Most people think keyword research means opening up Ahrefs, dumping out a spreadsheet, and calling it a day.
That’s not strategy – that’s inventory.
I believe that with the help of AI you can go way beyond the surface level. And to solidify my stance, I’ve just finished reviewing two separate pieces of research on the same topic.
I chose static site generators since I’m building one, and the research would be relevant to my needs.
The results from Grok were short and polished, but the report from the ChatGPT 4o model was long and kinda messy.
PROTIP: I shared the prompt I used in a thread on X, if you’re into that sort of thing 👀
But guess which one actually had useful insights?
The messy one (more on why in a minute).
Keywords Aren’t Strategy – They’re Clues
Look, both reports technically “did keyword research”.
✅ Both identified high-volume terms.
✅ Both said “target developers, freelancers, and agencies”.
✅ Both mentioned Jamstack, headless CMS, and the usual suspects.
That’s fluff 🤷♂️
But only one of them got into the stuff that actually makes content perform:
Why are people searching for these keywords?
Where are competitors leaving gaps?
What is no one else talking about?
What do readers actually need help with beyond a definition?
The Short Report? All Surface, No Soul
The report from Grok sounded like most agency deliverables. Clean and safe 🤷♂️
It listed the keywords. It summarized the competitors. It said “make tutorials and comparisons”.
And then it patted itself on the back, like it’s job was done 🤦♂️
The problem? It didn’t show me anything I didn’t already know.
It looked like keyword research and it smelled like keyword research.
But it had no insight.
The Long Report? Messy, but Valuable
The longer one from ChatGPT’s 4o model may have rambled and it was probably a little too detailed for its own good.
But it was filled with actual ideas – the things that have you drop everything and start working on immediately.
👉 Keyword intent analysis
👉 Gaps in competitor content (not just who ranks, but what they forgot)
👉 Pain points developers actually have (not just “they want speed”)
👉 Market trends before they hit mainstream
👉 Content ideas that aren’t just another “Top 10 SSGs” list
That’s the difference between keyword research and strategy.
Real Strategy Is Messy (and That’s Okay)
Do you know what clients actually want?
They don’t want keywords. They want to win 💯
Winning means knowing:
- Where competitors are asleep.
- Where the market is headed.
- Where your audience is stuck.
You can’t find that by staring at search volumes alone.
You find it by doing the work:
- Reading competitor content.
- Analyzing real-world conversations.
- Spotting the missing chapters in everyone else’s playbook.
Insight > Keywords Every Time
What really stood out to me was the 4o report didn’t just list what to write – it showed how to make it hit.
- Beginner onboarding guides (because no one makes them)
- Interactive tools (decision trees, quizzes)
- Case studies tied to actual business outcomes
- Opinionated, comparison-heavy content (finally help someone decide)
- Specific, actionable integration guides (e.g., static site + e-commerce + headless CMS)
This isn’t fluff.
This is the kind of stuff that earns links, drives conversions, and makes people trust you.
Strategy Isn’t Optional – It’s The Only Game
The short version would have passed in most offices. The long version would win in the market.
Clients think they want keyword research, but what they actually need is insight, direction, and a plan to stand out.
That’s where the leverage is. And yes – that’s where the money is 💰
If You’re Just Chasing Keywords, You’re Already Behind
If your content strategy is just checking boxes and running down a keyword list… you’re building the same boring shit everyone else is.
If you want to stand out, you need to:
🔍 Find the gaps
🧩 Solve real problems
🎯 Be opinionated
💡 Actually help people
And yes, it takes more work than exporting a CSV and calling it a day. But that’s why most brands sound like everybody else.
You want to win? Do the real work.
It’s worth it.
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