> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.synscribe.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Starting the first set of keywords

> How to seed a brand-new account's first keyword set from the sales call, before the cycle starts.

The very first keyword set for a new account, the one you build before the billing cycle even
starts, off the back of the sales calls. It's the first-cycle variant of
[3.4 Organise keywords for a cycle](/sops/organise-keywords): same skills, but seeded from the
sales transcript instead of a review call, and with no prior content to calibrate against.

> **Source note:** the dedicated *How to start first set of keywords* SOP page in Notion is
> currently empty. The steps below are the first-keywords portion already documented in the
> [Month-1 "Before Day 1" flow](/sops/onboarding-month-1#before-day-1); this page consolidates
> them. It needs Raymond to confirm and extend.

## Where the seed comes from

The sales-call transcripts carry most of the strategy. The client usually names focus keywords and
areas of interest for month 1, so extract seed keywords from them. Once the client confirms with
payment, kick off the background research.

## Steps

* [ ] Extract seed keywords from the sales-call transcript(s): the focus keywords and areas of
  interest the client named.
* [ ] Parse the transcript into a Pi memory file so the account's context is set up. See
  [how-to: 2.1.1 Create org & init Pi](/platform/create-org-init-pi).
* [ ] Expand the seeds with keyword research. Run the `keyword-exploration` skill to grow the seed
  list. See [how-to: 2.2.1 Keyword exploration](/platform/keyword-exploration).
* [ ] Add keywords to the dashboard, tagged `Core`, `Fringe`, `<month>`, `Alternative`, etc.
* [ ] Run through Google Search Console for other keyword opportunities *(if the client has an
  existing site with GSC data)*.
* [ ] Note key assumptions and questions to clarify with the client on the research call.

## Then validate like any cycle

From here the first set goes through the same validation, dedupe, and conflict checks as every later
cycle: get US volume, run SERP-cliff analysis, check for existing pages and current rankings, and
drop near-duplicates. Run [3.4 Organise keywords for a cycle](/sops/organise-keywords) from
Step 3 onward.

> **First-cycle note:** there's no previous month to calibrate against, so lean harder on the SERP
> cliff and strategic fit. Client-provided keywords bypass the SERP-cliff gate on entry (see the
> [keyword survival gates](/sops/organise-keywords#reference-—-keyword-survival-gates)).

## The first wave

Landing pages lead the first wave. Once the seeds are expanded and tagged, pick the first 10 to 20
landing-page keywords and ship the first 5 landing pages, prioritising by the product's unique edge
and the lowest cannibalization risk (start with the `/uses/<slug>` pages before the hub page). Pull a
top-5 and a top-10 keyword set for the pSEO pages and publish the top 5. Blogs follow: the first 3
blog posts, listicles or BOFU how-tos. Landing pages are the fastest path to a first ranking, so they
go first, and the blogs build the supporting authority behind them.

***

## Related

* [3.1 — Onboarding Flow, Month 1](/sops/onboarding-month-1#before-day-1): the full first-cycle context.
* [3.4 — Organise keywords for a cycle](/sops/organise-keywords): the validation the seeds run through.
* [Part 1 §1.4 SERP cliff](/theory/serp-cliff): why a winnable SERP matters more than raw search volume.
* [Part 1 §1.5 Intent & cannibalization](/theory/intent-cannibalization).