Demand Analysis:
Keyword Research and Prompt Research
A demand analysis combines keyword research for SEO and Google Ads with prompt research for AI answers. It maps search volume, search intent, cost per click and AI questions along the customer journey.
The result is a prioritized backlog with target pages and revenue value.
Demand analysis for SEO, SEA and GEO: one data foundation for Google, Ads and AI answers
- Volume: Keyword data shows search volume, trend and cost per click per topic, for example.
- Context: Prompts show questions, comparisons and buying criteria, because AI dialogs are longer than search queries.
- Connection: The customer journey organizes both, so keywords and prompts can be compared per stage.
| Method | Guiding question | Data source | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keyword research | What do users search for in Google, and how often? | SISTRIX, Google Search Console, Google Ads Keyword Planner | Keywords with search volume, search intent and CPC |
| Prompt research | What do users ask ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Overviews before they decide? | SISTRIX AI, Rankscale and questions from sales | Prompt set with journey stage and persona |
| Demand analysis | Where is the effort worth it because demand is highest? | all sources combined | Demand map with target page and revenue value |
Customer journey as the framework: compare keywords and prompts per stage
Search volume and prompt data are imprecise. Within the same stage of the customer journey, they can still be compared reliably, because keyword and prompt follow the same intent there.
- Keywords with known search volume show how big a stage is.
- Prompts without known volume show which questions go to AI in the same stage.
- Clusters per stage therefore give better estimates than single keywords.
Customer journey matrix: car insurance example from Germany
Swipe the table sideways →
| Stage | Research | Orientation | Comparison | Selection | Purchase | Use & service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Job to be done | I want to know which cover is mandatory and which makes sense before I register my car. | I want to understand the options so my premium goes down. | I want to find the right plan at a fair price. | I want an insurer that pays reliably when a claim happens. | I want to buy quickly and register the car right after. | I want to settle a claim quickly when something happens. |
| Typical questions | Which car insurance do I need? Partial or comprehensive cover? | What does the no-claims class mean? Is an approved-repairer plan worth it? | Which car insurance is the cheapest? Which one covers the most? | Until when can I switch? How satisfied are customers when a claim happens? | How do I get an eVB number for the registration? Can I buy online? | What to do after an accident? How do I report a claim? |
| Example keywords (German) | teilkasko oder vollkasko (1,300)partial or comprehensive coverkfz versicherung für fahranfänger (550)car insurance for new driverswelche kfz versicherung (100)which car insurance | schadenfreiheitsklasse (14,900)no-claims classwerkstattbindung (550)approved-repairer clause | kfz versicherung vergleich (78,300)car insurance comparisonkfz versicherung berechnen (13,600)car insurance quotegünstigste kfz versicherung (2,900)cheapest car insurance | kfz versicherung wechseln (10,700)switch car insurancekfz versicherung kündigen (4,600)cancel car insurance | evb nummer (37,200)eVB number for the registrationkfz versicherung abschließen (350)buy car insurance | unfall was tun (250)what to do after an accidentkfz schaden melden (200)report a car insurance claim |
| Prompts without brand | “Which insurance do I need now that I have bought my first car, and roughly what does it cost?” | “Partial or comprehensive cover: which pays off if my small car is five years old?” | “Which car insurers are cheap for new drivers but still good when a claim happens?” | “Which insurers settle claims fastest, and what should I check before I switch?” | “How do I get an eVB number today if I want to register the car tomorrow?” | “How do I report a parking dent, and will I lose my no-claims class?” |
| Prompts with brand | “Is [Insurer A] worth it for new drivers if I only drive a little?” | “Does [Insurer A] offer a plan with an approved-repairer clause, and how much do I save?” | “[Insurer A] or [Insurer B]: who is cheaper if I drive a compact car?” | “How satisfied are customers with [Insurer A] when it comes to claims handling?” | “Can I buy online at [Insurer A] and get the eVB number right away?” | “What do I have to do at [Insurer A] if the windshield has a stone chip?” |
Example: car insurance in Germany. German keywords with monthly search volume: SISTRIX, October 2026. Prompts translated from German. Brands as placeholders.
AI dialogs during consideration, Google searches through purchase and service
The stages apply just as well to automotive, with test drive, purchase and workshop, and to healthcare, with finding a doctor, treatment and aftercare.
One pattern shows up early: for “Kfz-Versicherung” (car insurance), SISTRIX records 2,325 topics in German AI dialogs, 92% of them in consideration. In Google, much of the demand falls on purchase and switching instead, for example “evb nummer” with 37,200 searches per month (SISTRIX, October 2026).
For the evaluation, we also map the stages to the stages of the SISTRIX prompt data. Research corresponds to awareness, orientation and comparison to consideration, selection and purchase to decision, use and service to retention.
Keyword research for SEO: search volume, search intent and ranking chance per topic
Seed keywords, long tail and questions from Search Console, sales and competitors
Keyword research starts with seed keywords from services, sales and Google Search Console. SISTRIX and Google Trends then extend the list with synonyms, long-tail keywords and user questions.
Search intent know, do, visit and website per keyword
Every keyword gets a search intent, because it determines the right page type. Guides serve know searches, for example, while service pages cover do searches and location pages cover visit searches.
Keyword difficulty and competition in the SERP
The SERP also shows who ranks today and which page types Google prefers. This gives the keyword difficulty, meaning the realistic ranking chance of your website.
We also bundle terms with the same search results into one cluster, so your own pages do not compete with each other.
Keyword list and keyword strategy: from keyword ideas to content with traffic
- Keyword ideas: Tools like SISTRIX deliver hundreds of ideas, so we filter them by relevance for your business and your market.
- Keyword list: Relevant keywords go into one list with data on search volume, search intent and competition.
- Keyword strategy: The list becomes the SEO strategy, because every cluster gets a target page and matching content.
- Organic traffic: This creates content that users find in search engines, because it matches their question and purchase intent.
Keyword research for SEA: cost per click and search terms show purchase intent
Keyword Planner, CPC and competition from Google Ads
The Google Ads Keyword Planner delivers cost per click and competition per keyword. A high CPC shows that advertisers expect revenue there.
Search terms from running campaigns as a demand source
Running campaigns also deliver real search terms with clicks and conversions. That is why the search terms reports flow directly into the demand map.
Align SEO and SEA: budget where organic rankings are still missing
If your website already ranks at the top organically, the need for ads drops. Where rankings are missing, Google Ads bridges the time until SEO takes effect.
Prompt research for GEO: capture questions to ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Overviews
Prompt topics with journey stage, intent and persona
SISTRIX AI Topic Research groups AI dialogs into topics with stage, intent and persona. For the German term “Keyword-Recherche”, the tool counts 88 topics, 90% of them in consideration (October 2026).
Prompt set and monitoring of AI visibility
The topics turn into a prompt set with and without brand names. Monitoring then measures whether ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Overviews mention your company and which sources they cite.
Prompt volume with judgment: keyword data remains the volume backbone
No AI provider publishes demand data (SISTRIX, August 2026). Prompt volumes in tools are therefore models built on Google data.
ChatGPT also corresponds to around 12% of Google search volume (Ahrefs, February 2026). Search volume from Google therefore remains the basis of every estimate.
Five levels of demand analysis: volume, questions, prompts, visibility and buyer questions
Each level answers its own question. Together they give a reliable picture, because the weaknesses of single sources balance each other out.
| Level | Data source | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | SISTRIX, Google Trends, Google Ads Keyword Planner | Search volume and trend over 24 months |
| Questions | Question keywords, “People also ask” in Google, SEOlyze | Questions per topic for FAQs and guides |
| Prompts | SISTRIX AI Topic Research | Prompt topics with journey stage and persona |
| Visibility | Rankings, SISTRIX AI, Rankscale, Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools | Current status in Google and in AI answers |
| Buyer questions | Sales, CRM, customer service | Objections and buying criteria from real conversations |
Demand map: the data in every row
Every keyword and every prompt gets the same fields. This makes topics comparable and sortable by potential.
| Field | Data source | Content | What it is used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search volume and trend | SISTRIX, Google Ads Keyword Planner | monthly search volume, seasonality, development | estimate demand per topic |
| Journey stage | SERP analysis, SISTRIX AI | research through use and service | make keywords and prompts comparable |
| Search intent | SISTRIX, SERP analysis | know, do, visit, website | choose the right page type |
| Cost per click (CPC) | Google Ads Keyword Planner, SISTRIX | CPC and competition in Google Ads | estimate purchase intent and SEA budget |
| Competition and difficulty | SISTRIX, Majestic | ranking domains, page types, link strength | set realistic goals |
| Own position | Google Search Console, SISTRIX | ranking, ranking URL, cannibalization | expand existing pages before writing new ones |
| AI prompts | SISTRIX AI, Rankscale | questions, comparisons, mentioned brands and sources | plan GEO content and monitoring |
| Local relevance | Local Falcon, Google Search Console | local searches, “near me”, location pages | align location pages and profiles |
| Revenue value | Growth strategy | demand × click-through rate × lead rate × customer value | priorities by growth per dollar |
From demand to revenue value: data foundation of the growth strategy
The demand per stage then flows directly into the growth strategy. There, demand × click-through rate × lead rate × customer value gives the revenue value per topic.
- Purchase intent first: Do keywords and prompts from selection and purchase get priority.
- Existing before new: We expand pages ranking in positions 5 to 20 first.
- One topic, one page: Clusters replace single keywords and prevent cannibalization.
- Competitors as the yardstick: The benchmark also shows which share the competition holds per stage.
Demand analysis process in four steps
- Define goals: services, target groups, markets and locations.
- Collect data: SISTRIX, Google Search Console, Keyword Planner, AI prompts and questions from sales.
- Evaluate and assign: journey stage and search intent, then target page and revenue value.
- Hand over and learn: backlog with briefings, then monthly monitoring.
Demand analysis as an ongoing process: every round sharpens the estimate
- Monitoring per cluster: We update rankings, clicks and AI mentions every month.
- Add new questions: Questions from Search Console, sales and AI prompts then go into the demand map.
- Sharpen the estimate: Real clicks and leads gradually replace the assumptions per stage.
Recursive loop
Specialists steer
AI speeds up every round
Layers
Every layer runs through every round.
Demand analysis result: content and prompt backlog with target pages
- Demand map with clusters, journey stages and target pages
- Priorities by revenue value, purchase intent and ranking chance
- Briefings for new and existing pages, including keyword list and questions
- Prompt set for monitoring AI visibility
- Budget recommendation for SEO and Google Ads
Request a demand analysis for your business
In a free initial consultation, we clarify topics, markets and the stages of your customer journey.
Demand analysis, audit and implementation from a single partner
The demand analysis shows what your target group searches for and what it asks AI. The SEO and GEO audit then shows how much of it your website covers today.
Implementation is handled by our SEO agency, SEA agency, GEO agency and SEO content team.
Demand analysis pays off for these companies
- B2B companies with long decision paths and many stakeholders
- Brands with many locations, where local searches and prompts matter
- Insurers, car dealerships and medical practices, because their customers go through clear stages from need to service
- Marketing teams that plan content based on data and have to justify budgets
- Websites before a relaunch or before entering new markets or languages
FAQ on keyword research and demand analysis
Answers to common questions about keyword research, prompt research and demand analysis.
What is keyword research?
Keyword research shows which keywords and questions your target group uses in Google and other search engines. It covers search volume, search intent, competition and the right target page.
What is the difference between keyword research and keyword analysis?
Research collects terms and questions. Analysis then rates the keywords by demand, intent and ranking chance and assigns them to pages.
What is prompt research?
Prompt research captures questions that users ask ChatGPT or Gemini, for example. It also shows which brands and sources the answers mention.
Is there search volume for prompts?
Reliable numbers hardly exist, because AI providers do not publish demand data. That is why we estimate the weight of prompts using keywords from the same journey stage.
Which tools does the demand analysis use?
SISTRIX for search volume, intent and prompt topics, Google Search Console for your own data and the Google Ads Keyword Planner for cost per click. Plus SEOlyze for WDF*IDF and Rankscale for AI mentions.
Does keyword research also help with Google Ads?
Yes. Cost per click and search terms from campaigns show purchase intent, so SEO and Google Ads use the same keyword set.
How long does keyword research take?
The duration depends on topics and markets as well as on languages and locations. After the initial consultation, you receive a binding schedule.
What does a demand analysis cost?
The effort depends on the scope, so you receive a binding quote after the initial consultation.
How often should the demand analysis be updated?
Immediately for new services, markets or a relaunch, then as monthly monitoring, because search behavior and AI answers change constantly.