Do keyword research with ChatGPT

What you'll make

A keyword research sheet for your niche — 20–30 search terms grouped by intent (informational, commercial, transactional), with a rough competition signal for each and a content idea that targets it. Instead of guessing what to write about or list, you'll have a prioritised list.

What you need

• A ChatGPT account
• A niche or product category (e.g. "print-on-demand mugs", "freelance web design", "home workout equipment")
• 20 minutes

Steps

1. Tell ChatGPT your niche and ask for keyword ideas:

I work in the [your niche] niche. I need keyword research to plan content and product listings.

Generate 25 search terms that people in this niche actually type into Google or Etsy search. For each term, tell me:
1. The keyword or phrase
2. Search intent: is the searcher looking to learn something (informational), compare options (commercial), or make a purchase (transactional)?
3. Competition level: high (big brands or saturated results), medium, or low (few good results, opportunity to rank)
4. A content idea: what should I create to target this keyword? (a blog post, a product listing, a video, a comparison page)

Sort the list so low-competition commercial and transactional terms are at the top — those are the ones most likely to drive action.

2. Ask ChatGPT to group the keywords into themes:

Group these 25 keywords into 4–5 themes. Each theme should be a sub-topic within [your niche] that I could build a content cluster around. Tell me:
1. The theme name
2. Which keywords fall under it
3. Which theme has the most low-competition opportunities
4. Which theme I should start with first and why

3. Ask ChatGPT for long-tail variations of the best keywords:

For the top 5 low-competition keywords, give me 3 long-tail variations each. Long-tail means a longer, more specific phrase (4+ words) that has less competition. For each variation, tell me what specific question or need it addresses.

Example: if the keyword is "print on demand mugs", a long-tail variation might be "print on demand mugs for dog lovers" — it targets a specific audience with less competition.

4. Pick 5–10 keywords from the list that have low competition and clear commercial or transactional intent. These are your priority — create content or listings for these first.

Check your result

• You have 25+ keywords with intent and competition signals, not just a list of words
• The keywords are grouped into themes that make sense as content clusters
• You have long-tail variations for at least the top 5 keywords
• You know which 5–10 keywords to target first and why

ChatGPT can't see real-time search volume data — it estimates competition based on what it knows about the niche, not live metrics. Use this research as a starting point, then verify the best opportunities with a free tool like Google Trends or Etsy's own search autocomplete (type a word and see what suggestions pop up).