Appendix H — Keyword Research Worked Examples

Chapter 7 explains the keyword-research method; this appendix walks it end to end on concrete examples so you can see the whole pipeline — seed → expand → filter by intent and difficulty → group into topics → prioritize by opportunity — in action. Every number here is illustrative (search-volume and difficulty figures are always tool estimates — Chapter 7, Appendix A); the reasoning is what transfers.

Example 1 — A local service business (Rivertown Home Services)

Goal: find the searches that bring booked jobs, and decide which to pursue first.

Step 1 — Seeds. Start from the services and how customers describe their problems: furnace repair, ac repair, water heater, drain cleaning, electrician, furnace not working, no hot water.

Step 2 — Expand (free tools: Google Suggest, People Also Ask, Search Console, Keyword Planner):

• furnace repair → furnace repair near me, furnace repair [city], emergency furnace repair, furnace repair cost, 24 hour furnace repair
• furnace not working → furnace not turning on, furnace blowing cold air, furnace won't ignite, why is my furnace not working

Step 3 — Classify intent (Chapter 3) and note the SERP:

Step 4 — The service × city matrix. Five locations × several services generates the transactional core. Not all deserve a page day one — pursue the highest-demand service/city combinations first; scale the rest carefully as a system, not thin doorways (Chapter 33).

Step 5 — Prioritize (opportunity = value × winnability; Appendix A):

Result: a ranked list that routes transactional terms to service/location pages (Chapters 9, 15, 25) and informational terms to the blog (Chapters 8–10) — Rivertown's Chapter 7 Strategy File.

Example 2 — An informational content play (a troubleshooting guide)

Seed: furnace blowing cold air. Expand with PAA and Suggest: furnace blowing cold air when heat is on, furnace blowing cold air at night, furnace runs but blows cold, thermostat set to heat but cold air.

Intent: informational — the searcher wants to diagnose, and possibly fix it themselves or decide to call. Format (read the SERP, Chapter 10): step-by-step troubleshooting article, likely with a checklist.

Why pursue a term you can't directly "sell" on: it's high-volume, winnable with genuinely helpful content, earns links and topical authority (Chapters 4, 23), and captures the customer who, three steps into troubleshooting, decides to call a pro — with your brand already on the screen. Map the whole cluster to one comprehensive guide plus internal links to the relevant service page.

Example 3 — A commercial comparison (decision-stage)

Seed: tankless water heater. Expand: tankless vs tank water heater, tankless water heater pros and cons, is a tankless water heater worth it, tankless water heater cost.

Intent: commercial — comparing before buying/hiring. Format: a comparison guide (pros/cons, cost, "is it right for you"), not a pure "we install these" page. Opportunity: medium-high — it reaches people close to a decision and naturally leads to a quote request. Pair the guide with a clear next step (book a consultation) and internal links to the installation service page.

The reusable procedure

1. Seed from what customers do and say, not just your service names.
2. Expand with free tools (Suggest, PAA, Search Console, Keyword Planner).
3. Classify intent and read the SERP to see what Google already rewards.
4. Group into topics — one primary intent per page (Chapter 8).
5. Prioritize by value × winnability; be honest about authority ceilings.
6. Map each group to a page type and a chapter's tactics.

Do this once for your own site (Appendix C, Worksheet 2) and you have the backbone of a content and on-page plan — grounded in what real people search, filtered to what you can realistically win.