Research
How Keyword Research Works
Keyword Research finds the Google searches your buyers type, then scores and filters them so you are left with a short list worth writing for or tracking. A run starts from your product description and any seed keywords you add, and finishes with a ranked list you can open, compare and export. This article explains each step, what the two counts on a finished run mean, and the daily limit.
Quick Answer
Start a research run from your product description and optional seed keywords. Linkeddit expands them with real Google autocomplete suggestions, scores each keyword for specificity, relevance to your product and buying intent, and keeps the strongest ones.
- Raw keywords is everything collected; Keywords found is what survived scoring and filtering.
- Up to 60 keywords are scored per run.
- Three runs per account per day by default, reset at midnight UTC.
Starting a run
Press New Research, describe your product and who it is for, and add seed keywords if you already know some searches you want to rank for. The description matters most: it is what every later step judges relevance against, so name the category, the buyer and the problem you solve.
A run you have created but not started shows Ready. Once it starts it moves through its steps on its own, and you can leave the page; the run keeps its progress between steps.
The four steps of a run
Seeds. Your own seed keywords are kept, and suggested seeds are added from your product description. Duplicates are removed.
Expansion. Your own seeds are run through Google autocomplete, the same suggestions Google shows as someone types, and simple variants of each seed are added. Every keyword records where it came from.
Scoring. Each keyword is scored on three things: how specific it is, how relevant it is to your product, and how likely the person searching is ready to buy. The three combine into one priority score. Up to 60 keywords are scored in a run.
Filtering. The scored list is ranked by priority and the strongest keywords are kept. The run then shows Completed.
Reading a finished run
Each completed run shows two numbers. Raw keywords is everything the run collected before filtering. Keywords found is the list that survived scoring and filtering, and it is the list worth acting on.
Open a run to see each keyword with its scores and its source. A long, specific search with a high buying-intent score is usually a better first target than a broad one with more volume, because it is easier to rank for and closer to a purchase.
- Track the best keywords in Search to see where you rank for them each week.
- Use them to plan comparison, alternative and pricing pages, the searches buyers make right before choosing.
Limits
Each account can run three researches a day by default. The counter beside the page title shows how many you have used, and it resets at midnight UTC. Keyword Research is included in paid plans.
FAQ
Why are there fewer keywords found than raw keywords?
Raw keywords includes every candidate the run collected. Scoring and filtering then drop the ones that are vague, off topic or unlikely to come from a buyer, so the found list is shorter on purpose.
Where do the keywords come from?
From your seed keywords, from seeds suggested from your product description, and from Google autocomplete suggestions for your own seeds. Each keyword shows its source.
My run says Ready. Why has it not started?
Ready means the research was created but not run yet. Start it from the run, and check the daily counter: if you have used all three runs today, it can start after midnight UTC.
Can I see where I rank for these keywords?
Yes. Add them to a site in Search and their Google ranks are checked each week, including whether an AI Overview appears and cites you.
Related help pages
Search
Getting Started With Search
Set up Search: add a site, connect Search Console, track keywords and read where you rank on Google, with the site picker, the tabs and the default limits.
Search
Reading Search Rankings and AI Overviews
Read the Search Rankings tab: the five stats, each table column, how often ranks are checked, why AI Overviews vary, and how to manage keywords and CSV files.
Search
Search Keyword Research: Topics, Map, Competitors
How the Search Topics, Map and Competitors tabs work: run keyword research, read the estimate and monthly check allowance first, and see what each tab shows.