How to Do Keyword Research (Step-by-Step Guide)

Keyword research is the foundation of every successful SEO and Google Ads strategy. Without it, you're creating content and running ads based on guesses instead of data. This guide walks you through the entire process — from understanding search intent to building a keyword strategy that drives real business results.

What Is Keyword Research?

Keyword research is the process of discovering the words and phrases people type into search engines when looking for products, services, or information related to your business. It tells you what your audience is searching for, how many people search for it, and how competitive those searches are.

Why Keyword Research Matters

Without keyword research, your digital marketing is a guessing game:

Your blog posts target topics nobody searches for

Your service pages use language your customers don't use

Your Google Ads campaigns bid on the wrong terms

You compete for keywords you can't realistically win

Good keyword research ensures every page on your website, every blog post, and every ad targets terms that your audience actually uses.

Step 1: Start With Seed Keywords

Seed keywords are the broad topics related to your business. They're your starting point for deeper research.

How to Find Seed Keywords

List your services — What do you sell or offer? ("web design," "SEO services," "plumbing repair")

Think like your customer — What would they search? ("how to fix a leaky faucet," "best SEO company near me")

Check competitors — What terms do their pages target?

Use Google autocomplete — Start typing and see what Google suggests

Review your analytics — What terms are already driving traffic?

Step 2: Use Keyword Research Tools

Once you have seed keywords, use tools to expand your list and get data on search volume, competition, and difficulty.

Free Tools

Google Keyword Planner — Built into Google Ads, shows search volume and competition for any keyword

Google Search Console — Shows what terms your site already ranks for

Google Trends — Shows how search interest changes over time

AnswerThePublic — Generates question-based keywords from your seed terms

Ubersuggest — Provides keyword ideas with volume and difficulty metrics

Paid Tools

Ahrefs — Comprehensive keyword data, competitor analysis, and content gap tools

SEMrush — All-in-one platform for keyword research, rank tracking, and competitive intelligence

Moz Keyword Explorer — User-friendly tool with priority scoring

Step 3: Understand Search Intent

Search intent is the reason behind a search query. Google prioritizes pages that match the searcher's intent, so understanding it is critical.

The Four Types of Search Intent

Informational — The user wants to learn something. ("what is SEO," "how to fix a leaky faucet")

Navigational — The user wants to find a specific website. ("Facebook login," "Apex Digital contact")

Commercial — The user is researching before buying. ("best SEO tools," "SEO agency reviews")

Transactional — The user is ready to take action. ("hire SEO consultant," "buy running shoes online")

How to Determine Intent

The easiest way: Google the keyword and look at the results.

If the top results are blog posts and guides → informational intent

If the top results are product pages → transactional intent

If the top results are comparison articles → commercial intent

Step 4: Evaluate Keywords With Data

Not all keywords are worth targeting. Evaluate each one using these metrics:

Search Volume

How many people search for this term monthly. Higher volume = more potential traffic, but also more competition.

High volume (1,000+) — Great if you can rank, but often very competitive

Medium volume (100–1,000) — The sweet spot for most businesses

Low volume (10–100) — Often very specific and easier to rank for

Keyword Difficulty

How hard it will be to rank on page one. Most tools score this from 0–100.

0–30 — Easy to rank with good content

30–60 — Moderate; requires solid content and some authority

60–100 — Very competitive; usually dominated by major brands

Cost Per Click (CPC)

What advertisers pay per click in Google Ads. High CPC keywords are commercially valuable — people who search them are likely to buy.

Step 5: Find Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases. They have lower search volume but higher conversion rates because they match specific intent.

Examples

Head keyword: "SEO" (90,500 monthly searches, extremely competitive)

Long-tail: "SEO for small business plumber" (90 monthly searches, low competition)

Why Long-Tail Keywords Matter

Easier to rank for (less competition)

Higher conversion rates (more specific intent)

Better for content creation (clear topics to write about)

Account for 70% of all search traffic combined

Step 6: Analyze Competitors

Your competitors have already done keyword research — use their work as a starting point.

What to Look For

What pages rank for what terms — Use Ahrefs or SEMrush to see competitor rankings

Content gaps — Keywords they rank for that you don't

Weak spots — Keywords where they rank on page 2 or 3 (opportunities for you)

How to Do a Content Gap Analysis

Enter your domain and 2–3 competitor domains into Ahrefs' Content Gap tool

The tool shows keywords competitors rank for that you don't

Prioritize keywords with decent volume and manageable difficulty

Step 7: Organize Keywords Into Clusters

Don't target one keyword per page. Group related keywords into clusters and target them together.

How to Cluster Keywords

Group keywords by topic and intent

Create one pillar page for each main topic

Create supporting pages/blog posts for subtopics

Link them all together (this is called a topic cluster)

Example Cluster

Pillar page: "SEO Services" (targets "SEO services," "SEO company," "search engine optimization")

Supporting pages:

"What Is SEO?" (targets "what is seo," "seo meaning," "how seo works")

"How Long Does SEO Take?" (targets "how long does seo take," "seo timeline")

"SEO vs Google Ads" (targets "seo vs google ads," "seo or ppc")

Learn more about how we use topic clusters in our SEO approach.

Step 8: Create Your Keyword Map

A keyword map assigns target keywords to specific pages on your website. This prevents keyword cannibalization (multiple pages competing for the same term).

Keyword Map Template

For each page, define:

Primary keyword — The main term you want to rank for

Secondary keywords — 2–3 related terms to include naturally

Search intent — Informational, commercial, or transactional

Target URL — The page that will target this keyword

Content status — Exists, needs updating, or needs creating

Common Keyword Research Mistakes

Targeting only high-volume keywords — You'll struggle to rank against established sites

Ignoring search intent — Matching intent matters more than matching words

Not updating research — Search behavior changes. Review keywords quarterly.

Keyword stuffing — Using your keyword unnaturally will hurt rankings

Forgetting local modifiers — If you serve a specific area, add location terms

Putting It All Together

Here's the complete keyword research workflow:

Start with seed keywords based on your business

Expand using research tools

Analyze search intent for each keyword

Evaluate volume, difficulty, and CPC

Focus on long-tail opportunities

Study competitor keywords for gaps

Organize into topic clusters

Map keywords to pages

Create or optimize content

Track rankings and iterate

Next Steps

Ready to implement keyword research for your business?

Do it yourself: Use this guide and the free tools mentioned above to build your first keyword strategy

Get a professional analysis: Our digital marketing audit includes comprehensive keyword research and competitive analysis

Learn more about SEO: Read our complete guide on what SEO is and how it works

Start advertising: Use keyword data to build targeted Google Ads campaigns

Want expert help with your keyword strategy? Book a strategy call and we'll identify your highest-value keyword opportunities.

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