Keyword Research

What is keyword research?

Keyword research is the process of finding the words and phrases that people type into search engines, and then deciding which of them are worth writing about. Every search is a small question or a need, and a keyword is the way a person puts that need into words. When you know which phrases your audience uses, you can create pages that answer them.

A keyword research tool speeds this up. You enter a starting idea, called a seed keyword, and the tool suggests related phrases together with numbers such as search volume and difficulty, so you can compare options instead of guessing.

Why keyword research matters

• It shows real demand: You learn what people actually search for, not what you assume they search for.
• It guides your content plan: A list of keywords turns into a list of articles, guides and tool pages.
• It saves time and effort: You can skip topics that nobody searches for, or that are too competitive for a new site.
• It reveals the words your audience uses: Customers often use different words from the ones a business uses, and a good page uses the customer's words.
• It helps you find gaps: You can spot questions that have weak answers and write the page that deserves to rank.

Key keyword metrics explained

• Search volume: An estimate of how many times a phrase is searched each month. It is a guide, not an exact count, and it changes with the season.
• Keyword difficulty: A score that estimates how hard it is to rank for a phrase. Each tool calculates it in its own way, so compare scores only inside the same tool.
• Cost per click: What advertisers pay for a click on that phrase. A high value often points to strong commercial interest.
• Trend: Whether interest in a phrase is rising, falling or seasonal over time.
• Search result features: Extras such as featured answers, maps or videos can take space from regular results and change how many clicks a page can get.

Understand search intent

Search intent is the reason behind a search. A page ranks best when it matches that reason, so it is worth checking the intent before you choose a keyword.

• Informational: The person wants to learn something, for example how to merge PDF files.
• Navigational: The person is looking for a specific site or page, for example a brand name.
• Commercial: The person is comparing options before a decision, for example best PDF tools.
• Transactional: The person is ready to act or buy, for example a price, a plan or a download.

Short-tail and long-tail keywords

Short-tail keywords are broad phrases of one or two words, such as shoes or SEO. They have large search volume, but they are very competitive and it is often unclear what the searcher wants.

Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific, such as how to compress a JPG to 100 KB. Each one is searched less often, but there is less competition, the intent is clearer and the visitors are usually closer to what they need. For a new website, long-tail keywords are normally the best place to start.

How to do keyword research step by step

• Step 1: List your topics: Write down the main subjects your website or business covers, in plain words.
• Step 2: Pick seed keywords: Turn each topic into a few short phrases that a visitor might type.
• Step 3: Expand the list: Use a keyword tool to get related phrases, questions and longer variations.
• Step 4: Check the numbers: Compare search volume, difficulty and trend for each phrase.
• Step 5: Check the intent: Search the phrase yourself and see what kind of pages appear. Your page must fit that type.
• Step 6: Group and prioritize: Put similar phrases together, then start with the ones that have reasonable volume and lower difficulty.

How to choose keywords worth targeting

The best keyword is not the one with the biggest number. It is the one that fits your page, matches what the searcher wants and is realistic for your site to rank for. A phrase with modest volume and a clear match often brings more useful visitors than a popular phrase that your page can never win.

Look at the pages that already rank. If they are all from very large and well-known sites, the phrase may be too hard for now. If smaller sites also appear and the answers are thin, there may be room for you.

Where to use your keywords

• Page title: Put the main phrase near the start, and keep the title clear and readable.
• Meta description: Mention the phrase naturally and give a reason to click.
• Main heading: Use one clear heading that matches the topic of the page.
• First paragraph: Say what the page is about in the first few lines.
• Subheadings and body text: Cover related phrases and questions naturally, without repeating the same words again and again.
• URL and image names: Use short, descriptive words in the address and in the image alt text.

Common keyword research mistakes

• Chasing volume only: A large number means nothing if the intent does not fit your page.
• Ignoring intent: Writing a guide for a phrase where people want a tool, or the other way round.
• Stuffing keywords: Repeating a phrase too often makes text hard to read and does not help rankings.
• Targeting the same keyword on many pages: Your own pages then compete with each other. Give each page its own main phrase.
• Never updating the list: Search habits change, so review your keywords from time to time.

About the Pro keyword research tool

The keyword research tool is part of the Pro plan and is launching soon. The preview above shows how it will work: you enter a seed keyword, choose a country and get a list of related keywords with volume and difficulty. Create a free account now to be ready when it goes live, and see the Pro plans for everything that is included.