Japanese SEO Guide: How to Find Compound Keywords

「京都観光スポット」 "Kyoto sightseeing spots," 「ホームページ制作会社」 "website development company," 「確定申告やり方」 "how to file tax returns". These compound keywords account for more than 60% of all Japanese searches. While single head terms face fierce competition and make ranking difficult, compound keywords combining multiple words offer lower competition and address specific user needs. However, Western SEO tools are built around English word boundaries and often miss Japanese compound structures entirely. This guide shows you how to discover compound keywords, known as "fukugougo" (複合語キーワード), without specialized tools.

1. What Are Compound Keywords?

1.1. Why Compound Keywords Matter in Japanese Search

Understanding Japanese search behavior is the foundation of any SEO strategy. Compound nouns like 「資産運用方法」 "asset management methods," 「ホームページ制作会社」 "website development company," and 「京都観光スポット」 "Kyoto tourist spots" are what users type when they have specific problems to solve. Google interprets user intent, or "kensaku ito" (検索意図), through these compound keywords, making your ability to identify them accurately the deciding factor in Japanese SEO success [1].

Compound keywords matter because they reveal clear search intent. Compared to single-word searches, multi-word combinations explicitly show what users want. This translates to higher-quality traffic and better conversion rates, known as "konbaashon ritsu" (コンバージョン率). Ranking for multiple compound keywords often delivers more total traffic than ranking first for a single head term with 1,000 monthly searches.

1.2. Head Terms vs. Compound Keywords

Head terms, or "biggu kiiwaado" (ビッグキーワード), are single words like 「SEO」 or 「マーケティング」 "marketing."

Compound keywords combine multiple words, such as:

• 「SEO対策の方法」 = "SEO strategy methods"
• 「マーケティング戦略の立て方」 = "how to build a marketing plan"

Head terms have massive search volume, known as "kensaku boryuumu" (検索ボリューム), but extreme competition. On the other hand, compound keywords have relatively lower volume but also lower competition, making top rankings achievable.

Intent differs too. Users searching head terms are still in the early, vague stage of their journey. Users searching compound keywords have specific problems and want solutions. Someone searching 「ホームページ」 "website" has very different buying intent than someone searching 「ホームページ制作会社」 "website development company." Compound keywords signal clear intent and drive higher conversion rates.

2. The Unique Challenges of Japanese Compound Keywords

2.1. What Western SEO Tools Miss About Japanese

In English, "keyword research" clearly splits into two words separated by a space. In Japanese, both 「キーワード選定」 "keyword selection" and 「検索キーワードの探し方」 "how to find search keywords" are written as continuous character strings with no spaces. Western SEO tools assume English word boundaries and cannot accurately recognize Japanese compound structures [2].

This creates real problems in keyword analysis. Western tools might recognize 「京都観光」 "Kyoto tourism" and 「観光スポット」 "tourist spots" as separate keywords, while actual Japanese users search 「京都観光スポット」 as a single compound phrase. Miss these compounds during research and your entire SEO strategy has blind spots.

2.2. Why Morphological Analysis Matters

Morphological analysis, or "keitaiso kaiseki" (形態素解析), is a technology that breaks Japanese text into minimum meaning units called morphemes (形態素). It splits 「キーワード選定」 into 「キーワード」 and 「選定」, and accurately divides 「検索キーワードの探し方」 into 「検索」 "search," 「キーワード」 "keyword," and 「探し方」 "how to find." This makes compound keyword structure visible and related keyword discovery much easier [2].

The value of morphological analysis lies in enabling accurate keyword analysis. Traditional tools searching 「採用」 "hiring" return massive lists containing anything with 「採用」 as a component. For example:

• 「採用活動」 "recruitment activities"
• 「新卒採用」 "new graduate hiring"
• 「採用面接」 "hiring interviews"

Morphological analysis distinguishes between standalone 「採用」 and the compound 「人材採用」 "talent recruitment," enabling precise analysis. Google uses similar technology to analyze Japanese content, so understanding this mechanism helps create more effective SEO strategies.

3. Manual Methods to Find Compound Keywords

3.1. Using Google Autocomplete and Related Searches

Google Suggest, or "Googleサジェスト," displays keyword suggestions as you type in the search box. Type 「京都」 "Kyoto" and you'll see:

• 「京都観光」 "Kyoto tourism"
• 「京都グルメ」 "Kyoto food"
• 「京都ホテル」 "Kyoto hotels"

These are real compound keywords that actual users search—an extremely effective method requiring no special tools [3].

Here's the process: Enter your main keyword and list all suggestions. Then add additional words to each suggestion and collect second and third-level results. Adding 「スポット」 "spots," 「モデルコース」 "itinerary," or 「穴場」 "hidden gems" to 「京都観光」 reveals more specific compounds like 「京都観光スポット初心者」 "Kyoto tourist spots for beginners" or 「京都観光モデルコース1泊2日」 "Kyoto 2-day travel itinerary." This method can yield 100+ candidates in about 30 minutes.

Related Searches, shown at the bottom of search results as 「他のキーワード」 "other keywords," uncover even more compound keywords. Searching 「資産運用」 "asset management" displays related keywords like 「資産運用方法」 "asset management methods," 「資産運用初心者」 "asset management for beginners," and 「資産運用相談」 "asset management consultation"—each with different search intent. Combining both methods systematically generates dozens of candidates from a single head term. Organize your findings in a spreadsheet and categorize by intent: 「情報収集型」 "informational," 「比較検討型」 "comparison," or 「購入意向型」 "purchase intent" to clarify your content strategy.

3.2. Competitor Analysis and Social Media Research

Competitor headings, or "midashi" (見出し), are a goldmine of proven keywords. Extract H1, H2, and H3 headings from the top 10 ranking sites to see which keywords competitors prioritize. Analyzing top results for 「ホームページ制作会社」 "website development company" reveals compounds like 「ホームページ制作会社の選び方」 "how to choose a website development company," 「ホームページ制作費用相場」 "website development cost guide," and 「ホームページ制作会社ランキング」 "website development company rankings." Compounds appearing on 3+ sites indicate high importance for that topic [3].

Yahoo! Chiebukuro (Yahoo!知恵袋), Twitter, and Instagram are valuable sources for observing natural user language patterns. Searching 「京都観光」 on Yahoo! Chiebukuro shows questions phrased as 「京都観光スポット初心者向け」 "Kyoto tourist spots for beginners" or 「京都観光オフシーズン穴場」 "Kyoto off-season hidden gems." Social hashtags like 「#ホームページ制作」 "#websitedevelopment" or 「#確定申告やり方」 "#howtodotaxes" reveal how users actually express themselves. While search volume may be lower, these represent high-accuracy keywords reflecting genuine user problems.

4. Evaluating and Using Your Discovered Compound Keywords

4.1. Search Volume and Prioritization

After discovering compound keywords, analyzing search volume (検索ボリューム) and competition (競合性) is essential. If 「京都観光スポット」 "Kyoto tourist spots" has 1,000 monthly searches and 「京都観光オフシーズン穴場」 "Kyoto off-season hidden gems" has 100, the former has higher priority. But volume isn't everything—competition matters too. A keyword with 1,000 monthly searches targeted by 100 sites offers worse odds than one targeted by only 10 sites [4].

Prioritize using the search volume ÷ competition ratio. Keywords with 100+ monthly searches and low-to-medium competition are ideal targets. Categorize your compounds into four groups: 「高ボリューム・低競合」 "high volume + low competition" gets top priority; 「中ボリューム・低競合」 "medium volume + low competition" comes second; 「低ボリューム・高購買意欲」 "low volume + high purchase intent" niche keywords also matter; 「高ボリューム・高競合」 "high volume + high competition" becomes a long-term target.

Click-through rates, or "kurikkuritsu" (クリック率), by ranking position are also important. Position 1 gets roughly 32%, position 2 gets 15–18%, position 3 gets 10–12%, and positions 4–10 get 2–8%. A keyword with 1,000 monthly searches delivers about 320 visits/month at position 1 but only 50 at position 5.

4.2. Efficiency Tools and KIJI-SEO

Manual compound keyword discovery is accurate but time-consuming. Tools like Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, and SEMrush can complete hours of collection in minutes. Ubersuggest's free tier provides 599+ keyword data points—ideal for beginners. Ahrefs costs $99/month but enables deeper competitor analysis [4].

KIJI-SEO is a Japanese-specialized tool with built-in morphological analysis (形態素解析) that automatically detects compound keywords Western tools miss. From 「資産運用」 "asset management," it generates 「資産運用方法」 "asset management methods," 「資産運用初心者」 "asset management for beginners," and 「資産運用相談」 "asset management consultation" while providing instant search engine evaluation. The most efficient compound keyword strategy combines initial candidate collection with Ubersuggest, then applies KIJI-SEO's morphological analysis for refinement.

5. Conclusion

Finding compound keywords, or "fukugougo" (複合語), is the core of Japanese SEO success. The three steps covered in this guide—manual research using Google Suggest (Googleサジェスト) and Related Searches (関連検索), competitor analysis and social media language pattern collection, and prioritization based on search volume (検索ボリューム) and competition (競合性)—enable effective compound keyword discovery without specialized tools.

Compound keywords making up 60%+ of Japanese searches aren't just an SEO tactic—they're the process of understanding what users truly need. Morphological analysis (形態素解析) uncovers keywords that traditional tools miss. Japanese-specialized tools like KIJI-SEO dramatically streamline the manual process.

Start today: Choose 3 head terms (ビッグキーワード) relevant to your business, use Google Suggest to collect 10+ compound keywords for each, analyze competitor headings (見出し), prioritize by search volume and competition, then begin creating content.

References

[1] How to Research, Select, and Effectively Use Search Keywords | WP Activity: https://www.conoha.jp/lets-wp/keyword/

[2] The Complete 2026 Guide to Compound Keywords: Selection Methods and Effective Strategies for SEO Success | Keyword Finder: https://keywordfinder.jp/blog/seo50_fukugou_keyword/

[3] How to Set Up Search Keywords: Effective Research and Analysis Methods for SEO | Nine Media Inc.: https://9media.co.jp/magazine/marketing/524/

[4] The Critical 6-Step SEO Keyword Selection Process: Maximize Your Blog Traffic | Xserver Blog: https://www.xserver.ne.jp/blog/seo-keyword/

[5] How to Check Search Volume: Keyword Selection Methods for Each Growth Phase | AI Analyst Blog: https://wacul-ai.com/blog/seo/search-volume-2/

[6] What Are Long-tail Keywords? Selection Methods, SEO Benefits, and Strategy Explained | Rush Up Inc.: https://rush-up.co.jp/blog/longtail-keyword-definition-seo-strategy/

[7] Japanese SEO Fundamentals: The Complete Guide to Ranking Higher [2026 Edition]: https://www.kijiseo.com/ja/blog/japanese-seo-basics-nihongo