Day 3: The Keyword Rule I Use Before Writing a Single Word

Yesterday I said I’d share the exact rule I use to decide whether a keyword is worth writing about for a tiny product.

Here it is:

A keyword is worth writing only if it passes 3 filters:

1. Intent fit

2. Product fit

3. Ops fit

If one fails, I skip it.

Most founders lose time on SEO because they start writing before deciding if the keyword is even publish-worthy for their business.

For me, this 3-filter check is what keeps SEO lightweight and repeatable.

1. Intent fit

What does the searcher actually want right now?

I do a quick SERP scan and ask:

• Are top results mostly guides, tools, comparisons, or definitions?

• Is there one dominant intent, or is it mixed?

If intent is mixed or too vague, I skip.

2. Product fit

Can I connect this topic to my product naturally?

If I can’t bridge the post to a real product action without forcing it, it’s not a good keyword for me.

No forced CTA. No “and by the way, buy my thing.”

3. Ops fit

Can I ship this reliably inside my normal week?

If it requires deep research, custom graphics, and a huge writing effort every time, it breaks the system.

I optimize for throughput:
publishable, useful, consistent.

My simple scoring

I score each filter from 0 to 2.

• 5–6: write now

• 3–4: backlog

• 0–2: skip

This keeps decisions fast and removes guesswork.

Why this works

This rule turns keyword selection into operations, not inspiration.

Instead of asking “Is this the perfect keyword?”
I ask “Can this keyword produce reliable output and useful business signal?”

That mindset alone changes everything.

Promotion for Indie Hackers users

I’m also running a promo for new users:

• Use code IH26

• 50% off any plan for the first 3 months

• Valid until March 19, 2026

• Paid trial is still charged at full price: $9 (not discounted)

The goal is to give founders enough runway to measure real improvement in organic traffic with automated SEO content creation.

If you’re building in this space too: what’s harder for you right now, keyword qualification or publishing cadence?