Keyword research for Google and AI search in 2026

Executive overview

AI overviews now absorb 35% of clicks even when you rank number one. Informational keywords that once drove steady traffic are being answered directly by Google — no click required.

The fix is a five-part strategy: use a structured AI prompt to generate seed keywords and modifiers, multiply them through a keyword tool, vet each candidate with the BID method, prioritise tool-based keywords AI can't yet replace, and build brand presence so AI systems recommend you by name.

The new game is optimising for two systems simultaneously: Google search and AI search.

Generating seed keywords with the hero prompt

• Give your AI assistant context: site type, monetisation model, and target audience
• Ask for seed keywords (1–2 words, niche-specific) and modifiers separately — they must not share the same words
• Modifiers surface content format intent: best, how-to, calculator, checker, review
• Paste seeds into a keyword research tool's matching terms report, then filter by modifiers to generate hundreds of real keyword ideas

Vetting keywords with the BID method

BID = Business potential, Intent, Difficulty. A keyword must pass all three.

• Business potential: ranking number one should move the needle toward your site's goals — high-volume low-intent keywords (e.g. "what is espresso") rarely convert
• Intent: Google the keyword and read the SERP — if top results are product pages, a blog post won't rank there
• Difficulty: check referring domains and domain rating of top-ranking pages, not just the KD score; look for gaps where low-DR pages rank in the top 10
• If you have Ahrefs, filter by max KD 20 and lowest DR to surface qualifying keywords in one step
• Final check: Google the keyword and ask whether the AI overview fully satisfies the query — if yes, it's a traffic trap

Tool keywords as an AI-proof category

• Informational blog posts lost ~77% of traffic as AI overviews expanded, even with stable rankings
• Free tools (backlink checkers, mortgage calculators, word counters) have seen flat traffic — no AI overview appears for tool queries
• Find opportunities: use seeds like "coffee" or "espresso" in Keywords Explorer, then filter by modifiers like calculator, checker, generator
• One well-built tool can outperform 50 blog posts in both traffic and backlinks

Building brand presence for AI recommendations

• AI systems (Google, ChatGPT) are trained on public conversations — Reddit, Twitter, YouTube comments
• Brand mentions in those conversations directly influence which brands AI recommends in overviews and chat responses
• The Electric bike company gained AI overview citations after a YouTube sponsorship sparked widespread organic discussion
• To find gaps: use a brand radar tool, enter your brand and competitors, filter for prompts where competitors appear in AI results and you do not
• Shift the keyword research question from "what should I rank for?" to "what queries should my brand be associated with in AI search?"