Keyword research

Keyword research is the process of finding out which terms people actually search for, how often, how hard those terms are to rank for, and what the searcher wants. It produces the list that decides which of your pages are worth strengthening.

Why it comes before buying links

Because links go to pages, and pages compete for terms. Without knowing which terms are within reach, placements land on pages that cannot win regardless of budget. The order is always the same: find the term, check whether it is reachable, then buy.

The numbers that matter, in order

Difficulty against your own domain strength, because a term rated hard is simply out of reach at a low domain rating. Then search intent, because a term with informational intent will not convert no matter the position. Then volume, which is the number everyone looks at first and which matters least of the three.

The mistake that costs the most

Choosing by volume alone. A term with 5,000 searches and a difficulty you cannot reach is worth less than one with 300 searches that is open. The second earns money within months, the first never does.

How this connects to the marketplace

The Linkfinder AI scores publishers against your domain, your niche, and your budget, which is the same logic applied to the supply side: fit before size.

See the catalogue.

Related: link building strategy · domain rating · internal linking