Chapter 7 — Self-Check Quiz

Twenty-four questions: multiple choice and short answer. Answers are in the collapsed key at the bottom — try each before you peek.

1. A seed keyword is: - A) a keyword with the highest search volume in a niche - B) a broad, root term used as a starting point to generate more specific keyword ideas - C) a keyword you already rank #1 for - D) a keyword with zero competition

2. Keyword research really answers two questions. Which pair? - A) "What words do I like?" and "What words are shortest?" - B) "What does my customer type?" and "Which of those can I realistically rank for?" - C) "What is my highest-volume term?" and "What is my lowest-CPC term?" - D) "What does Google recommend?" and "What do competitors forbid?"

3. Which is the best free source of the exact queries your site already appears for? - A) Ahrefs - B) Google Keyword Planner - C) Google Search Console - D) AnswerThePublic

4. Striking-distance keywords are those where you rank at roughly: - A) position 1–3 - B) position 8–20 (impressions but few clicks) - C) position 90+ - D) positions you have never appeared for

5. True or false: search volume numbers from keyword tools are precise measurements of exactly how many people searched a term.

6. Short answer: name three tools in the free keyword toolkit.

7. Keyword difficulty scores are: - A) published by Google for every keyword - B) proprietary vendor estimates, computed differently by each tool, mostly from backlink profiles - C) a fixed industry standard - D) the same in every tool

8. CPC (cost-per-click) is useful to an SEO because it is the best free proxy for a keyword's: - A) search volume - B) commercial value / buying intent - C) difficulty - D) seasonality

9. True or false: a low-CPC keyword is always worthless to target.

10. A long-tail keyword is best described as: - A) any keyword longer than ten words - B) a longer, more specific, lower-volume phrase with clearer intent and less competition - C) a keyword only mobile users type - D) a keyword with a high difficulty score

11. Why do long-tail keywords matter so much for a new or small site? - A) they have the highest individual volume - B) they are winnable (weaker competition), carry clearer intent, and their total demand dwarfs the head - C) Google ranks them automatically - D) they never require good content

12. Short answer: what is the "same-SERP test," and what does it decide?

13. Keyword mapping is: - A) plotting keywords on a geographic map - B) assigning each keyword (or intent-group) to the single page that will target it, one primary intent per page - C) tracking keyword rankings over time - D) buying keywords in Google Ads

14. Building a separate near-identical page for "water heater cost," "cost of water heater," and "water heater price" risks: - A) faster indexing - B) keyword cannibalization (pages competing with each other) plus thin duplicates - C) higher CPC - D) nothing — more pages is always better

15. The opportunity formula is: - A) volume + difficulty - B) value × winnability - C) CPC × volume - D) impressions − clicks

16. Short answer: define value and winnability as used in §7.7.

17. The most reliable way to judge a keyword's winnability is to: - A) trust the tool's difficulty score - B) read the SERP and look at who actually ranks - C) count the words in the keyword - D) check its CPC

18. True or false: a low difficulty score means you will definitely rank for a keyword.

19. In the opportunity matrix, a high-value but low-winnability keyword (e.g., a broad head term) belongs in which quadrant? - A) do these first - B) the long game (build toward it over time) - C) quick wins - D) skip

20. Short answer: why should you generally not buy a paid keyword tool before doing any research?

21. People Also Ask (PAA) is valuable for keyword research because it: - A) shows Google's exact ranking algorithm - B) surfaces real related questions people ask — keyword ideas and comprehensiveness cues - C) guarantees a featured snippet - D) reports precise search volume

22. Short answer: your Google Suggest harvest shows a phrasing is real and common, but not how common. Where do you get the rough volume instead?

23. A beginner sorts the keyword list purely by descending search volume and starts at the top. The main flaw is: - A) volume is illegal to use - B) it ignores winnability and value-by-intent — the biggest terms are often unwinnable or low-intent - C) the list is too short - D) volume doesn't exist for long-tail terms

24. Short answer: "ac repair near me" is high-volume and high-value, yet a blog post targeting it is doomed. Using intent (Chapter 3) and winnability (this chapter), explain why, and name the real battleground.