keyword research

How to Do Keyword Research for SEO: A Beginner's Guide

Published: April 04, 2024

While Google keeps us on our toes with all the algorithm updates they keep rollin' out, one thing has stayed pretty consistent for inbound marketers looking to optimize their websites for search: keyword research.

In this post, we’ll define what keyword research is, why it’s important, how to conduct your research for your SEO strategy, and choose the right keywords for your website.

Table of Contents

What is keyword research?

Why is keyword research important, elements of keyword research, how to research keywords for your seo strategy, how to find and choose keywords for your website.

Keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing search terms that people enter into search engines with the goal of using that data for a specific purpose, often for search engine optimization (SEO) or general marketing. Keyword research can uncover queries to target, the popularity of these queries, their ranking difficulty, and more.

Keyword research helps you find which keywords are best to target and provides valuable insight into the queries that your target audience is actually searching on Google.

Insights from these actual search terms can help inform your content strategy as well as your larger marketing strategy.

People use keywords to find solutions when conducting research online.

So if your content is successful in getting in front of your audience as they conduct searches, you stand to gain more traffic. Therefore, you should be targeting those searches with content that features those keywords in a meaningful way.

Additionally, inbound methodology focuses less on creating content around what we want to tell people. Instead, we should be creating content around what people want to discover.

In other words, our audience is coming to us for helpful content that provides the answers they’re looking for.

In a nutshell, all of this starts with keyword research.

Conducting keyword research has many benefits, the most popular being:

Marketing Trend Insight

Conducting effective keyword research can provide you with insights into current marketing trends and help you center your content on relevant topics and keywords your audience is in search of.

Traffic Growth

When you identify the best-fitting keywords for the content you publish, the higher you’ll rank in search engine results — the more traffic you’ll attract to your website.

Customer Acquisition

If your business has content that other business professionals are looking for, you can meet their needs and provide them with a call-to-action that will lead them into the buyer journey from the awareness stage to the point of purchase.

By researching keywords for their popularity, search volume, and general intent, you can tackle the questions that most people in your audience want answers to.

Keywords vs. Topics

More and more, we hear how much SEO has evolved over just the last 10 years and how seemingly unimportant keywords have transformed our ability to rank well for the searches people make every day.

And to some extent, this is true, but in the eyes of an SEO professional, it’s a different approach. Rather, it’s the intent behind that keyword and whether or not a piece of content solves for that intent (we’ll talk more about intent in just a minute).

But that doesn’t mean keyword research is an outdated process. Let me explain:

Keyword research tells you what topics people care about and, assuming you use the right SEO tool, how popular those topics actually are among your audience.

The operative term here is topics, plural. By researching keywords that are getting a high volume of searches per month, you can identify and sort your content into topics or buckets that you want to create content on.

Then, you can use these topics to dictate which keywords you look for and target.

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There are three main elements I have discovered that you should pay attention to when conducting keyword research.

1. Relevance

Google ranks content for relevance.

This is where the concept of search intent comes in. Your content will only rank for a keyword if it meets the searchers’ needs.

In addition, your content must be the best resource out there for the query. After all, why would Google rank your content higher if it provides less value than other content that exists on the web?

2. Authority

Google will provide more weight to sources it deems authoritative.

That means you must do all you can to become an authoritative source by enriching your site with helpful, informative content and promoting that content to earn social signals and backlinks.

If you’re not seen as authoritative in the space, or if a keyword’s SERPs are loaded with heavy sources you can’t compete with (like Forbes or The Mayo Clinic), you have a lower chance of ranking unless your content is exceptional.

You may end up ranking on the first page for a specific keyword, but if no one ever searches for it, it will not result in traffic to your site. It's like setting up a shop in a ghost town.

Volume is measured by MSV (monthly search volume), which means the number of times the keyword is searched per month across all audiences.

• Make a list of important, relevant topics based on what you know about your business.
• Fill in those topic buckets with keywords.
• Understand how intent affects keyword research and analyze accordingly.
• Research related search terms.
• Use keyword research tools to your advantage.

I’m going to lay out a keyword research process you can follow to help you come up with a list of terms you should be targeting.

That way, you’ll be able to establish and execute a strong keyword strategy that helps you get found for the search terms you actually care about.

Step 1. Make a list of important, relevant topics based on what you know about your business.

To kick off this process, think about the topics you want to rank for in terms of generic buckets.

You’ll come up with about five to 10 topic buckets you think are important to your business, and then you’ll use those topic buckets to help come up with some specific keywords later in the process.

If you’re a regular blogger, these are probably the topics you blog about most frequently. Or perhaps they’re the topics that come up the most in sales conversations.

Put yourself in the shoes of your buyer personas . What types of topics would your target audience search that you’d want your business to get found for?

Drill down into your website’s traffic sources, and sift through your organic search traffic bucket to identify the keywords people are using to arrive at your site.

Repeat this exercise for as many topic buckets as you have.

Remember, if you’re having trouble coming up with relevant search terms, you can always head on over to your customer-facing colleagues — those who are in sales or service. Ask them what types of terms their prospects or customers have questions about.

Those are often great starting points for keyword research.

Here at HubSpot, we use the Search Insights Report in this part of the process. This template is designed to help you do the same and bucket your keywords into topic clusters, analyze MSV, and inform your editorial calendar and strategy.

Featured Resource: Search Insights Report Template

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Step 3. Understand how intent affects keyword research and analyze accordingly.

Like I said in the previous section, user intent is now one of the most pivotal factors in your ability to rank well on search engines like Google.

Today, it’s more important that your web page addresses the problem a searcher intended to solve than simply carries the keyword the searcher used. So, how does this affect the keyword research you do?

It’s easy to take keywords at face value, but unfortunately, keywords can have many different meanings beneath the surface.

Because the intent behind a search is so important to your ranking potential, you need to be extra careful about how you interpret the keywords you target.

Let’s say, for example, you’re researching the keyword “how to start a blog” for an article you want to create. “Blog” can mean a blog post or the blog website itself, and what a searcher’s intent is behind that keyword will influence the direction of your article.

Does the searcher want to learn how to start an individual blog post? Or do they want to know how to actually launch a website domain for the purposes of blogging?

If your content strategy is only targeting people interested in the latter, you’ll need to make sure of the keyword’s intent before committing to it.

To verify what a user’s intent is in a keyword, it’s a good idea to simply enter this keyword into a search engine yourself and see what types of results come up.

Make sure the type of content Google is displaying relates to your intention for the keyword.

Step 4. Research related search terms.

This is a creative step you may have already thought of when doing keyword research. If not, it’s a great way to fill out those lists.

If you’re struggling to think of more keywords people might be searching about a specific topic, take a look at the related search terms that appear when you plug in a keyword into Google.

When you type in your phrase and scroll to the bottom of Google’s results, you’ll notice some suggestions for searches related to your original input.

These keywords can spark ideas for other keywords you may want to take into consideration.

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Choose the right keywords

The right keywords can get your ad in front of the right customers, and Google Ads Keyword Planner is here to help.

Find new keywords

Search for words or phrases related to your products or services. Our keyword research tool will help you find the keywords that are most relevant for your business.

Analyze keywords

Our keyword research tool gives you insight into how often people search for certain terms–and how those searches have changed over time.

Get bid estimates

Keyword Planner will give you suggested bid estimates for each keyword to help you determine your advertising budget.

Make your plan

Once you’ve found the keywords you like, you can add them to your advertising plan. Save your plan or share it with others. When you’re ready, you can finalize and launch your campaign.

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17 Best Free and Paid Keyword Research Tools for SEO

Written by Brian Dean

This is a list of the 17 best keyword research tools in 2024.

These amazing tools have helped my organic traffic grow by 28.55% over the last year:

And in this guide, I’ll reveal the world’s best keyword research tools…

…and help you choose the best one for you.

The best SEO keyword research tools for SEO have one thing in common: helping users boost organic traffic and search engine visibility .

However, each tool approaches this goal differently. Some are all-in-one SEO platforms that specialize in technical SEO, backlink opportunities, and guest post outreach.

Others focus on niche SEO opportunities, such as finding underserved and easy-to-rank keywords or topic cluster research.

We’ve updated this post to account for SEO opportunities in 2024 and guide your choice of the best keyword research tools suitable to your needs.

Let’s jump in.

What Are The Top 5 Keyword Research Tools?

Semrush works a little differently than the other tools I will show you.

Instead of entering a seed keyword and getting a long list of keyword ideas, Semrush shows you keywords that your competition already ranks for.

(These are usually outside-the-box keywords that would be impossible to find using any other tool.)

Here’s how it works:

First, enter a competitor’s domain name in the field at the top of the page.

If you’re doing SEO in a country outside of the US (for example, in Google.co.uk), you can choose to see information about that specific market. Just choose that country from this menu:

Next, take a look at the “Organic Research” section:

Here’s what the different terms in that section mean:

• Keywords are the estimated number of monthly organic visitors that come from Google.
• Traffic is the estimated number of monthly visitors.
• Traffic Cost indicates how valuable this traffic is (based on Google Ads CPC).

So if you see a domain with a lot of Organic Search Traffic but a low Traffic Cost, you know that they’re ranking for keywords that don’t convert into buyers.

But the real value of Semrush comes from the “Organic Keywords” data:

This box will show you 5 of the top keywords that your competitors are ranking for. To see more, click on “View all [number] organic keywords”.

And you’ll get a list of all of the keywords that the site or URL ranks for:

This page alone will usually give you a handful of solid keywords for digital marketing .

But if you want more ideas, go back to the “Organic Research” overview and check out the “Competitors” in the menu bar.

And you’ll see that site’s first-page competition:

When you click on one of THOSE results, you can see the exact search queries they’re ranking for.

There will be some overlap from what you just saw, but you’ll also (usually) dig up some real gems.

You can also start your Semrush search with a keyword instead of a competitor’s site:

Semrush will show you a “Phrase match report”, which is a list of long-tail keywords that include the keyword you entered:

This is really helpful for finding long-tail variations of Head and Body Keywords.

For example, if you wanted to rank for the keyword “weight loss”, you’ll quickly find that it’s simply too competitive.

But Semrush will show you long-tail variations, like the “weight loss calculator”, that is MUCH easier to rank for:

My Favorite Feature: Keyword Magic

This tool pulls keyword suggestions from Semrush’s massive database of over 25 billion terms.

Start your keyword research

Explore the largest keyword database.

Semrush is my favorite keyword research tool. Not cheap. But if you’re serious about SEO, it’s a must-have.

2. Free Keyword Tool by Backlinko

For those just starting with SEO, it can be daunting to invest in expensive keyword research tools.

That’s why we’ve created this  free keyword research tool , leveraging the extensive database of keywords from Semrush.

This tool assists in pinpointing low-competition keywords, sparking ideas for blog content, and providing insights into monthly search volumes.

This is our first free tool on Backlinko and I love using it for quick keyword research.

3. Google Search Console

Find hundreds of “Opportunity Keywords”.

The Google Search Console isn’t a traditional keyword research tool.

But it does have a feature that makes finding awesome keywords a CINCH.

The feature?

The Performance Report .

This report list out the pages on your site that get the most clicks from Google.

(And the exact keywords that brought them there)

So: how can you use this feature for keyword research?

It’s easy: use it to find “Opportunity Keywords”.

Opportunity Keywords are where you rank between #8-#20 in Google for a specific keyword.

And with little extra on-page SEO , you can find yourself with a nice rankings boost.

For example, my average rankings for the keyword “SEO tool” is 6.2.

That keyword is an Opportunity Keyword. And if I optimize my page around “SEO tool”, my rankings for that term should go up.

My Favorite Feature: Google Analytics + Google Search Console

Did you know that you can combine your Google Search Console and Google Analytics accounts?

Well, you can.

And it’s VERY helpful.

When you do, you’ll get more in-depth keyword data than you would with either tool by itself.

The Google Search Console is an underrated keyword research tool. No other tool can help you find Opportunity Keywords like the GSC.

Scrape suggested keywords from multiple sources.

Soovle gives you suggested keyword ideas from Google, YouTube, Bing, Yahoo, Amazon and more.

(All in one place.)

That way, you can find untapped keywords that your competition doesn’t know about.

My Favorite Feature: Saved Suggestions

Easily save your favorite keyword ideas with Soovle’s “drag & drop” saved suggestions feature.

Then, download your favorite keywords to a CSV file.

Soovle is one of the best free keyword research tools out there.

Get thousands of related keyword ideas within seconds.

This is a straightforward (yet powerful) tool.

So, what makes Jaaxy unique?

First off, it gives you LOTS of different keyword ideas.

(Including some that you won’t find in most other tools.)

Plus, you get helpful data on every keyword that it generates (including competition, search volume, and potential traffic).

My Favorite Feature: QSR

QSR stands for “Quoted Search Result”.

This is a fancy way of saying: “how many other websites are trying to rank for this exact term?”.

Obviously, the lower this number, the better chance you have of ranking #1.

Jaaxy is a decent freemium tool. Not nearly as good as something like Semrush. But at $50/month, it’s not a bad deal.

6. Ahrefs Keywords Explorer

Make smarter keyword decisions.

Ahrefs recently rolled out a new and improved “Keywords Explorer”.

And what I like most about Keywords Explorer is this:

It gives you SUPER in-depth information on each keyword.

Sure, you get the data you’d expect (like search volume). But you also get a breakdown of the first page competition… and how many searchers actually click on a result.

My Favorite Feature: Keyword Difficulty

Most keyword research tools give you vague difficulty info (like “easy” or “difficult”). Or a score (like “89/100”).

But Ahrefs tells you EXACTLY how many backlinks you’ll need to rank on the first page of Google.

Ahrefs is mostly known as for backlink analysis. But I have to say: it’s got a killer keyword research tool. I find myself using it more and more every week.

7. SECockpit

Keyword research for SEO pros.

This a Swiss Army Knife of keyword research tools.

Like any other keyword tool, you give SECockpit a seed keyword… and you get a list of results.

But what makes SECockpit unique is the built-in features that allow you to get A LOT of depth on search trends, organic competition and traffic estimates.

Which means that it’s a tool largely designed for SEO professionals.

Sure, newbies can get value out of this tool. But there’s no doubt that SECockpit is targeted for people that sleep, eat and breathe SEO.

If you’re brand new to SEO, the sheer number of features in this tool might be overwhelming for you. But if you’re looking for lots and lots of depth, you’ll probably get your money’s worth.

With that, here’s how it works.

When you login you’ll automatically go to your Dashboard, where you can create projects around sets of keywords…or jump right in with a single keyword search.

To start the keyword research process, click on “Start a Keyword Search”:

Then, enter a seed keyword in the field marked “Keyword Phrase”:

You can get even more results by choosing to include Google Suggest, Related Searches and synonyms pulled from Google Ads:

When you’re done, click on “save and close” and the tool will get to work:

Here’s the report you’ll get:

If you’ve ever used the Google Keyword Planner , the data here should look familiar to you.

In fact, the columns “Phrase”, “Monthly Searches” and “CPC” are pulled directly from the GKP:

(The only difference is that CPC is called “Top of page bid” in the GKP)

So: what does the other information in SECockpit mean?

Well you’ll notice a bunch of green bars under the column labeled “Niche”:

This bar is a single metric that takes into account first page competition, monthly search volume, and commercial intent. In other words, whether or not that search query is a good overall choice. The larger the bar, the better the keyword.

Next to monthly searches you’ll notice a series of orange bars labeled “Top Results”:

This bar indicates the difficulty of ranking for that particular keyword based on the current top 10 results.

And when you click on a keyword, you get a breakdown of that keyword’s search results.

When you do, SECockpit will display important competition metrics for the top 10 pages in the results… including Moz Domain Authority and total backlinks:

This is a great way to quickly size up competition without having to look one-by-one at the SERPs .

And you go back to the keywords page, you can actually add at least 20 more columns to the results:

For example, you can see a ratio of the keyword’s competition in comparison to its search volume. Or you can get a comparison of the estimated traffic you’ll get from hitting the top 3 for that keyword. And lots more.

My Favorite Feature: Filtering

You can use over 100 filters to find the keywords that you want.

For example, do you only want keywords that get searched for at least 10k times per month? Done.

Or maybe you want terms that have the best ratio of search volume and competition. You got it.

Clunky? Yes. Intuitive? Heck no. Feature-rich? Absolutely. If you want lots of advanced features, and don’t mind a steep learning curve, definitely check out SECockpit.

8. Google Keyword Planner

Tap into Google’s massive keyword database.

The GKP is pretty vanilla compared to most other keyword research tools.

So why use it?

Because the data you get from it comes straight from Google.

(So you know its legit)

My Favorite Feature: “Top of page bid”

This is how much people advertisers are bidding on a keyword.

For example, of you see a top of page bid of $10, people are spending an average of 10 bucks per click.

Obviously, the higher this number, the more commercial intent that searcher has.

The data in the GKP is the most reliable out there. That said, because it’s designed for Google Ads, using it for SEO can be tricky. This Google Keyword Planner Guide shows you how the GKP for SEO-focused keyword research.

9. KeywordTool.io

Get boatloads of targeted keyword ideas.

Here’s another Google Suggest scraper (just like UberSuggest and Soovle).

What makes KeywordTool unique?

Two things:

First, KeywordTool gives you A LOT of keyword suggestions.

For example, I just did a search for “SEO”… and got 1,394 relevant keywords.

Second, you can easily filter, drill-down or expand the results to find the right keywords for you.

My Favorite Feature: Analyze Competitors

This is a very cool feature I don’t see in many other keyword research tools.

Just enter a competitor’s site… and the tool will generate a list of keyword ideas based on that site’s content.

For example, when I pop Backlinko into the tool, I get keywords that I’d expect.

(Like “SEO” and “blog”)

But I also came across terms that I don’t use anywhere on my site… but are closely related to the type of stuff that I write about.

(Like “digital marketing” and “how to check backlinks”)

One of the best overall keyword research tools on the market. Worth a try.

10. Moz Keyword Explorer

Find keywords that will generate the most traffic.

Moz’s Keyword Explorer does an awesome job of finding “lateral” keyword ideas.

For example, take a seed keyword like “weight loss”.

Like most other tools, you get a list of closely related keywords:

But what makes Moz unique is that it’s SMART.

This means you get outside-the-box suggestions that you probably won’t find anywhere else.

My Favorite Feature: “Organic CTR” and “Priority”

These two awesome features let you know how many clicks you can expect to get from your target keyword.

Organic CTR is the number of clicks you can expect to get if you crack the top 10. For example, if a SERP has a ton of PPC ads, news results, and a knowledge graph, your CTR is gonna be low.

Priority takesCTR, search volume and difficulty into account. It’s an “overall” score of whether or not you should target a particular keyword.

So if you’re overwhelmed by keyword data, you can use this single metric to find keywords that are going to bring you the most traffic from Google.

Moz’s keyword tool is pretty darn awesome. Unfortunately, it’s not a standalone tool (you have to pay for their entire suite of SEO tools to use it).

11. Keywords Everywhere

Get search volume (and more) wherever you go.

Keywords Everywhere is a paid keyword research tool that displays keyword data on top of 10 websites …including Ebay, Amazon and Answer The Public.

That way, you don’t need to copy and paste keywords into the Google Keyword Planner. The data shows up in your Chrome browser. Very cool.

My Favorite Feature: “People Also Search For”

Get a list of keywords related to your search term… in the Google search results.

What’s cool about this feature is that you can find keywords that your target customer searches for when they’re not searching for what you sell.

For example, when I search for “SEO Tools”, I see terms like “Google Keyword Planner SEO” and “”Free SEO analysis”.

(Both of which get decent amounts of searches every month)

If you’re serious about keyword research you NEED to install this extension. It rocks.

12. Keyword Snatcher

Find 2,000 keyword ideas with a single search.

If you want a lot – and I mean a lot – of keyword ideas, Keyword Snatcher is a dream come true.

In fact, you’ll usually generate at least 2,000 keywords from a single seed keyword.

Just open up the tool and choose the sources that you want Keyword Snatcher to pull its suggestions from:

I recommend keeping them all checked so you can generate as many keyword ideas as possible.

Next, enter a seed keyword into the field and click “Get Suggestions”:

And after a long wait, you’ll get an insane amount of suggestions:

The big downside of this tool is that it doesn’t give you any data on the keywords that it generates (like search volume and keyword competition). It’s simply a keyword idea tool.

To get that information, you need to extract the list of keywords by clicking on “Download Suggestions” and saving your keyword list as a text or CSV file:

Then, copy and paste those keywords into the Google Keyword Planner.

My Favorite Feature: Word Count

This nifty sorting feature lets you focus on keywords that are a certain length.

(Like terms that are at least 4-words long)

This makes finding long tail keywords MUCH easier.

Not the best keyword tool ever made. But it’s one of the few out there that don’t require a monthly subscription.

13. Google Trends

Find new keywords and search trends.

There are two ways to use Google Trends for keyword research:

First, you can search for a specific keyword…

…and take a look at the “related queries” section.

Second, you can see if whether or not a keyword is growing in popularity.

Why is this important?

Well, let’s say you’re debating between two keywords:

“Content Marketing” and “Inbound Marketing”.

As you can see, interest for “Content Marketing” is growing fast… and fewer people are searching for “Inbound Marketing” than ever before.

This isn’t to say that “Inbound Marketing” is a bad keyword. But the fact that it’s trending down is one factor to keep in mind as you decide on your next keyword.

My Favorite Feature: YouTube Search

See whether a given keyword is growing on the world’s 2nd most popular search engine: YouTube.

If you write lots of evergreen content , you NEED to use Google Trends. That way, you can see if a keyword is going to bring you traffic over the long haul… before you write a word of content.

14. KWFinder

A powerful keyword tool that’s also easy to use. KWFinder is quickly becoming one of my go-to keyword research tools.

Because it has lots of the features that other tools have. But unlike most other tool, KWFinder is VERY intuitive.

As you might expect, this tells you how hard it will be to rank for that keyword.

But unlike most other tools, KWFinder automatically shows a Keyword Difficulty score next to every keyword.

(So there’s no need to click on every single one to see its difficulty score… which gets old fast)

At $29/month you really can’t go wrong with a KWFinder subscription. Great value.

15. QuestionDB

Find lots of question-focused keyword ideas (for free).

QuestionDB pulls question-focused keywords from threads on Reddit.

So if you’re looking for an alternative to Answer The Public, QuestionDB does the job.

My Favorite Feature: Popularity Sort the results by popularity. That way, you can create content that answers these burning questions.

When it comes to finding question-keywords for blog content, QuestionDB can’t be beat.

16. Serpstat

Analyze the first page competition.

Serpstat is a SEO software suite with tools for content, link building, and more.

Which means Serpstat doesn’t specialize in keyword research.

Even so, it still has a VERY decent keyword research tool.

My Favorite Feature: Competitors Graph This lets you visualize the sites that are competing for a given keyword (and related terms).

So if you see big bubbles for “Wikipedia” or “Amazon” it’s probably time to look for a different keyword.

Is Serpstat one of best tools on the market? No. But at $19 a month, you get a lot of pro features for your money.

17. AlsoAsked 

AlsoAsked a fantastic tool for topic cluster research.

Seasoned SEOs understand that the best way to rank for head keywords is to create topic clusters — multiple pages that talk about the topic in-depth.

AlsoAsked helps you map out these clusters and visualize how people ask questions on the topic.

For example, let’s say you wanted to rank for ‘home security cameras’ – a head keyword that has a 100,000 monthly search volume.

Plugging this keyword into AlsoAsked gives us four distinct cluster topics, divided into specific questions around each cluster.

Answering these questions in your content is an excellent method of building authoritative topic clusters — and driving tons of SEO traffic.

With API access coming soon on Alsoasked, and with an affordable pricing, it could be a tool for SEO veterans to use while undertaking massive SERP analysis across different niches and regions.

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Keyword Research: An In-Depth Beginner’s Guide

Keyword research is the foundation of search engine optimization. This guide covers what it is and how you should do keyword research.

Keyword research is the foundation of search engine optimization, and without it, you cannot expect to create sustainable and repeatable visibility.

Today, SEO is a much wider discipline than in the early days of the industry and has been segmented into many verticals.

But, at the core, SEO is about finding opportunities online and capturing relevant traffic to a website through visibility in search engines. Keyword research is at the heart of that SEO strategy.

This guide explains what keyword research is, why it’s important, and how you can make a start for a successful SEO strategy.

What Is Keyword Research?

Keyword research is a process of finding words, queries, and phrases that users are searching for, which means a keyword that has search volume.

Research involves connecting the relevance of keywords to a website and its individual pages so that the user can find the best page to answer their query, known as search intent.

Keyword research also involves categorizing search queries into the different stages of a user journey and different categories of search, such as transactional, navigational, and informational.

Good keyword research enables users to find what they need:

• Shoppers who want to buy something can find the right product page.
• A user that wants to know ‘how to’ can find a page that explains a process in-depth.
• Users who want to research a person or brand can find out about that entity.

Keyword research should also carefully consider if ranking on a keyword is worth the effort it would take to rank highly and get visitors. Not all traffic is equal.

Download the ebook, How To Do Keyword Research For SEO .

Why Keyword Research Is Important For SEO

A search engine is an information retrieval system built around the queries that a user inputs to find an answer or relevant information to their search query.

The predominant focus of Google is to connect a user with the best answer to their query and the best website page so that a user is satisfied. Understanding this underlines SEO.

Good keyword research is the foundation of how a business can connect with its potential customers and audience. Understanding this helps to understand a good SEO strategy.

A business strategy starts with understanding its audience and their needs.

• What do they want?
• What do they need?
• What keeps them awake at night?
• What could solve their problem?

Keyword research is an extension of understanding your audience by first considering their needs and then the phrases, keywords, or queries they use to find solutions.

Keyword research is also important for SEO because it can show you where the opportunities are by knowing what your audience is searching for.

This will help you to find new areas of business and to prioritize where to focus attention and resources.

Keyword research will also help you to calculate where you can expect a return on investment to justify your efforts:

• Can a keyword deliver relevant traffic that has the possibility to convert to an end goal?
• What is an estimation of that traffic, and how much is each visitor worth to your business?

Basically, keyword research is the ultimate business research tool.

Read more: Why Keywords Are Still So Very Important For SEO

Keyword Research Basics

Monthly search volume.

Monthly Search Volume (MSV) is a predominant measure of keyword value. It’s a useful metric as a starting point to consider if anyone is searching for that keyword, but it shouldn’t be used in isolation or as the only measure of value.

Just because a keyword has a high MSV doesn’t mean it is the right keyword for you to rank on.

High-volume keywords generally deliver ‘browsing’ traffic at the top of the funnel. They are useful for brand awareness but not for direct conversion.

Low-volume keywords can be much more valuable because they can deliver users who are ready to buy a product.

Read more: A Complete Guide To Keyword Search Volume For SEO

User Intent

User intent refers to what type of result they want to see when they search for a query – the intention of their search.

You will hear user intent talked about a lot in keyword research, as it is one of the most important factors in the process.

User intent is important in two ways, firstly because your primary aim in creating content and pages on a website are to provide a user with information that they want to know.

There’s no point in creating a page about what you care about – your user only cares about their problems and needs.

You can have the best page in the world about the history of cupcakes, but if a user searching for [cupcake] wants a recipe for cupcakes, then they will not click on your link.

Secondly, Google considers relevance when serving results pages (as we said above, they want to deliver the best result for a query). So, the better your page fits user intent, the better it might rank.

Read more: How People Search: Understanding User Intent

When Google considers which pages it will show in search results, the algorithm will look at other pages that users are clicking on for that query.

If we have a query such as [cupcake], Google has to consider if a user wants to know what a cupcake is, how to make a cupcake, or wants to buy a cupcake.

By looking at a search result page, you can get a good idea of user intent from the other results.

Reviewing the search results page of a query should be part of your research process for every keyword you want to consider.

Keyword relevance and user intent are much the same things. It’s about knowing what the user really means when they search. This is more ambiguous for head keywords and less so for long-tail queries.

Long-Tail keywords

Long-tail keywords are called long-tail because they fall to the right of the search demand curve – where the graph looks like a long tail stretching to the right.

The search demand curve is a graph that shows keywords with high volume to the left and lower search volumes to the right.

Longer queries that are more focused fall to the right. Head terms with broad meaning and high volume fall to the left.

The value of long-tail keywords is that they are usually highly focused terms that convert well, as users are actively looking for something very specific.

For example, [iPhone 13] is a head term with high volume (2.7 million MSV), and [Best affordable iPhone 13 cases] (210 MSV) is a long-tail keyword with far fewer searches but would have a high conversion rate.

Long-tail keywords are useful to include in a keyword strategy because they are usually much easier to rank for and achievable for a new website, and the cumulative volume of many long-tail keywords adds up to considerable targeted traffic.

This is a much more stable strategy than focusing on one high-volume ambiguous keyword.

Read more: Long-Tail Keyword Strategy: Why & How To Target Intent For SEO

Types Of Search Query

There are four types of keywords that are useful to understand as they categorize the different user intents and can help when planning a keyword strategy.

• Informational – users looking for information or an answer to a question (top of the funnel).
• Navigational – users wanting to find a specific brand, site, or page (brand searches).
• Commercial – users researching brands, products, or services (middle of the funnel).
• Transactional – users ready to complete a purchase or action (bottom of the funnel).

Local keywords can also be considered another category.

How To Do Keyword Research

Now that you have a better understanding of the basics of keyword research, we can look at where you would start with your research and keyword strategy.

1. How To Find Keyword Ideas

The first stage of keyword research is to brainstorm ideas for seed keywords, and there are several ways to do this.

Your Target Audience

Everything starts with your audience and what they want. Think about their needs, wants, and especially their pain points and problems.

Start to compile your wide list of words, ideas, and topics that surround your niche or business.

Think About Questions

Question-based keyword queries are valuable as they can help you to capture featured snippets and can be a way to jump rank on highly competitive keywords.

Ask your sales team and review CRM data to find the questions that your audience is asking.

Also, think of question modifiers that will start to build out your list:

• What [is a road bike].
• How to [ride a road bike].
• When is [the best time to service a road bike].
• What is [the best road bike].
• Where is [road bike shop].

Current Site Queries

If your site already has some online history, then Google Search Console can tell you what Google thinks your website is relevant for. This is insightful to tell you if your site is conveying the right message and to find opportunities.

If Google is showing a lot of queries that have nothing to do with your product or brand, then you need to apply more keyword focus to your pages.

Look for queries that are position 10 or greater, have reasonable impressions, and you think are relevant to your business.

These are potential quick-win opportunities that you can capture by making improvements and optimizing pages for the query.

Read more: A Complete Google Search Console Guide For SEO Pros

Competitors’ Keywords

Your competitors are a gold mine of information because they might already have invested in extensive research.

A business should be constantly monitoring its competitors anyway, so keep an eye on what content they are producing and the terms they target.

A keyword gap analysis will help you find opportunities your competitors are targeting that you might not have considered.

Read more: Competitor Keyword Analysis: 5 Ways To Fill The Gaps In Your Organic Strategy & Get More Traffic

Seed Keywords

Start with high-level ‘seed’ keywords that you can use as a starting point to then open up variants and related queries.

Seed keywords are ‘big’ head terms such as [iPhone], [trainers], [road bike], or [cupcake].

For each seed keyword, start to think of topics that are related:

• Road bike maintenance.
• Road bike training.
• Road bike clothing.
• Road bike lights.

Also, use question modifiers and buying modifiers such as:

• Best [road bike].
• Buy [road bike].
• Price [for women’s road bike].
• [road bikes for hire] near me.
• Reviews [of road bikes under $1,000].

When you have finished this process, you should have a raw list of potential keywords grouped in topics – such as maintenance, clothing, training, etc.

2. How To Analyze Keywords

Once you have your raw list, it’s time to start to analyze and sort by value and opportunity.

Search Volume

Search volume will tell you if anyone is actively searching for this term.

For a first-stage strategy, you should aim for keywords with a mid-range and long-tail volume for quick wins and then build up to approach more competitive terms with higher volumes.

Head keywords with super high volumes (like ‘iPhone’) are not the best keywords to focus on as they can be too ambiguous and rarely have a specific intent.

Also, the amount of work that is needed to rank can be too high a barrier for entry unless you have an established domain of significant authority.

If a tool shows a keyword with zero search volume, this doesn’t always mean you should discard the term.

If the keyword is shown in the tool, then there can be value to consider targeting it in your strategy. However, make sure you know your audience and what is relevant to them before you invest resources in a zero-volume keyword.

Read more: Why You Should Target Zero Search Volume Keywords

Search Intent

After you have sorted your raw lists by search volumes, it’s then time to review the intent for each keyword that you would like to target.

The SERP will tell you everything that you need to know, and you should always review SERPs for clues on how to construct content and rank.

Look at the other listing that rank highly:

• Are they ‘how-to’ guides that indicate it’s informational?
• Do the titles say ‘buy,’ ‘best,’ or include product names?
• Is there a shopping carousel that indicates a buying keyword?
• Is there a location map that indicates it’s a local search?

Tag each keyword type and then consider which are the strongest keywords from each group.

You can also use a research tool that will tell you the type of keyword.

Topic Clusters

Grouping keywords into topic clusters is an advanced keyword strategy that can help to strengthen the topic authority of a site.

To do this, you would start with a high-volume head keyword and then research a series of keywords that supports that head term.

After creating pages of content that target each keyword, you use internal linking to connect pages with the same topic.

Read more: Keyword Clusters: How To Level Up Your SEO Content Strategy

3. How To Choose Organic Keywords

After sorting the volumes, intent, and topics, you will need to decide if you have a chance of ranking on a term by looking at how much competition there is for each keyword.

Keyword Difficulty

Keyword difficulty is one of the most important keyword metrics when doing your research.

If a keyword is so competitive that you need hundreds of thousands of dollars to rank, then you need to get strategic.

The easiest way to calculate keyword difficulty is to use a research tool that gives a score for each keyword.

Or, you can refer to Google Keyword Planner Tool and look at the CPC and level of difficulty. The higher the CPC bid, the higher the competition.

If you are starting out, first approach the lower competition keywords that are achievable and then build your way up to more competitive terms.

Read more: Why Keyword Research Is Useful For SEO & How To Rank

Connecting To Your Objectives And Goals

Unless a keyword can actually deliver a result for you – do you want to target it?

As we said above, targeting head terms is not the best strategy as they will, at best, deliver browsing or drive-by visitors. Unless you are a big brand with a big budget that is aiming for brand awareness, this is not the best application of your resources and budget.

Choosing your keyword priority should start with what can give you the best return in the shortest time frame.

Good keyword research is not just about trying to target a high-volume popular keyword. A good keyword strategy is about finding the right keywords for your needs and outcome. Always keep that front and center.

Read more: How To Calculate ROI For SEO When Targeting A Set Of Keywords

Watch John Mueller talk about ranking for head keywords in this video from the 38:55 minute mark.

Using Keyword Research Tools

Doing your research without a tool is limited; for the most in-depth keyword research, you need help to find keyword opportunities you had not thought of.

The following keyword research tools are all free versions that you can start out with.

Google Keyword Planner

The original keyword tool has evolved over the years, but it still remains one of the best free keyword tools and a good starting point to find seed keywords and keyword ideas.

The Google tool is aligned with Google Ads, so the data is skewed towards paid ads but is still valuable for research.

You need a Google Ads account to access the tool. Google will try to force you to set up an active campaign, but you can access the account by setting up an account without a campaign.

Without a campaign running, you will only get limited search volumes displayed in ranges, but the tool is still useful for its suggestions of keyword ideas. If you have an active campaign, Google will show you the monthly search volume.

You can add up to 10 seed keywords and get a list of suggested keywords, and run competitor URLs in the tool to find keywords they are targeting. Doing this is a great place to start building out raw lists of keywords to work from.

Read more: How To Use Google Keyword Planner

Read more: 9 Creative Ways To Use Google’s Keyword Planner Tool

Google Trends

Google Trends offers data based on actual search query data. It doesn’t provide search volumes, but the data in Google trends can be compared with actual search volumes from other tools so you can get a comparative feel of what the actual volumes are.

Where Trends excels is to identify trending topics and subtopics in a niche and to find geographic search trends in a local area. Trends will recommend related keywords that are currently growing in popularity.

As part of a keyword strategy, this can show you where to focus resources and when to stop investing in terms.

Read more: How To Use Google Trends For SEO

Google Autocomplete

Previously known as Suggest, Autocomplete is integrated into the Google search box to help users complete their search with what Google calls ‘predictions.’

Google takes its predictions from common searches and trending searches.

As the suggestions are all variations around the topic you are typing, the results shown give you an insight into other related terms that users could be looking for.

Checking the predictions that Google provides in Autocomplete can help you find more variations and keywords to consider.

Read more: Google Autocomplete: A Complete SEO Guide

Answer The Public

Answer The Public is a powerful tool that scrapes data from Google Autocomplete and connects a seed keyword with a variety of modifiers to produce a list of variants.

Answer The Public will quickly provide a list of suggestions, especially based on questions that you can use as a raw list to then review.

Read more: More Free Keyword Research Tools

Paid Keyword Research Tools

Free keyword tools are great to get you started and to create raw lists of keywords that you can then drill into.

However, for the best results, you might want to invest in a paid competitive analysis tool that can help you get monthly search volume and keyword difficulty data.

Some tools will also help with assigning topics and clustering for more advanced keyword strategies.

Anyone who does keyword research in-depth or to an advanced level will have their own process. They will also use a variety of tools and a combination of paid and free resources to get the best results.

Read more: Best Keyword Research Tools

Advanced Keyword Strategies

Now that you have an understanding of how to get started with keyword research, experiment with a few different websites and niches. Doing the work yourself is the best way to learn.

Once you have a better understanding in practice, move into more advanced methods and strategies to take your keyword research to the next level.

Advanced Keyword Research

• B2B Keyword Research Done Right With Practical Examples
• Keyword Clusters: How To Level Up Your SEO Content Strategy
• Building A Keyword Strategy For Comparison Content

Featured Image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal

Shelley Walsh is the SEO Content Strategist at SEJ & produces the Pioneers, a series about the history of SEO ...

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Microsoft Advertising keyword planner

Keyword planner is a valuable tool for advertisers to create and maintain a successful search ads campaign, and to expand and improve the ads’ performance and reach.

Benefits of using keyword planner

Choose wide or narrow locations.

Keyword targeting settings help you simulate a narrow or wide campaign area — cities, metro areas, DMAs, states or provinces and nations.

Plan cross-border campaigns

Use keyword planner to research campaigns aimed at worldwide, all Microsoft Ads supported markets are now available with keyword planner.

Customize easily

Tailor results with filtering of historical statistics, inclusion or exclusion of phrases, and remove keywords already in use.

Free to use

It’s free to use this powerful keyword research tool once you have a Microsoft Advertising account.

Keyword planner features

• New keywords
• Insights for keyword bids

Find new keywords

Search for new keywords using a phrase or entering a page from your website.

Plan your budget and get insights for keywords

Get search volume data, trends, performance, and cost estimates, so you can control your advertising budgets.

Start using keyword planner

Log in to your account and go to Tools > keyword planner.

In the “Find new keywords” text box, type, or paste the words, phrases, or a URL related to your business to get keyword ideas and search volume data.

If you already have some keywords and want to know more about the traffic, search volume on the Microsoft network, please use “Get search volume data and trends” to learn more.

Ready to create a campaign? Try “Get performance and cost estimates” before you settle down everything like bid and budget.

Start using keyword planner for your campaigns now

Keyword planner helps you create campaigns from scratch – easily and efficiently – and get budget estimates so you are always in control.

Frequently asked questions

Where are my ads showing.

Whether the language selected affects the publisher where the ad appears. The answer is yes, the language selected determines the publisher where your ads will appear. For example, by selecting the French language, your ad will appear only on French publishers but not on publishers in the English language.

Which match type should I use?

If you’re not confident with what keywords can grow your business better, start with broad match makes your ad eligible for display when a search query includes the individual words in your keyword in any order, or even words related to your keyword. By covering more keyword variations, your campaign reaches a far wider variety of queries and a much bigger audience. Broad match helps you uncover new business opportunities, delivering impact on multiple levels without draining your budget and team resources.

Why does my campaign have better performance than what keyword planner shows?

The results in keyword planner are based on historical data and online algorithms. The estimate may vary due to ad copy, asset, or landing page quality. You may get better or worse results depending on a lot of things.

Chat with a Microsoft Advertising expert today

Receive help with account signup, campaign creation. or general support.

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How to create a blog content strategy in 4 steps

By rhonda bradley may 16, 2024.

Who doesn’t want more traffic, quality leads, and sales to their blog? 

The answer might surprise you.

More than 60% of marketers do not have a documented blog content strategy. Yet without one, their chances of success drop dramatically.

A blog content strategy is a written plan that guides content creation, publication, and distribution. It saves you time and energy, ensures that you stay on track with your goals, and guarantees that providing value to your target audience remains a priority.

Find out how to achieve your content marketing goals faster with our step-by-step process for creating a blog strategy below.

Key elements of a blog content strategy

A blog content strategy is a roadmap that guides your blog SEO strategy, content topics, themes, writing, scheduling, and promotional efforts.

A successful blog content strategy includes:

• A detailed description of your target audience
• Crystal-clear goals and KPIs
• Keyword and topic planning
• Timeline and content calendar
• Repurposing and promotional strategy
• A plan for maintaining content quality and consistency

A thoughtfully written strategy helps you drive the right kind of traffic to your blog, provide valuable content to your readers, and generate high-quality leads (or sales) for your business.

Taking the time to document your blog content strategy gives you an edge over the competition since most of your competitors probably don’t have one. 

More than 60% of B2B and B2C marketers “wing it” without a written strategy.

These steps will help you choose the right content for your blog and form a plan to publish, promote, and improve upon your content as you grow.

Step 1: Define your target audience and marketing goals

Defining your target audience and goals gives you the information you need to conduct effective keyword research and plan content themes for your blog.

How to define your target audience:

• Conduct audience research.
• Identify your target reader.
• List your readers’ pain points.
• Learn what type of content engages your readers.

Festoon House owner Matt Little, who manages content for his company’s blog, says that audience research is the key to a successful blog strategy. “I always start by researching and understanding who our audiences are, what they are interested in, and what problems they are trying to solve.”

“Remember, content is king, but the audience is the kingdom. Cater to them, and you’ll build a loyal following.” – Matt Little, Owner, Festoon House

How to define marketing goals for your blog

Before you invest time and resources into blogging, make a prioritized list of your blog’s marketing goals.

What are the top goals for your blog ?

Let’s assume the primary objective of any business blog is to provide valuable content to a target audience. Marketing goals are a separate entity. 

👉 Marketing goals = What’s in it for you? 👈

Some of the most popular blog marketing goals are:

• Drive traffic to your website
• Generate leads
• Increase revenue
• Establish authority in your industry
• Increase brand awareness

Most blogs have several marketing goals. However, it’s important to prioritize them for your content marketing strategy . 

What KPIs should you track for blogs?

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are insights that allow you to measure progress toward your content marketing goals.

If you’re new to KPIs and analytics, here are a few tips to help you get started.

How to measure the success of your blog:

Search traffic: Impressions, traffic, SERP position, click-through rate

Leads and conversions: Conversion rate, leads generated, revenue

Reader engagement: Bounce rate, average time on page, pages per session, social shares, scroll depth, returning visitors

Step 2: Conduct SEO keyword research

Keyword research helps you optimize your blog for search engines and develop relevant and valuable content for your audience.

Here’s a 4-step process for simple SEO keyword research.

A) Brainstorm relevant phrases and topics

Make a list of the phrases and keywords you think might be a good match for your audience.

Instead of simply copying ideas from your competitors, turn to your target audience for help brainstorming keywords that will attract quality readers.

Content and SEO manager Aleksa Filipovic recommends forging your own path when it comes to developing topic ideas. His blog on Measureschool has tripled its traffic over the past two years and now has 80,000 monthly readers.

“Turn to your target audience. Create surveys, look in online groups and communities, find out what your target audience is struggling with, and be the one with the answer. That way, you’ll find topics that can be covered and have no competition yet.” – Aleksa Filipovic, Content & SEO Mgr, Measureschool

B) Conduct keyword and search intent research

Create a keyword database in Excel or Google Sheets where you will list the results of your keyword research. 

Use a keyword research tool like Google Keyword Planner or SEMRush to investigate your list of relevant words and phrases. Look for low- or medium-competition keywords with a fair or decent amount of traffic. 

When asked for her best tip on content marketing strategy, ButterflyMX Content Manager Katie Kistler stressed the importance of keyword research.

“ Using tools like Ahrefs, SEMRush, or even the Google search engine results pages to source topics and keywords that your potential customers are looking for,” she explained, “is the most reliable way to create a high-performing blog quickly. ”

C) Conduct search intent research

Before you add a keyword to your database, take a moment to ensure that your interpretation of it aligns with what searchers are looking for when they type it into Google Search.

The simplest way to do this is to drop the keyword into Google Search and view the results. 

If the results produce informational resources (such as blog articles and guides) for a similar audience, you can add the keyword to your list. For example, people searching for “red sneakers” usually want to shop for shoes, not read a blog post about them. 

If the search intent doesn’t match, take a moment to experiment with more refined keywords.

For example, a quick search on “How to wear red sneakers” produces fashion tips, which is ideal if your blog post is about red sneaker fashion.

As you choose keywords for your blog, consider your niche and try to narrow your phrases to fit a more specific audience . This will help you reach the right people and give you a better chance of ranking well on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

D) Choose the main keywords you’d like your blog to rank for

You’ll use your top keywords to create “pillar” style articles that act as a main guide for a broad topic. 

All of your other blog articles will link to one related pillar article.

This pillar content approach is not required, but it’s very helpful to your SEO strategy.

Step 3: Create a blog content calendar and timeline

Now that you’ve created a keyword database, you can begin planning your blog’s content.

A) Create a content timeline

A content timeline outlines the themes you’ll use throughout the year, such as:

• Holiday and seasonal campaigns
• Company marketing campaigns
• Upcoming events
• Content that resonates with your audience at certain times of the year

For example, the (fictitious) Red Hot Shoes company might create a timeline like this:

Month 1: February (Focus: Valentine’s Day & Comfort)

• Posts: Styling tips for creating romantic red shoe looks, gift guide featuring red shoes, history of red shoes in fashion and romance.
• Posts: Highlight red slippers, sneakers, or boots; perfect for lounging at home, tips for keeping red shoes clean and comfortable.

Month 2: March (Focus: Spring & Awareness)

• Posts: Showcase new spring shoe collections with a focus on red colors, tips for transitioning your wardrobe to spring featuring red shoes.
• Posts: Partner with influencers or customers to share stories about how red shoes boost confidence, launch a user-generated content contest featuring red shoes.

B) Create a content calendar

Content calendars help keep you and your team on track.

• Decide how often you’ll publish.
• Plan your blog posts for the next four weeks and put them in your calendar.

Here’s an example of a simple blog content calendar created with Google Sheets:

Avoid planning content more than 4-6 weeks in advance. This gives you the creative freedom to adjust after viewing your blog metrics or reacting to industry updates that could affect audience sentiment.

For example, if a major political figure suddenly goes viral for wearing red sneakers, you would need to consider how that might affect your approach to content.

Step 4: Create a blog repurposing strategy

The days of pushing out massive amounts of blog content, regardless of quality, are gone. 

Instead of forcing yourself or your team to produce volume over value, focus on publishing high-quality content at a steady pace that works well for everyone .

Then, repurpose your blog content so you can use it to the fullest extent!

High-value blog posts are packed with gems such as stories, statistics, quotes, and lists. 

You can pull these valuable snippets from your posts to create more content and promote your blog on social media and in newsletters.

11 ways to repurpose high-quality blog posts

• Social media image posts
• Social media Stories
• Social media video shorts
• Infographics
• Email newsletters

How to drive traffic to your blog

Repurposing blog posts using the tips above will handle most of the heavy lifting when it comes to driving traffic to your blog. All you need to do is share your repurposed content on social media.

5 ways to drive more traffic to your blog posts:

• Share your repurposed blog content on social media.
• Share a preview in your email newsletter.
• Set up an automated blog newsletter so that every time you publish an article, an email goes out to your newsletter subscribers to let them know about it. 
• Run social media contests and drawings that drive people to your posts.
• Partner with influencers to promote your blog.

Additionally, you can further position yourself or your company as an industry authority, which will drive more traffic to your blog.

Creating podcasts, publishing books, conducting webinars, and forming a social group/forum are excellent ways to boost authority in your industry. 

Establish standardized blog guidelines

As you develop your content marketing strategy, it’s a good idea to consider how you’ll maintain quality and consistency over time . 

Establish your brand voice and tone

Develop brand voice guidelines and determine how you’ll optimize content for your audience.

In a recent chat with Backlinko SEO Lead Leigh McKenzie , he explained that developing an authentic brand voice is key to connecting with readers .

“Backlinko’s blog strategy is focused on nailing an authentic writing voice that resonates with readers.  As we grow our team, we tap into expertise but present it conversationally – not generic fluff.  Writing in second person or first-person plural creates an inclusive, one-on-one tone connecting our authority with readers naturally.” – Leigh McKenzie, SEO Lead, Backlinko

In the YouTube Short below, Brian Dean explains some of the ways you can optimize your content for readers. 

Dean advises creating skimmable blog posts with frontloaded value to improve your reader’s experience.

How to standardize blog quality and consistency

To consistently create high-quality content, you must standardize some elements of the blogging process.

You can achieve this by creating materials such as:

• Brand manual:  Includes information that helps writers represent and promote your company and its products, such as:
• A guide to your brand and its products, including a detailed description of your target audience and readers.
• Your company’s key differentiators and primary message(s)
• A list of competitors you do not want to link to.
• Blog article checklist: A list of the formatting, processes, and elements you expect with each blog post.
• Number of CTA’s.
• The minimum number of media, statistics, quotes, and other engaging or interactive elements required in each piece.
• Headline Capitalizer
• Blog writing guidelines
• A guide to your key blog requirements, such as formatting, SEO requirements, source and linking guidelines, and AI policies.
• Blog post templates

As you develop content standards, keep in mind that providing value to your audience is top priority. 

Chief Content Marketing Officer Ben Jacobson of Inbound Junction says blog strategists should be careful not to forget their audience when planning content.

“ There are two mistakes that I see many businesses making with their blog content strategies that really get under my skin nowadays, and these two issues are related.  One is using the blog as a pure SEO play, where getting pages to rank for keywords is the only objective.  The other is using the blog as a pure product marketing platform, where convincing readers to convert is the only objective.”

The ongoing process of blog content strategy

In this guide, we’ve covered the basics of how to create a blog content strategy.

Strategy is a fluid process that ebbs and flows with time. Don’t hesitate to change or adjust it as you view its metrics and get feedback from your audience.

For a surefire way to encourage readers to return for new blog articles, encourage them to sign up for your email newsletter. 

At AWeber, we provide you with all the email marketing tools you need to effectively promote your blog in as little time as possible. 

From automated blog newsletters to templates, AI writing assistance, and automation, we make it simpler than ever for you to nurture your audience and send more traffic to your blog.

Sign up for a free AWeber account today and begin promoting your blog without delay.

Keep reading:

Rhonda Bradley

Content Marketing Writer & Consultant

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The low FODMAP diet is the most recommended dietary intervention for the clinical management of IBS symptoms.

Bibliometrics analysis provides a comprehensive perspective and direction on global research trend and hotspot in the low FODMAP diet research.

The restriction stage of the low FODMAP diet is superior to other dietary therapies for IBS in terms of symptom response, but it has a negative impact on the abundance of gut Bifidobacteria and diet quality.

Identification of biomarkers to predict response to the low FODMAP diet has become the current research hotspot.

Large, well-designed clinical research studies are needed in the future to investigate the long-term efficacy and safety of the low FODMAP diet, including FODMAP reintroduction and personalization stages.

According to national guidelines, a diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) is a second-line therapy option for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and improves functional intestinal symptoms. Numerous noteworthy results have been published in this field over the past fifteen years. This study aims to analyze the global research trend and hotspot of the low FODMAP diet research, and provide a comprehensive perspective and direction for researchers.

The Science Citation Index-Expanded of the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) was used to identify low FODMAP diet-related articles and reviews. Three bibliometric programs (CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Scimago Graphic) were utilized to analyze and visualize the annual publications, authors, countries, institutions, journals, citations, and keywords.

In total, 843 documents related to the low FODMAP diet research were published in 227 journals by 3,343 authors in 1,233 institutions from 59 countries. The United States, which was the most engaged nation in international collaboration, had the largest annual production and the fastest growth. The most productive organization was Monash University, and the most fruitful researcher was Gibson PR. Nutrients ranked first in terms of the number of published documents. The article “A diet low in FODMAPs reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome” (Halmos EP, 2014) received the most co-citations. Keywords that appear frequently in the literature mainly involve two main aspects: the clinical efficacy evaluation and mechanism exploration of the low FODMAP diet. The term “gut microbiota” stands out as the most prominent keyword among the burst keywords that have remained prevalent till date.

The restriction stage of the low FODMAP diet is superior to other dietary therapies for IBS in terms of symptom response, but it has a negative impact on the abundance of gut Bifidobacteria and diet quality. Identification of biomarkers to predict response to the low FODMAP diet is of great interest and has become the current research hotspot.

Introduction

Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) are a category of possibly poorly digested and absorbed but fermentable carbohydrates that can cause gastrointestinal discomfort in some people. Professor Gibson PR initially introduced the concept of the low FODMAP diet in 2005 for the prevention and treatment of Crohn’s disease [ 1 ], but the main focus of research quickly shifted to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is a functional bowel disorder, mainly manifested by abdominal pain and bloating, accompanied by changes in bowel habits and/or abnormal stool characteristics [ 2 ]. The low FODMAP diet caused a short-term clinical response in 50–80% of IBS patients [ 3 ], and meta-analyses revealed that the diet was superior to other dietary therapies in terms of improving abdominal pain, bloating or distension, and bowel habits [ 4 ]. The low FODMAP diet was recommended as second-line therapy by national guidelines in United States [ 5 , 6 ] and the United Kingdom [ 7 , 8 ], and was perhaps the most evidence-based dietary intervention for IBS [ 5 ]. The low FODMAP diet is a therapeutic approach that includes an initial phase of restricting high FODMAP foods, followed by a systematic reintroduction process to evaluate an individual’s tolerance to different FODMAP categories. This step-wise approach ultimately leads to the development of a personalized diet plan tailored to each individual’s specific needs and tolerances [ 9 ].

Over the past fifteen years, there has been a significant increase in published studies on the low FODMAP diet. With such rapid growth, it becomes essential to adopt new approaches to review and interpret research trends. Bibliometrics, which combines mathematics, statistics, and philology, provides a multidimensional quantitative analysis and evaluation of literature, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the current state, potential development trend, and hotspot in a research area [ 10 , 11 ]. To date, no bibliometric analysis has been conducted to assess the global research trend and hotspot in the low FODMAP diet. This study aims to address the following research questions by providing a comprehensive analysis through the examination of pertinent data collected from previous research related to low FODMAP diet research (Table ​ 1 ).

Data collection

The Science Citation Index-Expanded of the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database was utilized for the search. Two authors independently conducted and verified all searches on July 1, 2023, to ensure accuracy and eliminate bias resulting from database upgrades. The search strategy was as follows: TS= (“FODMAP*” OR “Fermentable, poorly absorbed, short-chain carbohydrates” OR “Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols”). Taking into account the constant updating of the database, we conducted a secondary search on April 13, 2024 to integrate the results of recently published studies that met the criteria. The search encompassed the entire time range from the establishment of the database to April 13, 2024, and was limited to publications written in English. Articles and review articles related to the low FODMAP diet that could be correctly identified using bibliometric tools were included in the bibliometric analysis. The detailed search plan and data filtering procedure are displayed in Fig.  1 .

Flowchart for data collection and bibliometric analysis

• Bibliometric analysis

The full record and cited references of all literature obtained from WoSCC were downloaded in TXT format [ 12 ]. The TXT files were then imported into CiteSpace (V6.3 R1 Advanced), VOSviewer (V1.6.19), and Scimago Graphica (V1.0.40) for further analysis [ 13 , 14 , 15 ].

CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Scimago Graphica are commonly used bibliometric and visualization software platforms [ 16 ]. CiteSpace is a Java program created by Professor Chaomei Chen to analyze and visualize trends and patterns in scientific publications [ 17 ]. In this study, CiteSpace was used for dual-map overlap analysis of journals, document co-citation analysis, and keyword-related analysis and visualization. VOSviewer, a Java-based bibliometric mapping application developed by Leiden University, excelled in processing extensive bibliometric maps based on network data and presenting scientific information [ 18 ]. VOSviewer was utilized for co-occurrence analysis, identifying patterns among countries, institutions, authors, journals, and keywords. Scimago Graphica is an application designed to analyze and visualize data. Scimago Graphica was used to produce collaboration and geographic distribution maps of publications.

Annual growth trend of publications

A total of 843 publications related to the low FODMAP diet were identified through our search strategy, including 474 articles (56.23%) and 369 review articles (43.77%). The annual number of publications is displayed in Fig.  2 . The number of publications in the early stage (2007–2012) remained small, with less than 10 publications per year. The subsequent four-year period (2013–2016) exhibited a steady growth pattern, with the annual publication count consistently exceeding twenty. Between 2017 and 2022, there was a considerable increase in the number of publications in this area, indicating that research on the low FODMAP diet has gained worldwide attention. However, there was a slight decline in the number of articles published in 2023. In general, judging from the fitting curve, the number of publications in this field will continue to grow steadily in the future.

The number of annual research publications and growth trend related to low FODMAP diet research

Distribution of countries and institutions

In total, 1,233 institutions from 59 different countries participated in the research of the low FODMAP diet. Table  2 lists the top 10 productive countries for scientific research. Most publications were produced in the United States (210, 24.91%), followed by Australia (155, 18.39%), the United Kingdom (120, 14.23%), Italy (105, 12.46%), and Canada (53, 6.29%). The United States had the highest annual output and the fastest growth, gradually overtaking Australia, which once maintained its leading position in the field. The United States was the most active country in international cooperation (Fig.  3 A), and Australia and the United Kingdom had the most common cooperation with the United States (Fig.  3 B and C). The top 10 productive institutions are listed in Table  2 , with Monash University (99, 11.71%) in Australia ranking first, followed by King’s College London (39, 4.63%), La Trobe University (23, 2.73%), and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (21, 2.49%). The cooperation between institutions is depicted in Fig.  3 D, with Monash University serving as the center of inter-institutional cooperation.

( A ) Network map of the collaboration analysis of the low FODMAP diet research among countries, export of results from VOSviewer. Each node represents a country. The size of the node is proportional to the number of documents published. The lines between nodes represent cooperation between countries. ( B ) Visualization map of international collaboration generated by Scimago Graphica. The size of the node represents the number of publications, and the color and thickness of the line represents the strength of cooperation between countries. ( C ) Map of geographical distribution of publications generated by Scimago Graphica. The size of the node represents the number of publications, and the color and thickness of the line represents the strength of cooperation between countries. ( D ) Network map of the collaboration analysis of the low FODMAP diet research among institutions, export of results from VOSviewer. Each node represents an institution. The size of the node is proportional to the number of documents published. The lines between nodes represent cooperation between institutions

Core author’s distribution and co-authorship network

In all, 3,343 authors contributed to research on the low FODMAP diet. Table S1 lists the top 10 authors in terms of publications and co-citations. The top three authors based on the number of publications were Gibson PR (65, 7.71%), Muir JG (44, 5.22%), and Whelan K (29, 3.44%). The network visualization map offers vivid details of cooperative interactions, aiding in the identification of possible partnerships (Fig.  4 A). In terms of co-citations, Staudacher HM had the most citations, reaching 909, followed by Halmos EP (711), and Gibson PR (607). Co-citation relationships occur when two publications are jointly cited by a third citation publication [ 19 ]. The network visualization of the relationship between co-cited authors is displayed in Fig.  4 B. Four of the top 10 productive authors were among the top 10 co-cited authors (Gibson PR, Staudacher HM, Biesiekierski JR, and Barrett JS).

Analysis of journals and co-cited journals

Publications related to the low FODMAP diet research were found in 227 journals. The top 10 productive journals and co-cited journals related to the low FODMAP diet research are listed in Table  3 . As shown in Fig.  4 C, Nutrients had the greatest volume with 140 documents (14.61%), followed by Neurogastroenterology and Motility (32, 3.80%), Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (31, 3.68%), and Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics (24, 2.85%). The frequency of co-citations, which indicates a journal’s substantial effect on a certain topic, is a key indicator of its influence. When ranked by co-citations, the top three journals were Gastroenterology (4174), American Journal of Gastroenterology (3166), and Gut (2642). The network visualization of co-cited journals is shown in Fig.  4 D. Among the top 10 co-cited journals, 40% were in the United Kingdom and 30% were in the United States. Additionally, 90% of these journals belonged to the Q1 or Q2 JCR division. The topical distribution of academic journals is depicted in the dual-map overlay of journals (Fig.  4 E). The colored paths show the citation relationships, with the citing journals on the left and the cited journals on the right. As shown, the low FODMAP diet research was mainly published in journals about “medicine, medical, clinical” subjects, and the documents cited by these studies were mostly published in journals related to “environmental, toxicology, nutrition”, “molecular, biology, genetics” or “health, nursing, medicine subjects”.

( A ) Network map of the collaboration analysis of low FODMAP diet research among core authors, export of results from VOSviewer. Each node represents an author. The size of the node is proportional to the number of documents published. ( B ) Network map of the co-cited authors related to low FODMAP diet research, export of results from VOSviewer. The size of the node is proportional to the number of citations. ( C ) Network map of the academic journals publishing low FODMAP diet research, export of results from VOSviewer. Each node represents a journal. The size of the node is proportional to the number of documents published. The colors represent the average year of publications (blue: earlier, yellow: later). ( D ) Network map of the co-cited journals publishing low FODMAP diet research, export of results from VOSviewer. The size of the node is proportional to the number of citations. ( E ) A dual-map overlap of journals publishing low FODMAP diet research, export of results from CiteSpace. The left side is the citing journal, the right side is the cited journal, and the longer transverse width of the ellipse indicates more documents in the relevant journal

Analysis of document co-citation

A total of 28,797 references were cited in the 843 included documents. Table  4 lists the top 10 highly co-cited documents related to research on the low FODMAP diet, all of which were clinical trials investigating the clinical efficacy of this therapy. The most highly co-cited document, authored by Halmos EP, received 217 citations. Among the top 10 highly co-cited documents, Halmos EP and Staudacher HM each had two documents. All of the top 10 highly co-cited documents were published in JCR Q1 or Q2 journals, with four of them published in Gastroenterology and two in Gut .

Analysis of keywords co-occurrence and topics trending

Keywords play a crucial role in revealing the primary themes of an academic publication. Fig.  5 A depicts the co-occurrence analysis of keywords, and Table S2 lists the top 20 keywords by frequency. Among the 459 keywords originating from the 843 included documents, the three most frequently used keywords were “irritable bowel syndrome” (529), “low FODMAP diet” (314), and “gastrointestinal symptoms” (216). The clustering visual analysis map delineates four principal research topics within the realm of low FODMAP diet, encompassing clinical trials, mechanisms, efficacy and safety, and efficacy comparison (Fig. 5 B).

The hierarchical cluster labeling method was employed to identify keywords most relevant to research on the low FODMAP diet. As shown in Fig.  5 C, these keywords were grouped into ten clusters, primarily focusing on evaluating the clinical efficacy (#0 irritable bowel syndrome, #3 ulcerative colitis, #4 quality of life, #6 symptoms, #7 inflammatory bowel disease) and exploring the mechanisms (#1 chronic pain, #2 nutrition, #9 gas production, #8 lactose malabsorption) of the low FODMAP diet. The clustering timeline view combines cluster analysis with time slice analysis to provide a clear depiction of the distribution and trend of keywords over time.

Keyword burst detection is a technique for detecting topics trending and current hotspot. The top 25 keywords with the strongest burst strength related to the low FODMAP diet research from 2007 to 2024 are presented in Fig.  5 D. Prior to 2012, there was a significant emergence of burst keywords such as “fructose malabsorption”, “lactose malabsorption”, and “common Australian vegetables”. Subsequently, from the period of 2013 to 2021, keywords like “gastrointestinal symptoms”, “placebo-controlled trial”, and “healthy subjects” exhibited a high burst strength. The recent burst in keywords such as “gut microbiota” (with a burst strength of 5.94), “mediterranean diet” (with a burst strength of 5.31), “disorders of gut brain interaction” (with a burst strength of 4.14), “carbohydrate diet” (with a burst strength of 4.05), and “scale” (with a burst strength of 3.16) reflects the emerging trends in the low FODMAP diet research. Among these keywords, “gut microbiota” stands out with the highest burst strength, signifying its position as the research hotspot in this field.

( A ) Temporal view of keywords co-occurrence generated by VOSviewer. Each node represents a keyword. The size of each node is proportional to the frequency of occurrence. The colors represent the average year of keyword occurrence (blue: earlier, yellow: later). ( B ) Clustering visual analysis map of keywords generated by VOSviewer. The size of each node is proportional to the frequency of occurrence. Nodes of different colors form separate clusters, each representing distinct research directions. ( C ) Timeline view of keywords co-occurrence generated by CiteSpace. Each node represents a keyword. The node size, indicative of occurrence frequency, correlates with the sum of their sizes along the yearly ring line. The links between keywords indicate co-occurrence, where deep blue signifies earlier appearances, deep red represents later ones, and overlapping colors denote occurrences in corresponding years. ( D ) Keywords with the strongest burst strength related to low FODMAP diet research during the period of 2007–2024. The burst period is represented by the red section on the blue timeline, export of results from CiteSpace

General information

The low FODMAP diet has gained significant attention in recent years within the scientific literature. This article presents the first study to utilize the bibliometric method for analyzing documents related to low FODMAP diet research, employing mathematical statistics and visual analysis to identify development trend and research hotspot based on data information.

Over the past fifteen years, there has been an increase in research related to the low FODMAP diet. Dietary therapy has become an important part of multidisciplinary intestinal disease management, evolving from a virtually non-existent position in the mid-20th century to one oriented on patient care and now plays an essential role in providing treatment [ 20 , 21 ]. Furthermore, the increasing research on the low FODMAP diet can be attributed to its value in controlling functional gastrointestinal symptoms, particularly in IBS. It is currently considered the most evidence-based dietary intervention for IBS [ 5 ], and has been recommended as a second-line herapy option for IBS [ 8 , 22 , 23 ]. The increase in studies demonstrates the prospective future for the low FODMAP diet research and requires greater focus and in-depth investigation.

The United States has emerged as the leading country in terms of publications in the field of low FODMAP diet research. This is unsurprising considering its academic funding and economic growth [ 24 ]. In addition to the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom have published more than 100 documents related to the low FODMAP diet research, reflecting the fact that current studies are based on western dietary patterns. Among institutions, Monash University in Australia had the most publications worldwide. The study team from Monash University, a pioneer in this field, was the first to propose and develop the low FODMAP diet [ 1 ]. The United States and Australia exhibit the highest level of cooperation, which is unsurprising considering the United States’ significant output and Australia’s role as the initiator of low FODMAP diet research. The cooperation between the European region, represented by the United Kingdom, and the United States or Australia should not be ignored. In general, the research on the low FODMAP diet is a domain of global cooperation, so it is very important to strengthen institutional and international collaboration to promote the sustainable development of this field.

The number of publications represents the author’s contribution to the research field, and the number of citations reflects the author’s influence. Among the authors who contributed to the research of the low FODMAP diet from 2007 to 2024, Gibson PR from Monash University published the most documents. Gibson PR’s research team has been at the forefront of investigating the mechanisms and clinical aspects of this therapy. Staudacher HM from Deakin University is the most co-cited author in this field, focusing on researching the impact of the low FODMAP diet on gut microbiota, and relevant research literature has been widely cited [ 25 , 26 ]. Gibson PR, Staudacher HM, Biesiekierski JR, and Barrett JS are among the top 10 authors in terms of both published documents and citations, indicating their extensive scientific output and significant influence.

Analysis of journal publishing volume and journal co-citations can demonstrate their contributions to the field, and researchers can utilize these results to identify appropriate journals for submission. Among the 227 journals that have published low FODMAP diet research, Nutrients stands out with the highest number of publications, totaling 140. Nutrients is an international journal focused on nutrition and human health, and its considerable influence in the low FODMAP diet research field is noteworthy. It has emerged as a prominent platform for the dissemination of the latest and most extensive research in this area. Besides, documents published in Gastroenterology occupied the highest citation. As the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association, Gastroenterology holds a prestigious position within the field of gastrointestinal diseases, demonstrating that some high-level and influential journals value the low FODMAP diet research. The results of the dual-map overlap of journals revealed that the majority of low FODMAP diet research was published in “medicine, medical, clinical” journals, and the cited literature was mostly published in “environmental, toxicology, nutrition”, “molecular, biology, genetics” or “health, nursing, medicine” journals, indicating that the research in this field was mainly focused on clinical trials and translational medicine research.

Knowledge base

Highly cited publications serve as indicators of the research hotspot within the field, and analyzing the cited references provides insights into the knowledge base of the field. Notably, the top 10 highly co-cited documents are all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the low FODMAP diet, serving as reliable reference resources for future research in this area. The first RCT of the low FODMAP diet found that after 4 weeks of restriction of fermentable carbohydrates, it significantly relieved the symptoms of IBS compared to a habitual diet [ 25 ]. Subsequent studies have consistently confirmed the efficacy of the low FODMAP diet. Most of these studies demonstrated that the low FODMAP diet had a positive effect on IBS symptoms compared to habitual diets [ 27 ], typical diets [ 28 , 29 ], a high FODMAP diet [ 30 ], or a sham diet [ 26 ], and several studies found its equivalent treatment efficacy to standard dietary advice [ 31 ] or general dietary guidelines [ 32 ]. However, the quality of evidence was rated as low due to potential bias stemming from a lack of double-blinding and inadequate reporting of suboptimal adverse events [ 4 ]. It is important to note that while the efficacy of the low FODMAP diet is considered “low quality evidence” according to GRADE criteria, it is recognized that dietary interventions rarely meet the criteria for “high quality evidence” used to evaluate pharmaceutical trials [ 33 ]. Several management guidelines have still recommended the use of this diet as a primary or secondary treatment for IBS [ 6 , 34 ].

Diet exerts a significant influence on the human gut microbiota [ 35 , 36 ], and the low FODMAP diet is no exception. Several studies among the top 10 highly co-cited documents have reported a relative reduction in total bacterial abundance due to FODMAP restriction, including a decrease in gut microbes typically linked with health, such as Bifidobacterium [ 25 , 26 , 37 ]. The first RCT of the low FODMAP diet showed a decrease in the proportion and concentration of luminal Bifidobacteria compared to a habitual diet [ 25 ]. Similarly, two other RCTs demonstrated a lower absolute abundance of Bifidobacteria in the low FODMAP diet compared to a placebo diet [ 26 , 37 ]. In contrast, another RCT did not observe a decrease in Bifidobacteria with the low FODMAP diet, but rather found an increase in the Bifidobacteriaceae family and certain species within the family Lachnospiraceae when following a high FODMAP diet [ 30 ]. The consistent finding of reduced Bifidobacteria abundance due to the low FODMAP diet raises concerns about potential adverse consequences, although the health effects of lower Bifidobacteria resulting from this diet remain unknown. In the long term, the adverse effects on luminal Bifidobacteria levels caused by FODMAP restriction can be effectively restored through FODMAP personalization [ 38 ], emphasizing the essential role played by the reintroduction and personalization stages in the low FODMAP diet [ 39 ]. However, further rigorous clinical trials are still necessary to establish the long-term efficacy and safety of the low FODMAP diet.

Research trend and hotpot

Visualized analysis of keywords reveals the evolution of high-frequency keywords and shows the development path of the low FODMAP diet. After clustering, we obtained 10 clustering labels that encompassed two primary aspects: the evaluation of clinical efficacy (#0 irritable bowel syndrome, #2 ulcerative colitis, #4 functional dyspepsia, #5 children, #6 celiac disease, #7 dietary interventions, #8 diet quality) and the exploration of mechanisms (#0 gas production, #2 colonic fermentation, #9 bifidobacteria) related to the low FODMAP diet.

Clinical research on the low FODMAP diet has mostly focused on its efficacy in IBS, which has been discussed in the previous sections. However, it is exciting to explore the potential efficacy of the low FODMAP diet for diseases other than IBS. More and more research data supported the use of the low FODMAP diet in conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease [ 40 , 41 ], functional dyspepsia [ 42 , 43 , 44 ], and celiac disease [ 45 ], etc. The low FOAMAP diet can assist in symptom management of a variety of diseases, which is thought to be related to the underlying pathological mechanism of FODMAP’s involvement in visceral hypersensitivity [ 46 ]. While encouraging, larger and more rigorously designed clinical trials evaluating the long-term effects of the low FODMAP diet are needed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in clinical practice.

The low FODMAP diet is the most recommended dietary intervention for managing of IBS symptoms, but faces challenges in dietary therapy development. In addition to its impact on gut microbiota mentioned above, the low FODMAP diet may also affect nutrition intake and diet quality. Patients with IBS were reported to have lower calcium intakes than those who followed a regular diet after following the low FODMAP diet for 4 weeks [ 25 ], as well as lower calorie, carbohydrate, and fiber intakes when compared to those following the diet recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [ 32 ]. While the implementation of the low FODMAP diet was observed to reduce several micronutrients, most of these reductions were not significant after adjusting for energy intake, except for riboflavin [ 47 ]. An RCT of 130 individuals revealed that the low FODMAP diet had higher intakes of vitamin B 12 and selenium than the sham diet and more intakes of vitamin B 12 than a habitual diet, but decreased diet quality compared with the habitual control diet [ 48 ]. The reintroduction and personalization of FODMAP can be a solution to the nutritional deficiency that can occur with FODMAP restriction [ 49 ]. Besides, several attempts have been made to include dietary supplements to enhance the nutritional value of the diet, with specific supplements showing additional symptomatic benefits compared to FODMAP restriction alone [ 50 , 51 ]. Clinicians and dietitians should provide guidance to optimize nutrient intake, maintain diet quality and enhance patient adherence [ 52 , 53 ].

The low FODMAP diet may improve gastrointestinal symptoms through various mechanisms, and further research on mechanisms may broader its clinical application. FODMAP malabsorption leads to intestinal fermentation, gas production, and an increase in osmotic pressure, which stimulate mechano- and chemoreceptors, resulting in pain, decreased gastrointestinal motility, flatulence, and bloating [ 43 ]. However, a study using MRI showed that after consuming fermentable carbohydrates, IBS patients and healthy controls had comparable levels of gas and bowel distension, which suggested that the colonic hypersensitivity to distension, rather than the excess of gas, was the underlying cause of symptoms in IBS patients [ 54 ]. A recent finding has revealed that the low FODMAP diet can alter visceral hypersensitivity by increasing colon microcirculation perfusion and decreasing the expression of vascular endothelial-derived growth factor [ 55 ]. Another hypothesized mechanism by which FODMAPs cause gastrointestinal symptoms is related to increased histamine. It has been reported that IBS patients have increased urinary histamine levels and the low FODMAP diet can decrease histamine levels [ 30 ]. The cause of the histamine elevation has not been identified, as it may derive from dietary sources, or be produced by colonic mast cells or intestinal microbiota [ 56 ]. In addition, a decrease in the inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 have been reported in IBS patients following the low FODMAP diet [ 57 ]. Therefore, the low FODMAP diet may improve gastrointestinal symptoms by regulating mucosal barrier and proinflammatory factors.

Keyword burst is regarded as a key indicator of trend and hotspot in a research field. The period prior to 2012 witnessed the burst of keywords such as “fructose malabsorption”, “lactose malabsorption”, and “common Australian vegetables”, which served as markers of the formulation and development of new concept within the field. Subsequently, spanning from 2013 to 2021, burst keywords like “gastrointestinal symptoms”, “placebo controlled trial”, and “healthy subjects” indicated a substantial surge in clinical trials performed during this timeframe to assess the effects of the low FODMAP diet. Burst keyword that has persisted until now can be regarded as the forefront of the low FODMAP diet research. The low FODMAP diet can improve the clinical condition in 50-80% of IBS patients [ 3 ]. In other words, 20–50% of individuals do not respond to the low FODMAP diet. Therefore, research on identifying biomarkers to predict response to the low FODMAP diet has become a prominent topic. Predicting responses to the low FODMAP diet based on fecal bacteria profiles is an emerging research field. The fecal microbiota has been analyzed by a “GA-map Dysbiosis Test” to create a “Dysbiosis Index” score, which provides a numerical score indicating how an individual’s bacterial composition compares to a healthy reference population, with some bacteria having higher abundance than others, including Bacteroides stercoris , Acinetobacter , Pseudomonas , and genus Desulfitispora [ 58 ]. Children with IBS who responded to the low FODMAP diet had a higher abundance of certain bacteria at baseline, such as Bacteroides , Ruminococcaceae , and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii , which are known to have great saccharolytic metabolic capacity [ 29 , 59 ]. Moreover, a recent study stratified IBS patients based on gut microbiota species and metabolic genetic characteristics, identifying two distinct microbiota profiles for IBS pathogenic-like and IBS health-like subtypes [ 60 ]. Patients with IBS pathogenic-like subtypes had a greater clinical response to the low FODMAP diet than those with IBS health-like subtypes [ 60 ]. However, a recent finding showed that the fecal microbiota did not predict response to the low FODMAP diet, and supported the distinction between the low FODMAP diet responders and non-responders based on fecal metabolites [ 61 ]. A previous study also used fecal volatile organic compounds at baseline to predict the response of IBS patients to the low FODMAP diet with 97% accuracy [ 62 ]. As a low-cost and non-invasive method, fecal volatile organic compounds profiling can be used to predict whether IBS patients would respond to the low FODMAP diet, but it still has to be verified by a large prospective cohort. The research on predictors of response to the low FODMAP diet is currently a hotspot, with preliminary evidence supporting the use of fecal microbiota or fecal metabolites. However, these methods need to be tested in larger external validation populations.

Strengths and limitations

To our knowledge, this study is the first to comprehensively summarize and analyze the knowledge base, research trend and current hotspot of the low FODMAP diet research using bibliometrics. Compared with traditional literature reviews, a bibliometric analysis based on bibliometrics tools (CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Scimago Graphic) can provide a relatively comprehensive and objective presentation of the data to better describe and visualize the research trend and hotspot. However, it is important to acknowledge that this study has inherent limitations due to the use of bibliometric analysis. First, the WOSCC database is still being updated, and some of the updated documents were not included in our study, so the results could not fully reflect the situation of the documents published in 2024. Second, the documents included in our study may not be complete. On the one hand, we only focused on data from the WoSCC database since CiteSpace can only analyze and visualize co-citation maps of data retrieved from this database. This selection was made due to the unavailability of co-citation analysis support on other significant search engines such as PubMed, Embase, and Ovid. On the other hand, due to the uniformity of data extraction, only published English literature was searched, and some bias was introduced. Nevertheless, considering the authority of the WoSCC database and the widespread use of English as the predominant international language, we consider this study still effectively portrays the overall situation in this field. Third, since citations to documents take time to accumulate, their amount does not accurately reflect the influence of the documents. Early published literature may receive more citations, while newer high-quality publications may require more time to accumulate citations.

This research is the first bibliometric analysis to summarize and visualize the development of the low FODMAP diet research, and explore the research trend and hotspot in this field. The gradual increase in published documents over the past fifteen years suggests that this field is receiving more attention from researchers. The research in this area has mainly focused on the evaluation of clinical efficacy and exploration of the mechanism of the low FODMAP diet in the treatment of IBS. The restriction stage of the low FODMAP diet is superior to other dietary therapies for IBS in terms of symptom response, but it has a detrimental influence on the abundance of gut Bifidobacteria and diet quality. Identification of biomarkers to predict response to the low FODMAP diet is of great interest and has become the current research hotspot. To provide higher levels of clinical evidence, large, well-designed clinical research studies are needed in the future to investigate the long-term efficacy and safety of the low FODMAP diet, including FODMAP reintroduction and personalization stages. We hope that this study will aid researchers in better comprehending the general trends in this field and can offer direction for further study.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Abbreviations

Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols

• Irritable bowel syndrome

Web of Science Core Collection

Randomized controlled trials

Interleukin

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The study was supported by the project of Jiangsu Province Traditional Chinese medicine digestive disease medical innovation center [grant number CXZX202208].

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Cheng Xu and Hong Shen conceived and designed the study. Zhen Song and Jing-yi Hu contributed to data collection. Cheng Xu, Zhen Song and Jing-yi Hu conducted the data analysis and interpretation. Cheng Xu and Zhen Song drafted the initial manuscript. Chong-chao Li and Hong Shen revised the manuscript. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

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Xu, C., Song, Z., Hu, Jy. et al. Global research trend and hotspot in the low FODMAP diet: a bibliometric analysis. J Health Popul Nutr 43 , 63 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41043-024-00567-7

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70 years after brown v. board of education, new research shows rise in school segregation.

As the nation prepares to mark the 70th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education , a new report from researchers at Stanford and USC shows that racial and economic segregation among schools has grown steadily in large school districts over the past three decades — an increase that appears to be driven in part by policies favoring school choice over integration.

Analyzing data from U.S. public schools going back to 1967, the researchers found that segregation between white and Black students has increased by 64 percent since 1988 in the 100 largest districts, and segregation by economic status has increased by about 50 percent since 1991.

The report also provides new evidence about the forces driving recent trends in school segregation, showing that the expansion of charter schools has played a major role.  

The findings were released on May 6 with the launch of the Segregation Explorer , a new interactive website from the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University. The website provides searchable data on racial and economic school segregation in U.S. states, counties, metropolitan areas, and school districts from 1991 to 2022. 

“School segregation levels are not at pre- Brown levels, but they are high and have been rising steadily since the late 1980s,” said Sean Reardon , the Professor of Poverty and Inequality in Education at Stanford Graduate School of Education and faculty director of the Educational Opportunity Project. “In most large districts, school segregation has increased while residential segregation and racial economic inequality have declined, and our findings indicate that policy choices – not demographic changes – are driving the increase.” 

“There’s a tendency to attribute segregation in schools to segregation in neighborhoods,” said Ann Owens , a professor of sociology and public policy at USC. “But we’re finding that the story is more complicated than that.”

Assessing the rise

In the Brown v. Board decision issued on May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racially segregated public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and established that “separate but equal” schools were not only inherently unequal but unconstitutional. The ruling paved the way for future decisions that led to rapid school desegregation in many school districts in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Though segregation in most school districts is much lower than it was 60 years ago, the researchers found that over the past three decades, both racial and economic segregation in large districts increased. Much of the increase in economic segregation since 1991, measured by segregation between students eligible and ineligible for free lunch, occurred in the last 15 years.

White-Hispanic and white-Asian segregation, while lower on average than white-Black segregation, have both more than doubled in large school districts since the 1980s. 

Racial-economic segregation – specifically the difference in the proportion of free-lunch-eligible students between the average white and Black or Hispanic student’s schools – has increased by 70 percent since 1991. 

School segregation is strongly associated with achievement gaps between racial and ethnic groups, especially the rate at which achievement gaps widen during school, the researchers said.  

“Segregation appears to shape educational outcomes because it concentrates Black and Hispanic students in higher-poverty schools, which results in unequal learning opportunities,” said Reardon, who is also a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and a faculty affiliate of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning . 

Policies shaping recent trends 

The recent rise in school segregation appears to be the direct result of educational policy and legal decisions, the researchers said. 

Both residential segregation and racial disparities in income declined between 1990 and 2020 in most large school districts. “Had nothing else changed, that trend would have led to lower school segregation,” said Owens. 

But since 1991, roughly two-thirds of districts that were under court-ordered desegregation have been released from court oversight. Meanwhile, since 1998, the charter sector – a form of expanded school choice – has grown.

Expanding school choice could influence segregation levels in different ways: If families sought schools that were more diverse than the ones available in their neighborhood, it could reduce segregation. But the researchers found that in districts where the charter sector expanded most rapidly in the 2000s and 2010s, segregation grew the most. 

The researchers’ analysis also quantified the extent to which the release from court orders accounted for the rise in school segregation. They found that, together, the release from court oversight and the expansion of choice accounted entirely for the rise in school segregation from 2000 to 2019.

The researchers noted enrollment policies that school districts can implement to mitigate segregation, such as voluntary integration programs, socioeconomic-based student assignment policies, and school choice policies that affirmatively promote integration. 

“School segregation levels are high, troubling, and rising in large districts,” said Reardon. “These findings should sound an alarm for educators and policymakers.”

Additional collaborators on the project include Demetra Kalogrides, Thalia Tom, and Heewon Jang. This research, including the development of the Segregation Explorer data and website, was supported by the Russell Sage Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.   

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Elevating tribal knowledge exchange: honoring cnair fellows, affiliates, community and tribal college scholars , research posters, mini-presentations, and round tables , research fellows, faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students from northwestern, tribal colleges and local partnership organizations will be sharing and presenting their indigenous-focused work, mini-presentations/poster sessions (1st floor music room) .

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(Pre-recorded presentation) 

• Presenter: Reynaldo Morales Cardenas (Assistant Professor, Medill School of Journalism) 
• Keywords: Indigenous, journalism, nexus

Research Poster

11 AM -12 PM  - Indigenous Methods and Reparative Creativity from Prison

Presenters: Stateville Cohort 3 Students, RTVF 398: Indigenous Studies and the Moving Image

• Northwestern Prison Education Program - The students in the third cohort of the Northwestern Prison Education Program at the Stateville Correctional Center are strong academics who will receive a Bachelor of Science degree upon completing the program. The RTVF 398 course is taught by Michael Anthony Turcios who is Faculty in RTVF and a CNAIR affiliate. 
• Keywords: Speculative creativity, Indigenous methods, reparative stories, incarceration

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1. what is an indigenous book: reflections from student research, student presenters:.

• Alivia Britton (Odawa/Potawatomi)
• Toubby Chau, Naomi Gizaw
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• Stephanie Marin
• Faculty chair: Professor Kelly Wisecup (English/CNAIR affiliate)

Keywords: Indigenous literatures; archives and exhibits; pedagogy; student presentations

Roundtables (2nd floor ballroom), 2.  exploring native student affairs: navigating roles and realities.

Presenters:

• Aaron Golding (Seneca), Associate Director, MSA, Northwestern University
• Alexis Syrette (Ojibwe, Odawa, Mohawk), Assistant Director, Native American Support Program, UIC
• Bobbi Skenandore (Oneida Nation), Program Coordinator, Indigenous Student Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Andrea Wilkerson (Aamjiwnaang First Nation of Sarnia), Assistant Director of Native American Student Enrichment and Belgoning, University of Michigan 

Keywords: Supporting Indigenous Students Outside the Classroom

3.  historical repertoires then & now: against the grain theatre's operatic indigenous activism.

• Keary Watts (Department of Theatre at Northwestern)
• Caroline Gleason-Mercier (Specialist in women-composed opera)
• & Tracy C. Davis (Barber Professor Performing Arts) 

Keywords: performance; historical repertoires; indigenous arts; opera; theatre; Northern-led performance practice; activism

4. Community Engaged Research Roundtable - Feinberg School of Medicine Partners 

Presenters: Gregory Phillips II (Feinberg School of Medicine) &  Edith Freeze (Pachacamak Foundation) 

•  Keywords: Community Engagement; Public Health; LGBTQ
• Keywords: Environmental Stewardship, Indigenous Wisdom, Microplastic Pollution Community, Engagement Sustainable Practices

5. Native American and Indigenous Studies & History Roundtable 

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• Keywords: discovery doctrine, land, Puritanism, law
• Keywords: Education, Native Studies Reform, Decolonizing Teaching

6.    Airing our "Dirty" Laundry: Talking about Resilience

• Jeff Feng (Manoomin Collective Postdoc)
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• Aaron Packman (Professor, Environmental Engineering) 

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Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy, Research, Capacity and Influence

Effect of Pesticide Use on Crop Production and Food Security in Uganda

May 14, 2024 - Linda Nakato, Umar Kabanda, Pauline Nakitende, Tess Lallemant & Milu Muyanga

The increasing pest proliferation has continued to cause a serious threat to food security in Uganda. This study explores the impact of pesticide adoption on food security in Uganda. Specifically, it seeks to assess whether the use of pesticides ensures food security, with crop productivity serving as an intervening variable. Employing the control function approach with fixed effects estimation on a dataset comprising 1,656 households spanning the periods 2013/2014, 2016/2015, and 2018/19 to 2019/20 obtained from the Uganda National Panel Survey, the study reveals several determinants influencing pesticide use in Uganda. The findings also highlight that the adoption of pesticides demonstrates a positive influence on crop productivity. However, when assessed through indicators such as Food Consumption Score (FCS), Minimum Acceptable Household Food Consumption (MAHFP), and Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) at the pre-harvest stage, the results do not indicate a statistically significant correlation of pesticide use and food security outcomes. Consequently, beyond enhanced crop productivity and the pre-harvest activities focused on in the study, it is imperative to consider the post-harvest application of pesticides to comprehensively explain how pesticide use effects food security in Uganda. Based on the positive link between pesticides and crop productivity, its recommended that government should increase awareness on and access of insecticides among farmers. Given that insects are the main pests damaging crops in Uganda. It is also important for Uganda to reform and reactive a regulatory framework having a licensing system to regulate private local market dealers’ sale of pesticides. Given that the majority of the households purchase their pesticides from private traders in the local/village market. This approach might improve the quality of pesticide purchased by farmers and, increase pesticide use to diversify produce of more nutritious foods, to ultimately enhance access and nutrient intake per meal in Uganda.

 Pesticide use, crop productivity, food security.

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