How Asterisk and Alphabet Soup Method in SEO help organic growth?

Home » How Asterisk and Alphabet Soup Method in SEO help organic growth?

Mar 26, 2025 | by Allen Glenn

In the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization (SEO), staying ahead of the curve is essential for businesses looking to grow organically. While traditional SEO strategies like keyword research, backlink building, and on-page optimization remain foundational, innovative techniques such as the Asterisk Method and the Alphabet Soup Method are gaining traction among marketers seeking to maximize their organic reach. These unconventional yet highly effective approaches can help you tap into untapped search traffic, improve visibility, and ultimately drive sustainable growth for your website.

In this blog post, we’ll explore these methods, how they work, and why they’re invaluable tools for boosting your organic presence.

What Is the Asterisk Method in SEO?

The Asterisk Method is a creative and strategic approach to identifying long-tail keywords that users might not think to target explicitly. It involves using wildcard characters (like asterisks) in keyword research tools or search queries to uncover variations of phrases that people commonly use when searching online. For example:

• Instead of targeting "best coffee shops," you could search for "best * coffee" to discover related terms like "best local coffee," "best cold brew coffee," or "best organic coffee."
• Similarly, typing "how to *" into Google's autocomplete feature reveals common questions like "how to bake a cake," "how to lose weight fast," or "how to start a business."

Leveraging the Asterisk Method, you can identify high-intent searches with lower competition, which is perfect for capturing niche audiences that are more likely to convert.

Why Does the Asterisk Method Work?

1. Unlocks Hidden Opportunities: By exploring wildcard combinations, you can find overlooked keywords that competitors may have missed.
2. Targets Long-Tail Keywords: Long-tail keywords often have higher conversion rates because they cater to specific user intents.
3. Improves Content Relevance: Understanding the diverse ways people phrase their queries allows you to create content that aligns perfectly with their needs.
4. Enhances Semantic SEO: By incorporating synonyms and related terms, you signal to search engines that your content comprehensively addresses a topic, improving rankings.
5. Supports Multilingual SEO Efforts: The Asterisk Method can be adapted to different languages, helping you optimize for global or multilingual audiences effectively.

This method is particularly useful for industries where consumer behavior varies widely, such as e-commerce, travel, health, and education.

What Is the Alphabet Soup Method in SEO?

The Alphabet Soup Method builds on the concept of autocompletion by systematically testing letter combinations in search engines to reveal popular queries. This technique taps into Google’s autocomplete functionality, which predicts what users will likely type next based on historical data. Here’s how it works:

1. Start by entering a base keyword followed by each letter of the alphabet (e.g., "digital marketing a," "digital marketing b," etc.).
2. Take note of the suggestions provided by Google.
3. Repeat the process with different seed keywords relevant to your industry.

For instance:

• Searching for "home decor i" might yield results like "home decor ideas," "home decor inspiration," or "home decor items."
• Entering "fitness t" could bring up "fitness tips," "fitness tracker reviews," or "fitness training programs."

These insights allow you to understand trending topics and frequently asked questions within your niche, enabling you to craft targeted content that resonates with your audience.

Benefits of the Alphabet Soup Method

1. Cost-Effective Keyword Research: Unlike paid keyword tools, this method is free and relies solely on Google’s built-in algorithms.
2. Uncovers Seasonal Trends: Autocomplete suggestions often reflect current trends, helping you stay timely and relevant.
3. Enhances User Experience: By addressing real-world queries, you provide value to readers, increasing engagement and trust.
4. Identifies Competitor Gaps: Analyzing autocomplete results can reveal areas where competitors lack coverage, giving you an edge in targeting underserved topics.
5. Facilitates Topic Clustering: The method helps group similar queries together, allowing you to build pillar pages and clusters around core themes for better SEO structure.

How Do These Methods Drive Organic Growth?

Both the Asterisk Method and the Alphabet Soup Method contribute significantly to organic growth by ensuring your content strategy is data-driven, user-centric, and adaptable. Here’s how:

1. Expanding Your Keyword Portfolio

Traditional keyword research focuses on broad terms, but these methods help you dig deeper into long-tail and conversational keywords. This diversification reduces dependency on competitive head terms while attracting qualified traffic through less saturated queries.

2. Aligning with Search Intent

Understanding how users phrase their queries enables you to create content that directly addresses their pain points, desires, or curiosities. When your content matches search intent, bounce rates decrease, dwell time increases, and rankings improve—all critical factors for organic growth.

3. Boosting Visibility Across Multiple Queries

By optimizing for a wide range of related keywords, you increase your chances of ranking for multiple search queries simultaneously. For example, a blog post about "best cold brew coffee recipes" could also rank for "easy homemade cold brew," "cold brew vs iced coffee," and other variations uncovered via these methods.

4. Encouraging Fresh Content Creation

These methods regularly inspire new content ideas, keeping your blog or resource library fresh and engaging. Regular updates signal to search engines that your site is active and authoritative, further boosting your SEO performance.

5. Supporting Voice Search Optimization

As voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant become more prevalent, conversational and question-based queries are rising. Both methods naturally lend themselves to discovering natural language patterns, making them ideal for optimizing for voice search.

5. Improving Local SEO Performance

For businesses targeting local markets, these methods can surface geo-specific queries (e.g., "best pizza near me" or "plumbers in [city]"). Optimizing for such terms enhances local visibility and drives foot traffic.

6. Reducing Reliance on Paid Ads

By focusing on organic traffic from long-tail and conversational keywords, you reduce the need for costly PPC campaigns, making your marketing budget more efficient.

Tips for Implementing These Methods Effectively

While the Asterisk and Alphabet Soup Methods are powerful, they require thoughtful execution to yield maximum results. Here are some tips to get started:

1. Combine with Analytics Data: Use tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to validate the traffic potential of discovered keywords.
2. Focus on Quality Over Quantity: Prioritize creating in-depth, valuable content around selected keywords rather than churning out shallow pieces.
3. Leverage Structured Data: Enhance your pages with schema markup to ensure search engines understand the context of your content.
4. Monitor Competitor Strategies: Monitor competitors' actions and look for gaps they haven’t addressed.
5. Stay Updated on Trends: Consumer behavior evolves over time, so revisit these methods periodically to refresh your keyword list.
6. Integrate with Social Listening: Pair these methods with social media monitoring to identify trending topics and emerging conversations in your industry.

Combining Both Methods for Organic Growth

While each of these methods can be effective on their own, combining the asterisk and alphabet soup techniques can really supercharge your SEO strategy. When you blend these methods, you not only cover a wider range of keywords but also ensure that your content is relevant, diverse, and targeted toward your audience’s search intent.

For instance, imagine you're targeting “social media marketing.” You could start with the asterisk method to capture variations like:

• Social media marketing strategies

• Social Media Marketing Tips

• Social media marketing platforms

Then, apply the alphabet soup method to identify keywords like:

• Social media marketing a: social media marketing analytics

• Social media marketing b: social media marketing branding

• Social media marketing c: social media marketing campaigns

By addressing both general and highly specific queries, you're casting a wider net that can attract diverse types of traffic to your site. This dual approach boosts your chances of ranking higher in search results, increasing organic traffic, and improving your overall SEO performance.

Conclusion

The Asterisk and Alphabet Soup Methods offer innovative pathways to uncover hidden opportunities in the vast landscape of search queries. By adopting these techniques, you can refine your keyword strategy, enhance your content relevance, and position your website for sustained organic growth with Rank My Business.

Remember, SEO isn’t just about ticking boxes—it’s about understanding your audience and delivering solutions that meet their needs. With creativity, persistence, and a willingness to experiment, these methods can become integral parts of your SEO toolkit, propelling your brand to new heights in the digital realm. So, why wait? Start experimenting with the Asterisk and Alphabet Soup Methods today, and watch your organic traffic soar!