Crawl Foundry
Keyword research for agencies: from client brief to a useful shortlist
Organize keyword research for agencies around one client and market. Build a retained keyword database, review the data needed for each decision and map useful search intents to pages. Hand over a shortlist the client can act on.
- 01
Set the client and market
Use a client workspace and record the audience, country, language, offers and existing pages. Define what the shortlist should help decide before expanding the keyword set.
- 02
Build a focused research list
Import existing terms or collect candidates from the research tools. Group related questions and distinguish service intent, informational intent and branded queries. Keep unrelated client projects separate.
- 03
Request data for the decision
Check the quoted cost before enrichment or fresh SERP requests. Review metrics, dates and search results for the terms that could change your plan. Do not infer difficulty or demand from a keyword's wording alone.
- 04
Map terms to pages and hand over
Choose the existing page or a genuinely distinct new page for each useful intent. Export the shortlist with its evidence and next action. Refresh the relevant data when the client needs a later review.
What makes a client keyword shortlist useful?
Business fit and search intent
Keep terms that relate to the client's offer or a useful customer question. Distinguish an informational guide from a service page before deciding where the keyword belongs.
Market and evidence date
Review the country, language and observation date alongside available search volume, difficulty and search results. Missing metrics are unknown. Request only the data needed for the next decision.
Keyword management and page mapping
Retain the researched terms in a client keyword database. Group related terms and assign one primary intent to each proposed page. Record whether the next action is to strengthen an existing page or create a distinct new one.
What to keep in the handover
Deliver a shortlist with the target market, intent, evidence date, proposed page and next action. For occasional research, refresh the selected terms rather than treating every stored metric as current.
Agency keyword research questions
Can this workflow work for occasional keyword research?
Yes. Keep the client's lists and return when the project needs a review. Check the dates of the stored metrics and refresh the selected terms that matter for the decision, after reviewing the cost.
How should an agency organize keywords for different clients?
Use a separate client workspace, then organize terms by market, offer and intent. Keep the evidence and proposed page with each shortlist so the next reviewer can understand the recommendation.
Should every keyword get a new page?
Group related terms that share the same reader task on one suitable page. Create a separate page when the intent, offer or required evidence differs meaningfully. Review existing pages and search results before adding a new URL.