Keyword Buckets: 25 Evergreen + Timely Combos for 2026

byJohnMaluth

490 followers

5 days ago

Back home in South Sudan, we used to carry water in yellow jerrycans. If you tried to fill them by chasing drops from a leaky pipe, you’d waste hours. But if you had a bucket under a steady stream, it filled quickly and stayed full.

Keywords work the same way. If you chase them one by one, you’ll dry up fast. But if you group them into buckets, you’ve got a stream of content ideas that never runs out.

That’s why I call keyword buckets my “water cans of traffic.” They hold what I need, whenever I need it.

Evergreen vs. Timely Buckets

Before we get to the good stuff, let’s split this into two:

• Evergreen Keywords: These never go out of style. They’re the classic mango trees you can come back year after year and still find fruit. Example: “how to start a blog,” “SEO basics,” “affiliate marketing for beginners.”
• Timely Keywords: These are seasonal. They’re like wild berries sweet, but only if you grab them when they’re ripe. Example: “best Black Friday deals 2026,” “AI content trends 2026,” “Valentine’s Day gift ideas.”

A smart content strategy has both. Evergreen keeps your site alive long-term. Timely brings in quick surges of traffic. This is why these posts are scheduled, and they are representing the evergreen ideas.

But, life happens, and that makes me write posts based on experiences and events in my life. These posts are meant to update and inspire you. The first are meant to guide or teach. I hope so.

25 Buckets to Kickstart Your 2026

Here are some keyword bucket ideas you can start filling right now:

Evergreen Buckets (long-term traffic):

1. [Your Niche] + “how to start”
2. [Your Niche] + “best tools”
3. [Your Niche] + “common mistakes”
4. [Your Niche] + “beginner guide”
5. [Your Niche] + “reviews”
6. [Your Niche] + “alternatives”
7. [Your Niche] + “step by step”
8. [Your Niche] + “2026 vs 2025”
9. [Your Niche] + “worth it?”
10. [Your Niche] + “success stories”
11. [Your Niche] + “FAQ”
12. [Your Niche] + “glossary”

Timely Buckets (short-term bursts):
13. [Your Niche] + “trends 2026”
14. [Your Niche] + “Black Friday 2026”
15. [Your Niche] + “Cyber Monday 2026”
16. [Your Niche] + “Christmas 2026”
17. [Your Niche] + “Valentine’s Day 2026”
18. [Your Niche] + “Mother’s Day 2026”
19. [Your Niche] + “Father’s Day 2026”
20. [Your Niche] + “best [month/season] deals”
21. [Your Niche] + “back to school 2026”
22. [Your Niche] + “AI updates 2026”
23. [Your Niche] + “new tools 2026”
24. [Your Niche] + “predictions 2026”
25. [Your Niche] + “biggest challenges 2026”

You don’t have to use them all. Just pick buckets that make sense for your audience, then fill them with posts, one by one.

How This Works in Real Life

Think of it like preparing for the dry season. If you only gather water on the day you’re thirsty, you’ll suffer. But if you fill buckets steadily, you’ll never run out.

Keyword buckets give you that steady supply. You’re not guessing what to write. You’ve got 25 starting points that can carry you through the year.

Why It Matters

Too many bloggers quit because they run out of ideas. Buckets kill that excuse. With evergreen + timely combined, you’re always ready. One feeds your long game, the other feeds your short bursts.

And here’s the secret: the more buckets you fill, the stronger your site’s authority grows. Google loves sites that answer many related questions. Readers love it too.

🔥 Pro Tip: Don’t just collect keywords. Organize them. Keep your buckets visible (spreadsheet, notebook, WA research tool). And every week, dip into a bucket and publish.

Do that for 52 weeks, and by next year, you won’t just have full buckets. You’ll have an overflowing well of traffic.