Keyword research has long been the starting point for how I’ve built out comprehensive search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. Looking back, I now view this as my biggest mistake.
It turns out that results are not all that matter. After conducting a few project post-mortems, I realized that, despite delivering measurable results, I lacked operational efficiency and, at various points in each project, kept needing to go back to the basics of SEO pre-research.
In academia, pre-research is that initial phase of gathering information about a particular topic or subject -- often including keywords -- to gain the context and perspective necessary before deciding to go deeper. In many instances, researchers will shift their focus based on what they discover during this phase.
Neglecting this phase was my biggest mistake because it’s a mistake I made more than once.
On some occasions, I simply dove into keyword research first because I was excited to get started on a particular project. On others, I reacted (rather than responded) to the sense of urgency I felt to drive immediate results. And then, there were the times when some shiny new SEO tool captured my attention because it made researching keywords easier and more visually elegant than the massive spreadsheets I’d been using.
In each of these scenarios, I was jumping directly into the muddled middle rather than gathering the perspective I needed.
Enter 'Arena States' And 'Edge States'
Keeping up with changes in the SEO world can be a full-time job (Brian Dean of Backlinko has become my go-to source for learning), but despite deep reads about updates to the Google RankBrain algorithm and about strategies to optimize for dwell time and other user experience signals, I still felt I needed a better grasp on this pre-research phase.
So, I came up with “arena states” and “edge states” -- two related concepts that fall under the SEO pre-research banner.
Arena States
This phase is all about imagining (yes, seriously) all the keywords that fit somewhere in the arena of your product or service. While some may refer to these as latent semantic indexing (LSI) keywords, I see them encompassing a broader category.
Part of what makes the SEO keyword research tools so great is that they’re machine-based; they can sift through vast amounts of information in seconds. But being a machine is also their limiting factor. While many of them can surface related keywords and long-tail queries worth considering, they’ll undoubtedly miss ideas and topics that you can gather thanks to your understanding of the product or service and being human.
Imagine a basketball arena, with the logo at center court representing the most coveted keywords in your space. Let this serve as your metaphor. Then compile a list of related SEO keywords and queries that are in the arena of your product or service. A few keywords (those on the actual court) may be directly related to your product, while others, including those with potentially massive search volumes and low competition, may be behind the garbage can near the concession stand.
Let’s say you’re offering an expensive artificial intelligence (AI)-driven platform in the e-commerce space. A tool will likely surface keywords around AI and retail, and capture data around what your competitors are ranking for, but it may miss frequently searched terms, such as “visual merchandising,” for example, that have high search volumes but low competition.
Those searching for “visual merchandising” aren’t likely in the market for an expensive AI platform, but in today’s ultra-competitive SEO space, all audiences in the arena are worth engaging -- especially if it means thousands of them will be interacting with your content and considering your site an educational resource.
Edge States
Edge states aren’t yet in the arena, but they have the potential to be center court. These are the keywords, phrases and queries on the edge of possibly becoming an industry standard. Getting a head start on them now will position your company well for the future.
Over the years, I’ve learned that a select group of leading market research and advisory firms typically set the language and phrasing trends. They usually produce fantastic content, and because they can conduct in-depth research about niche sectors, they’re often on the frontlines of how those sectors are changing -- and how to describe the offerings within them.
Listen to their podcasts and dig through some of their reports; you’ll likely discover relevant new keywords that are worth building a strategy around and owning.
I know it can be exciting to dive into SEO keyword research, but a little time spent on pre-research can help you avoid future barriers and uncover new insights.
