Keyword and AI prompt research for SEO and GEO
Keyword research shows which problems and phrasings bring people to search, which pages should answer them and where your site has gaps. I collect keywords from Google data and SEO databases, check intent against live search results, group them into clusters and assign each cluster to an existing or new page. For GEO, I add a map of the questions and buying scenarios people bring to ChatGPT, Perplexity and other AI systems.
For a first estimate I only need your website, your priority services and the countries you target.
When does keyword research
save time and budget?
Before pages and content get produced. Reworking a site structure after launch takes longer than deciding up front where each part of demand should go.
A new site is being planned
Keywords define sections, service pages, categories and article topics before design starts, so each part of the structure has demand behind it.
An SEO project is starting
Your team gets one list of priority keywords and knows which pages to work on first.
The old keyword list stopped helping
It has piled up duplicates, outdated search volumes, off-target phrases and URLs that no longer exist on the site.
Content goes out without a map
Articles cover overlapping topics, compete with each other or with your service pages, and do little to support the pages that sell.
New products, locations or service lines
General demand has to be separated from local demand to see where separate pages are needed.
GEO runs on random prompts
There is a list of prompts, but it is unclear which of them relate to a buying decision, which facts should answer them and where that answer should live.
keywords come before pages and copy – reworking the structure after launch costs more
How do I split the SEO and GEO layers?
Classic search runs on keywords, search volume and what ranks in the results. AI search runs on questions, comparisons, buying situations, entities and the facts your content has to cover. Both layers sit in one project, on separate sheets, and follow different methods.
| Aspect | SEO layer | GEO layer |
|---|---|---|
| Unit | A search keyword and its cluster | A question or scenario someone brings to an AI system |
| Source data | Google Keyword Planner, autocomplete, search results, SEO databases, your site and competitors | Customer questions, comparisons, search results, current AI answers and your brand facts |
| Priority | Demand, intent, relevance, competition and the role of the page | Business value, buying stage, whether confirmed facts exist and gaps in current content |
| Output | A cluster and a target URL | A page or source, an entity, the facts it needs and the answer format |
| Limitation | Search volume depends on location, period and source | No prompt volume is shown as a confirmed metric without project data |
What is included
in the research?
Brief and scope
- Services, categories, locations and languages to cover
- Business priorities and topics you do not want to rank for
- Known competitors in search and in your market
- Boundaries agreed up front, so the file does not fill up with irrelevant volume
Site and competitor analysis
- Current structure and indexed pages
- Queries your site already gets impressions for in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools
- Sites that hold the top results for your priority topics
Keyword collection
- Google Keyword Planner and Google autocomplete
- Semrush or Ahrefs databases, including keywords your competitors rank for
- Your own Search Console queries, if the site already has traffic
- Source and export date recorded for every phrase
Search volume and location
- Volume for the agreed country, region or city
- Seasonal swings flagged where they change priority
- Estimates from different tools kept in separate columns and never blended
Cleanup and intent
- Duplicates and junk phrasings removed
- Competitor brands and queries outside your offer removed
- Every remaining keyword labeled by intent, buying stage and page type
SERP-based clustering
- Keywords grouped by overlap in live Google results
- Disputed groups checked by hand
- One primary landing page per cluster, unless the results show different intents
Page map
- Each cluster tied to an existing URL, a new page or a merge
- Cannibalization risks flagged where two pages chase the same cluster
- Outdated and conflicting URLs listed separately
Site structure and content topics
- A section map and a priority list of new pages
- Informational topics linked to the commercial clusters they support, so the blog leads toward an inquiry
AI question map (GEO layer)
- Questions grouped by buying situation, comparison, problem, location and trust checks
- Drawn from People Also Ask, Reddit and niche forums, your sales and support questions and current AI answers
- Entities, required facts, answer format and target page for each group
- Not billed separately – the rate counts search keywords only
How does the project run?
Scope
I confirm products, locations, site type and how you plan to use the file. For a live site I also review current URLs and analytics.
Test pull and estimate
A quick pull on your main topics shows how many final keywords to expect and how long the work will take. Large projects are split into agreed stages; the rate stays $0.25.
Collection and cleanup
I merge the sources and remove duplicates and phrases that have nothing to do with what you sell.
Clustering
I check intent and SERP overlap, then assign every group to a page or to a future piece of content.
GEO layer
I map AI questions, entities, facts and answer formats. Search volume and AI priority stay in separate columns, and AI questions are not counted as billable units.
Review and handover
I go over the final groups, mark the disputed calls and walk you through the file, so your team knows what to build first.
What goes into
the final file?
One spreadsheet with a search sheet and a GEO sheet, plus a short structure document. Everything stays with you, and any contractor can work from it.
Clean keyword list
Keywords with their source, location, collection date and the search volume data available.
Clusters
Groups of keywords with one shared intent and one primary landing page.
URL map
Existing pages, new URLs, pages to merge and conflicting URLs.
Site structure
Sections, categories, services, filters and other page types that demand supports.
Content topics
A queue of articles, comparisons, how-tos and reference pages tied to the sections that sell.
AI question map
On the GEO sheet: questions, scenarios, entities, facts, answer format and target page. Covered by the $0.25 rate per final search keyword.
Exclusion list
Off-target phrases, competitor brands and topics that stay out of the file unless the scope changes.
Priorities
Implementation order by business value, page readiness and demand potential.
Suggested file columns
SEO sheet
Keyword · source · search volume · location · intent · cluster · URL · page status · page type · priority
GEO sheet
Question or scenario · buying stage · entity · required facts · answer format · target page · current status · priority
How is the work accepted?
Relevance
Every keyword relates to a real product, service, location or customer task.
Clean data
No technical duplicates, random phrases or other companies' lines of business in the final file.
Cluster logic
Each group can be answered by one page; disputed groups were rechecked against search results.
One URL per cluster
Each cluster has one primary page or a clear task to create it.
Verifiable numbers
Search volume comes with its source, location and date. AI questions get no invented volume.
Ready to use
Your SEO specialist, writer and developer know what to create or change once they open the file.
Rankings, traffic and leads are not acceptance criteria for keyword research: they depend on how well and how fast the file gets implemented.
How much does
keyword research cost?
You pay for the keywords left after cleanup, deduplication and the intent check. Raw exports and rejected phrases are not billed.
Minimum order – 100 final keywords, $25
These are examples. The minimum order is 100 final keywords; above that, any volume works, and the price always follows one formula: final keywords × $0.25.
What does $0.25 per keyword cover?
- Keyword collection from Google data, autocomplete, SEO databases, your site data and open sources.
- Search volume and location check.
- Removal of duplicates, junk and off-target phrasings.
- Search intent for every keyword.
- Manual review and clustering by meaning and live search results.
- Clusters tied to existing or new pages.
- Recommendations on site structure, page types and content topics.
- A map of AI questions, entities, facts and scenarios for GEO.
- Overlap and cannibalization check.
- The final spreadsheet and a walkthrough call.
GEO layer
Questions and scenarios for AI search are part of the work and are not billed separately. Only final search keywords count.
Billed separately
Writing and publishing content, changes on your site, monthly GEO work and anything else beyond the research itself.
Timeline
Set after the test pull and depends on the final volume. Large projects can be delivered in agreed stages; the rate does not change.
final keywords are what is left after cleanup, not the raw export
Already have a keyword list?
Quality check
I find duplicates, mixed intent, missing topics and clusters without a matching page. $0.25 per final checked keyword.
Cleanup and regrouping
I regroup the list against current search results and assign primary URLs. $0.25 per final keyword.
Refresh
I update search volume, locations and live URLs, and add new demand. $0.25 per final keyword.
Adding the GEO layer
I map AI questions, entities and facts on top of your existing clusters. There is no extra charge for the GEO layer; the price follows the final search keywords.
What kinds of projects is it for?
A new site
The structure is planned before design and development, so every section is tied to demand from day one.
Service and B2B sites
Service lines, industries, customer tasks and locations get their own clusters without duplicate pages.
Online stores
Categories, filters, brands and informational content are split by type of demand.
A live SEO or GEO project
The research works as an independent map for a coverage audit, a content plan and an implementation queue.
What do I need to get started?
- Your website, or a description of the site you are planning.
- Services, categories and product lines, with priorities.
- Countries, regions and languages to cover.
- Topics, products and audiences to exclude.
- Competitors you know of, in search and in your market.
- Read access to Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools and analytics, if the site already gets traffic.
- Your existing keyword list, site structure or content plan, if you have one.
Site data makes the research more complete, but a new project does not need it. Without it, I work from open demand data, search results and your brief.
What comes
after keyword research?
Content for AI search
New pages written from the question map and the facts it lists.
from $190 per article →Page optimization for AI search
Existing pages reworked so each cluster and question gets a direct, extractable answer.
from $90 per page →AI visibility monitoring
The AI question map becomes the set of tracked prompts, checked in AI answers every month.
from $290/mo →Monthly GEO plans
The file becomes a work queue: pages, content and tracked prompts every month.
from $490/mo →Related reading
Search intent: how to identify it and choose the right page type
One keyword can call for a guide, a comparison or a service page. Here is how I check intent against the results, when to split keywords between pages, and what to watch after launch.
Read →What is generative engine optimization (GEO), and how is it different from SEO and AEO?
GEO is the work of getting your business named and cited in AI answers. I explain how it relates to SEO and AEO, what to measure instead of rankings and what a realistic first 90 days look like.
Read →Questions about keyword research
How many keywords will the research include?
It depends on the number of services, categories and locations, and on real demand. A narrow service may need around a thousand phrases; a large catalog needs many thousands. The minimum order is 100 final keywords. I estimate the volume with a test pull, and the price always follows one formula: final keywords × $0.25.
What if my niche has fewer relevant keywords than the minimum?
Then the test pull will show it, and I will tell you before you pay. I do not pad the file with off-target phrases to reach 100 – that would break the first acceptance criterion. If you still want the research, the minimum order of $25 applies, the same as in the calculator.
How is a keyword list different from finished research?
A list shows phrasings. Finished research is cleaned, split by intent, grouped by search results and tied to pages, so it can go straight to an SEO specialist, a writer or a developer as a task.
What is SERP-based clustering?
It groups keywords that Google treats as close enough to be answered by one page. I compare the top results for each keyword and settle disputed groups by hand.
Does the research work for both Google and Bing?
Yes, with one limit. Demand and site structure are the same for both engines, but clusters are built from Google results and search volume comes from Google and SEO databases. Bing Webmaster Tools adds the queries your site already gets in Bing. The file records the source and location of every number, so nothing gets mixed up.
How is keyword research used for GEO?
Search clusters show topics and intent. The AI question map adds comparisons, buying situations, entities, facts and answer formats. That layer feeds content for AI search and the tracked prompt set for AI visibility monitoring.
Can you tell me how often a prompt is asked in ChatGPT?
AI companies do not publish prompt volumes, and the numbers some tools sell are modeled estimates. I do not present them as data in the file. AI questions are prioritized by their link to your product, the buying stage, real customer questions, your current content and what AI systems answer today.
Do I need separate research for each country or region?
Not always. Where search results and your offer are the same, clusters can be shared. Separate local pages make sense only where demand, competitors, terms or intent change. A new language is different: it needs its own collection, because translated keywords rarely match how people search in that language.
I already have a keyword list. Can you work with it?
Yes. I can check it for duplicates, mixed intent and missing topics, regroup it by current search results, assign target URLs and add the AI question layer. The rate is the same – $0.25 per final keyword. Before quoting I look at the format, size and quality of the source data.
Is implementation on the site included?
No. The file and page map are a standalone deliverable. Page optimization, content and development can be ordered separately or covered by a monthly GEO plan.
Get a volume and price estimate
Send your website, priority services and the countries you target. I will run a test pull on your main topics, estimate the number of final keywords and quote the price at $0.25 per keyword.
I reply within one business day.