Steal My SEO Keyword Research Spreadsheet

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Hey, friends!

It’s me, Connor Gillivan, again for your weekly dose of SEO tips 👋🏻

Ever tried keyword research and it felt like rocket science?

It doesn’t have to. Because, really, it isn’t.

The key is being organized and intentional, which starts with having a system.

So if your process looks more like pulling random terms from Ahrefs, let me help you.

Build on my keyword research spreadsheet, and let’s get strategic about ranking.

Need a pro to run your SEO? I’ve been scaling businesses for 10+ years with SEO. Let’s talk about how I can do the same for you.

1/ Keyword

This is the target search term you want to rank for and should focus on with SEO content.

Generate ideas using tools like Ahrefs or Semrush, picking out terms that your ICP actually searches for on Google.

Pro Tip: Start broad to open up a big pool of ideas, then niche down to get higher-intent, lower-competition phrases.

2/ Volume

This is your keyword’s search volume on Google, which means the number of times it’s searched for every month.

You might hear people chasing keywords with 1,000+ monthly searches. The problem is that those terms are ultra-competitive. 

Instead, I aim for a search volume of 30+. 

They’re easier to rank for. Plus, lower volume keywords are often the fastest path to traffic–and, eventually, leads and revenue.

3/ Keyword Difficulty

This metric tells you how competitive a keyword is. 

It’s important to get realistic about what you can rank for, given your Domain Rating.

So, let’s say you have a new website with a DR of <30. You can’t go swinging at the giants.

Stick to terms with a KD of 0 to 10, such as long-tail keywords. They’re less competitive, more specific, and easier to rank for. 

4/ Hub

This is the pillar content category related to your primary keyword and that each piece of content fits into.

Example:

Hub: “ecommerce bookkeeping”

Your pillar content should cover this topic comprehensively. All sub-topics under the same hub should tie back to it as well. 

5/ Spoke

If your “hub” is the main category, your “spokes” are the sub-categories of the hub related to the keyword you’re targeting.

Example:

Hub: “ecommerce bookkeeping”

Spoke: “Shopify bookkeeping”

6/ Funnel

This is the level of the funnel that your keyword and content addresses.

It should clarify where the searcher is in their journey and help you match content with search intent:

• TOFU (Top of the Funnel): Your searcher is trying to understand a problem or learn about a concept.

• MOFU (Middle of the Funnel): Searcher is looking for solutions.

• BOFU (Bottom of the Funnel): Searcher is ready to buy.

7/ Format

Do you need a blog or a service page? 

You’ll find the answer on SERPs.

Here’s how to check:

• Google your target keyword.

• Examine the content types that are currently ranking.

• Match your content format with the top results.

Pro Tip: Match Google’s intent, not your own. You can’t win with a blog post if Google clearly favors a service page.

8/ Group

Now, it’s time to execute.

Group keywords based on the month you want to write and publish the SEO content. This should also help you publish consistently.

Aim for an output of 2 to 5 articles per month if you’re just starting.

Build Your Content Roadmap

Do you use a keyword research spreadsheet like this one?

If not, now’s the time to do so.

Create your own or build on mine–and boom! You don’t have just a list of keywords. You have a content roadmap.

No more guessing. Or wasted blog posts. Ever.

Want to delve deeper into keyword research? Get in-depth training on keyword strategy with my SEO course, The SEO System. 

Plus, unlock the exact daily, weekly, and monthly process I used to scale from zero to $12M in revenue.

Catch you again next week!

Connor

Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:

1. My SEO Course: “The SEO System” teaches the exact daily, weekly, and monthly SEO processes I’ve used to scale multiple companies to 6, 7, & 8 figures in sales. Available for pre-sale now!

2. TrioSEO: Hire me & my team to create SEO content for your business. We’ll create a comprehensive SEO plan, execute, & keep you updated so your business gains more traffic, leads, & sales. Get a Free SEO Audit.

3. Promote yourself to 100,000+ SEOs, marketers, & entrepreneurs by sponsoring this newsletter and my social channels. (Booked out 1 month). Email me for info.

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