Keyword Research

Almost all SEO begins with keyword research. Understanding what people are searching for and how many people are searching helps form a solid content strategy.

Beyond the basics, keyword research encompasses many more advanced considerations, including SERP features, keyword search intent, competitive analysis, and even internationalization.

Read the latest Moz posts on keyword research. We’ve also included links to our most popular keyword research resources to help your SEO journey.

Keyword Research : Everything you need to get started with keyword research.

Keyword Research Learning Center : Our free keyword research learning hub. Here, we’ve gathered our top resources in one place.

What is search intent and why does it matter? : Learn more about the power of search intent and how to use it in your keyword research strategy.

Keyword Explorer : Want to dive in? Try our top-rated keyword research tool, with over 500 million keyword suggestions.

Most Recent Articles on Keyword Research

What to Do When the Wrong Page Ranks for Your Keyword(s)
Rand Fishkin

What to Do When the Wrong Page Ranks for Your Keyword(s)

Picture this: You discover that your site is ranking for a keyword you've been targeting. Cause for celebration, right? But what if that ranking page is irrelevant, wrong, or simply not the best choice? This frustrating situation is more common than you might think. Rand shows you how to cope when you find that your valuable queries are sending traffic to the wrong URLs in today's Whiteboard Friday.

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Using Related Topics and Semantically Connected Keywords in Your SEO
Rand Fishkin

Using Related Topics and Semantically Connected Keywords in Your SEO

Back in February, we explored balancing keyword targeting with concept targeting. This time around we're looking at using your knowledge of related topics and semantic connections in your on-page SEO processes. In today's Whiteboard Friday, Rand talks about applying those ideas in ways that will boost your ranking potential and inform your keyword research.

How to Optimize for Competitors' Branded Keywords
Rand Fishkin

How to Optimize for Competitors' Branded Keywords

It's probably crossed your mind before. ​Should​ you optimize for your competitors' branded keywords? How would you even go about it effectively? Well, in today's Whiteboard Friday, Rand explains some carefully strategic and smart ways to optimize for the keywords of a competitor, from determining their worthiness to properly targeting your funnel to using third-party hosted content for maximum amplification.

Can SEOs Stop Worrying About Keywords and Just Focus on Topics?
Rand Fishkin

Can SEOs Stop Worrying About Keywords and Just Focus on Topics?

Should you ditch keyword targeting entirely? There's been a lot of discussion around the idea of focusing on broad topics and concepts to satisfy searcher intent, but it's a big step to take and could potentially hurt your rankings. In today's Whiteboard Friday, Rand discusses old-school keyword targeting and new-school concept targeting, outlining a plan of action you can follow to get the best of both worlds.