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Glossary Term

Keyword Research.

Learn what Keyword Research means in modern search and SEO.

Part of speechnounOriginOld English: cǣg (key) + Old English: word + Latin: re (again) + cerchier (to search)

The process of identifying the search terms your target audience uses to find information, products, or services relevant to your business.

Keyword research is the foundation of SEO strategy—the systematic process of discovering, analysing, and prioritising the search queries your target audience uses. It considers search volume (how many people search a term), keyword difficulty (how hard it is to rank), search intent (what the searcher wants), and business relevance (whether ranking would drive valuable traffic).

Beyond Single Keywords

Modern keyword research extends beyond individual terms to keyword clusters (groups of semantically related terms that can be addressed by one piece of content), intent mapping (aligning keywords to the appropriate content format and funnel stage), and topic authority building (identifying the complete universe of queries in a topic area). Tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz provide the data; strategy determines which opportunities to pursue.

AI-Era Keyword Research

As AI systems handle more informational queries directly, keyword research now also considers which terms trigger AI Overviews, which have high click-through potential despite AI summaries, and which represent opportunities in emerging AI-driven question formats. Question-based keywords and long-tail conversational queries are increasingly valuable.

Articles about Keyword Research

Read more on the Aergos blog.

How to Choose an SEO Agency Without Getting Burned
AgencyJune 8, 2026

How to Choose an SEO Agency Without Getting Burned

Most businesses don't realize they've hired the wrong SEO agency until three months and several thousand dollars are already gone. Here's how to vet agencies properly before you sign anything.

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How to Get Your Brand Cited in ChatGPT: A Practical 2026 Playbook
AI SearchJune 7, 2026

How to Get Your Brand Cited in ChatGPT: A Practical 2026 Playbook

Getting ranked on Google and getting cited in ChatGPT are two different games. This playbook breaks down the exact GEO moves that put your brand inside ChatGPT's answers — not just near them.

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GEO vs SEO: What's Actually Different (and Why You Need Both in 2026)
AI SearchJune 4, 2026

GEO vs SEO: What's Actually Different (and Why You Need Both in 2026)

SEO gets your page ranked. GEO gets your brand cited inside an AI-generated answer. They share a foundation — but the mechanics diverge in ways that matter. Here's what's actually different and how to play both.

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Your Client Sent You an AI SEO Audit. Here's How to Respond.
AgencyJune 3, 2026

Your Client Sent You an AI SEO Audit. Here's How to Respond.

Clients are showing up with AI-generated SEO audits from ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity and expecting action. Here's how to evaluate what's real, handle the conversation without being condescending, and use the moment to build trust instead of losing it.

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AI Visibility Tools Compared: What Actually Works in 2026
AI SearchJune 1, 2026

AI Visibility Tools Compared: What Actually Works in 2026

AI visibility tools are multiplying fast, and the differences between them matter more than the marketing copy suggests. Here's an honest, practitioner-level breakdown of what each platform actually measures, what it misses, and how to choose the right one for your stage and size.

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The 2026 Guide to Ranking in Both SEO and AI Search
AI SearchJune 1, 2026

The 2026 Guide to Ranking in Both SEO and AI Search

Search has split into three disciplines — SEO for rankings, AEO for answer boxes, and GEO for getting cited by AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. This is the 2026 master guide to winning all three without running three separate playbooks. If you bookmark one resource this year, make it this one.

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