The Full, Step-by-Step Guide to SEO Keyword Research
Coffee in hand, 7am. Your competitor just claimed the top spot for your dream keyword. Again.
But instead of sulking, imagine leaning back with a smile. Because you've got a secret they don't: while they're arm-wrestling Google's algorithm for those shiny, impossibly competitive terms, you're quietly dominating the keywords that actually bring paying customers through your digital door.
Let me tell you something that might feel slightly blasphemous in SEO circles: ranking #1 for a popular search term is meaningless if it doesn't connect you with people ready to engage with your brand. And I'm about to show you how to find the keywords that actually matter – the ones hiding in plain sight that your competitors are too busy to notice.
Hold on tight. We're about to turn the traditional keyword research playbook on its head.
What is keyword research (and why should you care?)
Before we plunge into the how-to guide for SEO keyword research, let's get crystal clear about what we're actually discussing.
The fundamentals of keyword research
Keyword research is the strategic process of discovering and analysing the search terms and search queries people type into Google and other search engines when looking for information, products, or services online.
It forms the foundation of any effective SEO strategy and content marketing plan. More than just finding popular keywords, it's about uncovering the language your potential customers are speaking, understanding their search intent, and creating targeted content that meets them precisely where they are.
Why keyword research matters for visibility
Why does this matter for your digital marketing efforts?
Because 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine. If you're not showing up in organic search results when people search for terms related to your business, you're essentially invisible to them. Proper keyword analysis helps you identify keyword opportunities that can drive qualified traffic to your website and improve your SEO performance.
Why you need to find the right keywords
But here's where most people conducting keyword research get it wrong: it isn't just about finding words with high search volume or focusing solely on broad keywords.
It's about finding the right words – the ones that your ideal customers are using (including valuable long-tail keywords), understanding the keyword competition, and selecting terms that you can realistically rank for.
Tools and techniques for effective research
An effective keyword research tool can help you identify these terms, analyse keyword difficulty, and build a comprehensive keyword list that works for both on-page SEO and paid search campaigns. Whether you're optimising existing content or planning new blog posts, starting with thorough keyword research is essential for connecting with your target audience through search engine rankings.
The keyword research process: A strategic framework
Ready to roll up your sleeves and dig into some proper keyword research? Here's the step-by-step process you need to follow ⬇️
1. Define your goals
Before you start hunting for keywords, ask yourself these fundamental questions:
What are you trying to accomplish with your content?
Who exactly are you trying to reach?
What action do you want them to take after consuming your content?
The answers to these questions will guide your entire keyword strategy. For instance, if you're a wedding photographer in Manchester looking to book more local clients, your keyword goals will be vastly different from an online course creator teaching photography skills globally.
💡 Quick tip: Create concrete objectives like "Increase organic traffic to product pages by 20%" rather than vague aims like "Rank better in Google."
2. Brainstorm your seed keywords (The starting line)
Think of seed keywords as the foundation of your research – the broad terms that define your niche, products, or services. For example:
If you sell handmade soaps, your seed keywords might include "handmade soap," "natural soap," "artisan soap"
If you're a business coach, they might be "business coaching," "small business mentor," "entrepreneurship advice"
If you offer copywriting and brand strategy services like me, your seed keywords could include "brand voice development," "website copywriting," "SEO content writing”
Don't overthink this part. Simply jot down the obvious terms that describe what you offer. We'll expand from here.
💡 Quick tip: Think about how you would describe your business in a single sentence to someone who's never heard of it before. The key terms in that sentence are likely your seed keywords. Another technique I like to use is to write down the first 3 words that come to mind when trying to name the service/product.
3. Expand your keyword list
Now comes the fun part. It's time to transform your handful of seed keywords into a comprehensive list of potential terms to target. Here's how ⬇️
A. Use keyword research tools
Semrush
Several powerful tools can help you discover related keywords, search volumes, and competition levels:
Google Keyword Planner: The classic starting point for keyword research (and it's free)
Semrush: Comprehensive data on keywords, including competitor analysis
Ahrefs: Excellent for finding keyword gaps and content opportunities
Ubersuggest: A user-friendly tool for beginners with free options
AnswerThePublic: Perfect for discovering question-based keywords
It’s a good idea to not limit yourself to just one tool. Each has its strengths and will uncover different keyword opportunities.
B. Mine Google's suggestions
Google is practically begging to help with your keyword research. Pay attention to:
Autocomplete suggestions: Type your seed keyword into Google and see what it suggests
Related searches: Scroll to the bottom of the search results page
People Also Ask boxes: Expand these to find related questions
Here's how powerful this can be: a simple search for "sourdough bread" yields related searches like "sourdough bread recipe UK," "sourdough bread recipe for beginners," and "how to make sourdough bread without starter" – all fantastic keyword opportunities that reveal different user intents.
C. Analyse your competitors
Your competitors have already done some of the hard work for you. Look at the top-ranking sites in your niche and:
Identify the keywords they're ranking for
Find content gaps you could fill
Analyse their content structure and approach
💡 Quick tip: Don't just look at direct business competitors. Analyse anyone ranking for the keywords you want to target, including informational sites and forums.
4. Understand search intent
Here's where most keyword research goes off the rails. Many businesses focus solely on search volume and competition, completely ignoring the why behind the search.
Search intent falls into four main categories:
Informational: The user wants to learn something ("how to make sourdough bread")
Navigational: The user wants to find a specific site ("BBC Good Food bread recipes")
Commercial: The user is researching before buying ("best sourdough bread pans")
Transactional: The user wants to make a purchase ("buy sourdough starter kit")
Understanding the intent behind a keyword helps you create the right type of content. For instance, someone searching "sourdough bread" might want a recipe (informational), while someone searching "sourdough bread delivery London" is ready to buy (transactional).
Look at the top search results for a keyword to understand what content Google thinks matches the user's intent. If the top results are all how-to guides, creating a product page for that keyword probably won't work.
5. Assess keyword value (Not all keywords are created equal)
Now it's time to evaluate your expanded list and identify the keywords worth targeting. Consider these factors:
A. Search volume
This indicates how many people are searching for a term monthly. While higher is generally better, don't be seduced by big numbers alone. A keyword with 50 monthly searches but high commercial intent might be more valuable than one with 5,000 searches but low purchase intent.
B. Keyword difficulty
This metric estimates how hard it will be to rank for a specific term. As a rule of thumb:
New sites should focus on lower-difficulty keywords
Established sites can gradually tackle more competitive terms
Balance your content strategy with a mix of difficulty levels
C. Relevance to your business
A keyword might have high volume and low difficulty, but if it's not relevant to your audience or offerings, it's not worth targeting. Always prioritise relevance over metrics.
6. Discover long-tail keywords
Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that typically have lower search volume but higher conversion potential. They're the hidden gems of keyword research.
For example, instead of targeting the highly competitive "sourdough bread," you might focus on "overnight sourdough bread recipe for beginners" or "how to make sourdough bread without Dutch oven."
Benefits of long-tail keywords:
Less competition makes them easier to rank for
Higher specificity means higher conversion rates
They allow you to create super-targeted content
💡 Quick tip: Group related long-tail keywords together to create comprehensive content that targets multiple variations at once.
7. Organise your keywords (Create order from chaos)
You've now got a robust list of valuable keywords. Time to organise them for actionable use:
A. Group by topic clusters
Arrange your keywords into thematic clusters around main topics. For example, a sourdough bread blog might have clusters for:
Sourdough starters
Sourdough techniques
Sourdough equipment
Sourdough troubleshooting
B. Map keywords to content types
Different keywords suit different content formats:
Ultimate guides for broad informational terms
How-to posts for process-based queries
Comparison articles for "vs" keywords
Product pages for transactional terms
C. Create a content calendar
Prioritise your keyword targets based on:
Business goals
Seasonal relevance
Difficulty (start with quick wins)
Content resources available
💡 Quick tip: Use a spreadsheet or a Notion board to track your keyword groups, assigned content types, and publication schedule.
8. Monitor and refine (The never-ending story)
Keyword research isn't a one-and-done task. It's an ongoing process that requires regular attention:
Track your rankings for targeted keywords
Monitor changes in search volume and competition
Keep an eye on emerging keywords in your niche
Analyse what's working and what's not
💡 Quick tip: Schedule a quarterly keyword review to assess performance and identify new opportunities.
Keyword research tips and best practices for 2025
That keyword research you just did? It's a solid foundation, not the finished masterpiece. Want to transform from keyword amateur to keyword genius? These next-level tips and tricks are what separate the SEO dabblers from the traffic-magnetising pros. ⬇️
Stay on top of keyword trends
Google Trends
Monitor seasonal fluctuations Track how your keywords perform throughout the year to identify seasonal patterns. Create a content calendar that aligns with these fluctuations, publishing seasonal content 2-3 months before peak search periods to allow time for indexing and ranking.
Set up keyword alerts Use tools like Google Trends or dedicated SEO platforms to receive notifications about emerging keywords in your industry. Being early to capitalise on trending terms can give you a significant advantage.
Analyse SERP features Different keywords trigger different SERP features (featured snippets, image carousels, knowledge panels). Identify which of your target keywords generate these features and optimise your content specifically to capture these positions.
Refine your research process
Use Boolean operators Enhance your keyword discovery by using Boolean operators in your research. Combine terms with "AND," "OR," and "NOT" to find more specific keyword combinations that your competitors might miss.
Create customer journey maps Align your keywords with specific stages of the customer journey. Categorise them as awareness, consideration, decision, and retention keywords, then create targeted content for each stage.
Analyse keyword difficulty holistically Don't rely solely on tool-provided difficulty scores. Manually review the top-ranking pages for your target keywords to assess content quality, domain authority, and backlink profiles for a more accurate picture of competitiveness.
Focus on relevance and value
Prioritise keyword relevance over volume A highly relevant keyword with 100 monthly searches from your target audience is far more valuable than a loosely related keyword with 1,000 searches from general browsers. Always prioritise relevance.
Group keywords by searcher intent Beyond the basic intent categories (informational, navigational, commercial, transactional), create more nuanced groupings based on specific user needs and questions to better tailor your content.
Consider content feasibility Before finalising your keyword targets, assess whether you can realistically create the best content for that term. If you can't provide genuine value or a unique perspective, consider choosing different keywords where you can truly excel.
Look beyond the obvious
Mine your customer support interactions Analyse customer questions, support tickets, and chat logs to discover the exact language your customers use when describing their problems—these are goldmine sources for long-tail keywords.
Explore international opportunities If applicable to your business, research keywords in different languages or regions. Sometimes, you'll find much less competition for valuable keywords in international markets.
Target featured snippet opportunities Identify keywords that currently show featured snippets and analyse the format (paragraph, list, table). Then create more comprehensive, better-structured content specifically designed to capture these positions.
Avoid these common SEO keyword research mistakes
Even seasoned SEO professionals make these blunders. Don't let them derail your efforts ⬇️
Focusing exclusively on search volume
High-volume keywords are tempting, but they're often too competitive for most businesses to rank for, especially if you're just starting out. A balanced approach that considers search intent and competition is far more effective.
Ignoring search intent
Creating content that doesn't match the user's search intent is like opening a pizza shop in a vegan neighborhood. You might get the occasional customer, but you're fundamentally misaligned with what people want.
Targeting too many keywords at once
Quality trumps quantity every time. It's better to thoroughly optimize for a handful of valuable keywords than to spread yourself thin across dozens of terms.
Neglecting local search terms
If you serve a specific geographic area, local keywords are pure gold. "Sourdough bread Brighton" might have lower volume than "sourdough bread," but it's exponentially more valuable for a Brighton-based bakery.
Forgetting about seasonality
Many keywords have significant seasonal fluctuations. "Christmas sourdough recipes" will spike in December but virtually disappear in July. Plan your content calendar accordingly.
The bottom line
The process I've outlined above isn't a one-time task – it's an ongoing cycle of research, creation, analysis, and refinement. But when done right, it creates a foundation for sustainable organic growth that connects you with exactly the right people at exactly the right time.
Need help finding your perfect balance of keyword strategy and brand voice? Let's chat about developing an SEO content approach for your brand.
Sources:
BrightEdge: "Organic Search Improves Lead Generation Quality" (2023)
Ahrefs: "Keyword Research: The Definitive Guide" (2024)
Semrush: "Search Intent and SEO: A Complete Guide" (2024)
Backlinko: "Long Tail Keywords: How to Find & Use Them" (2025)
Frequently asked questions about keyword research
Still have questions about keyword research? I've got answers to the most common questions:
How long does keyword research take?
The time required for thorough keyword research varies depending on your niche, goals, and the scope of your project. For a small website or single content campaign, expect to spend 3-5 hours on initial research. For larger websites or comprehensive content strategies, it could take several days to identify and analyse all relevant keywords. Remember, keyword research isn't a one-time task—it requires regular updates as search trends evolve.
How many keywords should I target per page?
While there's no magic number, most SEO experts recommend focusing on one primary keyword and 2-5 closely related secondary keywords per page. Targeting too many unrelated keywords on a single page can dilute your content's focus and reduce its effectiveness. Instead, create separate, highly-focused pages for different keyword clusters.
Are keywords still important for SEO in 2025?
Absolutely. Despite Google's sophisticated algorithms and AI advancements, keywords remain fundamental to SEO. However, the approach has evolved. Rather than focusing on exact keyword matches and density, modern keyword research emphasises topical relevance, search intent, and creating comprehensive content that naturally incorporates semantic keywords and related terms.
What's the difference between short-tail and long-tail keywords?
Short-tail keywords (also called head terms) are typically 1-2 words long with high search volume and high competition, like "keyword research" or "SEO tips." Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases (usually 3+ words) with lower search volume but higher conversion potential, such as "how to do keyword research for beginners" or "best free keyword research tools for small businesses."
How often should I update my keyword research?
For most businesses, reviewing your keyword strategy quarterly is sufficient. However, if you're in a rapidly changing industry, more frequent updates may be necessary. Watch for shifts in search volumes, new trending keywords, and changes in your keyword rankings. Also, revisit your research whenever you launch new products or services, enter new markets, or notice significant changes in your traffic patterns.# The full, step-by-step guide to keyword research
