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How to Pick the Best Target Keywords

Last updated May 5, 20265 min read

Every SAIGE account starts by picking three priority keywords. They drive what the audit measures, which keywords SAIGE actively optimizes for in posts and Q&A, and what the monthly heatmap report tracks over time.

SAIGE keyword-audit screen showing the optimization-rating dial and a grid of suggested keywords with options to add custom ones.
The keyword picker. Pick three from the suggested list, type your own, or let SAIGE auto-pick based on your category.

What the three keywords are used for

  • The audit and optimization rating — your starting score is calculated against these three terms specifically
  • Heatmap reports — your monthly heatmap shows your top-3 placement % for each of the three keywords across your service area
  • Posts and Q&A — SAIGE's content engine biases toward your priority keywords so your posts reinforce the terms you most want to rank for
  • Citation copy — listing descriptions across 45–62+ directories include your priority keywords for relevance signals

How to pick three good ones

1. Start with the service that pays the bills

If 60% of your revenue comes from one service, lead with that. "Metal roofing [city]" if you sell metal roofs, not generic "roofer".

2. Match how customers actually search

Type your candidate keyword into Google. If the results are blogs and Wikipedia, customers don't search that way. If the results are Google Business Profiles in the map pack, you're on the right track.

3. Mix breadth and specificity

Pick one broader category term ("roof repair"), one specific service ("metal roofing"), and one geographic modifier ("[your suburb] roofers"). The mix gives the heatmap and the optimization engine balanced signal.

Letting SAIGE pick for you

Click "Let SAIGE pick" and the AI evaluates your category, service area, competitor keyword stacks and historical conversion data, then proposes three. Most operators end up with the AI selection on at least two of the three. You can always override before saving.

Changing your keywords later

You can swap any of the three from Settings → Keywords. The new keyword starts feeding the post engine and citation copy immediately. The heatmap report keeps the historical data on the old keyword so you can see the before/after when you compare reports across the swap.

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