## Notion SEO Keyword Database This Notion database stores prospective SEO keywords used for broader [[Website Localization and Translation#Keyword Research|Keyword Research]] to find the best keywords to focus on. It stores a ‘parent’ keyword and related ‘child’ variations on the parent keyword, with volume and difficulty, to enable you to decide what keywords to use in your content. ![[seo-keyword-db-context.png|Diagram illustrating the scope of the keyword database used for keyword research and website localization.]] The objectives of the SEO database are: - Keep data on volume and position to determine valuable keywords - Track performance of posts (with URL) based on impressions and position - Determine keyword strategy (which posts to focus on) based on best performers ![[notion-keywords-database.png|Screenshot of the Notion SEO keyword database table showing keyword fields and data.]] Example keyword: ‘access database for translation’. Keyword variations might be ‘access translation database’ or ‘translation database using access’. Use the keyword with the highest volume for the lowest difficulty. ![[keyword-database-fields.png|Close-up of keyword database fields, including volume, difficulty, and CPC columns.]] Posts can be in one of 2 languages – one a translation of the other. The keyword and title of a post are not necessarily the keywords that will be indexed by a search engine. Therefore, 3 separate fields: Title, focus keyword and indexed keyword. ## Descriptions of important fields The data from Semrush allows you to evaluate the worth of a keyword: volume, kd, cpc, depending on your market or strategy, For a non-aggressive, relatively easy strategy, aim to be positioned on a keyword with middling volume, a KD of around 50. For high volume or high KD markets, you will need far greater, highly performant content and your site will need many high quality backlinks to perform well. The data from console allows you to evaluate the performance of a page implemented on your site (position, impressions, clicks, CTR). | Field | Source | Purpose | Meaning | | ----------- | ------------------------------------- | ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | | Keyword | | | The keyword under analysis | | Language | | | Keyword language | | Source | | | Source of the data | | Location | [Semrush](https://www.semrush.com) | | Geographical region which applies to the data | | Volume | Semrush | Decision | Search volume for the geographical location above | | KD | Semrush | Decision | Keyword difficulty | | CPC | Semrush | Decision | Cost per click | | Com | Semrush | Decision | Relative competitiveness of the keyword | | Position | [Console](https://search.google.com/) | Performance | Position of an implemented page for the keyword (30d) | | Impressions | Console | Performance | Impressions on an implemented page (30d) | | Clicks | Console | Performance | Clicks on an implemented page (30d) | | CTR | Console | Performance | Click through rate: no of clicks / no of impressions | Purpose = Decision means that this data is used to decide whether you are going to use the keyword or not. Purpose = Performance is data that is produced typically by console to help you evaluate performance once the page is published. ## Sources of SEO data The following are typical sources of SEO data: | Source | Purpose | | ------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | | [Console](https://search.google.com/) | console provides position, click and impressions | | [Ubersuggest](https://app.neilpatel.com/) | provides keyword search volume and kd | | [Semrush](https://www.semrush.com) | provides alternative keyword analysis data | | [Ahrefs](https://ahrefs.com) | analyses site for SEO | | [Analytics](https://analytics.google.com/) | provides detailed traffic reports | | [Site kit](https://sitekit.withgoogle.com/) | integrates console and analytics in Wordpress | | [Rankmath](https://rankmath.com/) | excellent WordPress plugin providing SEO data | The following diagram indicates the entities in the SEO analysis system: - The post itself: slug, language, URL, permalink, focus keyword and content - Search keyword and the related query - Volume, keyword difficulty (KD) and Cost per click (CPC) ![[Keyword-database-sources.png|Diagram showing sources of SEO keyword data and their relationships.]] ![[Keyword database sources.canvas]] ## Data from Google Console Google Console provides data about the average position the position of pages in the Google index and the queries used by Internet users to find your site and its pages. It indicates the number of impressions, the average CTR and the number of clicks per page or query. ![[keyword-console-data.png|Relationship diagram of sources of SEO data, including Semrush and Google Console.]] You can filter this data by query page country or device: ![[console-data-filters.png|Screenshot of Google Console filters for query, page, country, and device.]] Or query performance stats by type of media: web, image, video, or news. ![[console-media-filters.png|Screenshot of Google Console media type filters: web, image, video, and news.]] ![[Keyword Console data.canvas]] ## Data from Ahrefs The [site audit from Ahrefs](https://ahrefs.com) provides valuable data about the health of your Internet site, including health score, domain rating, referring domains organic traffic and organic keywords. ![[data-from ahrefs.png|Screenshot of Ahrefs site audit data showing health score and domain rating.]] Ahrefs summarizes the number of URLs crawled and the health score and provides an insight into any issues that might affect the site’s search engine optimization. ![[ahrefs-seo-dashboard.png|Ahrefs SEO dashboard summarizing URLs crawled, health score, and issues.]] Here are a few examples of the sorts of issues that a site could have. The Ahrefs audit is quite extensive. See here for further information on [what the Ahrefs site audit can provide](https://help.ahrefs.com/en/collections/87920-site-audit). ![[ahrefs-top-issues.png|List of top SEO issues identified by Ahrefs site audit.]] ## Why Build an SEO Database A well-structured SEO keyword database, as described, is an essential asset for modern content strategy and website performance monitoring. By systematically tracking keyword data, both linguistic variations and analytic performance (using fields such as search volume, keyword difficulty, CPC, impressions, and CTR), teams can: - **Identify high-potential keywords**: Using tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Ubersuggest allows for nuanced selection based on market competitiveness, search volume, and cost implications. - **Monitor real-world performance**: Integration with Google Console provides actionable insights on how implemented content performs in search results, enabling timely content adjustments. - **Refine content strategy**: By tracking translations and multiple keyword fields (title, focus keyword, indexed keyword), the database ensures localized and optimized content for diverse audiences. - **Benchmark health and to fix technical issues**: Regular audits with Ahrefs highlight technical SEO problems, domain authority, and backlink profiles, improving sitemap health and search presence. - **Centralized data tracking**: Migrating this workflow from Notion to Obsidian ensures flexibility, easier data handling, and streamlined reporting, making it easier to iterate on SEO strategies. Overall, this system provides the transparency, granularity, and agility needed to adapt quickly to changing SEO landscapes and ensures that keyword research translates to measurable growth in site visibility and performance. ## Keyword Tracking in Obsidian We track SEO data for posts implemented using Obsidian Publish. ![[seo-table-in-obsidian.png|Screenshot of an SEO keyword tracking table implemented in Notion.]] All posts have similar properties for SEO: ![[seo-data-in-obsidian.png|Example of SEO data properties attached to a post in Obsidian.]]