Keyword Grouper: Cluster Keywords into Topics and Pages
FREE TOOL · NO SIGN-UP
The keyword grouper sorts a pasted keyword list into clusters based on the words or two-word phrases they share. It is built for SEOs, content planners and PPC managers who have a long export from a keyword tool and need a first pass at topics. Paste your list, click Group keywords, and you get named clusters plus a CSV you can drop into a spreadsheet.
It runs in your browser with no sign-up and no limit beyond what your device can handle. Use it to turn a raw export into a content map draft, then review each cluster with real search results before you commit a page to it.
What the Keyword Grouper Does
Keyword grouping means putting search terms that belong together into the same bucket, so one page or ad group can serve all of them.
Grouping by shared terms
The tool lowercases each keyword, removes duplicates and ignores common stop words such as “for”, “the” and “and”. It applies light stemming, so “shoe” and “shoes” or “running” and “run” count as the same term. Then it counts how often each term appears across the list. Each keyword joins the group of its most frequent shared term, as long as that term appears in at least your minimum number of keywords. Group by “Shared 2-word phrase” when single words are too broad, for example to separate “running shoes” from “running watch”.
Where intent comes in
Shared words are a strong hint but not proof of shared intent. “Buy running shoes” and “how to clean running shoes” share a phrase but want different pages: one a product category, one a guide. This is lexical clustering, so treat each cluster as a proposal. Scan it for intent words like buy, best, how, near me, free and vs, and split any cluster that mixes informational and transactional searches.
How to Group Keywords with This Tool
You can go from a raw export to a reviewed cluster sheet in a few minutes.
Step 1: Paste your keywords
Copy the keyword column from your research tool, Search Console export or spreadsheet and paste it with one keyword per line. There is no file upload, so open CSV files in a spreadsheet and copy the column. Repeated keywords are merged automatically. If your list came from several sources, it can help to tidy it first with the Duplicate Line Remover.
Step 2: Set grouping strictness
“Min. keywords per group” controls how many keywords must share a term before it becomes a group. Two is a balanced default. Three gives fewer, larger groups and leaves more terms ungrouped. One lets every keyword form a group. “Group by” switches between single shared words and shared two-word phrases. Try both on the same list and keep the view that matches how you plan pages.
Step 3: Review and rename clusters
Click Group keywords. Each cluster shows its shared term and how many keywords it holds, sorted from largest to smallest, followed by an Ungrouped list. Read through each cluster and note where intent is mixed. The cluster label is just the shared term, so give each one a clearer page-level name when you move it into your sheet.
Step 4: Export clusters to a sheet
The CSV panel lists every keyword with its group in group,keyword format, including ungrouped terms. Copy it or download keyword-groups.csv, then open it in Google Sheets or Excel. Add columns for search volume, intent, target URL and status to turn it into a working content map.
Lexical vs SERP-Based Clustering
There are two main ways to cluster keywords, and they suit different stages of research.
Speed vs accuracy
Lexical clustering, which this tool uses, groups keywords by the words they contain. It is instant, free and works on any list size your browser can handle, which makes it ideal for a first pass across thousands of terms. Its weakness is that it cannot see meaning. Synonyms like “cheap” and “affordable” end up apart, and keywords that share a word but not an intent end up together. SERP-based clustering compares the top-ranking URLs for each keyword and groups terms whose results overlap. It reflects how Google actually treats the queries, but it needs live search data, usually from a paid tool, and it is slower on large lists.
Checking a cluster against live results
You can get most of the accuracy benefit by hand. For each important cluster, search two or three of its keywords in a private browser window. If the same pages rank across them, one page can likely target the whole group. If results differ, such as product pages for one keyword and how-to guides for another, split the cluster. Spot checking the largest clusters first is the fastest way to catch costly mistakes before writing begins.
Turning Clusters into a Content Map
A cluster list becomes useful when each group is tied to a page.
One page per intent
Assign each validated cluster to a single URL: an existing page if you have one, or a new page if not. The cluster’s strongest keyword becomes the primary target, and the rest become secondary terms to cover naturally in headings and body copy. If two clusters point to the same intent, merge them under one URL instead of writing two thin pages. Check keyword use in your draft afterwards with the Keyword Density Checker.
Pillar and supporting pages
Broad clusters often make good pillar pages, such as “running shoes”, while narrower clusters like “trail running shoes” or “running shoes for flat feet” become supporting pages. Link supporting pages up to the pillar and the pillar down to each of them. This structure helps visitors move between related topics and shows search engines how your pages relate.
Keyword Groups for PPC Ad Groups
The same clusters work for paid search with a few adjustments.
Tight themes for Quality Score
Google Ads rewards ads and landing pages that closely match the keyword. Small, tightly themed ad groups make it easier to write ad copy that repeats the searcher’s words and to send each group to the most relevant page. Use the two-word phrase setting with a minimum of two or three to get these tighter themes.
Negative keywords from clusters
Clusters also expose terms you do not want to pay for. A group built around “free”, “jobs” or “DIY” may signal searchers who will not buy. Add those words as negative keywords in the campaigns where they waste spend.
Keyword Clustering Mistakes
Avoid these when turning groups into pages or ad groups.
Merging different intents
Never send “best X” comparison searches and “X near me” local searches to one page. Split clusters that mix intents.
Clusters that are too broad
A group of 200 keywords sharing one word is a topic, not a page. Rerun it with two-word phrases or a higher minimum.
Ignoring existing pages
Map clusters to pages you already have before creating new ones, or you may compete with your own URLs.
Build Your Content Plan from Clean Clusters
Paste your keyword list above, group it, and export the CSV to start a content map you can review in minutes. To build or expand lists first, try the Keyword Combiner or pull terms from existing text with the Keyword Extractor. For a visual view of a draft, use the Keyword Cloud Generator. All tools are on FHSEO Hub.