Did you know that over 91% of online experiences begin with a search engine, emphasizing the importance of understanding and leveraging the right keywords?
Seed keywords form the foundation of keyword research and are essential for crafting effective SEO strategies.
You may not realize it, but you’ve probably worked with seed keywords before if you’ve written a blog or done keyword research.
They are one of the first things you need when building a strong content strategy for your website. They help you uncover broader topics, generate related keywords, and create content that resonates with your audience.
Explore what seed keywords are, why they’re crucial, and how you can find and use them to improve your SEO strategy. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your approach, this guide will give you all the tools you need to succeed.
What Are Seed Keywords?
Seed keywords are basic words or phrases that describe the main ideas or topics of your website. They are usually one or two words long. For example:
- A bakery could use seed keywords like “bread,” “pastries,” or “cakes.” These keywords might guide content like “Top 10 Pastries to Try This Year” or “How to Make the Perfect Loaf of Bread.”
- A fitness coach might choose words like “workout,” “fitness,” or “diet.” These could inspire blog posts like “5 Quick Workouts for Busy Schedules” or “Healthy Diet Plans for Beginners.”
This list of seed keywords are the foundation for finding more specific phrases, called long-tail keywords. For example, starting with “pastries” could lead to “best pastries in New York” or “how to make pastries at home.”
Seed keywords help you understand your niche and organize your website’s content around what people are searching for. By tailoring your content to these terms, you ensure it aligns with user interests and search engine algorithms.
Why Are Seed Keywords Important?
The simple truth is this:
Your success starts with the quality of your keywords.
This is why seed keywords are crucial for building an effective search engine optimization strategy. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and Ahrefs Keywords Explorer rely on your seed keywords to generate ideas. The better your input, the more valuable your output.
Let’s say your seed keyword is “coaching.” If you plug it into Ahrefs, you’ll get seed keyword ideas like “life coaching tips,” “best coaching certifications,” or “how to find a coach.” These potential seed keywords can serve as the foundation for your content strategy, ensuring you target what your audience is searching for.
But what happens when you start with a stronger list of keywords? Let’s expand from just “coaching” to include:
- life coaching
- executive coaching
- wellness coaching
- career coaching
Run this expanded list through your tool of choice. Suddenly, you’re looking at hundreds, if not thousands, of related keywords, from niche topics like “career coaching for students” to high-intent queries like “best wellness coaching programs.”
The takeaway? The more refined your seed list, the better your results.
Seed keywords also help you build content clusters—a critical element of modern SEO. For example:
- Seed Keyword: SEO tools
- Cluster Content: “How to Use Free SEO Tools,” “SEO Tools for Beginners,” “The Best SEO Analytics Software.”
By structuring your site around these topics, you’ll rank higher and ensure your content matches user intent and yield a better monthly search volume.
How to Find Seed Keywords
A lot of articles about keyword research skip over the importance of seed keywords. They often dive straight into advanced tools or strategies without giving this crucial first step the attention it deserves.
These articles might suggest vague approaches like:
- Think about terms related to your product or service
- Explore related long-tail keywords
- Look at competitors’ keywords
While these methods aren’t wrong, they don’t always provide a clear, actionable way to go from an idea to a full list of potential keywords.
So, let’s make this easier. Here are seven methods to find seed keywords that are straightforward, practical, and designed to get you results.
1. Brainstorm obvious keywords
Sometimes, the simplest approach is the most effective. Start by brainstorming obvious keywords and synonyms for your topic or industry. Think about the terms your customers use to describe your business or products.
For instance, if you own a pet store, you might come up with words like:
- “Dogs”
- “Cats”
- “Pet food”
Write down all the variations that come to mind. Collaborate with your team or even survey your customers to get fresh ideas. Remember, the way people talk about your industry is often different from the way you do.
2. Use Google’s search features
Google’s search engine is a goldmine for keyword ideas. Here’s how to tap into it:
- People Also Ask (PAA): Search for a broad term, like “SEO,” and scroll to the questions in the PAA section. Questions like “What is SEO?” or “How do I improve SEO?” can point you toward relevant keywords.
- Related Searches: Check the suggestions at the bottom of Google’s search results. For example, a search for “SEO tools” might lead you to terms like “SEO for small businesses” or “free SEO tools.”
These features are user-driven, which makes them excellent indicators of real-world search behavior.
3. Leverage GSC
If you already have a website, Google Search Console (GSC) is one of the easiest ways to find seed keywords. Here’s how to do it:
- Open GSC and navigate to Performance > Queries.
- Look for high-impression keywords. These are terms people are already using to find your site.
You can export this list and use it as a starting point for building out your seed keyword strategy.
4. Study competitor keywords
Your competitors have already done a lot of the hard work for you. Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to uncover the keywords they rank for. Here’s why this is so effective:
- It shows you what’s working in your industry
- It helps you identify gaps in your own keyword strategy
For example, let’s say you run a beauty brand. A competitor might rank for terms like “vegan makeup” or “natural skincare products.”
These are great starting points for your seed keyword list. GrowthOG’s link-building strategies can also help you understand how to build on these keywords effectively.
5. Dive into online communities
Reddit, Quora, and niche forums are fantastic places to learn what your audience is talking about. Here’s how to use them:
- Search for your topic on Reddit, such as “DIY skincare.”
- Explore subreddits like r/SkincareAddiction or r/DIYBeauty.
- Look for popular questions, like “What’s the best way to make a natural face mask?”
Quora is also valuable. Search for your topic and read the most upvoted questions and answers. The language and terms people use can reveal new seed keywords.
6. Utilize keyword tools
There’s no shortage of tools to help you find seed keywords. Some of the best include:
- Google Keyword Planner: Enter a broad term, and it will generate a list of related keywords.
- Ahrefs Keywords Explorer: This tool provides detailed insights, like search volume and keyword difficulty.
- SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool: Group related keywords into clusters and see their potential impact.
For instance, if you type “fitness equipment” into Ahrefs, you might discover keywords like “home gym setups” or “best treadmills for small spaces.”
7. Analyze Website Navigation Menus
Competitor websites often reveal their top keywords in their navigation menus. For example, an online clothing store might categorize products under terms like:
- “Formal wear”
- “Sportswear”
- “Accessories”
These categories are excellent indicators of the seed keywords they’re targeting. If the menus don’t provide much insight, check their category pages instead. These often contain descriptive headings and subcategories filled with keyword-rich terms.
How to Use Seed Keywords
Here are some practical, actionable ways to use seed keywords effectively:
1. Build topic clusters
Start with a seed keyword and create a “pillar page” around it. A pillar page acts as the central hub for a broader topic, covering it in depth. Supporting pages are then built around related subtopics and linked back to the pillar page.
This structure helps search engines understand the relationship between your pages and boosts your site’s topical authority.
For example:
- Pillar Page: “The Complete Guide to SEO” — This could include an overview of SEO, its importance, common techniques, and tips for beginners.
- Supporting Pages: “How to Use SEO Tools” (explaining keyword research tools and audits) and “SEO Tips for Beginners” (offering actionable advice like creating meta tags or improving page speed).
By linking the supporting pages to the pillar page, you create a strong network of interrelated content that improves user experience and search engine rankings.
2. Add keywords naturally
Seed keywords should be used strategically and seamlessly throughout your content. Here’s how:
- Titles and Headings: Place seed keywords in your titles and headings to signal relevance to both readers and search engines.
- Meta Descriptions: Include seed keywords to improve click-through rates by matching search intent.
- Main Content: Use seed keywords naturally within your text. Avoid forcing them in ways that disrupt readability.
For instance, if your seed keyword is “SEO tools,” a natural integration might look like this: “SEO tools can help you identify high-performing keywords and improve your site’s visibility.”
3. Use Internal Links
Internal linking ties your content together, creating a clear structure for both users and search engines. Use descriptive anchor text that includes your seed keywords when appropriate.
For example:
- Link to GrowthOG’s guide on link equity to demonstrate how internal and external links contribute to SEO.
- Connect related supporting pages back to your pillar page, like linking “SEO Tips for Beginners” to “The Complete Guide to SEO.”
This practice not only keeps readers engaged but also improves crawlability, helping search engines better understand the relationships between your pages.
Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Ignoring search intent by not looking at the SERPs
Some queries require an article. Others require a sales page or even a category page. Take the keyword “winter perfumes,” for example. Although it might sound transactional, the SERPs show listicles as the dominant content type. This means your best bet would be to create an article outlining the best perfumes for winter, link insertion to sales pages where appropriate.
Mistake #2: Blindly following keyword difficulty metrics
Keyword difficulty (KD) scores are helpful but not definitive. Analyze the SERPs for the keywords you’re considering to see which domains are ranking. Tools like LowFruits can help identify keywords with weak competition on the first page.
Mistake #3: Focusing only on high-volume keywords
High-volume keywords are competitive and often hard to rank for. Instead, target long-tail keywords like “best treadmills for small spaces,” which have less competition but higher conversion potential.
Mistake #4: Overlooking commercial and transactional keywords
Informational keywords are great for traffic but don’t neglect transactional intent. For example, keywords like “buy perfume online” or “best accounting software” attract users ready to purchase.
Mistake #5: Allowing keyword cannibalization
Avoid targeting semantically similar keywords, like “London vs. Paris” and “London or Paris,” with separate articles. Use clustering tools to group these together and create a single, comprehensive piece.
Mistake #6: Missing crucial seed keywords
Before starting your research, identify different ways your audience describes the same thing, such as “perfume” versus “fragrance.” Missing these variations could leave valuable keywords undiscovered.
Measuring the Success of Your Seed Keyword Strategy
To establish success with seed keywords requires more than getting to the first page of the search engine. Although it is possible to compare keyword rankings, such figures are far from disclosing all the aspects of effective keywording.
The success of your keyword campaigns should actually be represented by a portfolio of keywords that grows, diversifies and evolves over the years.
1. Expand your keyword footprint
Track the growth and diversity of your keyword portfolio. Effective seed keywords should generate a wider range of related terms and long-tail keywords, increasing your overall search visibility.
- Tip: Tools like Google Search Console are invaluable. They help you track the number of keywords each page ranks for, average ranking positions, and the clicks and impressions those keywords drive. If you haven’t set it up yet, now’s the time!
2. Monitor user behavior metrics
Keywords should drive meaningful interactions. High engagement and low bounce rates are clear indicators that your content aligns with your audience’s intent.
- Leverage Google Analytics to evaluate metrics like:
- Bounce rate: Are users staying on your page or leaving quickly?
- Time on page: Are they consuming your content?
- Click-throughs: Are users exploring additional pages, adding products to their cart, or taking desired actions?
3. Refine and improve
Evaluate your keyword research process regularly. Analyze which seed keywords are driving the most engagement, and adjust your strategy accordingly. Focus on:
- Keywords that generate high impressions and clicks.
- Content areas with low engagement, signaling potential misalignment with user intent.
Advanced Seed Keyword Strategies
One of the common and powerful backlink building methodologies to improve your website’s SEO ranking is the application of high seed keywords. Here’s how to effectively implement these strategies:
1. Develop topic clusters to boost topical authority
To start with, choose a base or main keyword that concerns a rather wide topic related to your industry. This will form the basis of your content, it will act as the bedrock upon which you will build all your content.
For example, if your seed keyword is ‘digital marketing’ it will be possible for you to create a single, comprehensive pillar page, for instance: ‘The Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing’. This pillar page should offer one of the best descriptions of the topic to readers.
Proceed and create cluster content that will provide further information regarding the subtopics like Content Marketing Strategies, SEO best practices and social media advertising.
When you connect these cluster pages to the pillar page, you form a network of content that calls to the attention of the search engines that you are an authority in the given topic.
2. Create content targeting relevant seed keywords
Use your seed keywords to find and create content that meets the visitor’s’ specific needs in terms of information search. Keenly conduct keyword research in order to establish more related words and phrases that anybody that might visit the website is trendy to use.
For instance, if your seed keyword is “vegan recipes”, other keywords might include; “simple vegan dinner recipes”, “instant vegan sweets”, or “vegan meal plans with high protein”.
3. Generate keyword clusters connected by a parent topic
Research your content topic and put similar keywords that pertain to a similar topic into one cluster with the more general topic being the parent topic. This approach guarantees coverage of all aspects of a given subject area and helps improve your site’s organization.
For example, the parent topic may be ‘home fitness’ – into which, you may develop subtopics like ‘home workouts,’ ‘effective home equipment,’ and ‘home exercises for the novice.’
Seed Keyword Best Practices
Seed keywords allow the targeting of broader categories that in turn lead to long-tail variations with comparatively low competition, but higher conversion.
For example, a broad seed word such as ‘exercise’ will generate specific phrases like ‘cardio exercises for the fresher’, ‘strength training exercises at home’- expanding the content type and the potential viewers.
- Research Deeply: Other techniques like Google Keyword Planner or using Ahrefs will be useful to find similar keywords and niche opportunities.
- Focus on Intent: Key Web page content types must meet the needs of the user: informational, transactional, and navigational.
- Optimize Smartly: This also works with titles, meta descriptions and the actual content of your site through Keyword Integration.
- Create Valuable Content: Engage your audience with quality specific niche content.
- Refine Regularly: Always rely on performance data in order to fine-tune and optimise your keyword strategy.
Over to You
There’s no doubt that seed keywords are one of the most important parts of the overall SEO strategy. They determine what content you need to create and help factorize keywords into clusters, attract staking organic traffic.
A quick recap:
- Find the keywords representing the starting point of your interest area and the targeted audiences.
- Discover which ones to use using other tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs under volume, competition, and purpose criteria.
- Create a coherent seed keyword list by categorizing all terms according to their relation to a common theme.
GrowthOG can assist you with moving to the next level with seed keywords.
So are you ready to learn how to create high ranking pages and traffic?
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