Related keywords vs. autocomplete suggestions
Autocomplete only returns phrases that contain or extend what you typed. Keyword ideas drawn from Google search data also surface terms that share the topic without sharing the words. Enter "home espresso" and you may see ideas around milk frothers, grinders or descaling, things your audience is researching alongside the main subject.
Every idea comes with numbers attached: average monthly searches, a 12- or 24-month trend, the low-to-high CPC range, a 0–100 competition score and an estimated KD. That means you can judge ideas as you discover them rather than in a separate step.
Understanding the three groups
Main keywords
The phrases closest in meaning to your seed. These are usually candidates for your pillar or category page.
Expanded keywords
Your seed plus extra detail, such as an audience, feature or location. They make good subheadings or supporting articles.
Related keywords
Same topic, different wording or angle. This group is where fresh article ideas tend to appear, the ones a list built only from your own vocabulary would miss.
A single search can return up to several hundred ideas, depending on how broad the topic is.
How to run a search
- Type a seed that names your topic, for example "meal prep".
- Choose a country and language; more than 40 languages and about 200 countries are supported.
- Browse each group and sort by volume, CPC or KD.
- Apply filters for volume, keyword length, KD and CPC to cut the list down to what fits your site.
- Copy or export to Excel or CSV, or add the keywords to a keyword plan in your dashboard.
Because the results use Google search data, you need a free account (Google sign-in or a Gmail link, no card). The free tier allows 10 credits a day and shows full data for the first 5 results; check the plans if you want the full idea list.
Building a topic cluster from the results
Suppose your seed is "meal prep". The ideas may branch into budget meal prep, high-protein recipes, containers and weekly planning. Treat each branch as a cluster:
- Remove ideas that do not fit your audience or offering.
- Run the remainder through the Keyword Grouper to form page-sized groups.
- Pick the strongest term in each group as the page's primary keyword and use the rest as secondary phrases.
- Link every supporting article back to the pillar page that targets the main keyword.
Getting more out of related keywords
- Vary the seed. Broad seeds bring breadth; narrow seeds bring focus. Running both shows you the size of the topic and where its niches are.
- Follow the trend. Give priority to ideas whose 24-month line is rising.
- Read CPC as intent. Ideas with higher bids tend to sit close to a purchase and suit product or service pages; lower-bid ideas often suit educational posts.
- Fill the gaps with autocomplete. Use the keyword suggestion tool to catch long phrases too small to appear in Google search data.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the related keyword ideas come from?
From official Google search data, the same source keyword planning tools rely on. Each idea includes average monthly searches, trend, low-to-high CPC, competition and an estimated KD.
How many ideas does one search return?
It depends on the topic, and can reach several hundred ideas. Free accounts see full data for the first 5 results of each search; paid plans show the full list.
What is the difference between main, expanded and related keywords?
Main keywords are closest to your seed, expanded keywords contain the seed plus extra detail, and related keywords share the topic but may not contain the seed at all.
Do I need an account?
Yes, because the tool uses Google search metrics. A free account (Google sign-in or a Gmail link, no credit card) includes 10 credits a day. Paid plans start at $2 per month.
Can I save or export the keyword ideas?
Yes. Copy them, export to Excel or CSV, group them with the Keyword Grouper, or add them to a keyword plan (project) in your dashboard.