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Choose keyword clusters

After the targeting step, Hero Marketer takes your seed keywords, queries Google for related terms, and groups the results into keyword clusters. A keyword cluster is a tight group of keywords that share the same search intent, and each campaign you create targets one cluster. Pick the cluster that matches the customer you're trying to reach, then refine its keyword list before moving on.

For why clusters beat a flat keyword list, see What is a keyword cluster.

What each cluster shows​

Every keyword cluster on this step displays:

  • A label. A short phrase summarizing the intent of the keywords inside.
  • A keyword count. How many keywords are in the cluster.
  • Aggregated metrics:
    • Search volume. Total monthly searches across all keywords in the cluster.
    • CPC range. The low and high cost per click advertisers typically pay.
    • Competition. How crowded the auction is for these terms.
  • An expandable keyword list. Click to see every keyword in the cluster.

Clusters are sorted by relevance to your product context, with the strongest match first.

Pick the cluster that matches your customer​

The right keyword cluster is the one that captures the intent of the customer you're trying to reach. Weigh three things:

  • Intent maturity. "Project management software" is broad and earlier stage. "Alternative to Jira" is later stage and closer to a buying decision. Pick based on where your funnel needs traffic.
  • Competition versus volume. A high-volume, high-competition cluster burns budget fast. A lower-volume, lower-competition cluster may convert better dollar for dollar.
  • Your offer. If your product is genuinely better than a specific competitor, "alternative to X" clusters are gold. If you're a category leader, broad category clusters work.

Pick one cluster per campaign. To target multiple clusters, build separate campaigns, that gives each one its own budget, ad copy, and reporting.

Refine the keyword list inside a cluster​

Inside a keyword cluster. You can:

  • Remove keywords that don't fit. Click the x next to a keyword.
  • Move keywords between clusters. Drag the keyword onto another cluster, or use the move action in the keyword's menu.
  • Restore keywords you removed. Removed keywords sit in a separate list at the bottom of the cluster panel.

A few rules of thumb when refining:

  • Drop branded competitor terms unless you've checked Google's trademark policy on competitor bidding for your category.
  • Drop terms where the searcher's likely intent doesn't match what your product does. For Linear, "personal task manager" looks related but the intent is off.
  • The wizard doesn't generate negative keywords during creation. After a couple of weeks of data, you add negatives from the search terms report, or ask Hero AI to add them, rather than at this step.

What to do if no cluster looks right​

If no keyword cluster matches, the seed keywords were probably the wrong starting point. Go back to the targeting step and try:

  • More specific seeds. "Project management" is too broad; "project management for software teams" is sharper.
  • Customer-language seeds. "Track engineering work" might match your customer better than "agile project tracking".
  • An "alternative to" seed if there's a clear competitor.

You can also run the same campaign with different seeds and compare which produces a cluster set you like. If clusters keep coming back thin or empty, see No keyword clusters found.

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