Keyword Research
Keyword research is the process of finding and analysing the words and phrases people type into search engines, so you can create pages that match what your audience is looking for. It is the foundation of any SEO Strategy: it tells you which topics to cover, which pages to create and what language your customers use.
Why keyword research matters
- It reveals real demand, so you do not create content nobody searches for.
- It uncovers the exact words customers use, which are often different from industry jargon.
- It shows Search Intent, helping you build the right type of page.
- It highlights opportunities competitors have missed.
- It helps you prioritise work by potential value.
Step 1: Start with seed topics
List the main products, services, problems and questions your business deals with. Talk to sales and customer service teams, read customer emails and reviews, and note the words customers actually use.
Step 2: Expand the list
Use tools and sources to find variations and related searches:
- Google itself: autocomplete suggestions, People Also Ask and related searches.
- Google Search Console: queries you already appear for, including many you did not target.
- Keyword tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, Ahrefs or similar (SEO Tools).
- Competitor pages: the keywords that bring traffic to competing sites.
- Forums, Reddit and social media: questions in real language.
- AI assistants: useful for brainstorming angles, though not for search volumes.
Step 3: Analyse each keyword
For each keyword, look at:
- Search volume: how many searches it gets per month.
- Keyword difficulty: how hard it will be to rank.
- Search intent: informational, commercial, transactional or navigational.
- Business value: how likely a searcher is to become a customer.
- SERP features: whether AI Overviews, Featured Snippets, ads or the Map Pack reduce clicks.
A low-volume keyword with strong buying intent is often worth more than a high-volume keyword with none.
Step 4: Group keywords into topics
Many keywords mean the same thing and can be targeted by one page. Group them by intent and meaning (Keyword Clustering), then assign each group to one existing or new page. This keyword map prevents Keyword Cannibalisation.
Step 5: Prioritise
Score each cluster by value, difficulty and effort. Quick wins are keywords where you already rank in positions 5 to 20, and Long-Tail Keywords with clear intent and little competition.
Step 6: Turn research into content
For each priority cluster, decide whether to improve an existing page or create a new one, write a brief covering the questions searchers ask, and plan internal links. My guide on how to find the competition of a key phrase in Google shows how to check whether a keyword is realistic.
Common keyword research mistakes
- Chasing high-volume keywords that are too competitive or irrelevant.
- Ignoring intent and creating the wrong type of page.
- Targeting every variation with a separate page.
- Forgetting local and long-tail variations.
- Treating research as a one-off exercise rather than repeating it as search behaviour changes.
Key Takeaways
- Keyword research reveals what customers search for and why.
- Judge each keyword by intent and business value as well as volume and difficulty.
- Group keywords into clusters and assign one page per cluster.
- Search Console shows real queries you already appear for.
- Repeat research regularly as search behaviour changes.
Related Terms
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