Keyword research
Research beyond Google
Explore the language and questions people use on relevant social platforms and AI tools. Use these findings to understand audience needs; platform activity is not a search-volume measure.
The starting point
Before you begin.
Customers ask questions in many places before they use a search engine. Communities, social posts, and support conversations can show the language people use and the objections they raise.
The process
How to put it into practice.
- Choose platforms your audience actually uses and look for recurring questions or terminology.
- Record the context: what people ask, what format they prefer, and where they are in the decision.
- Use patterns to inform helpful content, then separately validate demand in your own search data.
Choose channels that fit the audience and collect recurring questions with enough context to interpret them. Group the questions by need and compare them with your website and Search Console data. Decide whether a page, video, sales answer, or support resource is the right response.
A practical example
What this could look like.
Questions in an industry forum may reveal concerns to address on a service page or in a tutorial.
Review the work.
Keep the evidence behind your decision: the pages you checked, the date range, the data source, and any assumptions. If you make a change, record what changed and check it again using the same method where possible.
Search visibility can move for many reasons, so compare relevant periods and avoid attributing an inquiry or ranking change to one action without supporting evidence.
What to keep in mind.
A popular post, AI response, or social comment does not establish Google search volume.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions.
Can social engagement tell me a keyword’s search volume?
No. Likes and comments measure activity on that platform, not how often people search on Google. Use each source for the question it can answer.
Should we publish everything people ask about?
No. Prioritize questions your business can answer accurately and that are relevant to the people you want to help.
What to do next.
Choose one relevant page or question, document what you find, and agree on the next action before expanding the work. Review the result using the data available to your business.
For the fundamentals, read what SEO is and how it works. If you need hands-on help, explore my SEO services.