From gtm-skills
Researches, expands, and clusters keywords using the 6 Circles Method for content strategy planning. Useful for topic ideation, seed keyword expansion, and funnel mapping.
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/gtm-skills:keyword-research-and-clusteringThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
Read bootstrap context before asking questions: `strategy/brand.md` for brand, audience, offer, channels, tools, constraints, and metrics; `about/me.md` for personal voice; `content/ideas.md` and `content/calendar.md` for content planning. Use legacy product-marketing context files only as fallback. Save generated drafts to `content/<platform>/drafts/YYYY-MM-DD_short-topic-slug.md`, and route d...
Read bootstrap context before asking questions: strategy/brand.md for brand, audience, offer, channels, tools, constraints, and metrics; about/me.md for personal voice; content/ideas.md and content/calendar.md for content planning. Use legacy product-marketing context files only as fallback. Save generated drafts to content/<platform>/drafts/YYYY-MM-DD_short-topic-slug.md, and route durable learnings back to strategy/brand.md, about/me.md, or content/ideas.md.
This skill is self-contained for its frontmatter scope: use its local instructions, references, scripts, and assets as the playbook; ask only for missing task-specific inputs; hand off to adjacent skills instead of expanding scope; and return an actionable artifact, decision, plan, draft, or diagnostic.
Research keywords, expand them systematically, cluster by topic and intent, and prioritize for content strategy — all without expensive tools.
Ask the user for:
Generate 13 content ideas from a single seed keyword using nested topic clusters.
┌─────────────────────┐
│ PRIMARY KEYWORD │ ← 1 pillar topic
│ (Largest Circle) │
└─────────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────────┼─────────────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼
┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐
│ Sub-topic │ │ Sub-topic │ │ Sub-topic │ ← 3 supporting themes
│ A │ │ B │ │ C │
└───────────┘ └───────────┘ └───────────┘
│ │ │
┌─────┼─────┐ ┌─────┼─────┐ ┌─────┼─────┐
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] ← 9 content pieces
Process:
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| How-to Guide | "How to [achieve outcome] with [method]" |
| Comparison | "[Option A] vs [Option B]: Which is better for [use case]" |
| List Post | "[Number] [adjective] ways to [achieve result]" |
| Case Study | "How [persona] achieved [result] using [approach]" |
| Trend Analysis | "[Topic] trends in [year]: What's changing" |
| Beginner Guide | "[Topic] for beginners: Everything you need to know" |
| Tool Review | "Best [category] tools for [audience/use case]" |
| Problem-Solution | "Why [problem happens] and how to fix it" |
[keyword] + a–z variations| Source | What to Extract |
|---|---|
| Pain points, questions, terminology | |
| Quora | Question patterns, answer gaps |
| Industry Forums | Niche-specific problems |
| YouTube Comments | Objections, confusion points |
| Amazon Reviews | Customer language, unmet needs |
Search queries:
site:reddit.com "[niche]" + "how do I"
site:reddit.com "[niche]" + "help"
site:reddit.com "[niche]" + "struggling with"
site:reddit.com "[niche]" + "recommend"
site:reddit.com "[niche]" + "vs"
Extract: Questions asked repeatedly (content opportunities), complaints about existing solutions (angle differentiation), terminology and slang (keyword variations), upvote patterns (demand signals).
Question modifiers:
Comparative modifiers:
Intent modifiers:
Audience modifiers:
| Tool | Use For | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Google Keyword Planner | Volume ranges, competition | ads.google.com (free account) |
| Google Trends | Seasonality, rising topics | trends.google.com |
| Ahrefs Free Generator | 150 suggestions with difficulty | ahrefs.com/keyword-generator |
| Ubersuggest | 3 searches/day with metrics | neilpatel.com/ubersuggest |
| Tool | Use For | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Google Autocomplete | Real-time user queries | Type in search bar |
| People Also Ask | Question-based content | Scroll down in SERP |
| Answer the Public | Visual question maps | answerthepublic.com |
| AlsoAsked | PAA clustering | alsoasked.com |
For each target keyword, analyze top 10 results:
| Signal | What to Look For | Opportunity If... |
|---|---|---|
| Content Depth | Word count, comprehensiveness | Top results are thin (<1000 words) |
| Freshness | Publication date, last update | Top results are 2+ years old |
| Format Match | Does format match intent? | Results don't match searcher need |
| Authority Gap | Domain strength of rankers | Small sites ranking (not all big brands) |
| Content Gaps | Missing subtopics, unanswered questions | PAA questions not covered |
| Site Stage | Monthly Search Volume | Competition Level |
|---|---|---|
| New site (0–6 months) | 100–500 | Low |
| Growing site (6–18 months) | 500–2,000 | Low–Medium |
| Established site (18+ months) | 1,000–10,000 | Medium |
PILLAR: "content marketing" (highest volume)
├── CLUSTER: "content marketing strategy" (commercial)
│ ├── content marketing plan template
│ ├── content marketing framework
│ └── how to create content marketing strategy
├── CLUSTER: "content marketing examples" (informational)
│ ├── B2B content marketing examples
│ ├── content marketing case studies
│ └── content marketing success stories
└── CLUSTER: "content marketing tools" (commercial)
├── best content marketing tools
├── content marketing software
└── content marketing platforms
| Signal | Intent |
|---|---|
| "what is", "how to", "guide" | Informational |
| "best", "vs", "review", "compare" | Commercial |
| "buy", "price", "discount", brand | Transactional |
| Brand name, specific product | Navigational |
Score each keyword 1–10:
| Keyword | Demand | Competition | Intent Fit | Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [keyword] | [1–10] | [1–10, lower=easier] | [1–10] | Demand − Competition |
Prioritize: Opportunity score > 3, Intent fit > 6
# Keyword Research: [Niche/Topic]
## 6 Circles Content Plan
### Primary Keyword: [keyword]
- Monthly searches: [range]
- Competition: [low/medium/high]
- Intent: [informational/commercial/transactional]
### Sub-topic A: [theme]
1. [Article idea] — [target keyword] — [volume]
2. [Article idea] — [target keyword] — [volume]
3. [Article idea] — [target keyword] — [volume]
### Sub-topic B: [theme]
4–6. [...]
### Sub-topic C: [theme]
7–9. [...]
## Prioritized Content Queue
| Priority | Topic | Keyword | Volume | Difficulty | Opportunity |
|----------|-------|---------|--------|------------|-------------|
| 1 | [topic] | [keyword] | [vol] | [1–10] | [score] |
## Quick Wins (Low Competition, Decent Volume)
- [keyword 1] — [rationale]
- [keyword 2] — [rationale]
## Content Gaps Found
- [gap 1] — competitors missing [what]
- [gap 2] — outdated content on [topic]
## Community Insights
- Top pain point: [description]
- Common question: [question]
- Terminology used: [terms]
npx claudepluginhub manojbajaj95/claude-gtm-plugin --plugin gtm-skillsDiscovers, analyzes, and prioritizes keywords for SEO and GEO content strategies from a seed keyword or niche. Identifies high-value opportunities based on search volume, competition, intent, and business relevance.
Maps 50-200+ keywords into topical clusters grouped by search intent for SEO content strategy and topical authority. Use before building affiliate blogging content.
Researches and clusters keywords with search volume, difficulty, intent classification, and content recommendations.