The Knowledge Base: 50 informational keyword examples for your blog
We’ve all been there. You publish three or four blog posts that feel genuinely useful—articles that should help your customers—but when you check Google Search Console a month later, the line is flat. No impressions, no clicks, no movement.
It’s frustrating because the content is good, but the strategy behind it often lacks structural intent. When I’ve built content libraries for businesses, I’ve found that the “win” rarely comes from having more creative ideas. It comes from structure. It comes from understanding exactly what your audience is typing into Google when they have a problem, and answering that specific question better than anyone else.
This guide is designed to be your cheat sheet. I’m going to break down exactly what informational keywords are, how to find them using a repeatable workflow, and—most importantly—give you 50 concrete examples you can adapt for your own industry. We’ll cover how to target these terms without hype, and how to turn that traffic into business value without ruining your reader’s experience.
What is an informational keyword? (Definition + examples vs. other intent types)
At its core, search intent is just a fancy way of asking, “What does this person want right now?” When someone types a query into Google, they are usually trying to do one of four things: go to a specific website, learn something, buy something, or investigate a purchase.
Informational keywords are the “learn something” category. These users are in the awareness stage of the buyer’s journey. They aren’t ready to pull out a credit card yet; they are looking for answers, definitions, instructions, or clarity on a problem they just discovered.
Quick answer: What qualifies as an informational keyword?
An informational keyword is any search query where the user seeks knowledge, answers, or guidance rather than an immediate transaction. These queries often use modifiers like “how to,” “what is,” “guide,” “tips,” “examples,” or “why.” They make up the vast majority of searches on the web.
Informational vs. navigational vs. commercial vs. transactional keywords
To really understand how to write for these keywords, you need to see how they differ from the rest of the funnel. If you mix these up, you’ll end up trying to sell to someone who just wants a definition, or explaining a definition to someone who is ready to buy.
| Intent Type | What the user wants | Example Query |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | To learn, solve a problem, or get an answer. | “how to calculate roi” or “what is seo” |
| Navigational | To find a specific page or site. | “QuickBooks login” or “HubSpot blog” |
| Commercial Investigation | To compare options before buying. | “best crm for small business” or “slack vs teams” |
| Transactional | To complete a purchase or action immediately. | “buy iphone 15 pro” or “download zoom” |
Why informational keywords are vital for business blogs
You might be asking, “If these people aren’t ready to buy, why should I spend resources writing for them?” It’s a valid question. However, skipping informational content is usually why business blogs fail to grow.
Here is what you get when you target informational keywords effectively:
- Top-of-funnel traffic volume: Estimates suggest that over 80% of all web searches are informational. If you only target “buy” keywords, you are ignoring the vast majority of your market.
- Topical Authority: Google trusts sites that demonstrate comprehensive knowledge. You can’t just be a shop; you have to be a resource. Covering the “what” and “how” signals to search engines that you are an expert in your niche.
- Compounding Trust: When you help someone solve a small problem (e.g., “how to fix a spreadsheet error”), they trust you. When they eventually need a software solution, your brand is already a known entity.
Where informational keywords fit in the buyer journey
Think of these keywords as the handshake. Users are in the awareness stage. They might not even know your product category exists yet—they just know they have a problem. Your job is to validate that problem and gently introduce the fact that solutions exist.
For example, a user searches for “why is my cash flow negative.” You provide an article explaining cash flow mechanics. Inside that article, you can bridge them to the consideration stage by offering a template or introducing a tool (yours) that automates the calculation.
How informational keywords work in modern SEO
Years ago, you could rank by just repeating a keyword enough times. That doesn’t work anymore. Today, search engines use semantic search models (like BERT) to understand the meaning behind a query, not just the text strings.
This is good news for writers. It means you can focus on answering the question naturally rather than stuffing keywords. Google rewards content that comprehensively covers a topic. If you are writing about “email marketing tips,” Google expects you to cover subject lines, send times, and segmentation, even if the user didn’t type those exact words.
This is also where using a structured SEO content generator like Kalema can help simplify the workflow—not by magically ranking you, but by ensuring your drafts are structured to hit these semantic expectations from day one.
Common formats of informational keywords
In my research, I generally see these keywords fall into four specific buckets:
- Question-based: Who, what, where, when, why, how. (e.g., “how to write a bio”)
- Instructional modifiers: Guide, tutorial, steps, walkthrough. (e.g., “python installation guide”)
- Media keywords: Video, infographic, image, pdf. (e.g., “resume template pdf”)
- Inspirational: Ideas, examples, list. (e.g., “office decor ideas”)
Snippet-focused on-page checklist
If you want to win Featured Snippets (position zero), clarity is your best weapon. I use this simple checklist before I hit publish on any informational post:
- One question per header: Use the literal question users ask as your H2 or H3 (e.g., “How do I lower my bounce rate?”).
- The 40-60 word answer: Immediately after the header, provide a direct, concise answer. No fluff.
- Use lists and tables: Google loves structured data. If you are comparing two things, use a table.
- Definition simplicity: Define terms as if explaining them to a smart 12-year-old.
- Internal links: Always link to the next logical step in the journey.
A beginner workflow to find effective informational keywords
You don’t need expensive enterprise tools to find great keywords, though they certainly help. The best keywords often come directly from Google itself. Here is the workflow I use to build content clusters that actually rank.
Step 1: Start with a business goal and a seed topic
Don’t just pick a topic because it sounds fun. Start with a goal. If your goal is “get more newsletter signups for our HR software,” your seed topic shouldn’t be “funny cat videos.” It should be “employee onboarding” or “HR compliance.”
I usually write down one sentence: “I want to attract people who are struggling with [Problem X] so I can offer them [Solution Y].”
Step 2: Expand with SERP features
Go to Google and type in your seed topic. Don’t hit enter yet—look at the Autocomplete suggestions. These are real queries people use.
Next, search for the term and look at the People Also Ask (PAA) box. This is a goldmine. If you search for “employee onboarding,” you might see “what is the 4 C’s of onboarding?” or “how long should onboarding take?” Copy these down verbatim. These are your subheadings or future article titles.
Step 3: Validate and prioritize
If you have access to a tool like Ahrefs or SEMrush, check the metrics. But here is a decision rule I stick to: Don’t obsess over volume.
Tool volumes are estimates, and I treat them as directional. I would rather rank #1 for a specific long-tail keyword with 50 monthly searches (e.g., “onboarding checklist for remote developers”) than rank #50 for a broad term with 10,000 searches. Prioritize relevance and your ability to provide a better answer than what currently exists.
Step 4: Cluster keywords into a mini knowledge base
Once you have a list of 20-30 questions, group them. You might find five questions about “onboarding checklists” and five about “onboarding software.” These are your clusters.
This is where things can get messy if you’re doing it manually. Using an AI article generator can help you map these clusters into coherent outlines quickly, ensuring you don’t miss subtopics that your competitors are covering. Think of your blog like a book: the seed topic is the title, the clusters are the chapters, and the keywords are the paragraphs.
The Knowledge Base: 50 informational keyword examples
Below is a curated list of 50 informational keyword examples. I’ve grouped them by format so you can see the patterns. You can adapt these to almost any industry by swapping out the specific topic.
Note: Scaling this kind of content requires quality control. If you use a bulk article generator to build out these lists, always apply a human editorial pass to ensure the examples and advice are specific to your brand’s voice.
Category A: “What is…” and definition-based keywords (10 examples)
These are great for capturing beginners. I use these to build glossaries that earn backlinks from other sites looking to define terms.
- What is customer acquisition cost?
- Definition of return on ad spend
- What is a value proposition in marketing?
- What is supply chain management?
- Meaning of quiet quitting
- What is a good net promoter score?
- What is the difference between revenue and profit?
- What is programmatic advertising?
- Definition of agile methodology
- What is two-factor authentication?
Category B: “How to…” and step-by-step keywords (15 examples)
This is the bread and butter of helpful content. The more specific you get, the better. Notice how some of these include parenthetical context (like “for small business”)—that’s a great way to target long-tail intent.
- How to write a press release for a new product
- How to calculate break-even point
- How to improve website loading speed
- How to start a limited liability company (LLC)
- How to reduce customer churn rate
- How to ask for a raise via email
- How to set up Google Analytics 4
- How to create a social media content calendar
- How to invoice as a freelancer
- How to conduct a swarm interview
- How to verify an email domain
- How to manage remote teams effectively
- How to choose the right CRM for real estate
- How to fix 404 errors on WordPress
- How to write a cold email that gets responses
Category C: Tips, best practices, and guides (10 examples)
These appeal to readers who already know the basics but want to optimize their results.
- Email marketing best practices 2024
- Remote work security tips
- Ultimate guide to B2B lead generation
- SEO tips for startups
- Best practices for employee offboarding
- Guide to corporate gift giving
- Inventory management tips for retailers
- LinkedIn profile optimization guide
- Time management tips for managers
- Best practices for SaaS pricing pages
Category D: Examples, ideas, and templates (10 examples)
I love these keywords because they have high “implementation intent.” Users want something they can copy and paste. These are perfect for offering downloadable lead magnets.
- Mission statement examples for non-profits
- Professional bio examples
- Marketing budget template excel
- Project status report template
- Blog post ideas for real estate agents
- Invoice template for consultants
- Cold calling scripts that work
- Employee handbook examples
- Newsletter welcome email examples
- Performance review phrases examples
Category E: Troubleshooting and “why is…” queries (5 examples)
These searches often come from a place of frustration. If you can solve the pain, you win the customer.
- Why is my Shopify conversion rate dropping?
- Why are my emails going to spam?
- Why is my internet slow on zoom calls?
- Why is my website traffic down?
- Why is my facebook ad account disabled?
How I turn informational keywords into leads (without forcing the sale)
The biggest mistake I see is writing a helpful article about “how to manage time” and then slapping a giant “BUY OUR SOFTWARE” button in the first paragraph. That kills trust.
Instead, use a bridge. You want to guide the reader from their problem to your solution naturally. I use a simple “Intent-to-CTA” mapping strategy:
A simple intent-to-CTA mapping
| Keyword Pattern | Best Content Format | Best Call-to-Action (CTA) |
|---|---|---|
| Definition (“What is…”) | Glossary / Wiki | “Read our full guide” or “Subscribe for more” |
| How-to (“How to…”) | Tutorial / Step-by-step | “Download the Checklist” or “Get the Template” |
| Troubleshooting (“Why is…”) | Diagnostic / Fix guide | “Get a free audit” or “Talk to an expert” |
| Examples (“Template for…”) | Listicle / Resource | “Download this template now” (Lead Magnet) |
This approach respects the user. You are saying, “If you are dealing with this problem right now, the next useful step is X.” It’s helpful, not salesy.
Common mistakes (and fixes), plus FAQs and next steps
Even with good intentions, it’s easy to get off track. When I audit blog posts, these are the most common issues I find:
Common mistakes when targeting informational keywords
- Keyword Stuffing: Writing the exact phrase “informational keyword examples” 50 times. Fix: Write naturally; use synonyms and related terms.
- Burying the Answer: Writing a 500-word intro before answering the user’s question. Fix: Add a “Quick Answer” within the first 100 words.
- Thin Content: Writing 300 words that don’t cover the topic deeply. Fix: Look at the “People Also Ask” box and ensure you answer related sub-questions.
- Ignoring Formatting: Walls of text. Fix: Use H2s, H3s, bullet points, and bold text to make it skimmable.
- No Next Step: Leaving the reader at a dead end. Fix: Always add internal links to related topics.
FAQ: What qualifies as an informational keyword?
An informational keyword is a search query where the user is looking for an answer, explanation, or guidance. They want to learn, not buy. Common modifiers include “how to,” “what is,” “guide,” and “tips.”
FAQ: Why are informational keywords vital for blogs?
They drive the majority of web traffic (top-of-funnel). By targeting them, you build brand awareness, establish topical authority, and earn trust with users before they are ready to purchase. They are the foundation of a long-term SEO strategy.
FAQ: How do informational keywords differ from other types?
Transactional keywords (e.g., “buy laptop”) indicate a readiness to purchase. Navigational keywords (e.g., “Facebook login”) indicate a desire to find a specific page. Informational keywords indicate a desire to learn. The content you create must match this intent—tutorials for learners, product pages for buyers.
FAQ: How can I find effective informational keywords?
Start with a seed topic related to your business. Use Google Autocomplete and “People Also Ask” to see what questions real people are asking. Validate these ideas with SEO tools to check difficulty, but prioritize relevance and long-tail specificity over high search volume.
FAQ: Should blogs target informational keywords even if conversion is indirect?
Yes. While they don’t convert immediately, they assist conversions. They bring users into your ecosystem. Through smart internal linking and lead magnets (like email signups), you can nurture this traffic until they are ready to buy.
Next steps checklist
Ready to build your own knowledge base? Here is your assignment for this week:
- Pick one seed topic that relates to your core business (e.g., “remote sales”).
- Collect 20 questions using Google’s “People Also Ask” feature or a keyword tool.
- Cluster them into 4-5 logical blog post ideas.
- Draft one pillar post using the snippet-ready checklist above.
- Publish and measure—don’t look at sales yet; look at impressions and time on page.
