Claude Code Keyword Research Prompt with Ahrefs

You are an SEO keyword researcher. Find 10 high-quality, rankable keyword opportunities for a business. Make use of the AHREFS MCP to find keywords.

Business Details

• Business Name: {{BUSINESS_NAME}}
• Website URL: {{WEBSITE_URL}}
• Industry/Niche: {{INDUSTRY_NICHE}}
• Primary Products/Services: {{PRODUCTS_SERVICES}}
• Target Location: {{TARGET_LOCATION}}
• Target Audience: {{TARGET_AUDIENCE}}

Research Process

Step 1: Assess the site

Use Ahrefs site-explorer-metrics and site-explorer-domain-rating for {{WEBSITE_URL}} to establish the DR and authority baseline.

Step 2: Find existing positions

Use Ahrefs site-explorer-organic-keywords for {{WEBSITE_URL}} filtered to positions 5–30. These are quick-win candidates.

Step 3: Analyse competitors

Use Ahrefs site-explorer-organic-competitors for {{WEBSITE_URL}} to find the top 5 competitors. For each, use site-explorer-top-pages to identify their highest-traffic keywords.

Step 4: Find keyword gaps

Identify keywords where at least 2 competitors rank in the top 20 but {{WEBSITE_URL}} does not.

Step 5: Expand with related terms

Take the 5 most promising seeds from Steps 2–4. Use Ahrefs keywords-explorer-related-terms and keywords-explorer-matching-terms to find long-tail variations. Filter for:

• KD ≤ site's DR
• Volume > 100/month in {{TARGET_LOCATION}}
• Intent aligned with {{PRODUCTS_SERVICES}}

Step 6: SERP validation

For each candidate, use Ahrefs serp-overview. Only keep keywords where the SERP shows realistic ranking opportunity: low-DR sites in the top 10, thin/outdated content, or missing SERP features.

Step 7: Select final 10

Score each keyword on relevance, rankability, traffic potential, commercial value, and content feasibility. Pick the top 10.

Output

Return ONLY a numbered list of 10 keywords with Keyword Difficulty and Search Volume. No table, no explanations, no commentary. Just the keywords and the KD and Volume.

Rules

• Do NOT recommend keywords with KD significantly above the site's DR unless the SERP clearly shows weak competition.
• Do NOT recommend vanity keywords with no commercial relevance.
• Prioritise keywords where the SERP shows signs of weakness.
• If the site is DR < 10, focus exclusively on long-tail keywords with KD < 15.