How to conduct Keyword Research using Ahrefs for a directory - Learning in Public - Day 2

What's up, guys? Today, we're taking another step in building a travel directory for Bali - in public! Yesterday, we covered the overall vision and goals for this project. Now, it's time to dive into the practical work of keyword research.

Keyword research is crucial for understanding what people are actually searching for online. This data allows us to structure our website in a way that meets user needs while maximizing traffic potential. It's a game-changer because we can base our entire content and website architecture on real user behavior rather than guessing.

The Challenge

Our main goal is to create a comprehensive travel directory for Bali, covering accommodations like hotels, villas, and resorts. But we can't just throw content together randomly - we need to understand how people search for this information and what specific terms they use.

Our Approach

To tackle this challenge, we'll be using Ahrefs - one of the best keyword research tools out there. Here's how we're going to approach it:

1. Search for broad terms like "hotels in Bali"

2. Analyze the keyword data to identify categories and subcategories of searches

3. Group the keywords into logical categories based on user intent

4. Use these categories to plan our website structure and content strategy

Step 1: Search for Broad Terms

Let's start by searching for "hotels in Bali" in Ahrefs. This gives us over 74,000 keyword ideas - way too many to process manually. So we'll apply some filters:

1. Exclude keywords with terms like "management" or "real estate" (we only want transactional searches)

2. Set a minimum search volume threshold of 20 monthly searches

After filtering, we're left with around 460 relevant keywords to analyze.

Step 2: Analyze and Categorize Keywords

Now it's time to dig into the keyword data and start identifying patterns. I'll export the keyword list and use an AI tool (Claude) to analyze and categorize the terms for me.

Claude grouped the keywords into categories like:

• Location: ubud hotels, seminyak hotels, etc.

• Amenities: private pool, beachfront, etc.

• Pricing: cheap hotels, luxury hotels, etc.

• Ratings: 5-star hotels, top-rated hotels, etc.

• Target Audience: family hotels, romantic hotels, gay-friendly, etc.

We'll repeat this process for villas and resorts to get a comprehensive set of categories.

Challenges We Faced

Dealing with such a large keyword dataset was definitely a challenge. It's easy to get overwhelmed trying to process thousands of keywords manually. That's why using an AI tool like Claude was a huge help in automating parts of the analysis.

How We Overcame Them

By starting broad, filtering out irrelevant terms, and leveraging AI for categorization, we were able to break down the massive keyword list into logical, actionable categories. This would have taken days of manual work without the right tools and approach.

Results So Far

After completing keyword research for hotels, villas, and resorts, we now have a solid understanding of how people search for accommodations in Bali. We've identified all the main categories and subcategories we need to build into our website architecture.

The next step is mapping out the actual website structure, URL structure, and database schema based on these categories. But the keyword research lays a strong foundation.

Key Takeaways

• Keyword research is essential for understanding user behavior and search intent

• Start broad, then filter and categorize to make large datasets manageable

• Leverage AI tools to automate parts of the analysis process

• Base your website structure and content on real user data, not assumptions

What's Next

In the next episode, we'll move beyond accommodations and research keywords for experiences and dining in Bali. After that, we'll start mapping out the full website architecture and planning content creation.

Conclusion

Proper keyword research is crucial for building a website that truly serves your target audience. By taking the time upfront to understand search behavior, we can design our travel directory in a way that connects people with exactly what they're looking for.

It's been an insightful process so far, and I'm excited to keep sharing this journey of building a successful online business from the ground up. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Want to Learn More?

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