Keyword Modifiers: The Secret Weapon Powering Your SEO Content Strategy

Keyword modifiers are powering our SEO content strategy, too.

We’ll use our SEO expertise and share our secret tips and inside case studies with you.

This article analyzes:

• What keyword modifiers are
• How you can find them
• How you can use them throughout your sales funnel to boost your SEO rankings

Let’s start.

What Are Keyword Modifiers?

Keyword modifiers are specific words or phrases added to a base keyword to refine the search intent and enhance search engine optimization (SEO).

These modifier keywords allow you to target more specific, often more qualified audience segments.

This precision improves search relevancy and boosts the quality of traffic to your website.

For example, let’s consider the base keyword “running shoes.” By adding modifiers, we can transform it into more targeted phrases:

• “Cheap running shoes” – This modifier targets budget-conscious shoppers.
• “Men’s waterproof running shoes” – Here, the modifiers specify gender and a particular product feature.
• “Running shoes reviews 2024” – This phrase targets users looking for the latest product reviews.

These examples just scratch the surface.

We’ll delve deeper into the types of keyword modifiers later, but for now, it’s clear how these additions can sharpen the focus of your SEO efforts.

Why Do You Need Keyword Modifiers?

Keyword modifiers are essential tools in the SEO toolkit for several compelling reasons:

• Increased relevance and specificity: Modifiers help narrow search queries, making them more specific. This increases the likelihood of your content meeting the exact needs of your audience. For instance, someone searching for “luxury leather handbags” is at a different stage of the buying process and has different expectations than someone just searching for “handbags.”
• Higher conversion rates: Users who search using specific modifiers are often further along in their buying journey and are more likely to convert. For example, a user searching for “buy ergonomic office chair free delivery” shows a clear intent to purchase.
• Better understanding of user intent: Modifiers can provide insights into the intent behind a search query. A search for “how to install kitchen cabinets DIY” implies a desire for instructional content, while “kitchen cabinet installation services” indicates a user looking to hire a professional.
• Local SEO Optimization: Local modifiers like “near me” or specific place names can attract local traffic. A café optimizing for “best coffee shop in Downtown Austin” can effectively target local customers or visitors to the area.
• Improved search engine rankings for long-tail keywords: Long-tail keywords, often crafted with modifiers, face less competition and can be easier to rank for. A website targeting “beginner digital marketing courses online” might have a better chance of ranking than just “marketing courses.”

Side note: Ahrefs confirms that “marketing courses” is a tough search term to rank for:

Just look at the domain ranking and the number of backlinks and referring domains for the websites that rank in the top ten SERPs for this head keyword:

Yikes.

Conversely, “beginner marketing courses” is a much more approachable secondary keyword:

Although the volume is just 10, ranking for multiple low-volume keywords can considerably increase your website traffic.

Insider story: It’s what we did for our sister agency and influencer platform, inBeat, bringing its organic traffic from 500 to 70,000 monthly visitors.

Types of Keyword Modifiers

If you want to achieve similar results, here’s the good news.

You have plenty of keyword modifiers to attach to your core keywords to create long-tail keywords that are easier to rank for.

Keyword modifiers can be categorized based on various aspects such as brand, size, location, product features, target audience, price range, and actions.

Understanding these categories helps in crafting more effective SEO strategies:

• Brand modifiers: These are used when searchers are looking for products or services related to a specific brand. For example, “Nike running shoes” or “Apple iPhone cases.” Brand modifiers are crucial for e-commerce businesses carrying multiple brands or brand-specific content.
• Size modifiers: Size modifiers are essential for products where size is a significant consideration. Examples include “large camping tents,” “size 12 women’s heels,” or “14-inch laptops.” These modifiers help attract an audience segment with specific size requirements.
• Location modifiers: Local SEO relies heavily on location modifiers. These can be as broad as a country or as specific as a neighborhood. Examples include “Italian restaurants in downtown Chicago” or “car repair services in Brooklyn.” Such modifiers are vital for businesses serving specific geographical areas or if you want to rank easier for a very competitive keyword.
• Product features modifiers: These adjective keyword modifiers describe specific attributes or features of a product or service. Examples include “wireless noise-canceling headphones,” “organic cotton t-shirts,” or “waterproof smartwatches.” They cater to users who have clear preferences or needs regarding product features.
• Target audience modifiers: These modifiers specify the intended user or demographic of the product or service, such as “toys for toddlers,” “skincare products for men,” or “fitness programs for seniors.” They help in reaching out to a particular segment of the market.
• Price range modifiers: Price-related modifiers cater to users with specific budget constraints or preferences. Examples include “affordable home office furniture,” “luxury spa resorts,” or “mid-range smartphones.” They are essential for segmenting users based on their spending capacity.
• Action modifiers: Action-oriented modifiers relate to the user’s intent, especially in relation to purchasing or finding information. These include “buy,” “find,” “locate,” “how to,” etc. For instance, “buy vegan leather bags online,” “find yoga classes near me,” or “how to install solar panels.”

Our Insider Keyword Modifier Strategy

We’ll use ourselves – an SEO agency – as a case study to see a practical example of keyword modifiers in real life.

Service-Specific Modifiers

• Local SEO
• E-commerce SEO
• On-page SEO
• Off-page SEO
• Technical SEO
• SEO audit
• SEO consulting
• Link building
• B2B keyword research
• SEO strategy

Industry-Specific Modifiers

• Healthcare SEO
• Legal SEO
• Real estate SEO
• Small business SEO
• Restaurant SEO
• Retail SEO
• Education SEO
• B2B SEO
• B2C SEO
• SaaS SEO

Target Audience Modifiers

• For startups
• For enterprises
• For local businesses
• For online stores
• For agencies
• For bloggers
• For non-profits
• For artists
• For authors
• For influencers

Location Modifiers

• Near me
• In [City/Region]
• Nationwide
• Global
• In [Country]
• Remote
• Online
• Local experts
• International
• Regional

Price Range Modifiers

• Affordable plans
• Premium services
• Cost-effective
• Budget-friendly
• High-value
• Custom pricing
• Fixed-rate
• Pay-per-result
• Competitive rates
• Monthly packages

Action Modifiers

• Improve rankings
• Boost traffic
• Increase conversions
• Enhance online presence
• Grow digital footprint
• Optimize website
• Build backlinks
• Analyze competition
• Improve UX
• Maximize ROI

As you can see, each type of modifier serves a unique purpose in narrowing down search queries to match specific user intents, making them indispensable in sophisticated SEO strategies.

Just look how hard it is to rank for SEO services:

Whereas a local search query makes it easier to find an open niche:

How to Find Keyword Modifiers

Modifiers are great because they help you find relevant keywords to target your audience.

Let’s see how you can find them and then implement them in your SEO content marketing strategy.

1. Google AutoSuggest

Google Autosuggest is a powerful tool for discovering keyword modifiers.

Begin by typing your base keyword into the Google search bar.

As you type, Google will automatically suggest popular search terms related to your input. These suggestions often include valuable modifiers that real users frequently search for.

For example, entering “vegan recipes” might prompt suggestions like “vegan recipes with mushrooms” or “vegan recipes high protein.”

To dive deeper, reinput each long-tail keyword created with a suggested modifier into Google’s search bar.

This process will reveal even more precise and varied modifiers, further refining your keyword strategy.

Each iteration uncovers layers of specific search queries, enabling you to pinpoint highly targeted keywords tailored to your audience’s needs.

Like so:

2. An SEO Tool

Using Ahrefs to find keyword modifiers is a powerful strategy for enhancing your SEO efforts.

We’ll share two of our in-house methods below (yes, we have more up our sleeves).

Both methods provide insightful ways to leverage Ahrefs for uncovering valuable, less competitive keywords enhanced by modifiers.

This approach doesn’t just generate new keyword ideas.

It also offers a strategic view of what’s working in your niche, refining and strengthening your SEO strategy.

Method 1: Using ‘Matching Terms’ Feature

• Select a base keyword: Choose a primary keyword relevant to your business or content. For example, let’s use “running shoes.”
• Access the ‘Matching Terms’ feature: In Ahrefs, navigate to the ‘Keywords Explorer’ tool and enter your base keyword.
• Add modifier in the ‘Include’ section: Look for the ‘Include’ filter. Here, you can add specific modifiers you’re interested in exploring. For example, add modifiers like “cheap,” “women’s,” or “trail.”
• Analyze the results: After applying the filter, Ahrefs will display a list of keyword phrases that include your base keyword and the chosen modifier. Focus on those with lower Keyword Difficulty (KD) scores and decent search volumes. These are typically easier to rank for but still attract significant search traffic.

After including the keyword modifier “for” and selecting a keyword difficulty up to 12, we got 1542 easy-to-rank keyword ideas for “running shoes.”

Of course, you can further refine your search by setting a volume, traffic potential, and other filters.

Method 2: Analyzing Competitor Keywords

• Input competitor’s domain in Site Explorer: In Ahrefs, input a competitor’s domain to the ‘Site Explorer’ tab.
• Navigate to the ‘Organic Keywords’ page: Here, you’ll see the keywords your competitor is ranking for.
• Input the keyword modifier: Use the filter to input a keyword modifier related to your business or content. This could be anything from a product feature to a target audience segment.
• Organize the suggestions: Sort the results by traffic, volume, and KD. This will help you identify which modified keywords drive traffic to your competitor’s site, have a substantial search volume, and are relatively easier to rank for.

Let’s help our competitors outrank inBeat.co.

After adding the website to Site Explorer and checking the Organic Keywords page, we set the “Position” filter to 10.

That’s because we want to see the keywords this company is ranking highest for.

Then, you can set the keyword difficulty in ascending order to see the easiest keywords, like so:

You can easily do the same for all your competitors, inputting different types of modifiers in Ahrefs to find potential keywords.

That brings us to the next point.

How to Use Keyword Modifiers in Your SEO Strategy

Here’s our simple three-step strategy for keyword modifiers.

1. Create a Comprehensive List of Keyword Modifiers

The first step in effectively integrating keyword modifiers into your SEO strategy is compiling a comprehensive keyword list using potential modifiers.

Use the methods outlined above, such as leveraging Google Autosuggest and employing tools like Ahrefs, to gather a diverse array of modifiers relevant to your business or niche.

This list should include a variety of types, such as adjectives, geographical locations, target audience specifics, price-related terms, and more.

By assembling a wide-ranging collection of modifiers, you create a valuable repository that can be strategically employed to enhance your keyword targeting, ensuring your SEO efforts are precise and effective.

2. Arrange Keyword Modifiers According to the Buyer’s Journey

The buyer’s journey typically consists of four stages: Awareness, Interest, Consideration, and Decision.

Aligning your keyword modifiers with these stages allows you to create content that meets the searcher’s needs at each point in their journey.

This alignment helps craft long-tail keywords that are informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional.

• Awareness stage: Here, users are just beginning to recognize a need or problem. Use general and broad modifiers that relate to this early stage of discovery. Keywords in this category are usually informational. For example, “tips for improving,” “guide to,” or “how to fix.”
• Interest stage: Users are actively looking for more information at this stage. Modifiers should be more specific, signaling a deeper level of interest. Examples include “best ways to,” “examples of,” or “benefits of.” These are still largely informational keywords but are more targeted.
• Consideration stage: Users are now evaluating different solutions or products. Modifiers should reflect this comparison and evaluation mindset. Terms like “reviews,” “vs.,” or “alternatives to” are suitable here. These keywords start leaning towards the commercial intent. Navigational keywords are also popular, such as “Company X website.”
• Decision stage: This is where the purchase decision is made. Use modifiers that indicate a readiness to buy, such as “buy,” “deal,” “discount,” “price of,” or “where to find.” These are transactional keywords directly related to the act of purchasing.

How This Helps in Keyword Strategy

Organizing keyword modifiers according to the buyer’s journey allows you to tailor your content to users’ specific needs and intentions at each stage. This enhances the relevance of your content and increases the chances of conversion, as you’re providing the right information at the right time.

Basically, understanding which stages a particular keyword caters to lets you create more effective SEO strategies that guide the user from awareness to decision, covering all aspects of informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional queries.

3. Using Keyword Modifiers to Create a Content Strategy

Once you have a comprehensive list of keyword modifiers tailored to the buyer’s journey, the next step is to use this information to craft an effective content strategy.

Here’s how to proceed:

3.1. Match Intent with Content

For each long-tail keyword, determine the user’s intent (informational, navigational, commercial, transactional).

This helps ensure that the content you create aligns with what the searcher is looking for.

Take this example:

The keyword could have an informational intent – maybe a beginner marketer is looking for info on using influencer marketing for apps.

Alternatively, it could be a transactional keyword.

Maybe an app owner is looking for influencer marketing solutions.

So, how can you evaluate mixed intents?

Scroll down in Ahrefs to get an overview of what the top ten ranking websites post about:

If you can match that actual user intent for your audience, this would be a good choice.

3.2. Assess Your Ability to Rank

• Compare domain and page metrics: Use Ahrefs to compare your website’s Domain Rating (DR), URL Rating (UR), and the number of referring domains against the top-ranking pages for your chosen keywords.
• Analyze referring domain quality: Consider the quality of referring domains. Many backlinks from lower-grade domains might indicate that the keyword is less competitive than it appears.
• Examine keyword volume and density: Look at the search volume and keyword density in top-ranking content. A lower search volume can sometimes mean less competition, making it easier to rank.

For example, the websites ranking for the keyword above have high domain ratings. However, they have few backlinks. Besides, the keyword has a low competition score.

These factors tell us it can be relatively easy to rank for it.

3.3. Analyze Competitor Content

Your job is not done here.

You must manually open and review your competitor’s articles that rank highest for your chosen keywords.

• Assess their quality, depth, format, and user engagement.
• Look for areas where you can provide additional value, be it through more comprehensive information, better readability, updated data, or a more engaging format.

3.4. Select the Most Accessible Keywords

• Prioritize keywords: From your analysis, prioritize keywords that you have the best chance of ranking. Consider factors like lower competition, content quality gaps in existing top articles, and alignment with your website’s authority and niche.
• Focus on low-hanging fruit: Initially, target keywords where you have a clear advantage or where competitors’ content is lacking. This approach can yield quicker results and help build your site’s authority.

3.5. Implement the Strategy

• Create tailored content: Develop content that precisely matches the user intent for each keyword. Ensure it’s more informative, up-to-date, and user-friendly than existing top-ranking pages.
• Monitor and adapt: After publishing, monitor the performance of your content. Use analytics to understand how well it’s meeting user needs and how it’s performing in search rankings, and be prepared to make adjustments as needed.

Conclusion: Elevating Your SEO Game with Keyword Modifiers

And that’s a wrap on our deep dive into the dynamic world of keyword modifiers.

We’ve traversed the ins and outs of keyword modifiers, arming you with the know-how and tools to sharpen your SEO artillery.

It’s almost like we’ve been spilling our own secrets – just don’t expect us to start whispering about our morning coffee routines next!

In all seriousness, keyword modifiers are not just a fancy SEO jargon; they can transform your SEO recipe from good to exceptional.

But we’re not just here to share our wisdom; we’re here to roll up our sleeves and dive into the SEO trenches with you.

Whether you’re a thriving business or an SEO agency searching for white-label keyword research, we’re ready to assist.

So, if you’re geared up to take your SEO to new heights and prefer not to leave it to chance, give us a shout.

Let’s transform your SEO challenges into opportunities and make your digital presence truly remarkable.