Keyword feeds
Turn seed keywords and competitor research into article ideas.
A keyword feed turns topics you choose into article ideas based on real Google searches. Use it in Pro when you want a campaign focused on specific services, products or subjects. A seed keyword is a starting topic, such as "executive recruitment", not a finished article title.
Cost: 25 credits per weekly research refresh (including the first one at setup). Articles are 15 credits each.
Why it helps
- You point the research at the services you most want to be found for.
- Each idea targets a real search phrase, with its monthly searches and difficulty when known.
- Adding competitor websites shows searches they rank for that you do not (keyword gaps).
- Ideas are ranked the same way as the managed feed: demand, how winnable the search is, buyer intent and whether you already rank.
Before you start
- Your brand setup must be finished. Otherwise you will see "Finish setting up this business before adding a keyword feed."
- The feed researches this brand's own website. To research a different website, add it as another brand in Brand.
- The feed's country and language must match the ones saved for your brand. You can change them in Brand first if needed.
- If your brand uses a social media or marketplace profile instead of its own website, research skips "searches your website already ranks for" and checks competitors by their own rankings.
Set it up
- Open Auto Blog → Feeds and select New feed.
- Choose Keyword feed.
- Optional: type a Feed name. If blank, it is named after your first seed keyword.
- Check Your website. It is filled in from your brand. Leave it as is.
- In Seed keywords, type a topic and press Enter. Repeat for up to 20 topics. Each must be at least 2 characters.
- Optional: in Competitor websites (optional), type a competitor's domain (such as competitor.com) and press Enter. Add up to 5.
- Check that Country and Language match your brand's settings.
- Check the cost box (Per refresh: 25 credits, Schedule: On setup, then weekly).
- Select Create feed.
If you see "Press Enter to add each keyword or website, or remove the unfinished entry", you typed something without pressing Enter.
Choosing good seed keywords
- Use words your customers would search for: "hiring a finance director" beats "talent solutions".
- Be specific. "Business" gives little direction; "bookkeeping for restaurants" gives a lot.
- Competitors should serve the same kind of customer as you, not just be famous websites.
What happens next
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Research starts right away. Each research refresh looks at:
- the searches your own website already ranks for,
- related searches for up to three of your seed keywords,
- keyword gaps for up to three of your competitors (searches they rank for on the first two pages of Google where you do not).
If you added more than three seeds or competitors, the next weekly refreshes rotate through the rest.
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Ideas are planned. outwrite.ai turns the best searches into article ideas. Each idea has one main search phrase and up to three closely related ones, so one article can win a group of similar searches.
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Some searches are left out on purpose. Local "near me" searches are skipped, because the map listings win those, not articles. Misspelled searches are written correctly in titles. Searches made of a competitor's brand name are dropped.
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The feed refreshes weekly. If a refresh returns no keyword data, it tries again the next day without charging for the empty result.
The first ideas often appear within minutes. If research takes longer, you may see "Keyword research is still being checked. Saved keywords and your seed keywords remain available for ideas."
Read the feed
Open the feed from Auto Blog → Feeds. It has two tabs:
Keywords shows everything the research found:
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| Keyword | The search phrase |
| Monthly searches | Estimated searches per month. A dash means no estimate is available, not that nobody searches for it. |
| Difficulty | How hard it is to rank, from 0 to 100. Unknown if not measured. |
| Found through | Seed keywords, Competitor or Your website |
| Added | When it was found |
Article ideas shows the ideas made from those searches. Each row shows the main search phrase above the idea title, its Monthly volume, Difficulty, Readiness and when it was added. Expand related keywords to see the other searches the article will cover.
How to tell it's working
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Checking sources | Research or idea planning is running. |
| Connected | Ideas are ready. The cost box shows the next weekly check. |
| Waiting for new ideas | Waiting for research to finish, or for tomorrow's idea check. Read the message under the status. |
| Needs attention | Something stopped the refresh. See When a feed needs attention. |
An idea marked Ready to write can be picked by a campaign. Already added means it has already become an article.
Common questions
Why is my keyword feed charged even when it adds no new keywords?
A research refresh is charged when it returns keyword data, including updated numbers for keywords you already have. A refresh that returns nothing is not charged.
Why does an idea title not match my seed keyword exactly?
Seeds are starting points. The idea targets the best real search related to your seed, written as a natural title.
Why did I get an error about my website or country?
Keyword feeds always research the brand's own website, in the country and language saved for that brand. Match those settings, or change them in Brand first.
What happens if I change my seed keywords?
Saving the change starts a fresh research refresh at the normal price. Articles already written are not changed.
Can I see ideas without writing them?
Yes. Ideas are only written when a campaign uses the feed. Use Planned automation to choose each idea yourself.
