How should you group keywords and prioritize them?

Keyword grouping should start with whether searchers want to accomplish the same thing. Then use similarities in search results and the scope of the content to determine whether one page can address those needs. When setting priorities, consider business relevance, search intent, search volume, and ranking difficulty together. Similar wording alone does not justify grouping keywords together, and keywords with the highest search volume do not automatically deserve top priority. Groups worth investing in should have genuine demand and a reasonable chance of ranking, while also fitting the website’s content and business goals.

Group by search intent first, not just shared words

Semrush’s article on keyword clustering explains that the key is understanding what users want to accomplish: learn something, find a particular website, compare options, or make a purchase. These categories can serve as a starting point, but you still need to examine the answer each query requires. Not all informational keywords belong on the same page.

For example, queries that include both apple cider vinegar and dog shampoo can reflect different needs. Some people want to know how to bathe a dog using apple cider vinegar, while others are looking for commercially available shampoos containing it. The first group needs instructions; the second needs product options. Having many words in common does not mean the queries belong in the same piece of content.

Use search results and content depth to decide whether queries belong on one page

After creating initial groups, compare the search results for each keyword. If the same pages rank well across these queries, that generally supports putting the keywords in the same group, but it is a clue rather than a hard rule. Next, check the following:

• Would separate pages be too thin? If each page would only repeat a small amount of information, combining them may be more appropriate.
• Would a combined page be too broad? If one page would have to address too many different needs, consider splitting it up.
• Would readers want to read these topics together? If a typical user would want to explore these subtopics together, there is a stronger case for putting them on one page.

Along with comparing search results, check that a single piece of content can fully answer the queries, rather than merely include related terms.

Confirm that a group is worth targeting before comparing volume and difficulty

Following Semrush’s evaluation approach, you can first exclude keywords that are unrelated to the business or whose intent does not match the planned content, then compare the remaining groups. In general, higher search volume and lower difficulty indicate a better opportunity. But even appealing metrics may not make a keyword worth targeting if it does not serve business goals.

• Demand: Search volume reflects demand for a query, while potential traffic estimates the visits that high rankings could generate. These are different measures.
• Feasibility: General keyword difficulty reflects competition, while site-specific difficulty assesses how hard it would be for a particular domain to rank.
• Value: Check whether the content can satisfy search intent and help achieve business goals. Cost per click can provide an indication of commercial value, but it should not determine priority on its own.

Turn keyword groups into a plan for your pages

For each group, first draft a page title that captures the topic, then choose a primary keyword. This is usually a term that best represents the topic and has relatively high search volume. Use the remaining terms with the same intent as secondary keywords, and develop the content with related subtopics. You do not need a separate page for every keyword.

You can use a spreadsheet to record each group, planned page, primary keyword, search intent, and the reason for its priority. Manual review lets you check more carefully whether keywords belong together, but becomes time-consuming with large lists. Tools can help organize keywords, but decisions about combining or separating them should still depend on searchers’ needs and whether the content can meet those needs.

At Procrustes, we turn the questions that genuinely matter to our clients into articles, with ongoing content planning, writing, and updates.