> ## 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. # Organise keywords for a cycle > Select, validate, dedupe, tag, and execute a cycle's keywords with Pi. Select, validate, dedupe, tag, and execute a cycle's keywords with Pi. You run this at the start of every cycle (and on the first cycle, seeded from the sales call — see [Starting the first set of keywords](/sops/first-keywords)): it turns a client's call context into a concrete, de-conflicted keyword plan, the input to a month of content. > **Theory behind this:** we target winnable SERPs and strategic fit rather than raw search volume. > See [Part 1 §1.4 SERP cliff](/theory/serp-cliff) and > [§1.5 Intent & cannibalization](/theory/intent-cannibalization). ## Inputs checklist (before you start) * [ ] Granola transcript + enhanced notes from the monthly call * [ ] Post-call notes, Slack messages, or docs from the client * [ ] Previous month's review docs (if not the first cycle) * [ ] Access to Pi (memory already set up for this account) * [ ] Any keyword lists already teased to the client (Notion proposal, strategy deck, etc.) * [ ] *(Optional)* Keywords from Google Search Console *** ## Step 1 — Feed Pi the call context * [ ] Have Granola running during the call * [ ] Export the transcript + enhanced notes afterward * [ ] Collect post-call materials (Slack/email comments, client docs, previous reports) * [ ] Paste everything into Pi with the prompt below * [ ] Confirm Pi saved it to memory ```text theme={null} here's the transcript and notes from the [month] review call with [client]. [paste Granola transcript + enhanced notes] post-call notes: [paste any additional client comments, corrections, or context] attached: [any files] save this to memory ``` What Pi extracts: which verticals/angles the client wants to push, page targets, product updates (live/delayed/changed), content corrections or flags, new USPs or positioning angles, keywords the client explicitly mentioned, and what's blocked or on hold. ## Step 2 — Draft strategy + tag keywords * [ ] Prompt Pi with the target keyword count + cycle constraints * [ ] If you have a pre-existing list, include it and clarify these are candidates only (no landing pages created yet) * [ ] Review Pi's draft: does it match what the client said? any emphasized verticals missing? any keywords for products/features that aren't live yet? * [ ] Push back or add anything obvious before validation Standard prompt: ```text theme={null} based on the latest transcript and review, draft up a strategy. suggest [N] keywords that we should tackle this cycle. tag this cycle's keywords as '[cycle tag, e.g., apr to may 2026]' [add constraints as relevant:] - don't include keywords for [product/feature] — that's not live until [month]. tag those for '[future cycle tag]' instead. - focus on [verticals the client emphasized] - [any other directives from the call] ``` With a pre-existing keyword list: ```text theme={null} here are keywords i've already proposed to the client as candidates for this cycle: [paste list] these haven't been used for landing pages yet — treat them as candidates that still need validation. include them in your draft and add any others you think we should target based on the call. ``` ## Step 3 — Validate, deduplicate, check for conflicts * [ ] Send Pi the validation prompt (one prompt covers it all) * [ ] Review the audit: removals, additions, recommendations for underperforming pages * [ ] Flag any experimental angles you want to keep * [ ] Approve, push back, or ask for alternatives on specific keywords * [ ] *(Optional)* If the client wants a new angle, send the exploration prompt Full validation: ```text theme={null} can you use the keyword explorer and serp cliff to check through all the keywords we've drafted for this cycle? for each keyword: - get US volume - run serp cliff analysis - check if the keyword already has a landing page (don't want duplicates or cannibalization) - check if we already rank for it and at what position - flag any keywords in our list that are too similar to each other (e.g., "ai chatbot tool" vs "ai chatbot software" — these would produce the same page, so pick the stronger one and drop the other) also check any keywords tagged for next cycle and any untagged/unpublished keywords in the dashboard — there might be opportunities to pull some forward or better variants hiding in there. then draft up a plan and reorganise the keywords. retag if necessary but let's do it one step at a time. before you start any actions, check with me to see if your strategy is sound ``` > Note the last line: ask Pi to confirm its strategy before it acts. That "check with me before you > start any actions" habit is standard across operators; it keeps you in control of destructive > changes. See [driving Pi well: 2.0.3](/platform/driving-pi-well). Explore experimental angles: ```text theme={null} note that [angle] is something [client] wants to target and test out. use keyword explorer to expand on these experimental angles: [list angles] and serp cliff to validate. use US volume to back the recommendations. ``` ## Step 4 — Approve and execute * [ ] Tell Pi to execute the approved changes * [ ] Confirm the execution summary matches what you agreed ```text theme={null} looks good. go ahead and execute the changes. ``` What Pi does: removes/retags keywords that failed validation, adds new keywords from exploration, applies cycle tags and priorities, switches keywords on underperforming pages (if approved), and writes/updates the strategy doc to `/reports/`. (See [VFS filing: 2.0.4](/platform/filing-in-the-vfs).) ## Step 5 — Confirm final state * [ ] Ask Pi for a final summary * [ ] Run the final checks: * [ ] Keyword count is right (asked for 40, got 40) * [ ] Every vertical the client mentioned has keywords * [ ] Deferred keywords are tagged for the correct future cycle * [ ] No keyword overlaps an existing landing page * [ ] In the keyword content planner: no blogs/LPs already generated for these keywords, and no keywords too similar to each other (e.g. "ai translation" vs "ai translator") * [ ] Strategy doc exists in `/reports/` ```text theme={null} give me a summary of the final keyword state for [cycle tag]. include the total count, clusters, and flag anything still open. ``` *** ## Edge cases — quick lookup | Scenario | What to do | Prompt snippet | | --------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Client sends keywords mid-session | Add immediately, tag `from [Client]`. Validate after. | `add these and tag "[cycle tag]" and "from [Client]"` | | Product/feature isn't live yet | Defer ALL keywords for that product. No exceptions. | `move all [product/feature] keywords to '[future cycle]' tag` | | Client flags existing content as wrong | Keep keywords in cycle. Block publishing until corrected. | `keep the [vertical] keywords in [cycle tag] but note blocked on publishing` | | Zero-volume keyword from client | Keep it. Tag `From {Client}`, priority MED/HIGH. Check if SERP is soft. | — | | Two keywords too similar | Pick the better volume/cliff, drop the other. | `[keyword A] and [keyword B] are basically the same. pick the stronger one.` | | Already ranking pos 10–30 | Quick win; flag as first-wave priority. | — | | Intent mismatch despite good metrics | Remove it. Ask Pi for a right-intent variant. | `[keyword] has an intent mismatch — find a variant with commercial/product intent` | | Deferred keywords now due | Pi should catch these in Step 3. If not, prompt it. | `also check any keywords deferred from last cycle` | | Switching keywords on non-ranking pages | Provide page IDs + new keywords. Archive old. | `switch these existing pages to new keywords: [page ID] to "[new keyword]"` | | Pre-existing list shared with client | Clarify in Step 2 these are candidates only, no pages created. | see Step 2 | | Keyword overflow from last month | Keep in backlog; don't force into current cycle. Link to client review. | — | ## Reference — why Pi recommends **removing** a keyword | Reason | What it looks like | | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | Wrong search intent | Google shows a completely different content type | | No demand + hard to rank | Zero volume AND high KD | | Locked out (cliff 8+) | Positions 1–7 all big brands, no room | | Page already exists and ranking | A second page would self-cannibalize | | Two keywords too similar | Synonym swaps that produce the same page | ## Reference — why Pi recommends **adding** a keyword | Reason | What it looks like | | ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | | Easy to rank + real demand | Low cliff (1–3), real search volume | | Already showing up (pos 10–30) | Quick win; a dedicated page pushes to page 1 | | Better variant of a drafted keyword | Same intent, softer SERP or more volume | ## Reference — the signal hierarchy When you have more candidates than slots, decide in this order: ```text theme={null} 1. SERP cliff — can we actually win this? 2. Strategic fit — does the client want this? 3. Intent match — right audience seeing our page? 4. No self-competition — not competing with our own pages? 5. Volume — how big is the prize? ``` > Volume comes last, not first. That's deliberate; see [Part 1 §1.4](/theory/serp-cliff). ## Reference — keyword survival gates | Gate | Question | If No | | ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | | Client wants this vertical? | Confirmed in call | Leave untagged | | Product can deliver? | Feature is live | Defer to ship month | | SERP cliff ≤ 5? | Gaps in positions 1–5 | Defer or find a softer variant | | Intent matches? | Google results = our content type | Remove entirely | | No conflicts with own pages? | No existing page targets this | Remove, merge, or switch | | Proof exists? | Case study, feature, or data point | Lower priority (not a removal) | Exception: client-provided keywords bypass the SERP-cliff gate on entry. *** ## Next / Related * [3.2 Monthly planning flow](/sops/monthly-planning): the planning beat this keyword cycle sits inside. * [3.3 Weekly planning flow](/sops/weekly-planning): where the tagged plan gets produced. * [Starting the first set of keywords](/sops/first-keywords): the first-cycle variant, seeded from the sales call. * [Part 1 §1.4 SERP cliff](/theory/serp-cliff) · [§1.5 Intent & cannibalization](/theory/intent-cannibalization): the theory behind winnable SERPs.