Cantonese keyword research: search phrases people would say out loud

Collect phrases from conversations

Listen to how customers name the problem on the phone or in WhatsApp. Those phrases — shorter, more spoken, sometimes mixed with English product names — are the seed list.

Check autocomplete and related searches in Traditional Chinese. Keep the variants that match a service you offer. Discard slang you would not put on a page.

Map spoken phrases to a written page

You do not need a page per particle of speech. Group phrases that share a decision, then use the most recognisable wording in the heading and answer the others in the body.

Mixed English and Chinese queries are normal for finance, tech, and retail. Write the heading the way the query looks, then explain in full sentences.

• Seed terms from real conversations.
• Group by decision, not by particle.
• Keep English product names where speech keeps them.

Validate with someone who answers the phone

A keyword tool will suggest formal or overseas Chinese. The person who handles enquiries can tell you which phrase sounds like a customer and which sounds like a textbook.

Review the list when a campaign teaches customers a new name for the service. The query language follows the words you and your competitors repeat.

Should pages be written entirely in colloquial Cantonese?

Use the spoken phrase where it matches the query, especially in headings. The body should stay clear and professional enough to trust. Not every sentence needs to sound like a chat.

Do English pages miss Cantonese demand?

They miss the queries that are asked in Chinese. Pair them with a real zh-HK page when that demand exists.