How to Do Keyword Research for SEO: A Beginner's Guide

 

Keyword research is a key part of SEO. It helps you determine what words and phrases people are typing into search engines like Google. By tailoring your content to match these keywords, you can improve your chances of showing up on search engine results pages (SERPs) and increase organic traffic to your site.

In this guide, we’ll go over the basic steps of keyword research, explain why it's important, and share useful tips and tools. Whether you're new to SEO or just looking to update your strategy, this guide will help you get the hang of keyword research.

What is Keyword Research in SEO?

Keyword research is the process of discovering what keywords or search terms people are entering into search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. The goal is to find the most relevant and high-traffic keywords for your website's content. By targeting the right keywords, you can increase your visibility, drive targeted traffic, and ultimately improve your website's rankings.

SEO keyword research usually includes these steps:

Finding the most relevant keywords for your business or niche

Checking how often people search for those keywords called ‘search volume’

Assessing how competitive those keywords are (how difficult it is to rank for them)

Looking for long-tail keywords that are more specific, less competitive, and still very relevant

If you offer professional SEO services or provide the best search engine optimization services, keyword research is the first step to ensuring that your business ranks for the terms your potential clients are searching for.

Why is Keyword Research Important?

Effective keyword research plays a crucial role in your SEO strategy by:

Targeting Audience: Knowing what your audience is searching for helps ensure your content aligns with their needs.

Content Planning: Using the right keywords allows you to create content that directly addresses your audience's concerns.

Improved Rankings: Focusing on the right keywords increases your chances of ranking higher in search results.

Increased Traffic: The right keywords drive traffic that’s more likely to convert into customers or leads, particularly if you provide professional SEO services.

Edge Over Competitors: Keyword research helps you find opportunities where your competitors are lacking, giving you an advantage in search results.

Now, let's dive deeper into the step-by-step process of conducting keyword research.

Step 1: Know Your Niche and Audience
Before diving into keyword research, it's important to have a solid grasp of your business, niche, and target audience. The keywords you select should align with the topics and services/products you offer. For example, if you offer the best search engine optimization services, your keywords should be focused on SEO and digital marketing terms.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What problems does my audience face?

What solutions do my products or services provide?

What questions are my potential clients/visitors asking?

Understanding your audience’s intent will help you select keywords that are relevant and likely to drive conversions. For example, someone searching for professional SEO services is likely looking for expertise in improving their website’s visibility and ranking.

Step 2: Brainstorm Seed Keywords

Seed keywords are the basic keywords that are closely related to your business or website. These are usually short and broad terms that can be used as a starting point in your research.

For example, if you run a digital marketing agency offering the best search engine optimization services, some seed keywords might include:

·        Digital Marketing

·        SEO services

·        Professional SEO services

·        SEO optimization

·        Online Marketing

Think about the core services, products, or topics your website covers. Write down a list of seed keywords that represent these areas. These keywords will help you identify additional, more specific keywords to target.

Step 3: Use Keyword Research Tools

Once you have your seed keywords, it's time to use keyword research tools to discover related keywords, their search volume, and competition levels. Some popular keyword research tools include:

Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is a free tool that helps you explore keywords, check their search volume, and evaluate their competition. Although it's mainly intended for Google Ads, it can also be valuable for organic keyword research.

How to use Google Keyword Planner:

Sign in to your Google Ads account.

Go to "Tools and Settings" and select "Keyword Planner."

Choose "Discover New Keywords" and enter your initial keywords.

Review the keyword suggestions, along with their search volume and competition levels.

Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is a powerful free tool that provides keyword ideas, search volume, competition data, and trend analysis. It’s an excellent tool for beginners. It is not completely free but allows you free searches.

Steps to use Ubersuggest:

Go to Ubersuggest.com.

Enter a seed keyword into the search bar.

Data will be provided to you against this keyword.

SEMrush

SEMrush is a premium keyword research tool that provides in-depth keyword data, including search volume, competition, keyword difficulty, and trends. It also allows you to analyze competitors’ keywords.

Steps to use SEMrush:

Sign up for a SEMrush account.

Go to the Keyword Magic Tool’ and enter a seed keyword.

Review the keyword suggestions, and their metrics, and select the ones that fit your strategy.

Ahrefs Keywords Explorer

Ahrefs is another paid tool used for advanced keyword research. It provides data on keyword search volume, keyword difficulty, and related keyword ideas.

Steps to use Ahrefs:

Log in to Ahrefs and go to the Keywords Explorer tool.

Enter your seed keyword.

Browse through the keyword suggestions and analyze them.

These tools provide important details like how often a keyword is searched each month and how competitive it is to rank for that keyword.

Step 4: Understand Search Intent
Knowing the purpose behind a user’s search is an important part of keyword research. People search online with different goals in mind, and these can be grouped into four main types:

Informational Intent:
The user is searching for knowledge or answers to a question. For instance, they might search for "How to bake a cake" or "SEO tips" to learn something or solve a problem.

Navigational Intent:
The user wants to find a specific website or page. For example, they may type "Facebook login" or "Amazon homepage" because they’re trying to go directly to those sites.

Transactional Intent:
The user is ready to take action, such as making a purchase or signing up for something. Searches like "Buy running shoes" or "Best SEO services" show that the person wants to complete a transaction.

Commercial Investigation Intent:
The user is exploring their options and researching before deciding to buy. They might look up "Best search engine optimization services" or "Top SEO companies" to compare choices and gather information before making a decision.

You need to target keywords that align with the search intent of your target audience. For instance, if you’re offering professional SEO services, keywords with commercial or transactional intent like “buy SEO services” or “affordable SEO services” are more likely to lead to conversions.

Step 5: Evaluate Keyword Metrics

When selecting keywords, you should consider several key metrics to ensure they will be effective for SEO:

Search Volume: The number of times a keyword is searched each month. Targeting high-volume keywords like professional SEO services can bring more traffic to your site, but they can also be more competitive.

Keyword Difficulty (KD): This measures how hard it will be to rank for a keyword. Low KD keywords are easier to rank for, while high KD keywords are more competitive.

Cost-Per-Click (CPC): If you're running paid ads, the CPC gives you an idea of how much advertisers are willing to pay for that keyword.

Trends: Use tools like Google Trends to see how the popularity of a keyword is changing over time. Keywords with a steady or growing trend are good for long-term SEO strategies.

Step 6: Find Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific search terms. They usually have lower search volume than broad keywords but are often less competitive and highly targeted. For example:

Short-tail keyword: "SEO services"

Long-tail keyword: "affordable SEO services for small businesses"

Long-tail keywords often have higher conversion rates because they indicate that the searcher is looking for something specific. You can find long-tail keywords by looking at keyword suggestions from tools like Google Keyword Planner, and Ubersuggest, or by examining the "People Also Ask" section on Google.

Step 7: Analyze Competitors’ Keywords

Looking at what keywords your competitors are ranking for can give you valuable insights into potential keywords to target. Use tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or SpyFu to perform a competitive analysis.

Steps to analyze competitors’ keywords:

Enter your competitor’s domain into SEMrush or Ahrefs.

Look at the list of keywords your competitor ranks for.

Identify keywords that are relevant to your site but may be easier for you to rank for.

By analyzing competitors’ keywords, you can find opportunities to target less competitive terms or uncover content gaps that your competitors have missed. If you're offering the best search engine optimization services, discovering keywords with lower competition can help you target more niche markets.

Step 8: Organize and Prioritize Your Keywords

Once you have a list of keywords, the next step is to organize and prioritize them.

Consider factors such as:

Relevance: Ensure the keywords are relevant to your target audience and business.

Search Volume: Prioritize keywords with high search volume and low competition.

Keyword Difficulty: Target a mix of high and low-difficulty keywords.

Conversion Potential: Choose keywords that are more likely to drive conversions, such as professional SEO services for those actively looking for SEO expertise.

You can organize your target keywords in a spreadsheet to track them effectively. Group them by topics, search intent, and their stage in the sales funnel (top, middle, or bottom).

Step 9: Use Keywords in Your Content

After finalizing your list of target keywords, start incorporating them into your content. Follow these tips for effective keyword placement:

Title Tag: Add your main keyword to the page’s title tag.

Meta Description: Include your keyword in the meta description to boost click-through rates.

Headings: Place keywords in headings like H1, H2, and H3 for clear content structure.

Body Content: Use keywords naturally in your text without overloading it.

Alt Text: Add keywords to image alt text to enhance image SEO.

See the article on SEO writing to understand in-depth keyword placement.

Step 10: Review and Refine Your Keyword Strategy
Keyword research isn’t a one-time task. Regularly monitor your performance and adjust your strategy based on trends, analytics, and user behavior.

Looking for Expert SEO Support? Partner with Zbrisk
Building an effective keyword strategy requires time, focus, and a clear plan. At Zbrisk, we offer professional SEO services tailored to your business needs. From detailed keyword research to creating content that drives real results, we’re here to help you achieve your goals. Let us simplify the process and elevate your online presence with strategies that deliver measurable success.

Cheers!