Short Answer: Keyword research in 2025 is part detective work, part creativity, and part training AI to help me see what people really want.

Step 1: Hunting for the Topic

Every blog starts with a spark or the hunt for one. Sometimes I already know what I want to write. Other times, I have to dig.

• SEO news blogs: I scan through Search Engine Land, Search Engine Journal, or Backlinko. They’re my early warning system for what’s trending.

• ChatGPT brainstorming: I ask ChatGPT for ideas that feel fresh and under-covered, so I can find an opening no one else has grabbed.

• AlsoAsked.com: When I drop in something broad like “what is SEO?”, it splinters into dozens of real questions people are typing into search. That’s where blog titles practically write themselves.

Step 2: Generating Keywords

With a topic in place, I turn back to ChatGPT and ask for a full keyword set—short terms, long phrases, niche angles. The variety matters. It gives me a field of options I can test and refine before committing.

Step 3: Testing in SpyFu

SpyFu’s free keyword tool is where the sifting begins. I check which terms have room to breathe and which are too crowded to bother with. I lean into lower-competition keywords that still carry value, because those are the ones that can break through without wasting effort.

In 2025, phrasing matters too. Search engines and AI overviews are tuned into question-based queries. So when I shape a blog title, I often push it toward a question. It aligns naturally with how answers are surfaced.

Step 4: Building the Skeleton

Once I’ve chosen the winners, I run back to ChatGPT to generate a structured outline. My primary keyword becomes the anchor, while secondary ones map to subheadings. The result is a blog plan with semantic depth, one that’s easier to write from and better aligned with how AI organizes information.

Why It Works in 2025

Keyword research isn’t about chasing the biggest number on a dashboard anymore. It’s about finding the intersections: where people’s curiosity lives, where AI systems pull their answers from, and where competition leaves a gap. My workflow blends creative exploration with data checks and AI scaffolding, which means the final content lands in both blue links and AI overviews.

Want your content built on this kind of research? I’ll handle the digging, the planning, and the writing so your blogs are ready to rank across traditional and AI-driven search. Contact me today.