SEO-optimized content that ranks well isn’t about keyword stuffing anymore.
The game has moved on, and tools like AnswerthePublic are here to make sure you’re ahead of the curve.
Here is what you need to know about Answer the Public:
Answer the Public is a versatile keyword research tool for digital marketing. It helps in finding low-competition keywords, selecting niches, and optimizing content. Users can also update old articles, build FAQ sections, plan content, and analyze competitors.
This all-inclusive guide for 2023 will deep dive into Answer the Public.
What Is Answer the Public?
Answer the Public is an ingenious tool that provides content marketers, SEO experts, and curious minds a window into the queries people are asking search engines.
This isn’t your regular keyword research tool.
It’s essentially a “consumer insight” tool that provides a comprehensive list of:
- Questions
- Propositions
- And related searches
All based on the keyword or phrase you input.
Having this insight allows you to create content that is highly relevant to the search intent.
But it also addresses the specific concerns, queries, or needs that potential customers or readers have on the topic.
Basically, it’s a game-changer for anyone looking to optimize their content marketing strategy.
How Does Answer the Public Work?
At its core, AnswerthePublic utilizes auto-suggest results from search engines like Google and Bing.
When you enter a keyword or phrase, it takes that input and runs through a range of query formulations like who, what, where, why, how, and many more.
The results are then presented in an organized, visual format such as a search cloud or lists.
For example, like this:
This makes it easier to analyze and make decisions.
The algorithms powering AnswerthePublic are programmed to give you, the user, a multifaceted understanding of how your keyword or phrase is being utilized by searchers.
Answer the Public is more than just a keyword generator.
It takes your input keyword and spins it into a multitude of potential queries.
As you can imagine, this provides you with a well-rounded understanding of what people are searching for.
It fetches auto-suggest results and then categorizes these suggestions into multiple buckets.
Each of these buckets serves a unique purpose in your research.
Here is a great video explanation of how AnswerthePublic works:
Sections and Features in Answer the Public
Here’s a breakdown of the different sections and features you’ll find when using AnswerthePublic:
- Questions: This section is gold for content creators. It lists all the questions that people are asking related to your keyword. This helps you understand what concerns or queries potential customers or readers might have.
- Prepositions: These are search queries that include words like ‘for’, ‘with’, ‘without’, etc. They are excellent for understanding the intent behind the searches. For instance, if you enter ‘coffee’, you might find queries like ‘coffee for cold brew’.
- Comparisons: Here, you’ll find queries that compare your keyword with something else. This is useful for understanding how people evaluate your product or topic against others. Queries might include comparisons like ‘coffee vs. tea’.
- Alphabeticals: This section lists search queries in alphabetical order, giving you a broad overview of relevant topics. While not all of these may be directly useful, they can serve as great brainstorming fodder.
- Related: This rounds up various search terms related to your primary keyword. This section is especially helpful in identifying new angles or related topics you might not have considered.
- Search Volume: While Answer the Public itself doesn’t give you this data in the free version, the Pro version provides insights into how many times a particular query is searched per month. This is crucial for prioritizing which keywords to target.
- Cost Per Click (CPC): Knowing the CPC for a given query can help in understanding its commercial value. Higher CPC often indicates that the keyword is valuable, and ranking for it could be beneficial for your business.
By combining these features, AnswerthePublic offers an expansive view of public interest around your topic
Whether you’re looking for specific questions to answer in a blog post or gauging the public’s interest in a new product idea, these categorized suggestions serve as an excellent starting point.
How to Use Answer the Public: 10 Use Cases Explained
AnswerthePublic is a versatile tool that can be harnessed for various applications in your digital marketing and content creation efforts.
Below are 10 specific use cases that will help you get the most out of this tool.
Keyword Research
One of the most obvious uses for AnswerthePublic is keyword research.
The tool helps you understand what potential customers are searching for by providing a plethora of related search terms and questions.
These insights can help you identify which keywords to target in your SEO strategy.
The “Search Volume” and “CPC” metrics available in the Pro version allow you to prioritize your keyword list.
This way, you can focus on terms that are not only highly relevant but also offer good traffic potential and monetary value.
Choosing a Niche
If you’re struggling to choose a niche for your blog or business, AnswerthePublic can help.
By entering broad keywords related to fields you’re interested in, you can uncover a variety of search topics and questions.
This gives you a snapshot of what a potential audience might be interested in.
Moreover, by analyzing the kind of questions and the volume of queries in a particular area, you can gauge the public interest and competition level.
This data can be invaluable when deciding if a niche is worth pursuing or is too crowded.
Optimizing Content
The data you gather can be incredibly useful for optimizing existing content on your website or blog.
The “Questions” section can help you identify gaps in your current content.
For example, if people are asking questions that your articles do not currently answer, you have an opportunity for optimization.
Likewise, the “Comparisons” and “Prepositions” sections give you a window into how people are thinking about your topic.
This can lead to ideas for additional sections in your articles or entirely new articles that better serve user intent.
Updating Older Content
Even your well-performing older content needs a refresh now and then.
With AnswerthePublic, you can find new angles or questions that have emerged since you last updated your post.
By incorporating these into your existing content, you can make your articles more current and useful.
Not only does this add value for your readers, but it can also give your older content a boost in search rankings.
Search engines like Google favor content that is up-to-date and comprehensive, so these updates can significantly impact your SEO.
Building Out FAQ Sections on Blog Posts
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) sections can be a powerful addition to your blog posts or product pages.
They offer direct answers to common queries, improving the user experience and potentially boosting your rankings in search snippets.
Use the “Questions” feature in Answer the Public to identify what people are commonly asking about your topic.
After gathering these questions, you can build an FAQ section that addresses each one.
This not only provides value to your readers but can also make your page more attractive to search engines that are looking to provide quick answers in their results.
Content Planning
AnswerthePublic can be instrumental in your content planning process.
By generating a wide range of questions and topics around your keyword, the tool can serve as a brainstorming aid.
You get help coming up with a plethora of content ideas for your blog, YouTube channel, or podcast.
This approach helps in creating a comprehensive content calendar.
You can produce content that not only addresses various facets of a topic but also answers questions that your potential audience is actively searching for.
Social Media Strategy
The queries and questions from AnswerthePublic can be easily adapted into social media posts.
This strategy helps in generating content that you already know people are interested in, thus increasing engagement.
By using the tool regularly, you can keep your social media content fresh and aligned with what your audience wants to know.
This increases the likelihood of your posts being shared, thus improving your social media reach.
Competitor Analysis
AnswerthePublic isn’t explicitly a competitor analysis tool.
But the insights it provides can offer indirect ways to understand what your competitors might be targeting.
By entering keywords related to your industry or niche, you can get a sense of what topics are popular.
You can then examine how your competitors are addressing these topics.
And, even better, find opportunities to do it better or differently.
This could mean creating more in-depth content or addressing questions and concerns that your competitors have overlooked.
PR and Brand Management
Public Relations professionals can use AnswerthePublic to understand what questions people are asking about a brand or industry.
This is useful for preparing for interviews, writing press releases, or even managing a crisis.
Knowing the questions your audience is asking helps in crafting messages that resonate.
It ensures that your PR materials are not just well-written but also directly address the concerns or interests of your audience.
Identifying Trends
The tool can also be used to identify emerging trends in your industry or niche.
This is particularly useful for businesses that want to stay ahead of the curve.
By consistently monitoring queries over time, you can identify patterns or emerging questions that indicate a new trend.
Once a trend is identified, this gives you a first-mover advantage.
You can quickly produce content around it or adapt your products or services to meet this emerging need.
As a result, you establish yourself as an early thought leader in your domain.
How to Interpret the Search Results on Answer the Public
Interpreting the search results from AnswerthePublic doesn’t require a degree in data science.
But it does call for a methodical approach.
When the tool generates your data, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information.
Here’s how to navigate this treasure trove of insights:
- Understand the visualizations
- Prioritize high-value queries
- Analyze questions for user intent
- Explore related and alphabetical sections
Understand the Visualizations
The tool often provides results in a “search cloud” which is a visual representation of the data.
The closer a term is to the center, the more directly it is related to your main keyword.
Terms on the periphery might be more tangential but could provide unique angles for your content.
Prioritize High-Value Queries
If you’re using the Pro version, you’ll have access to metrics like search volume and CPC.
Use this data to prioritize which terms to target.
High search volume combined with high CPC usually means a keyword is both popular and potentially profitable.
Analyze Questions for User Intent
The “Questions” section is particularly important for understanding what information for which your audience is looking.
Is the query informational (“how to do X”) or transactional (“best X to buy”)?
This insight helps in shaping the content you create.
Explore the ‘Related’ and ‘Alphabeticals’ Sections
Don’t ignore the Alphabetical and Related sections.
These can sometimes provide hidden gems—keywords that are not directly related but offer a fresh perspective or a new content angle.
How to Find Low Competition Keywords with Answer the Public
Finding low competition keywords has never been easier.
You simply type in a word or short phrase into the AnswerthePublic search bar.
Once you get your results, you can take that data and run it through another tool that provides keyword competition metrics, like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs.
Cross-referencing the two sets of data is a powerful keyword search strategy.
You can identify which questions or long-tail keywords have low competition but a high number of searches.
The key to using Answer the Public for finding low-competition keywords is in its capability to generate a wide array of long-tail keyword options.
Long-tail keywords are generally less competitive but can be very targeted, leading to better conversion rates.
Let’s go over a simple (and hopefully fun) example.
We’ll use the phrase “best ninja” for our example search.
From the screenshot, you can see just a sample of the hundreds of long-tail – and possibly low competition – keywords.
You can take any of these suggested phrases and run them through another keyword tool.
For example, you can use the phrase “best ninja blender for smoothie bowls.”
You can:
- Google the phrase to manually check competitiong
- Copy and paste the phrase into a keyword tool (like Ahrefs or Keywords Anywhere).
Once you get the information on competition, search volume, etc., you can then create a really good piece of content around the keyword.
How to Find a Blogging Niche with Answer the Public
Finding a niche with Answer the Public is almost like having a conversation with your potential audience.
Start by entering broad terms related to industries or topics you’re interested in.
The questions and propositions that come up will give you a real-time glimpse into specific questions and struggles.
For example, if you’re interested in starting a blog about “personal finance,” you could start by entering those terms.
The questions that come up might range from debt management to investment tips.
You could even take it a step further by drilling down into each of these sub-niches to see which has the least competition but enough interest to make it viable.
Pros and Cons of Answer the Public
Pros
- Comprehensive Data: Few tools provide as wide a range of consumer insight data as Answer the Public.
- Easy to Use: Its intuitive interface and visual data representation make it easy for even beginners to understand.
- Multiple Languages and Locations: You can adjust your settings to get results for different languages and locations, making it versatile for global operations.
Cons
- Limited Free Searches: The free version offers limited searches per day, which can be a hindrance for heavy users.
- No In-built Competition Analysis: While the tool gives you excellent keyword ideas, it doesn’t provide many metrics for deep keyword analysis. You’ll need to use another tool for that.
Tips and Best Practices for Getting the Most Out of Answer the Public
To maximize the benefits of using Answer the Public, keep the following tips and best practices in mind.
Start Broad, Then Narrow Down
It’s often more insightful to start with a broad keyword and then narrow down based on the results you get.
This approach allows you to cover all your bases before specializing.
Cross-Reference with Other Tools
While Answer the Public is rich in keyword ideas, it’s advisable to cross-reference these keywords with another tool that provides more analytical data, like Google Keyword Planner, for a more comprehensive strategy.
Use Regularly for Content Updates
Consumer interests and queries can change over time. Make it a habit to use Answer the Public regularly to keep your content updated and aligned with what people are actively searching for.
Adjust Language and Region Settings
If your content or products are targeted towards a specific geographical location, make sure to adjust the language and region settings to get the most relevant data.
Go Beyond Textual Content
The utility of Answer the Public is not limited to blogs or articles. Use the keyword insights for video descriptions, podcast topics, and even social media posts.
Answer the Public Alternatives (Paid and Free)
While Answer the Public offers a rich set of features and insights, it’s not the only tool in the sea.
Depending on your specific needs, budget, or the scale at which you operate, you might find some of these alternatives more suitable. Each has its unique features that make it worth considering:
Google Keyword Planner
This free tool from Google is a staple in the keyword research arena.
While it may not offer the consumer question insights that Answer the Public provides, it’s robust in giving you search volume, competition data, and even forecasts.
RankIQ
An unique entrant to the SEO world, RankIQ focuses on long-tail keywords and offers AI-driven content optimization suggestions.
It’s designed to be easy to use while still offering robust data.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is an all-in-one SEO tool that includes keyword research capabilities among its many features.
It provides detailed metrics like keyword difficulty, search volume, and more.
However, it’s a premium tool with a steeper learning curve.
SEMrush
SEMrush is another comprehensive SEO tool that can do keyword research, site audits, competitor analysis, and much more.
It also has a ‘Keyword Magic Tool’ that provides a list of related keywords and questions.
Ubersuggest
Created by Neil Patel, Ubersuggest offers keyword ideas, content ideas, and even competitor data.
It’s an excellent option for those who want to have a blend of keyword data and content suggestions, and it comes at a more affordable price point.
Moz Keyword Explorer
Moz offers a range of SEO tools, including the Keyword Explorer.
This tool provides not only keyword suggestions but also metrics like monthly search volume and keyword difficulty.
It’s great for those who like to dive deep into analytics.
BuzzSumo
Though primarily a tool for content research and social listening, BuzzSumo can be a great alternative for finding popular questions and topics in your niche.
It gives you a sense of what content is being shared or discussed in various online communities and social networks.
DeepMarket
DeepMarket offers keyword analysis and a wide variety of other SEO tools.
Its keyword suggestion feature is comparable to Answer the Public, providing a useful alternative for those looking for a diversified toolset.
Final Thoughts: Answer the Public Made Easy
With the strategies and tips provided in this guide, you’re not just equipped to find keywords
You’re ready to conquer Google with them.
So go ahead, chart your course and set sail towards content that not only ranks but resonates.
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