Key takeaways
- Keyword research identifies the search terms your target group uses, including search volume and search intent.
- Fan-out research identifies the sub-questions into which AI systems break down a query. Most of them have no measurable search volume.
- A keyword map assigns terms and sub-questions to individual URLs and is the basis for site structure and content plan.
- Depending on the project, the keyword map covers 10, 25 or 50 planned pages.
- We identify terms with the same search intent via overlaps in the search results, so that pages do not compete with each other.
What keyword research is
In keyword research we identify the terms and word combinations your target group searches for, along with their search volume. We work with tools such as SISTRIX and DataForSEO. We group the terms by topic into clusters. Each cluster later becomes a page.
The research is therefore more than a list: it determines the structure of your website. We also look at your competitors, which often reveals niches that are hardly covered so far.
What fan-out research adds
AI systems such as Google AI Mode break a question down into several related search queries to retrieve additional results for their answer. Google calls this query fan-out. These sub-queries hardly show up in classic keyword tools, because most of them have no measurable search volume.
We retrieve the fan-outs for your most important topics several times until no new ones appear, and count how often each sub-question occurs. A sub-question that appears in every run must be answered by the corresponding page. Important: we do not create a separate page for each sub-question. According to its own documentation, Google considers that a violation of its policy on scaled content abuse.
What belongs in a keyword map
A keyword map is an ordered overview in which the researched terms and sub-questions are assigned to individual URLs. It is the basis for new content and shows in ongoing reporting how well individual pages rank for their topics.
Scroll table sideways →
| Page (H1) | Keywords and search volume | Search intent | AI sub-questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate for underfloor heating | laminate underfloor heating (1,900), laminate suitable for underfloor heating (480) | Information with purchase intent | Which thermal resistance is permitted? Which underlay fits? |
| Laying laminate | laying laminate (12,100), how to lay laminate (1,300) | How-to | Which tools do I need? How wide should the expansion gap be? |
Further columns include the target and current URL, implementation status and notes on the competition. We adapt the scope to your project and budget: depending on your needs, the keyword map contains 10, 25 or 50 planned pages.
How we avoid cannibalisation
Two pages that serve the same search intent compete with each other in the search results. Whether two terms belong together cannot be read from their wording, but from the search results: if Google shows largely the same URLs for both terms, they belong on one page. We run this comparison for all important terms before the keyword map is finalised. On existing websites this also reveals pages that should be merged.
How we work on the research
You know your market, your products and your customers best. That is why we contact you proactively whenever questions come up during research. We store all planned keywords in your Looker Studio report, so you can see up-to-date data on positions and visitors at any time.
“Tom has been at our side since 2019 and takes care of our entire SEO marketing professionally and reliably. After the successful presentation of the SEO concept including keyword analysis, implementation started very quickly. Thanks to targeted lead magnets we have already made interesting new contacts.”
Tom is responsible for strategy, content and technical SEO at Tokato Media and has worked in search engine optimisation since 2017. Together with Katharina Frenzel he supports companies ranging from regional SMEs to online shops with an international audience.
More about the team