Đoàn Lê Minh Anh
Ahrefs Keywords Explorer is a keyword research tool that helps businesses uncover search demand, assess competition, and find SEO content ideas. However, to make the data genuinely useful for decision-making, you need to know how to filter keywords and interpret metrics in the right context.
This article shares practical tips for getting more from Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, from setting up filters and reviewing Parent Topics to analyzing SERPs before planning content. The goal is not simply to find keywords with high search volume, but to choose topics that suit your customers and your website’s ability to compete.
Set up your research before filtering keywords
Before entering a seed keyword, determine which market, language, and type of search demand you are researching. The same phrase can mean different things in different countries, and data from Vietnam cannot fully replace data from another market. Select the right country and database from the start to avoid adding irrelevant ideas to your list.
Next, choose a seed keyword specific enough to reflect a product, service, or problem your customers care about. For example, rather than entering an overly broad term such as “marketing,” a business could start with a phrase that describes a particular service or need. Then expand your results using idea groups such as related terms, questions, and related phrases.
Create several separate research groups rather than combining all your results into one list. For example, group keywords by service, customer problem, decision-making stage, and search intent. This makes it easier to compare similar opportunities and turn your keyword list into a content structure later.
Filter keywords to find the right opportunities
Filters help narrow thousands of ideas down to actionable keywords. Ahrefs Keywords Explorer typically provides metrics such as search volume, keyword difficulty, estimated clicks, and the relevance of search results. Treat these as useful signals for screening opportunities, not as a formula that guarantees rankings.
Combine multiple criteria instead of choosing by search volume alone
High search volume can be appealing, but it does not necessarily bring in customers or suit your website’s capabilities. Combine criteria based on your campaign goals:
- Search volume: Use it to estimate interest, while accounting for seasonality and market size.
- Keyword difficulty: Use it as a guide to competition, but compare it with the quality and strength of the pages that currently rank.
- Clicks and click-through rate: These indicate whether a search generates organic clicks. Some queries may be answered directly on the results page.
- Keyword conditions: Filter by word count or include and exclude specific phrases to remove irrelevant ideas.
Avoid setting overly strict filters at the outset. If you require a very high minimum search volume, you may miss specific queries with strong purchase intent. On the other hand, keeping every keyword will make the list difficult to manage. Start with broad filters, review a sample of the results, and then adjust each criterion based on your goals and resources.
Read search intent from the wording
Words such as “what is,” “how to,” “comparison,” “price,” or “service” can suggest different needs, but you should not classify intent based on a few words in isolation. Review actual search results to confirm whether people expect a guide, product page, service page, or comparison content.
Businesses can label keywords as informational, commercial, transactional, or navigational. These labels help SEO and marketing teams align on content formats, CTAs, and measurement goals. A keyword with moderate search volume but strong service relevance may be a better priority than a high-volume query that is far removed from a purchase decision.
Use Parent Topic to build topic clusters
Parent Topic helps you identify a broader topic that a keyword may belong to, based on how related search results are organized. It can help you decide whether to create a separate article for each phrase or combine several variations in one piece of content. However, Parent Topic does not replace the need to check search intent and actual results.
Try grouping several similar keywords, then check whether they share a Parent Topic and have similar search results. If the queries lead to largely the same pages, one in-depth article may address multiple variations. If the SERPs differ significantly—for example, one group is focused on guides while another is focused on buying a service—consider creating separate pages that address each need more precisely.
To turn the data into a plan, organize keywords around a pillar topic and supporting articles. The pillar page explains the broader topic, while related articles explore specific questions, processes, or situations in more depth. LilyTech often recommends comparing this structure with your services, customer journey, and existing content, rather than creating multiple pages that differ by only a few words but address the same need.
Analyze the SERP before deciding what to write
SERP analysis helps you understand what types of content Google prioritizes for a query. In Keywords Explorer, review the pages that rank and the available metrics to build a list of competitors to research. Then open each page to assess its content, format, depth, freshness, and how it addresses searchers’ questions.
Do not focus only on the authority of competitors’ websites. Look at whether the top results are guides, product categories, service pages, videos, or local content. If most results are sales pages, publishing a general explainer may not meet the query’s intent. Conversely, if the SERP is dominated by guides, a service page should include useful information rather than simply promoting the brand.
When assessing opportunities, look for valuable content gaps: questions that are not fully answered, missing examples, outdated information, or a poor user experience. Do not mechanically copy competitors’ structures. The goal is to create more useful and trustworthy content for a specific customer group, while ensuring the page has an appropriate title, layout, and call to action.
A SERP is a snapshot of the competitive landscape at a particular point in time. Use it to understand searchers’ expectations, not to predict future rankings with certainty.
Turn data into an SEO plan
A consistent process saves the team time and reduces decisions based on guesswork. You can follow these steps:
- Set your goals: Choose the products, services, or customer groups to prioritize.
- Create a seed list: Gather the words customers use to describe their needs, problems, and solutions.
- Expand and filter: Use idea groups, keyword conditions, and metrics to narrow the list.
- Build clusters: Compare keyword variations, Parent Topics, and SERP similarity.
- Prioritize content: Balance business relevance, search demand, competition, and production resources.
- Measure and update: Track impressions, clicks, conversions, and topic coverage to guide adjustments.
Record why you selected or excluded each keyword group. This is especially useful when several people are involved in the research or when the strategy needs to be reviewed a few months later. Search data changes, competitors update their content, and business offerings can evolve. Your keyword list should be treated as a living document, not a one-time fixed plan.
Conclusion
Using Ahrefs Keywords Explorer effectively means combining thoughtful filters, an understanding of Parent Topic, and SERP reviews through the lens of your customers. Metrics help you screen opportunities, but final decisions should be based on search intent, relevance to your business, and your ability to create useful content.
If your business needs help developing an SEO strategy, building topic clusters, or connecting keyword research with your website and marketing activities, contact LilyTech for advice on an approach suited to your goals and resources.
