Question Words for Keyword Research: What, How, Why and More
Updated
Question words and prepositions turn one seed keyword into dozens of long-tail searches. Each one reveals a different intent, so you can plan the right page for it.
Open the question keyword generator
Why question words unlock long-tail keywords
When you place a question word in front of a seed keyword, search engines complete it with the real questions people ask about that topic. Each word points to a different intent, so the same seed gives you very different pages.
Question words and what they reveal
- What: definitions and comparisons. Example: "what is a long tail keyword". Best for explainers.
- How: methods and tutorials. Example: "how to do long tail keyword research". Best for step-by-step guides.
- Why: reasons and causes. Best for opinion and analysis pages.
- When and where: timing and location. Best for guides and local pages.
- Who: people and providers. Useful for profiles and directories.
- Which: choices between options. Best for comparisons.
- Can, does, is, are, should: yes or no questions. Example: "is google autocomplete free". Answer first, then explain.
Prepositions and modifiers
Prepositions add the situation around a seed and are just as useful as question words. Try for, with, without, near, to, vs and like.
- For: audience or use case. "keyword tool for youtube".
- With and without: constraints. "keyword tool without login".
- Vs and like: alternatives and comparisons. "keyword tool vs keyword planner".
- Near and in: location intent.
How to run them in minutes
- Open the question keyword generator and enter your seed.
- Turn on Question keywords for question words and Prepositions for the modifiers, and choose the engines you want.
- Run the search and remove duplicates and off-topic phrases.
- Group the results by intent. Each group becomes a page, and each question inside it becomes a heading.
Once you have the list, learn how to use the People Also Ask box alongside it in our guide to question keywords.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main question words for keyword research?
What, how, why, when, where, who and which, plus can, does, is, are and should for yes or no questions.
Which question word is best for SEO?
None is better by default. What and how bring informational searches, which suit guides; which and vs suit comparisons.
What prepositions help find long-tail keywords?
For, with, without, near, to, vs and like, because they add the situation around the seed.
Do question keywords have lower competition?
Often, because they are specific, but this depends on the topic. Check the results page before you decide.
How many questions should one page answer?
One main question and a handful of close related ones. If the intent is different, give it its own page.
Related tools and guides
- Question keyword generator
- Free long-tail keyword tool: back to the main LongTailLab tool
- Next guide: How to write an FAQ from question keywords
- All keyword research guides