Back in 2010, I published a list of 1,029 “make money online” keywords that I had harvested using a tool called Keyword Snatcher. People loved it. That list got downloaded thousands of times. But here is the truth: a raw keyword list is almost worthless in 2026.
The search landscape has changed so dramatically that the old approach of grabbing a giant list of keywords and building thin pages around each one simply does not work anymore. Google is smarter. Readers expect more. And if you are still trying to rank for keywords by volume alone, you are going to have a rough time.
So instead of giving you another keyword dump, let me show you how to actually do keyword research for the make money online niche in 2026.
Why Raw Keyword Lists No Longer Work
In the early days of SEO, you could take a keyword like “how to make money online fast” and build a 400-word article around it, sprinkle the keyword in a few times, and rank. Google has since rolled out multiple algorithm updates, including the Helpful Content Update and numerous core updates that prioritize depth, expertise, and genuine usefulness.
Today, Google groups related keywords into topic clusters. A single well-written article about making money online can rank for hundreds of related terms. You do not need 1,029 separate pages. You need 10 to 20 excellent pieces of content organized around clear topics.
How to Research Make Money Online Keywords in 2026
Step 1: Start With Search Intent
Before you look at any keyword tool, ask yourself what someone typing this phrase actually wants. “Make money online” could mean:
- I want a side hustle I can start tonight (informational, action-oriented)
- I want to compare different online business models (informational, research)
- I want to buy a course or tool (commercial)
- I am skeptical and want to know if this is legitimate (informational, trust-seeking)
Each of those intents requires different content. Map your keywords to intent before you write a single word.
Step 2: Use Modern Keyword Tools
The tools have evolved significantly. Here are the ones that earn their keep in 2026:
- Ahrefs or Semrush. The gold standard for keyword research. Both show search volume, keyword difficulty, click-through rate estimates, and SERP analysis. Worth the investment if you are serious about content marketing.
- Google Search Console. Free and incredibly useful. Look at what queries already bring people to your site. These are keywords you are already partially ranking for and can improve on.
- Google's “People Also Ask” and autocomplete. Type your seed keyword into Google and look at what questions appear. These are real queries from real people. Build your content around answering them thoroughly.
- AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude. Ask an AI to brainstorm keyword angles and content outlines. Use it as a creative partner, not a content generator. The research still needs to come from you.
Step 3: Evaluate Competition Realistically
The make money online niche is one of the most competitive on the internet. If you are a new site, you are not going to outrank Forbes, NerdWallet, or established authority sites for head terms. Instead, look for:
- Long-tail keywords with specific intent (“how to make money selling printables on Etsy 2026”)
- Underserved questions where the current top results are thin or outdated
- Your unique angle. What experience or perspective do you bring that nobody else has?
Step 4: Build Topic Clusters, Not Keyword Pages
Instead of writing one article per keyword, build a hub-and-spoke content structure:
- Hub page: A comprehensive guide like “How to Make Money Online in 2026: A Complete Guide for Beginners”
- Spoke pages: Deep dives into specific methods (freelancing, affiliate marketing, digital products, etc.) that link back to the hub
This structure tells Google you are an authority on the topic. One well-planned cluster will outperform 50 thin keyword-targeted posts every time.
The Bottom Line
Keyword research in 2026 is less about collecting lists and more about understanding what your audience needs, finding gaps in existing content, and creating something genuinely better than what is already out there. The make money online space is crowded, but there is always room for content that comes from real experience and delivers real value.
Stop hoarding keywords. Start creating content that actually helps people. That is the keyword strategy that works.
Hi Mark, love your newsletter.
I think this is very helpful and cant wait to see your other keyword reviews. The “make money online” keyword is very difficult, but achievable, thanks to your homework and new insight.
Cheers,
Jimmy
Would like kws on thyroid/hypothyroid
OK — added over 8000 thyroid related keywords to the post.
Hi Mark,
Would be interesting to see what it comes up with for “learn to play guitar” or “learn guitar”
I’ve been using Market Samurai to find keywords up to now…
Also stumbled your post.
Thanks!
Cheers,
Charl
Hey Charl — added 999 learn guitar keywords…
Awesome thanks Mark!
Hey Mark – thanks for doing this research. Tremendous value there. I’ll throw in forex or forex investing if you want to run another case study.
First – let me say it appears to me there is very solid value with Jonathan’s new tool. I think it fills a very valuable slot and has prompted alot of us to realize we cannot just fall in lock-step with Google.
I purchased Jonathan’s WebComp Analyst earlier this year, and, while it appears as though KWS provides a much deeper drill-down ability than WCA – I don’t see a ton of difference in the two tools’ methodology.
If someone has both of these tools – I’d love to hear further on it. Thanks again!
Kent F.
Kent — I’ll run Forex tonight. Great suggestion.
Kent — added forex keywords here:
http://media.masonworld.com.s3.amazonaws.com/misc/3198-forex-keywords.txt
Hmmmm, well, well, well – decisions decisions. Thanks! 🙂
I’m on Jonathan’s list too. This looks interesting.
I ran “old time radio” through Traffic Travis, as it finds keywords from Yahoo and Bing as well as Google too, to see what it would pull up, but it only came up with around 130 keywords for me, so it looks like Jonathan is using a different kind of technology.
I also ran it through WebCompAnalyst’s keyword suggestion tool, per Kent’s remarks, and it didn’t really come up with much either. WebCompAnalyst isn’t really designed to be a keyword tool, though, (I’ve never used it to find keywords), it is a competition analysis tool, once you’ve already chosen a keyword to look at more closely.
I believe I’ll snag the Keyword Snatcher on Friday, in case it really does disappear.
Still looking at Mark’s results, but it looks pretty interesting so far. Trying to avoid the “make money” niche myself, but it’s a good one to test with. Thanks, Mark!
Right — most tools get keywords from the Google AdWords tool.
Jon is getting them from the dropdowns that appear when you start typing in the search box (example google.com).
Happy to run a niche for you Garth if you have something that you would like to see results for.
Thanks,
Mark
It’s great to get alot of keywords, but does his tool help with determining quality? (such as competition, # searches, etc.) ?
This is an excellent question. This tool does not have much to say about quality.
By quality, I assume you mean the number of searches per month and the strength of the pages competing for those terms.
This tool only tells you where the keyword was in the list of suggestions as pulled from the suggestions list. My opinion is that such information is not very valuable for deciding which keyword to target.
I am still thinking about the fundamental problem — faced with a list of 10000 keywords, how do I decide which ones to attack?
Thanks,
Mark
any suggestions for “orchid growing” keyword???
thanks so much, hope you can help..
Sure — here you go. http://media.masonworld.com.s3.amazonaws.com/misc/orchid-growing.txt