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Greetings, everyone! I've been meaning to write this piece for quite some time now. When I first ventured into SEO, I found it all very confusing, and every tool seemed ridiculously expensive. So, I'd like to share with you the process I used to create content when I started out, without spending a penny. I'll provide resources, tips, and tactics to help you out.
[KEYWORD RESEARCH] Whenever you ask someone how to do keyword research, they'll launch into long monologues about how to get the most out of Ahrefs, what to do in Ahrefs, which options to use for hidden keywords in Ahrefs, and so on. Everyone seems to adore Ahrefs, but it costs a whopping $99 per month. That's a lot of money to invest if you have zero income! Besides, your keyword research skills will be subpar when you're just starting out.
Instead, let me share some tips on doing keyword research for free.
First and foremost, I recommend downloading the free MOZBAR plugin, which displays PA/DA in search results. This will be useful in determining whether a keyword is easy or difficult to rank for, based on the strength of the websites in the search results. Once you know how strong the websites are in the search, it's time to start looking for some keywords.
Let's say you have a fashion website and want to write about sneakers. If you simply type "best sneakers" into the search bar, you'll get extremely strong results with a DA of 60+ most of the time.
Impressive websites! Rather than spending our time on this particular site, let's use a tool that I highly recommend KW Sheeter. This tool is capable of generating a plethora of keywords based on your input. For instance, we can enter 'Best Sneakers' into KW Sheeter and let it run for a few minutes to get a wide range of keywords. Check out the link here: https://keywordsheeter.com/
After using KW Sheeter for approximately 5 minutes, I was able to generate 617 related keywords, which is quite impressive. To access the list, simply navigate to the bottom of the page and click on it. Once you have accessed the list, select all by pressing CTRL+A, copy by pressing CTRL+C, and paste it into an empty text file.
When going through the list, you should use Google Search and Mozbar to assess the viability of each keyword. Avoid keywords that are overly saturated and commonly covered, such as "best sneakers nike." Instead, look for search results with low domain authority (DA) and few articles on the topic.
Since I am unfamiliar with the fashion niche, I am scrolling through the list and selecting keywords that I think may have low competition. While doing so, I came across an intriguing keyword that meets the criteria mentioned above.
The search results look promising. The top result is a forum, and while the third result is not entirely on topic, the remaining results are relevant but broad. Even with a weak domain, it seems practical to explore these results. However, the second result has a low DA of only 7.
To further research these keywords, I usually save them in an empty text file and continue with the list from KW Sheeter until I've checked everything interesting. After this process, I end up with a shorter list of potential keywords.
To analyze the ranking potential of each keyword, there are a few factors to consider. Firstly, it's important to assess how many results are on topic and the strength of the websites. Ideally, there should be some results with a DA of 10 or higher.
Secondly, it's worth looking at the content length of each result. While some results may seem promising at first, if every page on the first search page has 6K+ words and great on-page SEO, it may not be worth the time and effort to try to rank for that keyword.
It's crucial to note that discovering a potentially valuable keyword that lacks on-topic results is an important opportunity. However, if the top 10 search results cover a broad topic with lengthy, comprehensive content, it may indicate that the competition is strong, and it's best to move on. Conversely, if the results are on-topic but have low domain authority (DA) and short content length, that's a positive sign.
Moreover, if the top-ranking articles for the keyword are short, it suggests that the competition may not have optimized their content effectively. Additionally, using Ahrefs' free Keyword Suggestion tool is an effective way to determine search volume and acquire more details about a given keyword. The tool returns the first match for any query, providing valuable insights into the keyword's potential.
Well! Really, this is just so...meh. Under ten per month? You could possibly see some hits, but ultimately it's not a very good KW. Whether or not you intend to complete an article is a decision you must make at this time. Unless you rank for absolutely nothing, I wouldn't bother with this.
([FREE] HOW TO STAKE COMPETITOR KWS)
Allow me to switch tactics with you.
Can you recall the technique used to identify potential rivals? intitle:The niche "Is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program"?
Finding the bad competitor and plugging them into Ahrefs is the standard recommendation when using this technique. Although that is the quickest option, what if you are on a tight budget?
The Surfer SEO tool and the MOZbar might be useful here. A fantastic free plugin is available for SurferSEO that will include search volume in the output.
Continue with sneakers by entering this into a search engine: intitle:sneakers Are affiliates of Amazon.com, Inc. or a subsidiary.
The ideal sites for you would have a DA under 10 and at least 5,000 unique visitors per month.
Excellent job on getting 17,000 website traffic with just 8 domain authority. Impressive!
Our next step is to search for all the articles indexed in Google for the siteyoujustfound.com by using the search query 'site:siteyoujustfound.com'.
Keep in mind that for on-page SEO, the article titles should contain the target keyword. So, go through each article and identify any potential keywords that would fit well. Once you have identified a good keyword, plug it into Google and check if any pages ranking in the top 3 positions have a domain authority lower than 10.
There seems to be an improvement in search volume this time around, although it is still not great, especially for a new website.
I won't sugarcoat it - these two methods can be challenging and time-consuming, and may not always produce the desired results. However, they don't cost anything. I've personally found success using these strategies when I was starting out, so I wanted to share them with you.
[OnPage] Once you've done your keyword research, all you need to do is optimize your OnPage factors and you'll start ranking in no time.
FREE ONPAGE CHECKLIST I've noticed people asking for an OnPage checklist on the forum, so I've included a link to a "BASIC" checklist that will help you get started. Link --->
[RESOURCES] Here are a few resources that I've used and continue to use today for keyword research without spending any money.
I inspect these two on a DAILY basis!
Dont forget, join 30 day free semrush trial :
www.semrush.com
Good luck.
[KEYWORD RESEARCH] Whenever you ask someone how to do keyword research, they'll launch into long monologues about how to get the most out of Ahrefs, what to do in Ahrefs, which options to use for hidden keywords in Ahrefs, and so on. Everyone seems to adore Ahrefs, but it costs a whopping $99 per month. That's a lot of money to invest if you have zero income! Besides, your keyword research skills will be subpar when you're just starting out.
Instead, let me share some tips on doing keyword research for free.
First and foremost, I recommend downloading the free MOZBAR plugin, which displays PA/DA in search results. This will be useful in determining whether a keyword is easy or difficult to rank for, based on the strength of the websites in the search results. Once you know how strong the websites are in the search, it's time to start looking for some keywords.
Let's say you have a fashion website and want to write about sneakers. If you simply type "best sneakers" into the search bar, you'll get extremely strong results with a DA of 60+ most of the time.
Impressive websites! Rather than spending our time on this particular site, let's use a tool that I highly recommend KW Sheeter. This tool is capable of generating a plethora of keywords based on your input. For instance, we can enter 'Best Sneakers' into KW Sheeter and let it run for a few minutes to get a wide range of keywords. Check out the link here: https://keywordsheeter.com/
After using KW Sheeter for approximately 5 minutes, I was able to generate 617 related keywords, which is quite impressive. To access the list, simply navigate to the bottom of the page and click on it. Once you have accessed the list, select all by pressing CTRL+A, copy by pressing CTRL+C, and paste it into an empty text file.
When going through the list, you should use Google Search and Mozbar to assess the viability of each keyword. Avoid keywords that are overly saturated and commonly covered, such as "best sneakers nike." Instead, look for search results with low domain authority (DA) and few articles on the topic.
Since I am unfamiliar with the fashion niche, I am scrolling through the list and selecting keywords that I think may have low competition. While doing so, I came across an intriguing keyword that meets the criteria mentioned above.
The search results look promising. The top result is a forum, and while the third result is not entirely on topic, the remaining results are relevant but broad. Even with a weak domain, it seems practical to explore these results. However, the second result has a low DA of only 7.
To further research these keywords, I usually save them in an empty text file and continue with the list from KW Sheeter until I've checked everything interesting. After this process, I end up with a shorter list of potential keywords.
To analyze the ranking potential of each keyword, there are a few factors to consider. Firstly, it's important to assess how many results are on topic and the strength of the websites. Ideally, there should be some results with a DA of 10 or higher.
Secondly, it's worth looking at the content length of each result. While some results may seem promising at first, if every page on the first search page has 6K+ words and great on-page SEO, it may not be worth the time and effort to try to rank for that keyword.
It's crucial to note that discovering a potentially valuable keyword that lacks on-topic results is an important opportunity. However, if the top 10 search results cover a broad topic with lengthy, comprehensive content, it may indicate that the competition is strong, and it's best to move on. Conversely, if the results are on-topic but have low domain authority (DA) and short content length, that's a positive sign.
Moreover, if the top-ranking articles for the keyword are short, it suggests that the competition may not have optimized their content effectively. Additionally, using Ahrefs' free Keyword Suggestion tool is an effective way to determine search volume and acquire more details about a given keyword. The tool returns the first match for any query, providing valuable insights into the keyword's potential.
Well! Really, this is just so...meh. Under ten per month? You could possibly see some hits, but ultimately it's not a very good KW. Whether or not you intend to complete an article is a decision you must make at this time. Unless you rank for absolutely nothing, I wouldn't bother with this.
([FREE] HOW TO STAKE COMPETITOR KWS)
Allow me to switch tactics with you.
Can you recall the technique used to identify potential rivals? intitle:The niche "Is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program"?
Finding the bad competitor and plugging them into Ahrefs is the standard recommendation when using this technique. Although that is the quickest option, what if you are on a tight budget?
The Surfer SEO tool and the MOZbar might be useful here. A fantastic free plugin is available for SurferSEO that will include search volume in the output.
Continue with sneakers by entering this into a search engine: intitle:sneakers Are affiliates of Amazon.com, Inc. or a subsidiary.
The ideal sites for you would have a DA under 10 and at least 5,000 unique visitors per month.
Excellent job on getting 17,000 website traffic with just 8 domain authority. Impressive!
Our next step is to search for all the articles indexed in Google for the siteyoujustfound.com by using the search query 'site:siteyoujustfound.com'.
Keep in mind that for on-page SEO, the article titles should contain the target keyword. So, go through each article and identify any potential keywords that would fit well. Once you have identified a good keyword, plug it into Google and check if any pages ranking in the top 3 positions have a domain authority lower than 10.
There seems to be an improvement in search volume this time around, although it is still not great, especially for a new website.
I won't sugarcoat it - these two methods can be challenging and time-consuming, and may not always produce the desired results. However, they don't cost anything. I've personally found success using these strategies when I was starting out, so I wanted to share them with you.
[OnPage] Once you've done your keyword research, all you need to do is optimize your OnPage factors and you'll start ranking in no time.
FREE ONPAGE CHECKLIST I've noticed people asking for an OnPage checklist on the forum, so I've included a link to a "BASIC" checklist that will help you get started. Link --->
[RESOURCES] Here are a few resources that I've used and continue to use today for keyword research without spending any money.
https://www.semrush.com/ -- 10 daily check
https://www.wordtracker.com/ -- 12 daily check
https://app.neilpatel.com/en/ubersuggest -- 3 daily check (I don't like this guy)
https://ahrefs.com/keyword-generator -- infinite checks
I inspect these two on a DAILY basis!
https://ahrefs.com/webmaster-tools --You are eligible to register for Ahrefs' free webmaster tools if you own the website.
Dear friend, please don't overlook this opportunity. By signing up, you will have access to all of Ahrefs' features for your website, including Backlinks and Keywords.
https://www.semrush.com/ -- Just like Ahrefs, you can add your website as a project on Semrush to track it for free.
Dont forget, join 30 day free semrush trial :
Grow your business and captivate your audience online
Free 7-day access to 55+ tools on SEO, content, competitive research, PPC and social media.
www.semrush.com
Good luck.
