How to Find and Use Keyword Phrases: From Seed Keywords to Content Organized by Search Intent

To find keyword phrases, start by listing seed keywords for your products or services, then expand your candidate list using search suggestions, keyword tools, and questions in search results. Next, filter the phrases by search intent, search volume, and business relevance. Work suitable phrases naturally into the titles and content of relevant pages. The goal is not to collect as many terms as possible, but to understand the need behind each phrase and whether your page can address it.

Start with products and services, then explore specific needs

In a 2023 article, awoo recommends first identifying seed keywords closely related to your brand. For example, a kitchen business could start with “gas stoves” and “dishwashers,” while a moving service could compile terms such as “recommended movers” and “Taipei movers.” Use keyword planning tools, search suggestions, or related searches to expand these lists.

• Add modifiers: Drawing on Backlinko’s approach to generating programmatic SEO ideas, combine a core term with locations, uses, comparisons, or questions to find phrase patterns. You still need to check whether the variations share the same search intent.
• Collect readers’ questions: Use “People Also Ask” (PAA) to identify article topics or questions your content has not yet answered. For example, “when to apply serum” could lead to a section on when to use it.
• Keep candidates relevant to your business: After expanding the list, check whether the terms still relate to your products, services, or content you can provide.

Identify search intent before comparing search volume

Similar wording does not necessarily mean phrases belong on the same page. Semrush’s explanation of keyword clustering notes that searching for how to bathe a dog with apple cider vinegar may reflect an informational need, while looking for dog shampoo containing apple cider vinegar may reflect a commercial need. When grouping phrases, consider what users want to accomplish, not just shared words.

When evaluating candidates, search for each term and see whether the results are primarily tutorials, product pages, videos, or maps. Then decide what type of content to create. Tools and AI can help organize phrases and questions and suggest initial categories, but people still need to make the final choices.

Search volume also matters. In a 2026 article, Duane Forrester cautions that ranking highly for a term almost nobody searches for may not deliver meaningful value. However, search volume is only a starting point. You still need to check the underlying need and whether the content can meet it.

Work phrases into answers rather than turning articles into lists

Once you have chosen your phrases, build titles and paragraphs around the needs they represent. Forum participants differ on whether titles should use the exact target phrase: some prefer an exact match, while Farhan Ayub advocates working keywords naturally into a readable title. These are personal recommendations, not search engine rules.

There is also no need to use keywords a fixed number of times in the body text. Kay King describes using the main phrase and its variations naturally, taking the length of the piece into account and avoiding excessive repetition. If an existing article lacks answers to relevant questions, add specific sections. The purpose of using keyword phrases is to make content more relevant to users’ needs, not simply to repeat the same phrase more often.

At Procrustes, our content services include ongoing planning, writing, and updating of articles around the questions our clients genuinely care about.