What Are Related Keywords? And 6 Ways to Find Them

What Are Related Keywords?

Related keywords are terms and phrases that are thematically related to the main topic a webpage is covering.

There are two types of related keywords:

Secondary keywords: Supporting terms you want to rank for that make your content relevant to more searchers. For example, a secondary keyword for a page focused on the main keyword “how to eat healthy” could be “tips for eating healthy.”
Semantic keywords: Conceptually related terms you don’t necessarily want to rank for but that help search engines understand the context of your content. Semantic keywords for an article on “how to eat healthy” could include “whole foods,” “meal prep,” and “balanced nutrition.”

While some marketers have used the term “LSI keywords” to refer to related keywords, this isn’t accurate.

Google’s John Mueller has dispelled the idea that Google uses latent semantic indexing (LSI):

“There’s no such thing as LSI keywords — anyone who’s telling you otherwise is mistaken, sorry.”

Why Do Related Keywords Matter?

Using related keywords in your content helps you establish topical relevance and gives search engines a better understanding of your content.

Your site can then rank higher in search results for more keywords. This may translate to additional visits and conversions.

Related keywords can benefit your pay-per-click (PPC) advertising efforts as well. Because campaigns that target semantic and secondary keywords can drive additional relevant traffic.

Integrating related keywords can also support generative engine optimization (GEO) because AI tools consider the meaning and structure of content and aren't necessarily looking for a single keyword.

For instance, say your article on how to eat healthy also discusses topics like meal planning, balanced nutrition, and avoiding processed foods. AI models recognize these ideas as semantically related to healthy eating, even if the exact phrase “how to eat healthy” isn’t mentioned.

How to Find Related Keywords: 6 Proven Ways

You can use several tools and techniques to get related keywords:

Use the Keyword Magic Tool to Build Keyword Lists

Using Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool is an easy way to find secondary keywords based on a single starting term.

Say you’re drafting an article focused on the keyword “how to eat healthy.”

Enter this keyword and click “Search.”

Keyword Magic Tool page with “how to eat healthy” typed in the search bar and an arrow pointing to the Search button

Now, head to the “All Keywords” tab.

Keyword Magic Tool results for “how to eat healthy,” showing keyword ideas and stats with the “All Keywords” filter highlighted

Scroll through the list to find relevant options.

Here are a few examples of relevant keywords:

“food pyramid”
“healthy meal ideas”
“balanced diet”

Some of these can act as secondary keywords that inform sections of your articles. For instance, an H2 section could explain the concept of the food pyramid.

The Keyword Magic Tool provides search volume—how often a keyword is searched each month on average—and keyword difficulty (KD)—how difficult it is to rank for a keyword on a scale out of 100 —metrics for each keyword.

It’s a good idea to look at volume for secondary keywords to get a sense of how much additional traffic they might drive.

Mine Google’s Autocomplete Feature

Google’s autocomplete suggestions are a great source of related keywords. Because they partially reflect what actual users have been searching.

The autocomplete function predicts your search query once you start to type. And those suggestions can serve as secondary keywords to add to your content.

For instance, if you type “how to eat healthy” into Google, you might see suggested searches like these:

Google search autocomplete for “how to eat healthy” showing suggestions like “on a budget,” “to lose weight,” and more

Get Ideas from People Also Ask & People Also Search For

People Also Ask (PAA) and people also search for (PASF) are Google search features that reveal similar queries you can use as related keywords.

PAA boxes show the questions related to your search term and answers to them. The feature also displays a link to the source used to generate that answer:

Google “People Also Ask” section for “how to eat healthy,” with the answer box and list of questions outlined

Mentioning and answering these questions in your content increases the chances of your pages being cited in PAA boxes. This can translate into more visibility and even visits.

PASF displays related queries at the bottom of most search results pages. These queries are informed by your initial query and the behavior of other users. They’re designed to help you explore related topics.

Google “People Also Search For” box for “how to eat healthy,” showing related searches like “meal plan” and “eating benefits,” outlined

You can integrate some of the PASF suggestions into your content as secondary keywords. Or consider creating new pages that target these terms.

Reverse-Engineer Competitors’ Keywords

Analyzing your search competitors can reveal a wealth of related keywords.

Do a quick Google search to see which pages rank for the keywords you’re creating content for.

Like this:

Google search results page for “how to eat healthy,” showing results from WHO, CDC, NHS, Heart Association, and Healthline

Then, use Semrush’s Organic Research tool to analyze the top-ranking pages.

Enter the first competing URL, select your target country, and click “Search.”

Organic Research start with a WHO URL entered, the link underlined, and an arrow pointing to the Search button

Select “Exact URL” from the drop-down menu on the next page.

Dropdown showing a WHO URL highlighted in violet with “Exact URL” selected

Next, click on the “Positions” tab to see various keywords the entered page ranks for.

Organic Research Positions report for the WHO healthy diet page, showing a list of keywords and traffic data

Go through these keywords and pick those that align well with your page’s topic.

Repeat this process for each page in the top 10 positions. You’ll then have a long list of secondary keywords that you can integrate into your content.

Surface Hidden Gems in Google Search Console

You can also find related keywords by reviewing your content’s keyword rankings in Google Search Console (GSC).

GSC has data on your pages’ ranking positions, search clicks, impressions, and more.

Once you open the tool, navigate to “Search results” under the “Performance” section. And check the box next to “Average position”:

Google Search Console with “Search results” on the left menu highlighted and an arrow pointing to the “Average position” checkbox

This report lists the search queries your site is showing up for.

Click “+ Add filter” and choose “Page” from the drop-down menu to focus on a specific page you want to add related keywords to.

Google Search Console performance report with an arrow pointing to “Add filter” and “Page” option highlighted

Next, pick “Exact URL,” enter the URL of the page you want to analyze, and click “Apply.”

Google Search Console filter box with “Exact URL” option selected and an arrow pointing to the dropdown

Scroll down to see all the keywords the page ranks for.

Google Search Console Queries table showing keyword clicks, impressions, and positions for weight loss related searches, with the “Queries” tab underlined

Now, revisit your content to see whether you can include these keywords.

Ensure these queries are mentioned. In some cases, consider adding an entire paragraph or section to provide information on relevant queries.

That way, you increase your chance of ranking highly for that term and getting more traffic.

Prompt AI & Validate the Responses with Real Data

Prompting artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and others can provide related keyword ideas that are worth exploring.

For instance, here are some relevant keywords ChatGPT suggested for the article on how to eat healthy.

ChatGPT response listing primary, secondary, and long-tail related keywords for “how to eat healthy”

These recommendations look great. But AI tools don’t have access to relevant metrics like search volume or keyword difficulty.

Use Semrush’s Keyword Overview tool to validate each proposed keyword. To ensure people are actually searching for those queries.

Head to the tool, add your keywords, select a location, and click “Search.”

Keyword Overview input box with a list of keywords typed in and an arrow pointing to the Search button

On the next page, you’ll be able to review search volume, keyword difficulty, and other data points.

Keyword Overview Bulk Analysis view showing a list of entered keywords and bulk keyword metrics like volume, KD, and CPC

This helps you learn how many people are searching for this keyword. And whether adding it might bring additional search traffic.

How to Use Related Keywords in Your Content

Integrate related keywords naturally into your content to increase the content’s relevance. And consider using them to build topic clusters.

Let’s cover both methods:

Add Related Keywords to Individual Webpages

Add related keywords in relevant on-page positions, such as headings, body, and anchor text for internal links to help both traditional search engines and AI tools better understand your content.

Some keywords may warrant entire sections, so it often makes sense to add them in H2 or H3 headings. Other keywords may only be mentioned sparingly in the body of your piece.

In some cases, you may already have an entire article on a related keyword. You can use the keyword as anchor text for linking to that article.

We can see the impact of incorporating related keywords by studying Semrush’s article on local SEO.

This piece ranks at the top of the results for “local SEO.” It also mentions and ranks well for various related keywords:

Related Keyword	On-Page Position	Ranking Position
what is local SEO	H2 heading	1
why is local SEO important	H2 heading	7
how local SEO works	H2 heading	1
how to do local SEO	H2 heading	3
local seo strategy	body	1
local search engine optimization	body	1

Let’s check whether other top-ranking pages mention these terms (as seen on June 27, 2025, using Semrush’s SEO Toolkit):

	what is local SEO	why is local SEO important	how local SEO works	how to do local SEO	local seo strategy	local search engine optimization
Backlinko	✅	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌
Wikipedia	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
Mailchimp	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
U.S. Chamber of Commerce	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
WebFX	✅	✅	❌	❌	✅	❌
Yoast	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌

Build Topic Clusters with Related Keywords

Building topic clusters (groups of interconnected and topically related pages) allows you to use related keywords across multiple pages.

A cluster comprises a pillar (main) page that provides a broad overview of a broad subject and various cluster pages (subpages) that tackle related subtopics.

You can optimize pillar pages and subpages with related keywords. And connect the pages with internal links to help both users and search engines find related content.

Here’s an example of what a cluster can look like:

A visual diagram titled "Topic Cluster Example" shows a content marketing strategy using topic clusters.

A topic cluster strategy can help you rank for more keywords and build topical authority.

Use Semrush’s Keyword Strategy Builder to create clusters automatically.

Head to the tool, add up to five seed keywords (broad terms related to your niche), and click “Create.”

Keyword Strategy Builder page with “how to eat healthy” typed, the input box underlined, and an arrow pointing to Create

Once the analysis is done, you’ll reach the “Topics and pages” tab.

Scroll down to see various types of clusters (indicated by the tabs at the top of the table), such as clusters focused on high-volume keywords that are easy to rank for. Or clusters focused on driving conversions.

Keep scrolling to see the ideas themselves.

Pillar and subpages in Semrush's Keyword Strategy Builder.

Review these clusters and pick those that are best aligned with your content goals.

Common Over-Optimization Mistakes to Avoid

Optimizing content for related keywords can sometimes go wrong.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

Keyword stuffing with similar terms: Using "how to eat healthy," "ways to eat healthy," or "eating healthy on a budget" in every paragraph makes the text sound awkward and unnatural
Keyword-heavy titles and headers: A title like "How to Eat Healthy: Healthy Eating Tips, Eating Healthy for Beginners, and Healthy Food Choices" is overwhelming and prioritizes keywords over readability
Keyword cannibalization: Creating separate pages for keyword variations may lead to pages competing against each other in search results. This can hurt your overall rankings.
Over-optimized internal linking: Using similar anchor text like "healthy meal tips," "ways to eat healthy," or "healthy eating habits" for every link can appear manipulative. Focus on natural anchor text instead.

Find Related Keywords in Seconds

You’re now well aware of how important related keywords are.

The good news is Semrush offers an SEO Toolkit that makes it easy to find and analyze related keywords.