Keyword research is the first baby step to crafting a successful SEO strategy for any website. Whether you sell products on your website or provide information about the services you offer, if you don’t find the right keywords your users search for on search engines to find your product or service, then your efforts go to waste. Choosing the right keywords that match your business can bring good-quality traffic to your website and increase your brand visibility on search engine results.
Why do keyword research?
Keyword research is often considered the most critical skill for SEO. If done incorrectly, you risk targeting keywords that are either too competitive or not relevant to your business. This can lead to wasted resources and missed opportunities. It is important to understand how to conduct keyword research effectively to drive relevant traffic to your website and achieve your business objectives.
How to know it’s the right keyword?
A good keyword can have the following characteristics:
- Relevance: The keyword must align with your business and the content you offer.
- Monthly Search Volume (MSV): There should be a good number of searches for the keyword to ensure it has potential traffic.
- Competition: It’s vital to assess how competitive the keyword is. Keywords that are too competitive may require excessive resources to rank for. So always go for longer-tail keywords rather than choosing two-word or more generic search terms.
How to start with keyword research?
Now that we understand the importance of keyword research, let’s dive into the steps of building a keyword database. We will look at both existing keywords and how to find new ones.
Step 1: Get started with “seed” keywords
If you don’t know how to identify the correct search term, start with the seed keywords based on your business niche. For example, if you sell shoes online, list different types of shoes by their characteristics to prepare a small list for comprehensive keyword research.
For example, seed keywords might include:
- Running shoes
- Hiking shoes
- Formal shoes
- Casual shoes
If you already have a website, you can use Google Search Console to gather existing keywords that your website is already ranking for. Go to your Search Results report and filter for keywords over the last 6 months. Export these keywords to your database and find the monthly search volume for them.
Once you have your list of keywords from Google Search Console, organize them. Use a spreadsheet to categorize keywords based on their current ranking positions:
- Low-Hanging Fruit: Keywords that rank between positions 2 and 15.
- Existing Keywords: Those ranking between positions 16 and 50.
- Clustering Opportunities: Keywords ranking from 51 to 100.
Step 2: Use keyword tools
If you are starting from scratch, using keyword research tools will help you identify the right keywords for your business. There are plenty of keyword research tools available. However, Google Keyword Planner is a free tool to begin with.
In Google Keyword Planner, go to “Discover New Keywords” and enter your seed keyword. If you want to know the monthly search volume for the location you are targeting, it’s important to select the location and language. Then, select “Get Results” to obtain your first set of keywords.
Step 3: Clustering the keywords
When your keyword list is ready, it’s time to organize the keywords based on search intent. Clustering keywords by user intent will allow you to assign the right keywords to the right pages.
Understanding Keyword Intent
Keyword intent refers to the purpose behind a user’s search. There are four primary types of keyword intent:
- Informational: Users are looking for information (e.g., “How to choose the right running shoes?”).
- Commercial: Users are considering a purchase (e.g., “Best casual shoes for men under $100”).
- Transactional: Users are ready to buy (e.g., “Buy leather formal shoes online”).
- Navigational: Users know the brand (e.g., “Adidas running shoes”).
Prioritize keywords based on their intent, focusing first on transactional keywords, then commercial, and lastly informational ones. When your brand becomes well-known, users will start searching for your business by its name.
Step 4: Scoring Your Keywords
To effectively prioritize your keywords, consider implementing a scoring system based on relevance, intent, and difficulty:
- Assign scores for relevance (1-3), intent (1-3), and difficulty (1-3).
- Combine these scores to identify the best keywords to target.
Finding New Keywords
You can also discover new keywords by analyzing your competitors:
Competitor Analysis
Using tools like SEMrush, you can perform a keyword gap analysis. This involves comparing your keyword profile against competitors to identify keywords they rank for that you do not. Focus on:
- Identifying untapped keywords that are relevant to your business.
- Filtering these keywords based on their ranking positions and difficulty scores.
List of Keyword Research Tools
There are numerous tools available for keyword research. Some of the best include:
1. Google Keyword Planner
A trusted tool from Google providing accurate data on search volumes and trends, ideal for planning Google Ads campaigns.
Price: Free (full data is accessible only with an active Google Ads campaign).
2. SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool
Comprehensive tool offering keyword analysis, competition tracking, and related keyword suggestions. Its “Keyword Magic Tool” is especially helpful for finding long-tail keywords.
Price: Paid (limited features available in the free version).
3. Ahrefs Keywords Explorer
Known for its massive database of keywords and detailed metrics like keyword difficulty and click potential. Its backlink data is also a bonus for SEO.
Price: Paid (offers limited free access with an Ahrefs Webmaster Tools account).
4. Ubersuggest
User-friendly interface with competitive analysis, content ideas, and keyword suggestions. Great for beginners and budget-conscious users.
Price: Both (limited free access; paid plans unlock more features).
5. Keywordtool.io
Focuses on long-tail keywords and generates suggestions from platforms like Google, YouTube, Amazon, and more, making it versatile for multi-platform strategies.
Price: Paid (basic data in preview; paid plans offer detailed metrics).
Final Thoughts
Good keyword research is an ongoing process that requires careful thought and action. You must evaluate how useful, suitable, and challenging the keywords are to build a strong database. Your keywords will help drive more traffic to your website and support your business goals. The trick is to start small: first pick a few keywords. Later, work on more keywords as you begin to see results.
If you want an in-depth study of SEO keyword research, consider joining classes that provide comprehensive insights and strategies tailored to your needs. By doing so, you’ll be on the right path to mastering SEO keyword research and optimizing your content for search engines.