The Shocking Truth About ChatGPT for Free Keyword Research in 2023 (Hint: It’s a Game Changer)

Introduction

Effective keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. With the right keywords, you can attract qualified visitors, rank higher in search engines, and grow your online presence. But keyword research can seem daunting, especially if you rely on expensive paid tools.

The good news is you can do robust keyword research entirely for free using the right techniques and resources. In this introductory chapter, we’ll cover:

• Why keyword research is essential for SEO success – Quality traffic and higher rankings depend on targeting keywords people actually search for.
• Limitations of outdated methods – The SEO landscape changes rapidly. Old keyword tactics may no longer work.
• Overview of free keyword research – You can find great keywords without expensive tools.
• Cutting-edge techniques – Emerging options like ChatGPT are transforming keyword research.
• Validating and prioritizing keywords – Making sure you focus on the best terms.

Why Keyword Research Matters for SEO

Keyword research lays the foundation for everything you do on-site and off-site. Targeting high-value keywords that get search volume and have less competition gives you the best chance to rank.

With the right keywords, you attract visitors actively looking for your products, services or information. Generic content without keyword research may get no traffic at all.

Ongoing keyword research also uncovers new opportunities. Search behavior evolves, new queries appear, and competition changes. You need to stay on top of trends.

In short, keyword research is the key to reaching people, driving traffic, and gaining visibility in search engines. It’s worth investing time to do it properly.

The Problem With Outdated Tactics

SEO has changed a lot over the years. Tactics that worked 5 years ago could actually hurt your rankings today.

For keyword research specifically, over-reliance on older free tools like Google Keyword Planner can lead you astray. Its suggested keywords are generic, outdated, and incomplete.

Paid tools also have limitations. They can cost hundreds per month, and focus heavily on exact match keywords. This ignores searcher intent.

Modern options like ChatGPT give you an advantage. But you need to blend traditional and emerging tactics for optimal results.

Keeping up with changes through ongoing research is key. Don’t stick rigidly to the same old keywords and assume they’ll keep working forever.

An Overview of What’s Ahead

In the upcoming chapters, we’ll explore proven techniques to find great keywords entirely for free, using both traditional tools and new AI.

We’ll start with keyword basics – understanding types, intent, and how to match keywords to searcher needs.

Next, we’ll cover powerful free tools from Google and other sources to uncover possible keywords.

We’ll also dive into advanced tactics like leveraging ChatGPT’s natural language processing for smarter keyword discovery.

Finally, we’ll look at validation – confirming keywords get search volume and have reasonable competition.

Equipped with the right knowledge and techniques, you can take your keyword research to the next level, setting your SEO efforts up for long-term success.

Keyword Research Basics

Before diving into specific keyword research tools and tactics, it’s important to understand some core concepts about keywords. This chapter will cover:

• The different types of keywords
• How keyword intent shapes content
• An overview of key factors that make a keyword “good” or not

With these basics in mind, you’ll be better equipped to research and select the right keywords for your content and SEO strategy.

Types of Keywords

There are 5 main types of keywords, each implying a different searcher intent:

Navigational Keywords

These keywords target people looking for specific pages on your own site, like “mysite.com pricing” or “mysite.com contact.”

Informational Keywords

Searchers want to learn or research a topic, like “how to bake bread” or “most fuel efficient SUVs.”

Commercial Keywords

Searchers are comparison shopping or researching products, like “electric skateboard reviews” or “should I buy an air fryer?”

Transactional Keywords

Searchers are ready to buy, evidenced by keywords like “buy nike shoes online” or “cheap flights to london.

Local Keywords

Users are looking for a product or business near them, using queries like “plumber in Dallas” or “Honda dealership Denver.”

Matching Intent with Content

To rank and drive traffic, you need to match the content to searcher intent:

• Navigational – Make sure you have a specific, dedicated page for important site sections
• Informational – Offer detailed, extensive information on a topic
• Commercial – Provide product reviews, comparisons, and recommendations
• Transactional – Enable purchases directly or link to shopping options
• Local – Tailor content and landing pages by location

Getting this right ensures searchers find what they want when they click to your content.

What Makes a Good Keyword?

There are a few core factors that determine keyword quality:

• Search volume – Higher search volume indicates more potential traffic
• Competition – Lower competition makes keywords easier to rank for
• Relevance – Keywords must closely match your content and offerings
• Commercial value – Transactional > commercial > informational
• User intent – Keyword must be a logical match for searcher intent

With an understanding of these fundamentals, you’re ready to start researching the best keywords for your needs. Next we’ll explore specific tools and tactics to uncover these gems.

Traditional Keyword Research Tools

Before AI and modern paid tools, marketers relied on a mix of free options to uncover keywords. While limited compared to new technology, these traditional tactics are still helpful for initial research. This chapter explores proven free keyword tools.

Google Keyword Tools

Google provides an array of free keyword tools, with techniques to uncover various types of keyword ideas:

Google Autocomplete/Suggest

• Start typing a keyword and view search suggestions
• Modify with blank underscores to reveal more phrases

People Also Ask

• Expand questions that searchers commonly ask
• Iterate through related questions

Keyword Planner

• Discover keyword ideas based on seed keywords
• See search volume estimates

Site: Operator

• Find the keywords your competitors rank for
• Uncover their top pages and content

Related Searches

• Reveal additional keyword ideas at the bottom of the results
• Iterate through each related search

You can amass extensive keyword ideas by combining these Google tools strategically for free.

Other Free Keyword Research Tools

Beyond Google, many other free resources exist:

• Competitor site maps – Find keywords in XML sitemaps
• Answers.com – View related questions and keywords
• Answer the Public – See keyword suggestions based on seed phrase
• Ahrefs Keyword Generator – Get keyword ideas and search volume
• Ubersuggest – Free alternative to Keyword Planner
• Soovle – Uncover keyword ideas from Google Autocomplete
• KeywordTool.io – Generates semantic keyword suggestions

Used together, these free tools can uncover thousands of possible keywords. They compensate for limitations in any single tool.

The next chapter explores modern tactics leveraging ChatGPT’s advanced AI for smarter keyword discovery. But even in 2023, these traditional free options still deliver value.

Using ChatGPT for Keyword Research

ChatGPT’s advanced natural language processing opens new possibilities for smarter, faster keyword discovery. Here’s how to leverage ChatGPT for expert-level keyword research.

Top-Down Keyword Research

You can use ChatGPT to take a top-down approach, starting with high-level topics and drilling down:

1. Ask ChatGPT to suggest top content categories for your niche
2. Choose a promising category and ask for subtopics and questions
3. Mine the generated questions for informational keywords
4. Ask for other keyword types like commercial and transactional

This top-down flow lets you quickly map topical clusters and mine keywords based on your site structure.

Bottom-Up Keyword Research

Alternatively, take a bottom-up approach:

1. Ask ChatGPT for keyword suggestions related to your niche
2. Ask ChatGPT to group keywords by semantic relevance
3. Review the groups to identify promising topical clusters
4. Break clusters down further or expand them with additional questions

You can develop content topics and site structure by starting with keywords first.

Customizing for Keyword Types

You can ask ChatGPT to generate different keyword types:

• Broad questions for informational keywords
• Comparisons and reviews for commercial keywords
• Intent-driven queries for transactional keywords
• Local keywords for geographic intent

This allows you to gather different keywords tailored to your goals easily.

The next chapter covers validating keywords for search volume and competitiveness. But by leveraging ChatGPT, you can skyrocket the speed and quality of your initial keyword research.

Validating and Prioritizing Keywords

Once you’ve uncovered possible keyword opportunities, the next step is validating and prioritizing your list to focus on the best terms.

Confirming Search Volume

You need to confirm your target keywords actually have decent search volume. Here are two options:

Google Trends

Google Trends provides search volume estimates. Tips:

• Use broader terms if exact match shows no data
• Change location scope if targeting a specific country
• Look for upward trends and seasonality

Ahrefs Keyword Generator

While limited to individual countries, Ahrefs provides clear search volume data.

Evaluating Keyword Difficulty

Next assess keyword difficulty using metrics like:

• Domain authority of current top rankings
• Strength of backlink profiles
• Brand authority of competing pages

Ideally:

• Install MozBar to check DA on Google rankings
• Leverage data in Ahrefs or SEMrush
• Review manually as well

Prioritizing Your Keyword List

With search volume and difficulty validated, you can now prioritize keywords, starting with:

• High relevance keywords with decent search volume
• Lower difficulty targets you can realistically rank for
• Keywords that align with your content and monetization goals

As your site grows, you can target higher competition keywords. But ideal early targets are accessible keywords relevant to your offering.

Ongoing research is crucial as the landscape shifts. But with the right validation process, you can focus your efforts on keywords with the highest return potential.

Conclusion

Effective ongoing keyword research is essential for SEO success. With the right approach, you can find great keywords and optimize your content for higher rankings.

In this guide, we covered:

• Keyword basics – Types, intent, and factors that make a quality keyword
• Traditional tools – Leveraging free options like Google tools and Ahrefs
• ChatGPT tactics – Using AI to speed up and improve research
• Validating keywords – Confirming search volume and competitiveness
• Prioritizing targets – Focusing on accessible keywords first

The key takeaways are:

• Adapt your tactics as the landscape changes
• Blend traditional and emerging keyword research options
• Match keywords to searcher intent with relevant content
• Validate keywords thoroughly before targeting
• Be strategic with keyword prioritization

With the right keywords driving traffic, you can sustainably increase visibility and rankings.

Remember to revisit your research frequently. Search behavior evolves continuously. You need to stay on top of the latest trends and opportunities.

The FAQ chapter provides additional tips for organizing ongoing keyword research as part of your overall SEO strategy.

But with the knowledge from this guide, you now have an expert-level grasp of proven keyword research tactics. You’re equipped to find high-value keywords and leverage them for SEO success.

FAQs

This chapter provides answers to common questions around ongoing keyword research.

How often should I be doing keyword research?

Ideally, keyword research should be a continuous process, not a one-time event. Aim to revisit your core keywords every 3-6 months, while also reviewing new opportunities at least monthly.

What specific metrics determine keyword competitiveness?

Main factors are domain authority/trust of current rankings, strength of their backlink profile, brand authority, and how long they’ve ranked. Use tools like MozBar to check.

Is it better to use multiple keyword tools or focus on just 1-2?

A blended approach works best. Use Google and ChatGPT for initial ideas, then validate with Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush. Each has strengths and weaknesses.

How should I organize and track keywords for creating content?

Use spreadsheets, Trello boards, or keyword tracking software. Group keywords by theme, topic, type, priority level, etc to match to your content roadmap.

At what point is it advisable to target high-competition keywords?

Only after your site establishes significant trust/authority, which usually takes 6-12+ months. Start with “low-hanging fruit” keywords before tackling tougher targets.

Doing thorough keyword research and strategically targeting the best opportunities will lead to long-term SEO success. Let me know if you have any other keyword questions!