams, including UX designers, developers, and marketers.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/despina-gavoyannis\/"],"url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/author\/despina-gavoyannis\/"}]}},"as_json":null,"json_reviewers":[194],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147934"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147934\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147934"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=147934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}