Knowledge check: keyword research
1. The top 10 results for “running shoes” are all product category pages. What does this tell you about intent?
- a. It’s an informational query
- b. It’s transactional - Google rewards category pages
- c. It’s navigational
- d. The SERP is broken
Answer
b. Read search intent.2. KD = 18 for a keyword. The top 10 are all DR 80+ brands. What should you trust?
- a. The KD - it’s easy
- b. The SERP - it tells you the real competition
- c. Volume only
- d. AI Overviews
Answer
b. Always sanity-check KD against the actual SERP. See KD and volume.3. Two pages on your site target “best running shoes for wide feet.” What’s likely happening?
- a. Doubled rankings
- b. Cannibalisation - Google picks one and suppresses the other
- c. Nothing
- d. They share rankings
Answer
b. See the keyword map page.4. Where should you start when researching keywords for an existing site?
- a. Ahrefs keyword explorer
- b. Reddit
- c. Your own GSC queries report
- d. Wikipedia
Answer
c. GSC tells you what Google already associates with your site. See how to find keywords.5. Why do long-tail keywords often outperform head terms for ecommerce?
- a. Higher intent, lower competition, less AI Overview cannibalisation
- b. They have more volume
- c. They have higher KD
- d. Google rewards length