> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://snowseo.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Keyword Research

> Discover high-value keywords by topic or website — with search volume, difficulty, CPC, and trends.

**Keyword Research** helps you find the search terms worth targeting — each with monthly search volume, difficulty, cost-per-click (CPC), and a 12-month trend. Start from a keyword or analyze a website, then track the best ones or add them to a topic cluster.

## Where to Find It

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="SEO Tools" icon="screwdriver-wrench">
    The main entry point: **Tools → SEO Tools → Keyword Research**.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Built into your workflow" icon="plus">
    The same research opens as the **Add new keyword** dialog inside **Rank Tracking** and **Topic Clusters**.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Running a Search

<Steps>
  <Step title="Choose how to start">
    There are two modes:

    * **Start with Keyword** — Enter one or more keywords (press Enter or comma to add each — up to 20 at once).
    * **Start with Website** — Enter a website URL and SnowSEO analyzes it to surface relevant keywords.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set your targeting">
    Pick a **Target Country** and **Target Language** so volumes and difficulty reflect the right market. These default to your brand's audience settings.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Research keywords">
    Click **Research keywords**. Results appear in a table you can sort and act on. You can also click a **Recent search** chip, or one of the AI-generated **Keyword Suggestions** for your brand, to research it instantly.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  Keyword data is provided by **DataForSEO**.
</Info>

***

## Reading the Results

Each row is a keyword idea (exact matches and related keywords are merged into one de-duplicated list):

| Column               | What it tells you                                                                      |
| -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Keyword**          | The search term you could target                                                       |
| **Monthly Searches** | Estimated monthly search volume                                                        |
| **Difficulty**       | How hard it is to rank — a score with a color dot (green easy, amber medium, red hard) |
| **Trend**            | A 12-month search-volume sparkline                                                     |
| **CPC**              | Average cost-per-click — a useful proxy for commercial value                           |

Results are sorted by **Monthly Searches** by default. Toggle **Sort by Relevance** to rank by the best balance of high volume and low difficulty, or click any column header to sort.

***

## Acting on Keywords

Each keyword has two quick actions:

* **Track keyword** (target icon) — Adds it to your **Rank Tracking** list so SnowSEO monitors its position daily. Click again to untrack.
* **Add to topic** (cluster icon) — Adds it to a **Topic Cluster**. If the keyword isn't in a topic yet, you'll pick one.

<Tip>
  Look for keywords with **decent volume and low difficulty** first — those are your fastest wins. The **Sort by Relevance** toggle surfaces them automatically.
</Tip>

***

## Credits & Plan

Keyword Research requires an **active plan**. Each search uses **one keyword-research credit**, with one exception: researching **your own website** (in *Start with Website* mode) is **free** and doesn't consume a credit.

***

## Frequently Asked Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What's Keyword Difficulty, and what should I aim for?">
    Difficulty estimates how hard it is to rank on Google's first page for a term — the higher the score, the tougher the competition. New websites should start with low-difficulty keywords (the green dots) for the fastest wins; established sites can target harder terms.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I research competitor keywords?">
    Yes. Use **Start with Website** and enter a competitor's URL — SnowSEO analyzes it to surface relevant keywords, so you can spot gaps in your own content.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens when I track a keyword?">
    It's added to your **Rank Tracking** list and SnowSEO begins monitoring its position daily (using the country and language you selected). You can untrack it anytime.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How does this connect to Topic Clusters?">
    Use **Add to topic** to drop a keyword straight into a Topic Cluster. Building clusters of related keywords is how you develop topical authority — see the [Topic Clusters](/docs/user-guide/planning/topic-clusters) guide.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>