E1169: How are SEOs doing keyword research in 2026?
I break down a viral thread from the SEO subreddit where SEOs shared their real processes, tools, shortcuts, and ways of deciding which keywords deserve attention.
Some of the advice is strong. Some of it misses the point.
The biggest mistake is treating keyword research like a spreadsheet exercise instead of looking at search intent, business value, and what is really ranking in Google.
In this episode:
– Why I ignore keyword difficulty scores from SEO tools
– Why looking at the actual Google SERP gives you better information than staring at a difficulty metric
– How to spot keywords competitors rank for but have not targeted properly
– Why a supposedly “high-difficulty” keyword sometimes ranks with very little work
– How to tell whether competitors have optimized a page for a keyword
– Why page titles, URL slugs, H1s, and the beginning of the first sentence matter when evaluating competition
– How to use competitor keyword research to build your initial keyword list
– Why search intent matters more than raw search volume
– How to identify high-intent searches that lead to customers, users, calls, and warm leads
– The type of keyword I value most: the searcher knows what they want but has not decided which brand will provide it
– How to use AI to group large keyword lists by topic and intent
– Why you should not ask an LLM to estimate keyword difficulty without giving it live search data
– How Google Search Console reveals keywords your site already has a chance of ranking higher for
– Why keywords sitting around positions 5-20 often deserve attention before completely new topics
– How to map keyword groups to individual pages
– When an existing page deserves optimization versus when you need to create a new page
– Why different searches require different page types, including product pages, service pages, landing pages, and blog posts
– How Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends, ChatGPT, Semrush, and AlsoAsked fit into keyword research
– Why informational “how to” and “what is” keywords often have far less business value than bottom-of-funnel searches
– The four questions I start with when researching keywords: 1- Who are my competitors? 2- What are they ranking for but not targeting properly? 3- Which of those keywords will make me money? 4- Which SERPs are under-targeted?
I also explain why I prioritize keywords that directly connect SEO traffic to revenue instead of publishing huge amounts of top-of-funnel content just because a keyword tool shows search volume.
⭐️ Reddit: How Do You Choose Keywords for SEO? – https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/1wbmgx0/how_do_you_choose_keywords_for_seo/
⭐️ Ep 1104 – The 1-Hour SEO Update That Makes Your Best Pages Rank for More Keywords – https://youtu.be/GmsAuotHGso
💎 Compact Keywords – My SEO Course – Get paying customers through SEO – Clear step-by-step video breakdowns – SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/
00:00 Viral Keyword Question
02:04 Keyword Filtering
04:07 Intent and SERP Checks
05:19 Competitors and Priorities
08:27 Search Console Quick Wins
09:21 Free Tools and AlsoAsked
10:42 Keyword Grouping and Mapping
11:42 Wrap Up
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#keywordresearch #searchengineoptimization #seo
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I guess this guy never heard of hallucinations.
Can amazon kdp digital product likely can rank on google with good optimisation ?
Are there any actual people left on Reddit?
Do we need a Moz Subscription to use Compact Keywords or can we use Data for SEO or Open SEO instead?
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Depending on the niche, I wouldnt cut keywords under 50 searches per month. My business does $20k/mo from just a couple of ~20 monthly search keywords. High-ish ticket services. HIGHLY niche dependent.
There’s this guy Ethan Caldwell who wrote The Pattern They Missed, and I honestly didn’t expect to like the concept as much as I did. It’s less about giving you some magic formula for making money and more about understanding the patterns behind financial decisions and why people tend to miss them.
Another way when you find your target keyword that is gonna be in you title, H1 and in intro for that also check your main keyword variations too for that I personally use keywordeverywhere the main keyword has same search volume and same SERP just a little bit working change so when you use those variations in all the important palces instead of using the only variation you rank for same keyword in different variation
I hate that first comment you reviewed suggesting prioritizing by search volumes. I'll take a search query that only get searched 20 times per month if it brings in buyers versus an informational search that gets searched 1000 times per month. Those are the actual "noise".
Edward, the Reddit angle on keyword research is timely because so many AI models weight Reddit threads as high-trust signals, which means the keywords and topics surfacing there directly influence what gets cited in AI-generated answers. It's a smart observation that Reddit gets some things right and others wrong as a keyword source — understanding which is which is the real skill. At CLEO by RegenAI, the Social surface monitors and engages across Reddit, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Quora, and Bluesky specifically because those social signals reinforce the authority AI engines use when deciding who to cite. Social is not separate from AI search — it's a primary signal source for it. Are others using Reddit specifically as a GEO keyword research tool?
Maybe not for Bottom of funnel, but for middle of funnel (where I get tons of conversions still), I actually made pages that weren’t like what Google was ranking in the top 10.
I noticed the search results were editorial lists or product pages, but I didn’t think that actually matched search intention. If I was the searcher looking up best x,y,z I would want a different result. I’d probably want something like a well written user opinion, or something that deeply and specifically breaks down why something is better or worse than something else and for what situation.
So I made unique listacle pages and now they win nearly all of the relevant best of terms in my space, despite me being a fraction the size of everyone else who was occupying the top 10.
Really surprised 😯 that we have some unique and common ways to find keywords at home! No need for paid tools. Will give it a try soon.
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