How to Do Keyword Research

Keywords are the foundation of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Keyword research is the process of discovering the popular words or phrases that people use in search engines.

Keyword research plays an important role in search engine optimization.  You will get insight into the queries of your target audience. These insights can help you attain your marketing goals in the long run.

Without knowing the right keywords, you will not be able to optimize your website or know what content to develop for your audience. Here are a few ways to find the right keywords –

Method 1 – Preparing Seed Keyword List on Spreadsheet

If you have just started SEO, you should start your keyword research operation by shortlisting relevant words or phrases that your target audience are likely to use.

Seed keywords are a crucial part of the keyword research process. They define the niche and help you know about your competitors. You can expand the keywords list by using the ‘Seed’ keywords.

For example – if you want to promote your content writing services online – think about what people type when they want to find what you offer.

Some of the seed keywords might be – content writing services, content development, blog writing etc.

Start by typing ‘Content Writing Services’ on Google. Some of the suggested options from Google in the same niche/area are as below -

You can see there are plenty of options. Pick relevant keywords based on the demographics, location, competitor keywords, and service terms.

You can add all the relevant keywords in a ‘Spreadsheet’ – depending on the topics.

Though the ‘Seed’ keywords are not worth targeting – you can use them as ‘seed’ to go to the next stage of keyword research.

Method 2 – Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is a FREE tool that helps you identify the right keyword in your niche. You can discover new keywords for your organic as well as the paid campaign.

If you want to find a keyword on ‘Content Writing Services’ - use Google Keyword Planner.

You will be provided with a bunch of keywords with different search volume, competition and page bid range.

Pick a keyword wit high search volume and ‘LOW’ or ‘Medium’ competition. Some of the keywords that fit into these criteria in the above image are –

• Content writing services - 1K-10K Search Volume – Medium Competition
• SEO Content Writing – 1K-10K Search Volume – Low Competition
• Article Writer – 10K-100K Search Volume – Low Competition

Once you have got an idea of the keyword to rank for, you can shortlist a bucket of keywords and analyse their competition and ranking on search engines.

Method 3 – Keyword Research Tools

Remember that Google Keyword Planner is smart enough to show relevant keywords. However, there are several FREE keyword research tools like – UberSuggest, Ahrefs, Moz etc that help you in picking the right keywords.

Here I have provided steps for keyword research on UberSuggest. You can also similarly use other tools.

UberSuggest is an amazing tool for keyword research. If you plant the content with the right keywords, your blog posts can go viral and dominate the search engine results.

Go to the home page of UberSuggest and enter the keyword into the suggestion toolbar.

Let’s say I wanted to type ‘Content Writing Services’ in the toolbar.

Below are the details of Keyword Overview: Content Writing Services

The keyword ‘Content Writing Services’ has a monthly search volume of 1,900 with a search difficulty of 24. It means - the keyword is easy to rank on organic search results.

It gave me a bunch of suggested keywords to choose from. I could keep doing this until I find a specific keyword.

If you wish to spend a few dollars on keyword research, you may skip the FREE plans and use PAID plans on Ahrefs, SEMrush, ScreamingFrog etc.

I would suggest you start with popular search phrases and terms. You can research all kinds of long-tail keywords related to the niche.

Method 4 – Pick keywords from Google

It is a known fact that Google wants to provide us with the best result. If you search for a product or service in Google Search Bar, you will get related searches at the bottom of the page.

All you need to do is scroll to the bottom of the page and make a note of each of the suggestions.  It is always good to type these phrases on Google to find the most popular keywords.

Keep refining and refining the keywords by importance, popularity, competition and other metrics.

How to pick the right keywords?

You need to consider multiple factors for choosing GOOD Keywords. Some of the factors to consider are –

• Pick keywords or phrases relevant to your niche. Your content is likely to rank on SERPs only if it meets the needs of the searcher.
• Pick keywords or phrases with high search volume. Check for a combination of long-tail keywords and head terms.
• Check if the competitor’s website is ranking for any of your selected keywords. Understanding what the competitors are trying to rank for – will help you in choosing the right keyword.

Be sure to evaluate the keywords once every 3 months. You can add more and more keywords to your list to maintain the online presence.

Keyword research is often time-consuming and you could spend an entire day to find a handful of keywords. Many times, you find it difficult to find long-tail keywords in specific niches.

Thankfully, there are dozens of keyword research tools that can cut down your time from days to a few hours.