AI_KEYWORDS
Generate keyword ideas with metadata from a seed keyword using AI
=AI_KEYWORDS(seedKeyword, [count])Returns: string[][]
Overview
AI_KEYWORDS accelerates your keyword research by generating relevant keyword ideas from any seed term, complete with metadata about each suggestion. Enter a single seed keyword, and the function returns a table of related keywords along with their estimated type (informational, commercial, transactional, navigational), relative difficulty assessment, and search intent classification. This gives you a structured starting point for content planning, PPC campaigns, and SEO strategy without leaving your spreadsheet.
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
seedKeyword | string | Yes | The starting keyword or topic to generate related keyword ideas from. |
count | number | No (10) | Number of keyword suggestions to generate. Higher counts produce more diverse results. |
Examples
Generate keyword ideas for a SaaS blog
Returns 10 keyword ideas related to project management software with metadata.
=AI_KEYWORDS("project management software")Output
| Keyword | Type | Difficulty |
| best project management software for small teams | Commercial | Medium |
| free project management tools | Commercial | High |
| project management software vs spreadsheets | Informational | Low |
| how to choose project management software | Informational | Medium |
| project management software with Gantt charts | Commercial | Medium |
| Asana vs Monday vs Trello | Commercial | High |
| project management software for remote teams | Commercial | Medium |
| what is project management software | Informational | Low |
| enterprise project management platforms | Commercial | High |
| project management tool integrations | Informational | Low |
Research e-commerce keywords with custom count
Generates 15 keyword ideas for an organic skincare brand, covering different search intents.
=AI_KEYWORDS("organic skincare", 15)Output
| Keyword | Type | Difficulty |
| organic skincare routine for beginners | Informational | Medium |
| best organic face moisturizer | Commercial | High |
| organic skincare brands | Commercial | High |
| is organic skincare worth it | Informational | Low |
| organic anti-aging serum | Transactional | Medium |
Find long-tail keywords for a niche topic
Discovers long-tail keyword opportunities for a niche food blog.
=AI_KEYWORDS("sourdough bread baking")Output
| Keyword | Type | Difficulty |
| sourdough bread recipe for beginners | Informational | Medium |
| how long does sourdough bread last | Informational | Low |
| sourdough starter from scratch | Informational | Medium |
| why is my sourdough bread dense | Informational | Low |
| best flour for sourdough bread | Commercial | Medium |
Research B2B keywords
Generates 20 B2B-focused keyword suggestions for an HR tech company.
=AI_KEYWORDS("employee onboarding software", 20)Output
| Keyword | Type | Difficulty |
| automated employee onboarding | Commercial | Medium |
| employee onboarding checklist template | Informational | Low |
| best onboarding software for startups | Commercial | Medium |
| onboarding new hires remotely | Informational | Medium |
| employee onboarding software pricing | Transactional | Medium |
Dynamic keyword research from cells
References a seed keyword in A2 and count in B2. Drag down a column of seed terms to generate keywords for your entire content strategy.
=AI_KEYWORDS(A2, B2)Output
| Keyword | Type | Difficulty |
| keyword 1 | Informational | Low |
| keyword 2 | Commercial | Medium |
Use Cases
Content Calendar Planning
Generate keyword clusters for each pillar topic in your content strategy, then organize the suggestions by difficulty and intent to plan which articles to write first for maximum SEO impact.
PPC Campaign Keyword Discovery
Quickly expand your Google Ads keyword lists by generating related terms from your core commercial keywords, identifying new ad group themes and negative keyword opportunities.
Product Category Page Planning
Research keywords for every product category to inform category page titles, descriptions, and URL structures, ensuring each page targets the highest-opportunity terms.
Local SEO Expansion
Generate location-specific keyword variations for service-area businesses, helping identify which local terms to target with dedicated landing pages or Google Business Profile posts.
Competitor Keyword Gap Analysis
Generate keyword suggestions from competitor brand names or product terms to discover related searches where you could create content to capture traffic from their audience.
Course and Training Content Development
Research what students and professionals search for around a training topic, using the keyword types and difficulty to prioritize which lessons and tutorials to create first.
Pro Tips
Use AI_KEYWORDS iteratively: start with a broad seed, find a promising subtopic, then use that subtopic as a new seed to discover deeper long-tail opportunities.
Combine with GET_SEARCH_VOLUME_FROM_GOOGLE: generate 30 keyword ideas with AI_KEYWORDS, then check actual search volumes to identify the sweet spot of high volume and low difficulty.
Filter generated keywords by type to plan content formats: Informational keywords suit blog posts and guides, Commercial keywords work for comparison pages, and Transactional keywords belong on product and pricing pages.
Generate keywords for competitor brand names to discover "alternative to [competitor]" and "vs" queries where you can create high-converting comparison content.
Use a higher count (20-30) when researching a new topic area and a lower count (5-10) when looking for variations of a specific long-tail keyword you already know converts.
Traditional keyword research requires bouncing between multiple tools — Google Keyword Planner for volume data, SEO tools for difficulty scores, and manual analysis for intent classification. AI_KEYWORDS consolidates the ideation phase into a single formula. The AI draws on its training data to suggest keywords that real users search for, categorized by intent and difficulty. While the difficulty and volume estimates are directional rather than exact (for precise search volumes, pipe the results into GET_SEARCH_VOLUME_FROM_GOOGLE), the suggestions themselves are remarkably relevant and diverse, covering long-tail variations, question-based queries, and related subtopics that manual brainstorming often misses.
The optional count parameter lets you control how many suggestions you need — from a focused list of 5 keywords for a single blog post to a comprehensive list of 50 for an entire content cluster strategy. The function is especially powerful when used iteratively: generate keywords from a broad seed, identify promising subtopics, then use those as new seeds to drill deeper. Combined with AI_SEO_ANALYZE to evaluate your existing content against these keywords, you can build a complete content gap analysis workflow entirely within Google Sheets.
Common Errors
#ERROR! Seed keyword is too vagueCause: The seed keyword is a single generic character or extremely broad term that produces unfocused results.
Fix: Use a more specific seed keyword. Instead of "software", try "project management software" or "CRM software for startups". More specific seeds produce more relevant suggestions.
#VALUE! Count must be a positive numberCause: The count parameter is zero, negative, or not a number.
Fix: Provide a positive integer for count. Example: =AI_KEYWORDS("your keyword", 15). If omitted, it defaults to 10.
#ERROR! API key not configuredCause: No API key is set in the add-on settings.
Fix: Open the Unlimited Sheets sidebar, go to Settings, and enter your OpenAI or Anthropic API key to enable AI functions.
Frequently Asked Questions
The difficulty ratings (Low, Medium, High) are directional estimates based on the AI's understanding of competition for similar terms. They are useful for relative prioritization but should be validated with dedicated SEO tools like Ahrefs or Semrush for exact difficulty scores before making final decisions.
AI_KEYWORDS focuses on keyword discovery and intent classification. For actual search volume numbers, pipe the generated keywords into GET_SEARCH_VOLUME_FROM_GOOGLE, which queries Google Keyword Planner for real monthly search data.
Keywords are classified as Informational (seeking answers or knowledge), Commercial (researching products or services), Transactional (ready to buy or take action), or Navigational (looking for a specific website or page). This classification helps you match content format to search intent.
Yes, enter your seed keyword in any supported language and the AI will generate suggestions in that same language. For example, entering a Spanish seed keyword will produce Spanish keyword suggestions.
The count parameter accepts any reasonable number. We recommend 10-30 for focused research and up to 50 for broad exploration. Beyond 50, the quality of suggestions may decrease as the AI stretches to find unique variations.
The AI generates suggestions based on patterns learned from vast amounts of web content and search behavior data. While they closely mirror actual search queries, they are AI-generated suggestions rather than direct exports from a search engine database. Validate important keywords with search volume tools.
Google Keyword Planner provides exact volume data but limited ideation. AI_KEYWORDS excels at creative keyword discovery, intent classification, and finding long-tail variations. The ideal workflow uses AI_KEYWORDS for brainstorming and GET_SEARCH_VOLUME_FROM_GOOGLE for validating the best ideas with real data.
Related Functions
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