Key Takeaways
- Keyword research should begin with the reader, topic and content goal, not with search volume alone.
- Search volume shows estimated demand, but a higher-volume keyword is not automatically the best target.
- Search intent helps determine what the searcher actually wants, so the intended content format should match the query.
- Keyword competition and difficulty help assess ranking feasibility, but manual SERP review is still important.
- Long-tail keywords can provide more specific opportunities where the audience’s need and intent are clearer.
- Competitor research can uncover missed topics and keyword gaps, but competitor keywords should only be used when they are genuinely relevant.
- A strong keyword decision balances search volume, intent, competition and relevance, instead of relying on one metric.
- AI can help brainstorm, group and structure keyword ideas, but verified SEO metrics should still come from suitable SEO data sources and manual review.
- Structured prompts can make keyword research workflows clearer and faster, especially when preparing SEO content briefs, article outlines and related marketing assets.
Introduction
Knowing how to do keyword research is not simply about finding the keyword with the highest search volume.
A useful keyword needs to make sense for the audience, match what people are actually trying to find, and be realistic for the website or content to compete for.
For content creators, copywriters and digital marketers, this means looking beyond a single metric.
Search volume can indicate demand, search intent helps explain what the user expects to see, and keyword competition gives an indication of how difficult the opportunity may be.
Relevance also matters because a keyword can attract searches without necessarily supporting the purpose of the content.
A practical keyword research workflow therefore involves finding possible keyword ideas, checking their search behaviour, comparing the search results, reviewing competitors and deciding which terms deserve priority.
AI can support parts of this process by helping brainstorm, group and structure keyword ideas, but important SEO metrics and current search results still need to be verified using appropriate SEO tools and manual review.
The nine facts below explain how these factors work together so you can move from a broad content idea to a more informed keyword decision.
Fact 1: How to Do Keyword Research Starts With Understanding Your Audience and Topic
Keyword research becomes more useful when you know who you are trying to reach and what problem the content needs to solve.
Starting with a keyword tool and exporting hundreds of phrases may give you a large spreadsheet, but it does not automatically tell you which topics matter to your intended reader.
A more practical starting point is to define the audience, the subject and the purpose of the page before expanding the keyword list.
What Problem Is Your Audience Trying to Solve?
Think about the questions your intended reader may ask before thinking about search volume.
For example, a freelance writer might want to know:
- how to find keywords before writing a blog article;
- which keyword should become the main focus of an article;
- whether a low-volume keyword is still worth targeting; or
- how to use AI without relying on invented keyword data.
A digital marketer may approach the same topic differently.
They might need keywords for a content calendar, a landing page, an existing page that needs optimization or a new website with little search data.
These differences matter because the same broad subject can lead to very different keyword opportunities.
How Can You Turn a Broad Topic Into Seed Keywords?
A seed keyword is a broad starting term that can be expanded into more specific ideas.
Suppose the topic is:
SEO content writing
Possible seed terms could include:
- SEO content;
- SEO writing;
- SEO copywriting;
- keyword research;
- content optimisation; and
- blog SEO.
You can then use search engines, keyword research tools, customer questions, competitor pages and AI brainstorming to expand those starting terms.
At this stage, the objective is not to decide which keyword will win.
It is to create a relevant pool of possibilities that can be evaluated later.
Why Should You Define the Content Goal Before Choosing Keywords?
A keyword should fit the job of the page.
For example, a query such as “how to write an SEO article” may suit an educational blog post.
A query focused on a particular software tool may be better suited to a product, comparison or landing page.
Before selecting a keyword, ask:
What should the reader understand, decide or do after seeing this page?
That question helps prevent a common mistake: choosing an attractive keyword first and then forcing unsuitable content around it.
Fact 2: Keyword Ideas Can Come From More Than One Research Source
There is no requirement to depend on one keyword tool.
Different research sources can reveal different parts of how people search.
Google can expose related queries, SEO platforms can provide keyword metrics, website data can reveal terms already producing visibility, competitors can expose content gaps, and customer conversations can reveal language that keyword databases may not make obvious.
Where Can You Find Initial Keyword Ideas?
Start with several sources rather than treating one database as the complete market.
Useful research sources may include:
- Google search suggestions;
- related searches;
- People Also Ask results;
- Google Search Console;
- Google Keyword Planner;
- SEO platforms such as Ahrefs or Semrush;
- competitor websites;
- customer questions;
- forums and online communities; and
- AI tools for brainstorming and grouping ideas.
Mailchimp, for example, recommends beginning with broad topics and then expanding them using phrases an audience might search for, related searches and keyword tools.
How Can Google Search Reveal Related Questions and Topics?
A simple Google search can provide useful clues about the language surrounding a topic.
If you search for a seed phrase, look at:
Autocomplete suggestions
These may reveal more specific versions of the topic.
People Also Ask
These questions can help identify supporting concerns that readers may expect an article to answer.
Related searches
These can expose neighbouring topics, alternative wording and additional research directions.
Do not assume every suggestion deserves its own page. Use them as research signals first.
Which SEO Tools Can Help Expand Your Keyword List?
Keyword tools can make the process more systematic by supplying related terms and metrics such as estimated search volume or keyword difficulty.
Depending on the workflow and budget, that may include tools such as:
- Google Keyword Planner;
- Ahrefs;
- Semrush; or
- other keyword research platforms.
However, numbers from one platform should not be treated as absolute truth.
Different tools use different datasets and methodologies, so the figures are better used as decision-support signals than as guaranteed forecasts.
How Can Existing Website Data Reveal Keyword Opportunities?
If you already manage an established website, do not ignore its existing search data.
Google Search Console can reveal queries for which pages are already receiving impressions or clicks. This can help identify:
- keywords already associated with a page;
- topics where the website has some existing visibility;
- queries that deserve stronger coverage;
- related questions worth adding; or
- pages that may need to be updated rather than replaced.
For an existing site, this can be more useful than starting every research project from a completely blank keyword list.
Fact 3: Search Volume Shows Demand but Does Not Tell the Whole Story
Search volume is one of the first metrics many people look at when learning how to do keyword research.
It is useful, but it should not make the decision by itself.
What Does Search Volume Mean?
Search volume generally represents the estimated average number of searches for a keyword within a defined market and period.
Ahrefs notes several limitations: search volume measures searches rather than unique people, it does not equal the number of visits a ranking page will receive, it is typically based on an average over time, and it varies by country.
That distinction is important.
A keyword showing 1,000 monthly searches does not mean:
- 1,000 different people will search it;
- the first organic result will receive 1,000 visits;
- your page will receive that traffic if it ranks; or
- the same level of demand exists in every country.
Treat search volume as an indicator of demand, not as a traffic guarantee.
Why Is a High-Volume Keyword Not Automatically the Best Choice?
Consider two hypothetical keywords:
“keyword research”
and
“how to do keyword research for a new website”
The broader phrase may have more searches. But the second query tells you much more about the searcher’s situation and the answer they are looking for.
A high-volume keyword may also:
- cover several different intentions;
- face stronger competition;
- be too broad for the planned content;
- attract readers outside your target audience; or
- provide weak business relevance.
This is why selecting keywords solely by sorting a spreadsheet from highest to lowest volume can lead to poor content decisions.
Can a Lower-Volume Keyword Still Be Valuable?
Yes.
A smaller keyword can still be useful when it:
- closely matches the intended audience;
- addresses a specific question;
- supports a valuable service or product;
- has a realistic competitive landscape; or
- fits naturally within a larger topic cluster.
The objective is not always to find the biggest keyword.
It is to find a keyword that makes sense for the page you can realistically create.
How Should Location and Audience Size Affect Your Interpretation?
Keyword volume should also be viewed within the intended market.
A content creator targeting readers in Malaysia may see very different demand from someone targeting the United States, United Kingdom or a global English-speaking audience.
Before comparing numbers, check:
- the selected country;
- the language;
- the time period;
- whether the tool reports local or global volume; and
- whether the audience you actually serve is represented.
The larger number is not necessarily the more relevant number.
Fact 4: Search Intent Tells You What the Searcher Actually Wants
Search volume tells you that searches happen.
Search intent helps explain why they happen.
This is one of the most important checks to make before choosing a keyword for a particular page.
What Is Search Intent?
Search intent is the underlying purpose behind a query.
A person searching “what is keyword research” probably needs a different answer from someone searching “best keyword research tool”.
The words are related, but the expected page is not necessarily the same.
What Are Informational, Navigational, Commercial and Transactional Intent?
A practical way to classify intent is:
Informational
The user wants to learn or answer a question.
Examples:
- how to do keyword research;
- what is keyword difficulty;
- why is search intent important?
Navigational
The user is trying to reach a particular website, brand, page or platform.
Examples might include a brand name combined with “login”, “pricing” or a particular tool name.
Commercial investigation
The user is researching options before making a decision.
Examples:
- best keyword research tools;
- Ahrefs vs Semrush;
- keyword research tools for bloggers.
Transactional
The user appears ready to take a specific action, such as buying, registering, booking or subscribing.
These categories are useful, but do not classify intent from the wording alone.
How Can You Identify Intent From Search Results?
Search the keyword and inspect what Google currently rewards.
Look at:
- whether the ranking pages are articles, product pages, category pages or landing pages;
- whether the content is primarily a guide, comparison, list, tool or transaction page;
- which questions the ranking content answers;
- which SERP features appear; and
- whether the results consistently point toward one dominant purpose.
Mailchimp similarly recommends checking the pages already ranking for the phrase to understand what kind of answer searchers appear to expect.
The live SERP can therefore tell you more about intent than simply seeing words such as “best”, “how” or “buy”.
Why Can the Wrong Intent Make a Keyword Poorly Suited to Your Content?
Imagine trying to rank a sales-focused landing page for a query where nearly every top result is a detailed educational guide.
Even if the phrase is relevant to your service, the page type may not satisfy the dominant intent.
This does not mean you must copy the current results. It means you should understand why those results may be meeting the searcher’s need before deciding what your page should offer.
Fact 5: Keyword Competition Shows How Difficult It May Be to Rank
Once you know that a keyword is relevant and has suitable intent, the next question is:
Can your website realistically compete for it?
What Does Keyword Competition Mean?
Competition refers to the strength of the pages and websites already competing for visibility around a search.
This should not be confused automatically with the “competition” value shown in every keyword tool.
For example, some competition metrics relate to paid advertising rather than organic ranking difficulty.
For SEO, you need to understand the organic search landscape.
What Is Keyword Difficulty?
SEO tools often provide a keyword difficulty score intended to summarise how challenging a keyword may be.
This can be useful for filtering a long list, but the score should not become the final decision.
Ahrefs explains that experienced SEO professionals may also inspect factors such as:
- search intent;
- relevance and depth of ranking content;
- freshness;
- backlinks;
- domain strength; and
- SERP features.
Different tools may also calculate difficulty differently.
Can Your Website Realistically Compete for the Keyword?
The answer depends partly on your own website.
A new site with little authority may need a different keyword strategy from an established website with strong topical coverage and links.
That does not mean a newer website must target only keywords labelled “easy”.
It means difficulty should be evaluated relative to your resources, website condition and ability to produce useful content.
Keyword research is therefore not just about discovering demand.
It also involves choosing battles realistically.
Fact 6: Long-Tail Keywords Can Reveal More Specific Search Opportunities
Long-tail keywords are often useful because they narrow the subject and reveal more context about what the searcher wants.
What Are Long-Tail Keywords?
Long-tail keywords are generally more specific search queries than broad head terms.
For example:
Broad: keyword research
More specific: how to do keyword research for a blog
Even more specific: how to do keyword research for a new travel blog
As the query becomes more specific, the total number of searches may decrease, but the required answer can become clearer.
Mailchimp recommends considering long-tail terms as part of keyword research because they can address more specific searches and help differentiate content in competitive topics.
Why Do Long-Tail Keywords Often Have More Specific Intent?
Look at the difference between:
“SEO”
and
“how to do keyword research for SEO content”
The second query gives you information about:
- the task;
- the topic;
- the content context; and
- what the person wants to learn.
That makes it easier to decide whether your proposed article is actually relevant.
However, do not assume that every long query is automatically easy to rank for. Competition still needs to be assessed.
How Can Questions Become Useful Long-Tail Keywords?
Questions from customers, search results, forums and content teams can help uncover specific keyword ideas.
For example:
- How do I choose a primary keyword?
- Can I use ChatGPT for keyword research?
- What is a good keyword search volume?
- How often should I update keyword research?
- How do I find competitor keywords?
These questions may become:
- an article topic;
- an H2 or H3;
- a supporting paragraph;
- an FAQ; or
- simply research context that helps you understand the audience.
Not every question needs its own page.
Should Every Related Keyword Become a Separate Article?
Usually not.
Several related queries may represent the same underlying topic and search intent.
Creating a separate article for every slight variation can lead to overlapping pages that compete with one another or repeat the same information.
Instead, group related keywords according to:
- topic;
- intent;
- expected content type; and
- whether one useful page can answer them together.
The aim is to build useful topic coverage, not maximise the number of URLs.
Fact 7: Competitor Research Can Reveal Keywords You Have Missed
Competitor research is useful because you are unlikely to think of every relevant query by yourself.
How Can Competitor Websites Help With Keyword Research?
Start by identifying websites that genuinely compete for the same audience or search topics.
Then look for:
- pages generating organic visibility;
- recurring topics;
- keywords those pages rank for;
- questions they answer;
- content formats they use; and
- subjects your own site has not yet covered.
Ahrefs recommends examining keywords and pages from relevant competitors as a way to expand a keyword list beyond the terms you brainstorm yourself.
The word relevant matters.
A website that ranks for the same keyword is not always a direct business competitor.
A news publisher, dictionary, marketplace and specialist agency may all appear for the same phrase while serving very different purposes.
What Is Keyword Gap Analysis?
Keyword gap analysis looks for searches where relevant competitors have visibility but your website does not.
That can reveal:
- topics you have not covered;
- questions missing from existing content;
- service-related searches you overlooked;
- long-tail opportunities; and
- existing pages that may need improvement.
A gap does not automatically mean you should create content.
It is an opportunity for evaluation, not an instruction.
Which Competitor Keywords Are Actually Relevant to Your Audience?
Ask four questions before adding a competitor keyword to your plan:
- Does the query relate to what our audience needs?
- Can we provide a genuinely useful answer?
- Does it fit our products, services or expertise?
- Does the search intent match a page we should realistically create?
If the answer is no, the fact that a competitor ranks for it is not enough.
Why Should a Competitor Research Guide Rather Than Dictate Your Strategy?
Copying a competitor’s entire keyword footprint can produce irrelevant content and remove any strategic focus from your website.
Instead, use competitor research to ask:
What have they identified that we missed, and where can we provide a more suitable answer for our own audience?
That keeps the research reader-led rather than competitor-led.
Fact 8: The Best Keyword Balances Volume, Intent, Competition and Relevance
By this stage, you may have dozens or hundreds of possible keywords.
The challenge is no longer finding ideas.
It is deciding which ideas deserve your time.
How Should You Prioritize a Large Keyword List?
A practical shortlist can consider several factors together:
Factor | Question to Ask |
Search volume | Is there evidence of search demand? |
Search intent | What does the searcher expect to find? |
Competition | How difficult does the current SERP appear? |
Relevance | Does the topic genuinely fit our audience and content? |
Business relevance | Does this search connect naturally to what the organisation does? |
Content fit | Can we create the type of page that satisfies the query? |
Traffic potential | Could the topic attract searches from related variations as well? |
No single column should automatically decide the winner.
Ahrefs similarly describes prioritisation as a balance involving traffic potential, difficulty, search intent and the business value of the keyword.
Which Factors Should You Compare Before Choosing a Primary Keyword?
Imagine you have three keyword candidates:
Keyword A
- high volume;
- high competition;
- broad intent;
- moderate relevance.
Keyword B
- moderate volume;
- moderate competition;
- very clear informational intent;
- strong relevance.
Keyword C
- lower volume;
- relatively narrow topic;
- strong relevance;
- clear audience problem.
Keyword A may look most attractive in a spreadsheet because of its volume.
But Keyword B or C could make more sense depending on the website, audience and purpose of the article.
This is why keyword research is a decision-making process rather than a hunt for the biggest number.
Why Does Business Relevance Matter?
Traffic has limited value if the topic has almost no connection to what the organisation can genuinely help the reader with.
For TheRichPrompt, for example, a topic about keyword research has a natural relationship with content planning and structured AI prompts.
A completely unrelated high-volume marketing topic might bring searches but provide little meaningful connection to the platform.
Business relevance does not mean every article should become a sales page.
It means there should be a logical reason for your website to cover the subject.
How Can You Decide Whether a Keyword Is Worth Creating Content For?
Before approving a keyword, ask:
- Is there evidence that people search for this topic?
- What is the dominant search intent?
- What kind of page is currently ranking?
- How competitive does the SERP appear?
- Is the keyword genuinely relevant to our reader?
- Can we provide something useful rather than simply repeat existing results?
- Does the topic support a sensible content or business objective?
If those answers work together, you have a stronger basis for selecting the keyword.
Fact 9: AI Prompts Can Support Keyword Research but Should Not Replace SEO Data
AI can make some parts of keyword research faster, particularly the parts involving ideas, language and organisation.
It should not be confused with a live keyword database.
Can AI Help With Keyword Research?
Yes, when it is used for suitable tasks.
An AI tool can help you:
- brainstorm seed topics;
- suggest possible audience questions;
- expand broad subjects;
- group a supplied keyword list;
- organise terms by possible intent;
- identify content angles;
- turn keyword research into an article brief; or
- structure questions for further research.
Marketer Milk similarly recommends using LLMs to explore content themes and potential ideas before validating actual target keywords with Google or dedicated SEO tools.
What Can AI Prompts Help You Brainstorm and Organize?
The quality of the instruction matters.
Compare these two prompts:
Prompt A:
“Give me SEO keywords.”
Prompt B:
“Generate keyword research ideas for an article aimed at freelance content writers who want to learn how to research keywords before writing.
Group the ideas by informational intent, audience problem and possible long-tail questions. Do not invent search-volume or keyword-difficulty figures.”
The second prompt gives the AI:
- an audience;
- a purpose;
- a topic;
- an intent;
- an output structure; and
- an important limitation.
That can produce a more useful starting point for human research.
Which Keyword Metrics Still Need Verification?
Do not ask a general-purpose AI model to invent or guess current figures for:
- monthly search volume;
- keyword difficulty;
- current rankings;
- backlink counts;
- cost-per-click data;
- SERP competition; or
- current search demand.
Marketer Milk specifically cautions that LLM-generated keyword ideas still need validation because an LLM alone cannot establish whether a phrase has actual search demand or whether the site can realistically rank for it.
Use an appropriate SEO data source and inspect the live search results where those details matter.
How Can a Structured Prompt Improve Your Keyword Research Workflow?
A structured prompt can help you clarify your thinking before you open an SEO tool.
A practical input might contain:
Audience
Who are you trying to reach?
Topic
What subject do you want to cover?
Reader problem
What does the audience need to understand or solve?
Search intent
Are they trying to learn, navigate, compare or take action?
Content type
Is this for a blog article, landing page, website section, video or another asset?
Research request
Do you need seed keywords, long-tail questions, topic clusters, competitor-research angles or a structure for organising existing keyword data?
You can then validate the resulting ideas using actual search data.
This produces a workflow such as:
Audience and topic → AI-assisted ideation → keyword-tool validation → SERP review → keyword prioritisation → content brief
The AI assists with the thinking and organisation. The SEO data helps verify the opportunity. The human makes the final decision.
How Can TheRichPrompt Help You Prepare a Clearer Keyword Research Prompt?
TheRichPrompt is designed around structured prompt preparation for content and digital marketing workflows.
Instead of beginning with a completely blank prompt, users can organise information such as their topic, audience, intended content and task before taking the output into their preferred AI workflow.
For keyword-related content planning, that approach can help you prepare clearer instructions before brainstorming topics, questions, article structures or other marketing content.
It should still be combined with suitable SEO tools and human review when you need current search-volume, competition or SERP data.
Readers who want to explore more workflows around structured prompting can also browse the AI and prompt planning resources.
How Can You Turn Keyword Research Into a Repeatable Content Workflow?
The individual metrics become more useful when they are turned into a repeatable process.
1. Define the Audience and Topic
Write down who the content is for, the broad subject and the problem you want to answer.
2. Build the Initial Keyword List
Use seed topics, Google suggestions, SEO tools, existing search data, competitor research, customer questions and AI-assisted brainstorming where appropriate.
3. Review Volume, Intent and Competition
Do not evaluate these metrics separately.
Check whether demand exists, understand why people search and inspect what currently competes for visibility.
4. Choose the Best-Fit Keyword
Prioritise a keyword that balances demand, intent, competitive reality and relevance to the intended reader.
5. Turn the Research Into a Content Brief
Record:
- the primary keyword;
- supporting topics;
- reader questions;
- search intent;
- page type;
- recommended headings;
- competitor observations; and
- any evidence or sources the writer needs.
This turns keyword research from a spreadsheet into instructions that a writer or content team can actually use.
6. Review Performance and Refine the Process
Keyword research should not be treated as a one-time document that can never change.
After publishing, review relevant search-performance data and consider whether:
- different queries are gaining impressions;
- the page answers the intent clearly;
- supporting topics are missing;
- the SERP has changed;
- the content needs updating; or
- a new keyword opportunity has emerged.
The goal is not to predict search performance perfectly before publication.
It is to make better-informed content decisions, learn from actual results and improve the process over time.
Conclusion: Good Keyword Research Is About Making Better Content Decisions
Learning how to do keyword research is not about finding one perfect metric or choosing the keyword with the largest search volume.
A stronger decision comes from looking at several signals together.
Search volume helps you estimate demand.
Search intent helps you understand what the searcher expects.
Keyword competition helps you judge how difficult the opportunity may be.
Relevance helps you decide whether the topic genuinely fits your audience, website and content goals.
From there, competitor research, long-tail keywords, SERP analysis and existing website data can help you refine the opportunity further.
AI can also support the workflow by helping you brainstorm seed topics, organise keyword ideas, group questions and prepare clearer content instructions.
However, search volume, keyword difficulty, current rankings and SERP competition should still be checked using appropriate SEO data sources and manual review.
The goal is not to collect the biggest keyword list possible.
It is to create a repeatable process that helps you move from:
broad topic → keyword ideas → validated opportunity → clear content brief
Turn Your Keyword Ideas Into a More Structured AI Prompt
Once you have identified your audience, topic, possible keywords and search intent, the next challenge is turning that research into clear instructions for content creation.
The AI Prompt Generator from TheRichPrompt can help you organise your inputs into a more structured AI-ready prompt for content planning and related marketing tasks.
Use the generated output as a starting point, then review the final content for accuracy, originality, brand tone, factual support and suitability before publishing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Do Keyword Research for SEO Beginners?
Start by defining your audience and topic, then create a few seed keywords.
Next:
- Expand those ideas using Google, keyword tools, competitor research and customer questions.
- Check the search volume.
- Identify the search intent.
- Review keyword difficulty and the current SERP.
- Compare relevance and business value.
- Choose the keyword that best fits the content you can realistically create.
Avoid selecting a keyword based only on the highest search volume.
What Are the Essential Steps in a Keyword Research Process?
A practical workflow can include:
- Define the audience.
- Choose a broad topic.
- Create seed keywords.
- Expand the keyword list.
- Check search volume.
- Confirm search intent.
- Assess keyword competition.
- Review competitor keywords and gaps.
- Prioritise the most relevant opportunity.
- Turn the research into a content brief.
The exact process can vary depending on whether you are researching for a new website, an existing article, a landing page or a broader content strategy.
What Are Common Mistakes to Avoid in Keyword Planning?
Common problems include:
- choosing keywords only because they have high search volume;
- ignoring search intent;
- treating keyword difficulty as an absolute ranking prediction;
- targeting competitor keywords that do not fit your audience;
- creating separate articles for every minor keyword variation;
- ignoring existing website data;
- using AI-generated metrics without verification; and
- assuming keyword research guarantees traffic or rankings.
Keyword research improves decision-making, but actual SEO performance still depends on content quality, implementation, competition, website condition and ongoing optimisation.
How Often Should Keyword Research Be Updated?
There is no single update schedule that suits every website.
Review keyword research when:
- planning new content;
- updating an important page;
- rankings or impressions change significantly;
- the SERP changes;
- new competitors enter the topic;
- audience behaviour changes; or
- the business introduces new products, services or priorities.
For established content programmes, periodic reviews can help identify new queries and changing search patterns rather than treating the original keyword list as permanent.
Can AI Be Used for Keyword Research?
Yes, but primarily for tasks such as:
- brainstorming seed keywords;
- generating possible reader questions;
- expanding topic ideas;
- grouping supplied keywords;
- organising possible search intent;
- preparing content angles; and
- creating structured research or content prompts.
AI output should not be treated as verified live SEO data unless it is connected to an appropriate current data source. Search volume, keyword difficulty, ranking positions and current SERP competition should still be validated separately.
