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The Ultimate Guide to Keyword Research

SEO keyword research is fundamental to your digital marketing success, whether you’re a startup or an established business. To ensure you choose the right keywords, you need to complete solid and effective keyword research with search intent. We discuss this today, along with the essential SEO elements you can incorporate into your keyword strategy to create content that ranks.v

What is Keyword Research?

Keyword research is the process of finding keywords or phrases that users enter into search engines like Google for a specific purpose. They might be looking for a local business, travel information or a particular product.

You can use keyword research tools to analyse keywords and discover their search volume and how difficult it is to rank for them. The aim is to do keyword research and use these keywords as part of your SEO strategy to improve your rankings and get your business in front of the right users.

Why is Keyword Research Important?

If you want to improve your rankings, increase your traffic and generate more leads or sales, you need SEO keyword research. It offers invaluable insight and shows you what terms users are searching for when looking for your particular product or service.

Start with SEO Keyword Research

1) Create a Seed List

Knowing the words or phrases your potential customers type into search engines when looking for your product or service is imperative. So, the first phase of search engine optimisation is keyword discovery, which involves coming up with new keyword ideas and keyword suggestions and creating a seed keyword list.

This is a list of potential keywords that are relevant to your business or website. Put yourself in your target audience’s shoes and ask yourself how you’d find your products or services online and what terms you’d use. Seed keywords are the foundation of your keyword research and will help you generate new ideas and find related terms. You can simply sit and brainstorm a seed list or look at what keywords your competitors are targeting and try to rank for the same ones.

The first step to discovering seed keyword ideas is to create a seed list. This is a list of potential keywords that you think are relevant to your business or website.

Seed keywords are the foundation of your keyword research, and they will help you generate new ideas and find related terms.

There are a few ways to create a seed list:

  • Brainstorming: sit down with a pen and paper, open up a blank document on your computer, and start brainstorming potential keywords.
  • Look at your competitors: see what keywords they are targeting and try to rank for the same ones.

Discover Similar Keywords

To generate your seed list, think about the products or services you offer and what terms your potential customers might use to find them. You can also use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner and Ubersuggest to help you generate keyword ideas.

Research Related Search Terms

Once you have your seed list, it’s time to start researching related terms. Use a thesaurus, Google search, and other tools like Google Trends to find related keywords.

Identify Quick Win Keywords

A quick win keyword is a low-hanging fruit keyword that you can easily rank for.

To find quick-win keywords, look for long-tail, informational keywords with low competition.

2) Understand Search Intent

Search intent is important to keyword research as it helps us understand how users want to consume information for a particular keyword. Google also uses search intent to determine how to display search results. When you search for different things on Google, you get a different first result, right? Like Shopping ads, Google Maps or recipes. Here are the four main search intent categories:

  1. Navigational: When someone is looking for a specific website and types the name directly into the search engine. For example, “YouTube.”
  2. Informational: When a user is looking for information on a particular topic, like “How to poach eggs.”
  3. Transactional: When a user wants to make a transaction and buy something, like “Buy a cocktail dress.”
  4. Commercial investigation: When a user compares products or services before making a transaction. For example, “Best running shoes for women.”

The next step is competitor analysis, and search intent should be a part of this process. You want to target your keyword with the right content, so analyse SERPs to understand what content is ranking. For example, if every result on page one of a particular keyword is a curated landing page, you don’t want to create a blog post.

3) Analyse Your Competitors

As mentioned, make competitor analysis a part of your keyword research. Input your seed keywords into Google and see who ranks on page one. Then, you can place these websites into a tool like Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to learn the keywords they’re targeting and which pages have the most traffic.

4) Explore Similar Keywords

To generate your seed list, consider the products or services you offer and what terms your potential customers might use to find them. You can also use tools like Google Keyword Planner and Ubersuggest to help you generate keyword ideas. Input a seed keyword into the Keyword Planner and it will generate a list of ideas based on it. 

5) Research Related Search Terms

Once you have your seed list, it’s time to research related terms. Now, you can use a thesaurus or other tools like Google Trends to find related keywords. But another great alternative is adding a keyword to Google and scrolling to the bottom to the “Searches related to” box. Here, you can see suggestions for other keywords to consider.

6) Find the Right Keywords

Now you have your seed list, it’s time to find the right keywords. Here are our top keyword research tips:
  • Analyse the search volume. Your first step is to use Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends to analyse the search volume. The best keywords have a high search volume and low competition. 
  • Check out the competition. You can use a tool like Moz’s free Keyword Explorer to check a keyword’s competition level and difficulty so you can understand what it will take to rank for that specific keyword. As mentioned, it also pays to analyse your competitors and understand how you can set your content apart from theirs.​​
  • Include a combination of keywords. Ideally, you want your keyword list to be well-balanced and include both head terms and long-tail keywords. Head terms are generic phrases with three words or less (for example, marketing). Long-tail keywords contain more than three words (like content marketing for small businesses). Due to the rise in voice search, long-tail keywords are only becoming more popular.
  • Identify quick win keywords. Low competition and low search volume keywords equal quick-win keywords. A quick win keyword is a low-hanging fruit keyword you can easily rank for. They’re also generally long-tail keywords.
  • Look at the cost-per-click. While choosing the right keywords helps to look at the cost-per-click (CPC). Because a keyword can have a low search volume but a high CPC, if your goal is to generate sales, then this keyword might be the best match for you. 

7) Use Keyword Research Tools

We’ve mentioned a few SEO keyword research tools already, but here’s a quick breakdown listing their benefits:

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free platform that enables you to monitor how Google views your website and how you can optimise it further to rank higher on SERPs. It highlights the search queries you currently rank for and their respective clicks and impressions so you can easily monitor them and further optimise as necessary.

Google Trends

Google Trends is a free online tool that draws search data from social media marketing platforms and search engines to provide insights into how often users search for particular terms. This can come in handy when you want to find out what’s trending in your industry or niche.

Use Google Trends to measure interest in topics over time, identify seasonality in searches and compare related terms. When using Google Trends, you can also compare multiple target keywords to see which one is more popular. 

Google Keyword Planner

One of our favourite SEO keyword research tools is Google Keyword Planner. It enables you to develop a comprehensive keyword list and strategy, especially when you plan to run a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign, as it features bid estimations. While you have to sign up for a Google Ads account to access Keyword Platter, you don’t need to run an active campaign to reap its benefits.

Semrush

Semrush is an all-in-one website analytics software that can support you in running your SEO, PPC, content marketing and social media marketing campaigns. It can help you:

  • Brainstorm keyword ideas specific to your niche.
  • Identify valuable keyword phrases and long-tail keywords.
  • Learn what keywords your competition uses and how they rank in search engines.
  • Identify trends within your niche.
  • Review monthly search volumes.

Audit your on-page SEO to improve your ranking for relevant search terms.

Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is similar to Semrush but is more focused on keyword research. Created by Neil Patel, the free keyword tool provides insights on new trending keywords and suggests related keywords that will take your content further.

8) Bring Your Research Together

The first thing you need to do for your SEO keyword research is to set up a spreadsheet to record your data.

Here is the data structure we’ll be working with:

  • Keyword
  • Competition
  • Search Volume
  • Difficulty
Keyword:

In the first column, place all of your keywords from your initial keyword research and the keywords you want to rank for.

Competition:

While on the second column, use this section to add the competition level. In this case, we’ll use a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 is no competition, and 100 represents high levels of competition (very hard to rank in).

Search Volume:

The third column is search volume, which refers to how much search traffic each keyword receives every month. Search volume varies from niche to niche. You may need more keyword research on the average monthly search volume for your specific industry.

Keyword Difficulty:

Finally, in the fourth column is keyword difficulty. The keyword difficulty will tell you how difficult it will be to rank in the SERP for a particular keyword. In this case, we’ll also use a scale from 0 to 100, in which 100 represents high levels of competition.

Once you have your spreadsheet set up, you’re ready to sort it out and pick the right keywords you can use in your content.

Now that you have your keywords, it’s time to use them by adding your keywords to vital SEO elements that will boost your site rankings.

STEP 9: Create SEO Content

Once you’ve found the right keywords and search terms, it’s time to create content based on your target keywords. When adding keywords to your content, whether it be a website page or blog post, make sure you use the right keywords that sound natural and don’t interrupt your content’s flow and readability. 

A fantastic tool that can support your SEO content creation is SurferSEO. SurferSEO is a content optimisation tool that analyzes the top 10 results for any given keyword and provides you with valuable insights that can help you create better content.

Surfer’s Content Planner is ideal for creating content clusters and building topical authority in your niche. For example, if you’re writing a blog post about “SEO tips”, you can use the Content Planner to find related topics that you can include in your post to make it more comprehensive. This will not only help your post rank better, but it will also help you attract more traffic from long-tail keywords.

STEP 10: On-Page Optimisation

After you’ve done your keyword research and added the right keywords to your content, it’s time to optimise your website for those keywords. This process is called on-page optimisation, and there are a few things you need to do to make sure your website is optimised for the keywords you’re targeting.

1) Optimise your Title Tags

The title is the first thing you should optimise once you’re done with your keyword research. Your primary keyword with high search volume and search intent should be included in your content title so that search engines can easily find your page. In some cases, you can also try using a secondary keyword or phrase from your keyword research, but don’t stuff it with multiple terms because this will look unnatural to readers and hurt your rankings.

Also, it’s important to note that titles shouldn’t be too long, as they will usually be cut in search results. Instead, make it engaging and catchy.

2) Optimise Meta Descriptions

A meta description provides a short overview of the content of a page. Adding your main keyword to your meta description is vital as it increases the clickability of the website content optimisation. This is a critical search engine element that a browser sees first, and it should be both engaging and enticing. There are also some specific situations when you can use more keywords from your keyword research.

3) Optimize your Website URL

Your URL is an essential on-page optimisation factor, and you should include your target keyword in it. Ideally, your URL should be short and to the point so that it’s easy for both users and search engines to understand.

4) Optimize Your Images

It’s important to optimise the images on your website as well. This means adding the target keyword to the file name and using the alternate text attribute (Alt-Text) to describe what’s in the image.

5) Optimize your Content

After you’ve optimised all of the other on-page elements, it’s time to optimise your content. This means adding your target keyword throughout your body content in a way that sounds natural and is easy to read. Remember not to stuff your keywords, which will hurt your rankings and make your content difficult to read.

When adding keywords to your content, make sure you also include related searches from your keyword research. This will help you rank for those terms and give you a better chance of ranking in the top spot.

You should also try to include your target keyword at the beginning of your content, which has been shown to improve rankings.

Make Sure Your Website is Mobile-Friendly

Mobile optimisation is important because more and more people use their phones to access the internet. In fact, Google has now implemented mobile-first indexing, which means that your website will be ranked based on its mobile version.

To optimise your website for mobile, you need to make sure that it’s responsive and loads quickly. You can test your mobile speed with Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool.

You should also try to make sure your content is relevant, digestible and to the point, as people are more likely to be reading it on their phones.

What SEO Keyword Research Tool is Best?

There are a lot of tools you can use during this stage, and there are also free tools that you can try. 

Find Search Volumes with Google Keyword Planner

A good SEO keyword research tool is Google Keyword Planner, a 100-per cent free keyword tool. Google Keyword Planner is a valuable tool that will enable you to develop a comprehensive keyword list and strategy, especially when you plan to run a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign.

It also features bid estimations to help you complete the keyword research process.

However, before you can access the Keyword Planner, you need to have a Google Ads account. Don’t worry; it’s easy to set up, and you only need to follow the prompts, enter your information and your business, and that’s it. You don’t need to run an active campaign or worry about Google Ads (or the Google Ads keyword planner) to use the Keyword Planner.

SEMrush and Ubersuggest

You may also use other keyword research tools like SEMrush or Ubersuggest. These are great because they will give keyword ideas specific to your niche and give you an overview of monthly search volume.

SEMRush is an all-in-one website analytics software that can help you run your SEO, PPC, content marketing, and social media marketing campaigns. It can help you identify valuable keyword phrases and long-tail keywords and learn what keywords your competition is using and how they are ranking in search engines.

 SEMrush is one of the best keyword research tools available today when it comes to SEO insights. Aside from keyword research, you can also use it to identify trends within your niche, review monthly search volumes and audit your on-page SEO to improve your ranking for relevant search terms.

 On the other hand, Ubersuggest is similar to SEMRush, but this is more focused on keyword research. The keyword tool is created by Neil Patel and is free to use. Ubersuggest will provide you insights on new trending keywords and suggest keywords related to your offering that will take your content further.

Whether you use Google’s Keyword Planner or other free keyword tools that we suggested, using keyword tools to generate keyword ideas to rank higher on search results can go a long way. With that, don’t take it for granted–with any of these keyword tools, you can strengthen your keyword research and ensure there’s good search intent–and what’s even better, take your keyword strategy one step further than your competition.

Analysing Search Engine Keyword Data

Once you’ve completed thorough keyword research, the next step is to analyse them so that you can start consolidating and categorising your keyword lists. You’ll want to group similar search terms, find out which keywords have the highest search volume, and prioritise keywords with the most value for your website.

Here are some tips for turning your keyword ideas into search engine results:

  • Think like your customers:

This is where your target audience comes in. Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself how you want to find your products or services online. It’s a good idea to consult others to gain valuable insights. You can also ask your existing customers. Search volumes will help you to understand what your target audience is searching for alongside long-tail keywords

  • Use long-tail keywords:

Gone are the days when marketers only use one-word keywords in their content. Now, long-tail keywords are taking the scene as search engines, specifically Google, become more user-focused. This is only due to the rise of voice search. Long-tail keywords usually consist of three or more words or phrases. You might be apprehensive at first, seeing that long-tail keywords tend to have lower search volumes. Despite the low search volume, they attract more relevant traffic, are less competitive and are perfect for use in a blog post. Therefore, it’s easier to rank them.

As you do your keyword research, note how difficult it is to rank for specific search terms. This is also known as keyword difficulty. If there’s high competition, try using some alternatives.

Use Google Search Console and Google Trends

Google Search Console

You can use the Google Search Console as part of your SEO keyword research strategy to boost your organic search rankings as part of your keyword analysis.

The Google Search Console is a tool you can use for your SEO keyword research. This free platform enables business owners, marketers, and individuals to monitor how Google views your website and optimise its presence to rank high on organic search.

You will also want to look at other factors, such as monthly traffic volume and cost per click, to prioritise which ones should go into your content.

Google Trends

Google Trends is a free online tool that lets you see how often particular terms are being searched for on the internet. This can come in handy when you want to find out what’s trending in your industry or niche.

You can use Google Trends to measure interest in topics over time, identify seasonality in searches, and compare related terms. Google Trends draws search data from social media marketing platforms and search engines to provide insights into how people are searching for things online.

You can use Google Trends to:

  • Identify seasonality in searches
  • Find related terms
  • Measure interest in topics over time
  • Compare related terms

When using Google Trends, you can compare multiple target keywords to see which one is more popular. Simply enter your new keywords into the search bar and hit enter.

You can use Google Trends to:
  • Identify seasonality in searches
  • Find related terms
  • Measure interest in topics over time
  • Compare related terms

When using Google Trends, you can compare multiple target keywords to see which one is more popular. Simply enter your new keywords into the search bar and hit enter.

Take Your Search Engine Optimization Further

If you want to improve your rankings, it’s essential to implement search engine optimisation tactics by knowing what keywords are most relevant to your overarching search engine strategy. SEO keyword research is a crucial part of your long-term SEO strategy. Having a keyword planner that allows you to import your keyword research data, keyword ideas, and search volume will go a long way.

Our team of SEO experts at Evolving Digital can help with your SEO keyword research and website optimisation. We’ll make sure that everything is optimised so that your site ranks higher on search results pages.

KEYWORD RESEARCH FAQS

What are the best keyword research tools?

The best keyword research tools come in both free and paid varieties, each offering unique features to generate your keyword ideas and enhance your SEO strategy.

Free keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner and Ubersuggest are great for beginners, providing basic keyword suggestions and keyword ideas to help you understand potential search terms. 

For more advanced features, paid keyword research tools like SEMrush’s Keyword Magic Tool, Ahrefs, and Moz offer comprehensive keyword analysis, including detailed keyword suggestions, trends, and competitive analysis. 

A keyword research tool will help identify the most effective keywords for your content and SEO strategies, making them indispensable for serious SEO practitioners.

Keyword difficulty, often referred to as ‘ranking difficulty,’ is a metric used to determine how challenging it will be to rank for a particular keyword in search engine results. Keyword difficulty considers various factors like the strength and authority of currently ranking websites, the number of backlinks these sites have, and the overall quality of their content. Keywords with higher ranking difficulty require more effort and stronger SEO strategies to compete effectively. Understanding keyword difficulty helps in prioritising keywords that are achievable for your site’s current SEO strength while planning for long-term goals to tackle more competitive terms.

To find the monthly search volume of a keyword, you can use various SEO tools that provide detailed search analytics. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and SEMrush offer insights into how often a keyword is searched each month. This data is crucial for understanding the potential traffic a keyword can bring to your website and for assessing whether a keyword is worth targeting based on its popularity and relevance to your content.

Aligning your SEO and content strategy involves integrating your keyword research into your content creation process. This means identifying relevant keywords with good search potential and incorporating them into high-quality, informative content that addresses your audience’s needs and queries. Your content should be structured and optimised for search engines and user experience, focusing on providing value through informative and engaging material. Regularly updating your content and keeping abreast of SEO trends are also key to maintaining alignment between your SEO and content strategies.

To find the keywords your competitors rank for, you can use tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz, which allow you to analyse your competitors’ websites. These tools provide insights into competitors’ keywords, including new and popular keywords they are targeting. By examining the organic search performance of your competitor’s web pages, you can identify the keywords driving traffic to their sites. This information is valuable for understanding the competitive landscape and for uncovering opportunities to target similar or complementary keywords in your own SEO strategy.

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