Level: Basic
VLOOKUP (or its modern replacement, XLOOKUP) is the core Excel function for pulling matching data from one list into another based on a shared keyword.
The Excel Technique
=VLOOKUP(A2,Sheet2!A:B,2,FALSE) looks up the value in A2 within Sheet2's first column and returns the corresponding value from the second column, using FALSE for an exact match. XLOOKUP, available in newer Excel versions, offers the same result with more flexible syntax: =XLOOKUP(A2,Sheet2!A:A,Sheet2!B:B).
Example Scenario
You have a list of your target keywords in one sheet and a separate export of current rankings in another. A VLOOKUP pulls the current ranking position next to each target keyword automatically, instead of manually cross-referencing two separate lists by eye.
Where This Fits in Your Keyword Research Process
VLOOKUP only returns a result for an exact text match, which is exactly why the cleanup steps covered earlier in this series — trimming whitespace and standardizing case — matter so much before you rely on it.
Next step: Use List Intersection (Common Lines) from SeoWolf's Notepad to quickly confirm which keywords actually exist in both your target list and your rankings export before you even set up the VLOOKUP, so you know in advance how many matches to expect and can spot cleanup issues early.