Seed keywords are the building blocks of a successful SEO strategy. They’re also a critical component of effective keyword research.
But what makes a good seed keyword? And how do you find them?
This article will teach you how to find seed keywords that support your keyword research and organic performance.
In This Article
What Are Seed Keywords?
Seed keywords are the starting point for your keyword research. They are broad, general terms (also called “short-tail”) that you can use to generate a list of long-tail keywords.
For example, if you’re in the fitness industry, some seed keywords might be “workout,” “exercise,” or “fitness.”
You use these terms in keyword research tools to generate related keywords.
For example, if we used our seed keyword of “fitness,” we may get results like “easy fitness plans” or “fitness centers near me.”
Ultimately, seed keywords allow you to expand your keyword list and guide your content creation efforts.
What Is a “Good” Seed Keyword?
A good seed keyword is brief, clear, and relevant to your business. It’s often a short-tail keyword consisting of only 1 or 2 words.
Seed keywords have high competition and search volumes, meaning they’re not ideal for targeting in your content.
Instead, a good seed keyword will help you discover other low-competition keywords you can actually rank for.
Choosing strong seed keywords is crucial as they form the basis for your entire keyword strategy.
Why Are Seed Keywords Important for Keyword Research?
Seed keywords are important for keyword research because they help you:
- Discover long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are more specific keyword phrases that can help you rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). They’re less competitive than short-tail keywords, making them valuable ranking opportunities.
- Align your content with audience interests. By understanding the terms your audience uses in search engines, you can learn which content will resonate with them. This information allows you to tailor your content accordingly and boost engagement.
- Build topic clusters for your content strategy. Seed keywords can help you organize your content into topic clusters. By grouping related topics together, you can create a more cohesive and authoritative website. This can improve your website’s overall SEO and user experience.
How to Find Seed Keywords [5 Quick & Easy Ways]
1. Brainstorm Keyword Ideas
The first way is to brainstorm a list of broad keywords related to your niche or industry.
You can do this by:
- Thinking about the terms people might use to search for your products or services
- Looking at your website’s existing content
- Checking out your competitors’ websites
There are no bad answers for this step, so just write anything that’s relevant to your business.
Here’s an example:
Imagine you’re a hairstylist. Your list of brainstormed seed keywords may look like this:
- Haircut
- Hairstyle
- Balayage
- Pixie cut
2. Use the Google Autocomplete Feature
Google has an autocomplete feature when entering a query into the search box.
To use this, just type in your seed keyword without hitting enter. The autocomplete feature will populate results, which you can add to your seed keyword list.
You can repeat this process for each of the keywords you brainstormed.
3. Look at the People Also Ask Box
You can also enter a keyword into Google Search and view the results in the People Also Ask (PAA) section.
This area of the SERP presents users with questions related to their initial query.
Here’s an example of PAA results for the same query we used in our last section:
You can look at both questions and answers to find seed keywords.
All the words underlined in orange in the above screenshot could be considered seed keywords.
4. Check Your Existing Rankings
If you already have a website, you can check your existing rankings to see which keywords are already driving traffic to your site. These keywords can be used as seed keywords for further research.
The one caveat is that it requires an SEO tool.
Some popular options include:
- LowFruits – best for small business owners
- Google Search Console – works for websites of any size
- All in One SEO – ideal for WordPress users
Let’s briefly look at how to find seed keywords in each tool.
Starting with LowFruits, you’ll go to the Extract tool and click on the Ranking tab.
Then, enter your domain into the empty field box and click Extract.
LowFruits will generate a report of all your ranking keywords and their positions, which you can download to your computer by clicking the blue download button. (You can also open a new report in LowFruits for the Top 10 or Top 100 keywords using the purple and yellow buttons on the right.)
At this point, you’ll have several seed keywords from your existing rankings that can support more in-depth keyword research.
For the next tool, we’ll look at Google Search Console.
You can check SEO rankings by navigating to the Performance report.
Then, make sure you’re on the Queries tab. This is where you can find a list of your top queries, all of which can be used as seed keywords.
Finally, if you’re a WordPress user, All in One SEO (AIOSEO) connects with your GSC account to show rankings directly in WordPress.
The Keyword Rank Tracker displays which queries you rank for and their keyword metrics. You can use these queries as seed keywords to build topic clusters or enhance your content strategy.
5. Analyze Competitors’ Keywords
The last way to find seed keywords is to extract competitor keywords.
This process is easy in LowFruits.
You’ll use the same tool you used in our last section (the Extract tool), but instead of entering your domain, you’ll enter your competitor’s websites. You can also include multiple competitors at once.
LowFruits will generate an XLS spreadsheet of your competitors’ ranking keywords and monthly search volumes that you can download to your computer.
These keywords can inspire your keyword research and inform your content strategy as you outrank the competition.
Next Steps: How to Use Seed Keywords
Once you have a list of seed keywords, you can use them to generate more specific keywords. You can do this by:
- Adding modifiers: You can add modifiers like “best,” “cheap,” “free,” or “easy” to your seed keywords.
- Using keyword research tools: Keyword research tools like LowFruits, Semrush, and Ahrefs can help you generate more keyword ideas.
- Using question-based keywords: Question-based keywords can help you create content that answers people’s questions. This type of content performs well in SERP features like People Also Ask and Things to Know.
Here are some additional resources for improved keyword research:
- 6 Best Long-Tail Keyword Research Tools [Free & Paid]
- Keyword Research for Small Business Owners [Easy DIY Guide]
- How to Do Local SEO Keyword Research [5 Easy Steps}
- Keyword Research Trends You Need to Know [2025]
- 8 Keyword Research Tips for Small Businesses [Beginner’s Guide]
Final Thoughts
Seed keywords are the foundation of any successful keyword research strategy.
By following the tips in this article, you can find and use seed keywords to support your content strategy and improve your website’s visibility in organic search.
