Lara, the presenter, introduces herself and explains that the webinar will focus on keyword research fundamentals, which she describes as being at the heart of all search strategies. She emphasizes that mastering the basics of how search engines match queries to results is essential for becoming an expert in search marketing.
The goals for the webinar are outlined: moving away from traffic as the sole metric for keyword value, understanding search intent and user journey mapping, identifying which keywords are better for paid versus organic search, and learning how to use Search Atlas effectively for both SEO and paid search keyword research.
- Keyword research is fundamental to all search marketing strategies
- The webinar aims to provide both conceptual understanding and practical tool usage
- Even experienced SEOs benefit from revisiting and mastering the basics
- All resources, including slides and templates, will be shared with participants
Using the Search Atlas platform, Lara demonstrates how to analyze keyword metrics using the keyword research tool. She breaks down various data points that appear when researching a keyword, including search intent, keyword difficulty (a logarithmic scale from 1-100 based on the authority of ranking sites), monthly search volume by location and device, and SERP features like knowledge panels and related searches.
Additional metrics discussed include topical search volume (related queries), cost per click (CPC) for paid campaigns, paid click percentage, competition level, and global volume. Lara explains that keyword difficulty is determined by analyzing the authority of sites ranking on page one, demonstrated by examining domain ratings of top-ranking sites.
- Keyword difficulty is calculated based on the authority of sites ranking on page one
- SERP features (knowledge panels, related searches, etc.) indicate how Google displays results for a query
- Search volume metrics are broken down by device and geographic location
- Domain ratings/authority metrics come from different tools (Ahrefs, Moz, Search Atlas) but all attempt to measure backlink profile strength
Lara introduces the four different types of search intent and explains how they map to the customer journey funnel. She describes informational intent as research-style keywords with low conversion probability (top of funnel), commercial intent as a blend between informational and transactional where users research specific products or services (middle of funnel), transactional intent as high conversion probability keywords where users are ready to buy (bottom of funnel), and navigational intent as users searching for specific websites.
Using examples like "how to learn to drive" (informational), "Samsung S25 specifications" (commercial), "buy iPhone 16" (transactional), and "Search Atlas login" (navigational), Lara illustrates how different keyword types correlate with different stages of the buyer's journey. She emphasizes that understanding intent helps create targeted content strategies for moving users down the funnel.
- Informational intent (top of funnel) has the lowest conversion probability but is important for capturing and educating potential customers
- Commercial intent (middle of funnel) shows research with purchase intent, making these valuable targeting opportunities
- Transactional intent (bottom of funnel) indicates high readiness to convert
- Navigational intent often indicates existing customers looking for specific destinations
- Understanding intent helps map content to different stages of the customer journey
Lara explains the concept of keyword length classification, breaking keywords down into short-tail, mid-tail, and long-tail categories. Short-tail keywords are generic terms with high search volume and competition (e.g., "pizza"), mid-tail keywords add modifiers that narrow the focus while retaining decent volume (e.g., "pizza in Dallas"), and long-tail keywords are highly specific with lower volume but also lower competition (e.g., "gluten-free pizzeria in Dallas").
She recommends that newer websites or businesses just starting with SEO should focus on mid-tail and long-tail keywords as lower-hanging fruit with less competition, before attempting to rank for more competitive short-tail terms. This approach allows businesses to build authority gradually while still capturing relevant traffic.
- Short-tail keywords have highest volume but also highest competition
- Long-tail keywords have lower search volume but much lower competition
- New websites should start with mid-tail and long-tail keywords as they're easier to rank for
- Keyword length strategy should match website authority and competitive position
Lara presents a quiz to help participants understand which types of keywords are better suited for paid advertising versus organic SEO efforts. For transactional keywords (high buying intent), she recommends initially focusing on paid campaigns while building organic efforts, as these high-value terms typically have strong competition in organic search. For informational keywords, organic content is typically better suited as users are seeking educational material rather than promotional content.
For navigational keywords (brand searches), she explains that both organic and paid strategies are important—organic to ensure you rank for your own brand, and paid to protect your ad space from competitor "conquesting campaigns" where competitors bid on your brand terms. For seasonal/trending keywords, paid campaigns are generally more effective as these terms have temporary relevance that doesn't align well with the long-term nature of SEO.
- Transactional keywords should utilize paid campaigns initially while building organic strength
- Informational keywords are best served through organic content strategies
- Both paid and organic approaches are important for navigational (branded) keywords
- Seasonal or trending keywords work better for paid campaigns than organic efforts
- Enterprise companies often use both paid and organic strategies for high-value keywords
Lara explains different keyword match types used in paid advertising and their relevance to organic search. She details broad match (widest targeting, includes related terms and synonyms), phrase match (requires the exact phrase to be included), and exact match (targets only the precise keyword with minor variations like plurals). She uses the example of "iPhone case" to demonstrate how these match types affect what searches trigger your content or ads.
She also covers negative keywords for paid campaigns, which exclude certain terms from triggering ads. For example, a luxury brand might add "cheap" as a negative keyword to avoid showing ads to users with budget constraints. Lara explains that while broad and phrase match help with discovery, Search Atlas automates much of this research process, allowing users to focus on exact match keywords without wasting budget on broader targeting.
- Broad match casts the widest net but can attract irrelevant traffic
- Exact match provides the highest precision targeting but limits reach
- Negative keywords help filter out irrelevant traffic in paid campaigns
- Search Atlas recommends exact match keywords because it automates the research process that broad match would otherwise serve
Lara demonstrates how to use the Content Planner tool in Search Atlas for organic keyword research. Starting with a seed keyword (e.g., "Dallas pizzeria"), the tool analyzes the top 20 pages ranking for that term and aggregates all the keywords those pages also rank for, clustering them by relevance. This approach provides a more comprehensive view than traditional broad match keyword tools, as it identifies semantically related terms that might not contain the exact seed keyword.
After generating clusters, Lara shows how to review and star relevant keyword groups for a client's specific needs. She then exports this data to a spreadsheet where it can be formatted with conditional color coding to quickly identify opportunities based on difficulty (red to green), search volume (white to green), and CPC (green to red). This visual system helps identify low-hanging fruit—keywords with low difficulty, good search volume, and reasonable CPCs.
- Content Planner finds semantically related keywords beyond simple broad matches
- The tool clusters keywords based on the top 20 ranking pages for your seed term
- Starring relevant clusters helps filter the most applicable keywords for a specific client
- Color-coded spreadsheets make it easy to identify low-difficulty, high-value keywords at a glance
- CPC data is valuable even for purely organic campaigns as it demonstrates the monetary value of ranking
Beyond simple search volume, effective keyword research requires a multi-dimensional approach that considers search intent, keyword difficulty, and user journey stages. By understanding the differences between informational, commercial, transactional, and navigational keywords, marketers can create targeted strategies that align with both business goals and user needs.
The practical application of these concepts through tools like Search Atlas's Content Planner streamlines what would otherwise be weeks of manual research into an efficient process that produces actionable insights. By visualizing key metrics through color-coded analysis, even complex keyword data becomes accessible for strategic decision-making and client communication.
So what? This approach to keyword research transforms SEO from a traffic-focused endeavor into a business-driving strategy that connects the right content to the right users at the right stage of their journey. Rather than chasing high-volume keywords indiscriminately, marketers who incorporate intent and difficulty analysis can achieve better results with lower competition, building authority progressively while demonstrating clear ROI through the monetary value (CPC) of the keywords they target.