How do I get keywords for a post or video?

Keywords for an Idea finds the keywords for one piece of content: a post, a video or both. It needs no site on your account. Every signed-in account can use it, and it costs 5 credits.

Step by step

1. Open Tools in the left menu.
2. On the Keywords for an Idea card, press Get Keywords.
3. Under Your idea, describe the piece the way you would tell a colleague: what it is about, who it is for, and where you want it to rank (Google, YouTube or both). One or two sentences is enough.
4. Under Market, pick the country whose searches to use: United States, United Kingdom, Canada or Australia.
5. Press Find Keywords · 5 Credits.
6. Read the answer. The page shows each step while it works and opens the answer when it is done, in about two minutes. You can close the page; we email you when the keywords are ready.

Reading the answer

• Primary keyword: the phrase that says what your piece is. Build the title around it. It is chosen by meaning, never by volume, so it can have no measured searches.
• Other ways to say it: other phrasings of the whole piece. Use one in the title or the description; pick a measured one if you want the volume.
• Keywords for each section: what the piece needs to cover, in reading order. Use them as headings and in the text.
• Why not the bigger searches: phrases with more searches that lost, and why.
• Related topics: the same subject, a different need. Each is worth its own piece.
• Your phrases: your own words, with what we measured for each.

The keyword lists have Copy All, and What this is based on has the Markdown and CSV downloads. Every block is explained in How does Keywords for an Idea work, and how do I read the answer?.

Good to know

• Fewer than 5 credits? You can still write your idea, but the button stays off and the page offers credits: the One site plan is $29 for 100 credits.
• If it fails or you stop it, the 5 credits come back and you can run it again.
• Your past ideas are listed under Your ideas on the Tools page.
• With a site later: attach the answer to one of your sites and that site's research starts from these keywords.