Advanced tips and techniques for Keywords Explorer

Advanced Tips and Techniques for Using Keywords Explorer

Keywords Explorer is a powerful tool for keyword research, enabling you to uncover valuable insights for your SEO and content marketing strategies. To fully leverage its capabilities, you need to go beyond basic keyword searches and explore advanced features and techniques. Here are some expert tips to help you maximise your use of Keywords Explorer:

1. Leverage "Parent Topic" for Broader Content Strategy

The "Parent Topic" feature in Keywords Explorer helps you identify broader topics related to your keyword that you can target. Instead of focusing on a single keyword, consider targeting the Parent Topic, which represents the most popular page ranking for the given keyword.

Technique:

• After entering a keyword, navigate to the Parent Topic section.

• Analyse the Parent Topic to understand if it's a better or broader term to target.

• Use this insight to create pillar content that can cover a wide range of subtopics, improving your chances of ranking for multiple related keywords.

2. Analyse "Keyword Difficulty" Beyond the Number

Keyword Difficulty (KD) is often seen as a simple metric, but diving deeper into this can yield more nuanced insights. Rather than just avoiding high KD keywords, consider the factors influencing the difficulty.

Technique:

• Check the top-ranking pages for the keyword with a high KD.

• Analyse their backlink profiles, content length, and overall domain authority.

• If your website can match or exceed these factors, targeting a higher KD keyword might still be worth it, particularly if it offers high traffic potential.

3. Use the "Questions" Feature for Targeting Long-Tail Keywords

The "Questions" tab within Keywords Explorer is a goldmine for finding long-tail keywords, which are often easier to rank for and can drive highly targeted traffic.

Technique:

• Enter your primary keyword and switch to the "Questions" view.

• Extract the list of questions users are asking related to your keyword.

• Create content that directly answers these questions, which can position you as an authority and increase your chances of ranking for voice search queries.

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4. Incorporate "Traffic Potential" Over Search Volume

Search volume is an important metric, but focusing solely on it might not give you the full picture. Traffic Potential considers the overall traffic a top-ranking page for a keyword could receive, which can sometimes be more important than search volume alone.

Technique:

• After identifying a keyword, look at the Traffic Potential for the top-ranking pages.

• Prioritise keywords with higher Traffic Potential, as they indicate the possibility of driving more visitors to your site if you rank well.

5. Utilise "SERP Features" for Rich Snippets Opportunities

SERP features like Featured Snippets, People Also Ask, and Knowledge Panels can significantly enhance your visibility. Keywords Explorer shows you which SERP features appear for your targeted keywords.

Technique:

• Identify keywords with SERP features like "Featured Snippets" or "People Also Ask."

• Optimise your content to answer these queries concisely, using bullet points, lists, and clear headings to increase your chances of being featured.

6. Combine "Content Gap" Analysis with Keywords Explorer

While Keywords Explorer is excellent for discovering new keywords, combining it with the "Content Gap" analysis can uncover opportunities where your competitors rank but you don’t.

Technique:

• Use the "Content Gap" tool to find keywords your competitors rank for that you don’t.

• Take these keywords and input them into Keywords Explorer to get detailed insights.

• Prioritise creating or optimising content around these keywords to fill the gaps and improve your ranking.

7. Filter by Clicks to Identify Keywords with High Engagement

Not all keywords with high search volume lead to high click-through rates. Filtering by clicks can help you focus on keywords that not only get searched but also drive traffic to websites.

Technique:

• After generating a keyword list, apply the "Clicks" filter to focus on keywords with higher average clicks.

• This ensures that you’re targeting keywords where users are more likely to click through to a website, rather than just performing the search.

8. Exploit "Traffic Share by Domains" for Competitive Insights

Understanding who dominates the SERPs for your target keywords can provide strategic insights. Keywords Explorer’s "Traffic Share by Domains" feature shows which domains are capturing the most traffic for a given keyword.

Technique:

• Identify the top domains capturing traffic for your keywords.

• Analyse their content strategies, backlink profiles, and user engagement metrics.

• Use these insights to refine your strategy, aiming to capture a portion of that traffic by improving or differentiating your content.

9. Use "Newly Discovered" Keywords to Stay Ahead

The "Newly Discovered" feature in Keywords Explorer identifies keywords that have recently started gaining search volume. These are often less competitive and offer early ranking opportunities.

Technique:

• Regularly check the "Newly Discovered" keywords related to your industry.

• Create content around these emerging topics to gain an early advantage in the SERPs, potentially securing a top spot before competition intensifies.

10. Employ Advanced Filters for Targeted Research

Keywords Explorer provides various filters that can refine your keyword research process. Advanced filters such as "Word Count," "Clicks," "Return Rate," and "Volume" allow for more targeted keyword discovery.

Technique:

• Use the "Word Count" filter to identify long-tail keywords with three or more words.

• Apply the "Return Rate" filter to find keywords with higher user engagement.

• Combine these filters to narrow down your keyword list to the most relevant and valuable options for your content strategy.

Conclusion

Mastering Keywords Explorer involves more than just entering a keyword and reviewing the search volume. By leveraging advanced features such as Parent Topics, Traffic Potential, SERP Features, and combining these with strategic filtering and competitive analysis, you can uncover hidden opportunities and refine your SEO strategy. These techniques will help you target the most valuable keywords, stay ahead of the competition, and ultimately drive more targeted traffic to your website.

Also check Mastering Website and Technical Metrics: A Strategic Guide for Digital Success