Keyword rankings no longer guarantee organic traffic.
A decade ago, we could estimate traffic to pages in Google’s top three organic positions based on keyword search volume. No more. Traffic is much more difficult to predict due to new search-result features and dynamic AI overviews.
Moreover, the impact of keywords is less predictable as people use voice search and generative AI.
Hence many professional search optimizers claim keyword research is meaningless.
That is wrong.
The benefits of keyword research are greater than organic search rankings. It reveals where prospects are in the shopping journey and what they know about a topic.
For example:
- Consumers exploring a topic or problem presumably use generic keywords. They are less likely to convert right away, but the chances improve if they discover your brand or product.
- Searchers using niche terms and industry jargon are more informed and likely to purchase soon.
In both scenarios, knowing those keywords helps target would-be buyers and create relevant content. The former — consumers new to the journey — likely benefit from definitions and explanatory guides.
The latter — folks using industry terms — require actionable content such as features or assembly instructions. Definitions would only distract them and may constitute filler (unhelpful) content by Google’s algorithm.
For example, a guide for increasing web traffic would likely include these keywords:
- “increase website traffic”
- “how to promote your website”
- “improve website hits”
- “how to do SEO”
- “how to rank higher on google”
- “how to increase SEO”
We could conclude:
- “increase website traffic” implies folks who recognize the need for traffic but don’t know how to generate it.
- “how to promote your website” suggests searchers are exploring options.
- “improve website hits” are likely searchers starting their research, using “hits” instead of “traffic.”
- “how to do SEO” suggests searchers with a vague understanding, requiring beginner steps and explanations.
- “how to rank higher on google” indicates folks who understand “ranking” but require advanced instruction.
- “how to increase SEO” suggests beginners because advanced practitioners would not likely use that term.
We could now group similar keywords based on intent and formulate content accordingly. We could decide, for example, to focus on beginners or pros based on our target prospects.
We could then query AI for topic ideas. I did that by prompting Gemini with the above keywords. Here’s the output.
| Keyword | Volume | SEO Expertise (Gemini) | Content Type (Gemini) | Content Elements (Gemini) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| increase website traffic | 1,300 | Beginner | Introductory guides, blog posts, checklists, infographics | Basic explanations of traffic sources (organic, social, paid), actionable tips for beginners, easy-to-follow steps, visuals, downloadable resources. |
| how to promote your website | 590 | Beginner | Beginner’s guides, step-by-step tutorials, articles | Overview of various promotion methods (SEO, social media, email, etc.), focus on foundational strategies, clear and concise language. |
| improve website hits | 590 | Beginner | Educational, explaining the shift from “hits” to meaningful metrics like sessions and users | Explanation of key SEO metrics (organic traffic, bounce rate, time on page, conversions), why “hits” is less relevant, how to track meaningful data. |
| how to do seo | 2,400 | Beginner to Intermediate | Comprehensive guides, in-depth articles, video tutorials, courses | Explanation of core SEO concepts (keyword research, on-page, off-page, technical), practical examples, step-by-step instructions, downloadable templates. |
| how to rank higher on google | 2,400 | Beginner to Intermediate | Detailed guides, blog posts focusing on specific ranking factors, case studies | Explanation of Google’s ranking factors, actionable tips for improvement (content optimization, link building, user experience), real-world examples. |
| how to improve seo | 1,600 | Intermediate | Advanced guides, blog posts on specific SEO tactics, case studies, webinars | Focus on more nuanced strategies (content audits, technical SEO, advanced link building), data-driven insights, in-depth analysis. |
| how to increase seo | 1,300 | Intermediate | Advanced guides, blog posts on specific SEO tactics, case studies, webinars | Similar to “how to improve seo,” but may also include topics like scaling SEO and measuring ROI. |
Gemini’s analysis was helpful, but not its “how to increase SEO” suggestion. ChatGPT was different.
| Keyword | Volume | SEO Expertise (ChatGPT) | User Intent (ChatGPT) | Content Type & Elements (ChatGPT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| increase website traffic | 1,300 | Beginner | Looking for general ways to get more visitors | Blog post or guide, listicle style (e.g., “10 Proven Ways…”), visual diagrams, beginner-friendly SEO terms. |
| how to promote your website | 590 | Beginner | Seeking promotion strategies (possibly beyond SEO) | Educational blog post, includes SEO, social, email, PPC; use examples, infographics, and checklists. |
| improve website hits | 590 | Beginner | Non-technical term for traffic growth | Foundational guide; explain traffic vs. hits, SEO basics, include visuals, and “quick wins” section. |
| how to do seo | 2,400 | Beginner to Intermediate | Learning SEO from scratch | SEO starter guide, including glossary, step-by-step with visuals; embed video tutorials. |
| how to rank higher on google | 2,400 | Intermediate | Interested in actionable tactics for ranking | Tactical content (on-page SEO, backlinks, core web vitals); case studies, actionable tips, and tool guides. |
| how to improve seo | 1,600 | Intermediate | Already doing SEO, looking to optimize further | Advanced checklist or audit guide, SEO tools comparison, downloadable templates. |
| how to increase seo | 1,300 | Beginner to Intermediate | The broad goal of boosting SEO | Explainer with examples, keyword research basics, link-building strategies, FAQ format helpful. |
All three analyses — mine, Gemini, ChatGPT — contribute useful info, but humans must ultimately decide based on their expertise and experience.
There’s no need to create separate pages for each keyword. Instead, group keywords based on:
- Primary search intent,
- Semantic similarity,
- Searchers’ knowledge.
In short, keyword analysis helps create better content, much more than rankings alone.
