Keyword Research Process — Wellness Roots
Goal
Surface high-intent, low-competition keywords in the fermented foods, home health hacks, and superfoods space. Our organic channel depends on ranking well for topics where mainstream health sites are thin or overly commercial.
Tools (free)
| Tool | Use |
|---|---|
| Google Search Console | See what queries already drive clicks; find underperforming pages |
| Google Keyword Planner | Monthly search volume estimates; related keyword ideas |
| Answer The Public | Question-format keywords (“how to make kefir without a starter”) |
| [Google Autocomplete / People Also Ask] | Manual mining; zero cost |
| [Ahrefs Free / Ubersuggest] | Competitor gap analysis if budget allows |
Keyword criteria
A keyword is worth targeting if:
- Search volume: 200–5,000 searches/month (sweet spot for a new site — big enough to matter, small enough to rank)
- Intent match: Informational (“how to”, “what is”, “benefits of”) or commercial-adjacent (“best way to”, “does X work”)
- Topical fit: Fermented foods, DIY home remedies, underrated superfoods, gut health, natural herbs
- Difficulty: Prefer topics where top 10 results are forums, Reddit, or thin commercial pages — not WebMD/Healthline
Research workflow
- Seed list — Brainstorm 10–20 seed topics (e.g. “kombucha”, “kefir grains”, “lemon balm”, “resistant starch”)
- Expand — Run each seed through Keyword Planner and Answer The Public; export to spreadsheet
- Filter — Remove anything with <100 or >20k monthly searches; remove anything dominated by authoritative health sites with 50+ DR
- Cluster — Group related keywords into article clusters (one pillar + 3–5 supporting)
- Prioritise — Sort by (volume × intent match) / estimated difficulty
- Assign to content calendar — One cluster = one article or article series
Current priority clusters
| Cluster | Primary keyword | Supporting keywords | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kombucha | how to make kombucha at home | kombucha SCOBY, first ferment, second ferment, kombucha benefits | Published |
| Kefir | kefir benefits | how to make kefir, kefir grains vs powder, kefir vs yogurt | Published |
| Lemon balm | lemon balm benefits | growing lemon balm indoors, lemon balm tea anxiety, lemon balm sleep | Published |
| Resistant starch | resistant starch foods | resistant starch benefits gut, cooling rice resistant starch | Planned |
| Kimchi | how to make kimchi | kimchi probiotics, kimchi vs sauerkraut | Planned |
| Miso | miso soup benefits | homemade miso, miso gut health | Planned |
On-page optimisation checklist
For each published article:
- Primary keyword in
<h1>(naturally) - Primary keyword in first 100 words
- Primary keyword in meta
titleanddescription - 2–4 supporting keywords used naturally in subheadings or body
- Internal links to/from at least one related article
-
featuredImageset in frontmatter for OG / Twitter card -
tagsarray populated with 3–6 relevant terms - Reading time looks right (aim for 1,000–2,500 words per article)
Tracking
- Review Google Search Console weekly once the site is indexed
- Target: top-10 position for at least one keyword per published article within 90 days
- If a page gets impressions but low CTR (<2%), rewrite the meta title/description