ChatGPT has a massive database of words and phrases that we can leverage for SEO with the right pointers.
This article will show you how to use ChatGPT to discover variations of keywords that people use when searching for or describing a page topic.
These words and phrases are often not found in traditional keyword tools, so this could be your new secret keyword weapon.
Add variations of your page’s main keywords
I like to use ChatGPT to generate variations of a page’s main keyword phrase or targeted query.
Adding these variations helps the page reach more people who are looking for the same information but are searching differently. It also increases the semantic relevance of an article. Almost every time I do this process, I see an increase in search rankings and traffic.
This approach is encouraged at Google SEO Starter Guide :
I loved that Google suggested using Google Ads Keyword Planner and Search Console here. I have used both for years with great results.
But as good as these free keyword tools are, they don’t reveal all the possible variations or alternatives for every word in a keyword phrase.
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How do I ask ChatGPT for keyword variations?
Here’s an example of this multi-request process so you can better understand how to implement it on your pages. (Experiment with refining these directions to see if you can get a better result!)
Example keyword phrase: “drones for beginners”
First, break down your search phrase one word at a time.
Then ask ChatGPT for variations or alternative words that people commonly use to describe the same thing.
I will explain the first word in detail.
Keyword variation: “drones”
Step 1: ChatGPT Request:
List 20 common ways people refer to something as “drones.”
Step 2: Copy the list into your favorite note-taking tool.
Step 3: Go through the list and use your human brain to eliminate words or phrases that do not make sense to use in the context of the topic.
I often remove 10-20% from this list. If that’s not enough, I’ll sometimes ask ChatGPT to list 20 more ideas.
Step 4: Pull up the item you want to improve and do a search. Copy and paste the first word or phrase in the list to see if it’s on the page.
Side note: I admit this step can be a bit laborious. That’s why I created my own internal tool that allows me to paste a body of text into one box and a list of words and phrases into another, and once submitted it will highlight which words and phrases are within the text and which no. . Unfortunately, I can’t find a simple tool online that does this. If you do, please let me know.
Step 5: Add the missing words and phrases inside the page.
Keyword variation: “beginners”
Step 1: ChatGPT Request:
List 20 common words and phrases people use to describe someone who is a “beginner.”
Steps 2-5: Repeat the above instructions.
The full variation of the keyword phrase: “best drones for beginners”
You can also take the main concept of your main keyword phrase and ask ChatGPT to generate some words and phrases that people can use to describe it.
In this example, the request for this would be:
List 20 Common Ways People Refer to Someone Who’s a “Drone Beginner”
Then add the best words and phrases we’re missing on the page.
Identify words and phrases that your target demographic might use
This next request depends on the specific keyword phrase that a page is targeting.
The goal here is to identify the demographic or user persona of the searcher and get a list of words and phrases they can use to describe the main topic.
In the example, the demographic is a “beginner”. This will be different for most topics.
A page can target other demographics such as age, gender, location, disability, life stage, parents, etc.
More practically, it could be a 50-year-old man, iPhone owner, surfer, skier, new mom, first-time homeowner, college graduate, expert, doctor, gardener, etc.
For this example, the request is:
List 20 ways a newbie to flying drones can describe a drone and be a newbie.
The best results of this example
Here are some great and unique words and phrases that ChatGPT has generated for me through this example:
beginner beginner beginner no previous experience first time pilots easier drone easier to fly drones for beginners entry level more forgiving easy to use
I was curious to see if any of the top 3 Google ranking pages include any of these words and phrases. After checking all three, the top ranking page included most of this list.
I don’t think they rank just because they include more of those words. But I think it combines that with a lot of other little factors.
Best practice for adding variations of missing words
Don’t just randomly add these missing word variations anywhere. Consider adding them to existing sentences that may be a bit vague. It’s a perfect opportunity to increase your contextual relevance. Other times I write a new sentence, often with the help of ChatGPT.
For this example, a vague sentence might be:
To make this list, each of them had to be equipped with a portfolio of productive features and a solid build.
A better phrase that includes a variation of one of the words within the main keyword might be:
For a drone to make this list, it had to be durable and easy to use for our novice tester.
There are two things I want to point out about the new sentence:
I added the word “drone” to it, increasing its relevance and making it more NLP friendly. The subject of the sentence is clearer. I added two words or entities related to a beginner: “durability” and “easy to use”. As you can imagine, someone who has never flown a drone before will probably crash it a lot. But maybe a lot less if it’s easy to use.
I believe that sites that include several variations of the main keyword tend to rank higher in search.
Whether you do it intentionally or naturally, including these variations will result in a more complete, useful, and searcher-relevant article.
The views expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.
