Are you struggling to get your website noticed in search results? The secret isn’t just creating great content—it’s finding the right keywords that your potential customers are actually searching for. Keywords are like a bridge between what people are looking for and the content you provide.
Many business owners make the mistake of guessing what keywords to target or choosing words that sound good but nobody actually searches for. Others pick keywords that are so competitive that a new website has no chance of ranking for them. The result? Months of effort with little to show for it.
Finding the right keywords is both an art and a science. It requires understanding your audience, knowing how to use research tools, and making smart strategic choices about which keywords to target first. When done correctly, keyword research becomes the foundation of a successful SEO strategy that drives real traffic and customers to your business.
In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn a step-by-step process for finding keywords that can actually help your business grow. We’ll cover everything from understanding your audience to using both free and paid tools, analyzing the competition, and creating a keyword strategy that works.
Understanding Your Audience and Business Goals
Before you start looking for keywords, you need to understand who you’re trying to reach and what you want to achieve. This foundation makes everything else easier and more effective.
Know Your Ideal Customer
Think about your perfect customer. What problems do they have? What questions do they ask? How do they talk about their challenges? The words they use in real life are often the same words they type into search engines.
For example, if you’re a fitness trainer, your customers might search for “how to lose belly fat” rather than “abdominal fat reduction techniques.” They use everyday language, not technical terms.
Understand the Customer Journey
People search for different things depending on where they are in their buying process. Someone just learning about a problem searches differently than someone ready to buy a solution.
Early Stage Searches: “Why am I always tired?” or “What causes fatigue?”
Middle Stage Searches: “Best ways to increase energy naturally”
Late Stage Searches: “Energy supplements near me” or “buy vitamin B12 online”
Understanding this journey helps you create content for people at every stage.
Define Your Business Goals
Are you trying to get more local customers? Sell products online? Build brand awareness? Your goals should guide your keyword choices.
If you want local customers, you’ll focus on keywords with location terms. If you’re selling products online, you’ll target buying-related keywords. If you’re building awareness, you might focus on informational keywords.
Start with Seed Keywords
Seed keywords are the basic terms related to your business. These are broad words that describe what you do. For a bakery, seed keywords might be “bread,” “cakes,” “pastries,” and “wedding cakes.”
These seed keywords become the starting point for finding more specific, valuable keywords that you can actually rank for.
Free Keyword Research Tools
You don’t need expensive tools to start finding good keywords. Several free tools can give you valuable insights into what people are searching for.
Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner is free and comes directly from Google, so the data is reliable. Originally designed for advertisers, it’s still useful for SEO.
To use it, you’ll need a Google Ads account (which is free to create). Enter your seed keywords, and it will show you related keywords, search volumes, and competition levels.
The tool shows you average monthly searches, but remember these numbers are ranges, not exact figures. It also shows seasonal trends, which can help you plan content timing.
Google Search Console
If you already have a website, Google Search Console shows you which keywords people are using to find your site. This is incredibly valuable because it shows real data about your current performance.
Look for keywords where you’re ranking on page 2 or 3. These are opportunities where small improvements might get you to page 1. Also look for keywords with high impressions but low clicks—these might need better titles or descriptions.
Google Trends
Google Trends shows you how search interest for keywords changes over time. This helps you understand if a keyword is growing, declining, or seasonal.
You can compare different keywords to see which ones are more popular. You can also see related queries that are trending upward, which might be good opportunities.
AnswerThePublic
This free tool shows you questions people ask about your topics. Enter a keyword, and it creates a visual map of questions, prepositions, and comparisons.
This is perfect for finding long-tail keywords and content ideas. If people are asking “How to bake bread without yeast,” that’s a specific keyword you can target with helpful content.
Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest offers limited free searches per day. It shows keyword ideas, search volumes, competition levels, and even content ideas based on what’s currently ranking.
The free version gives you enough data to get started, and you can always upgrade later if you need more features.
Paid Keyword Research Tools
While free tools are great for getting started, paid tools offer more detailed data and advanced features that can give you a competitive advantage.
SEMrush
SEMrush is like having a complete SEO toolkit. For keyword research, it excels at showing you what keywords your competitors are ranking for. You can enter a competitor’s website and see their top keywords, which gives you ideas for your own strategy.
It also shows keyword difficulty scores, which help you understand how hard it would be to rank for specific terms. The tool provides detailed SERP analysis, showing you exactly what type of content is ranking for each keyword.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs has one of the largest keyword databases available. Its Keyword Explorer tool shows search volumes, keyword difficulty, and click-through rates. It also shows you how many clicks the top-ranking pages actually get, which is more useful than just search volume.
The tool excels at finding long-tail keyword opportunities and showing you the complete keyword landscape for any topic.
KWFinder
KWFinder focuses specifically on finding long-tail keywords with low competition. It’s particularly good for new websites that need to start with easier keywords before tackling more competitive terms.
The interface is user-friendly, and it provides clear difficulty scores that help you make smart keyword choices.
Moz Keyword Explorer
Moz provides keyword suggestions along with difficulty scores and opportunity ratings. It also shows you the SERP features (like featured snippets) that appear for each keyword, helping you understand what type of content you need to create.
Understanding Keyword Metrics
Once you start researching keywords, you’ll see various metrics. Understanding what these numbers mean helps you make better decisions.
Search Volume
This shows how many people search for a keyword each month. Higher numbers mean more potential traffic, but they also usually mean more competition.
Don’t just chase high-volume keywords. A keyword with 1,000 monthly searches that’s highly relevant to your business is often better than a keyword with 10,000 searches that’s only loosely related.
Keyword Difficulty
This metric estimates how hard it would be to rank on the first page for a keyword. It’s usually shown as a number from 0-100, with higher numbers meaning more difficulty.
As a general rule, new websites should focus on keywords with difficulty scores under 30. As your site gains authority, you can target more competitive terms.
Search Intent
This is the most important metric, even though it’s not always shown as a number. Search intent is what the person is actually trying to accomplish with their search.
Informational Intent: Looking for information (“how to change a tire”)
Navigational Intent: Looking for a specific website (“Facebook login”)
Commercial Intent: Researching before buying (“best laptops 2024”)
Transactional Intent: Ready to buy (“buy iPhone 15 online”)
Match your content to the search intent. If someone is searching for information, don’t try to sell them something immediately.
Cost Per Click (CPC)
Even if you’re not running ads, CPC data is useful because it indicates commercial value. Keywords with higher CPCs usually mean there’s money to be made from that traffic.
Finding Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that usually have lower search volume but higher conversion rates. They’re often easier to rank for and attract more qualified traffic.
Why Long-Tail Keywords Matter
Instead of trying to rank for “shoes” (extremely competitive), you might target “comfortable running shoes for flat feet” (much more specific and achievable).
Long-tail keywords often have clearer intent. Someone searching for “comfortable running shoes for flat feet” knows exactly what they want and is more likely to buy if you have what they’re looking for.
How to Find Long-Tail Keywords
Start with your seed keywords and use tools to find longer variations. Look at the “People also ask” section in Google search results. Check the related searches at the bottom of search results pages.
Use your customer service data. What questions do customers ask? What specific problems do they mention? These real-world phrases often make great long-tail keywords.
The Power of Question Keywords
Many long-tail keywords are questions. People increasingly search by asking complete questions, especially with voice search growing.
Target questions like “How do I fix a leaky faucet?” or “What’s the best way to train a puppy?” These often have less competition and clear intent.
Analyzing Your Competition
Understanding what keywords your competitors are targeting helps you find opportunities and avoid impossible battles.
Identify Your Real Competitors
Your SEO competitors might be different from your business competitors. Look at who’s ranking for the keywords you want to target. These are your SEO competitors.
Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to enter your competitors’ websites and see what keywords they’re ranking for. This gives you a list of proven keywords in your industry.
Find Keyword Gaps
Look for keywords your competitors are ranking for that you’re not targeting yet. These represent opportunities for you to create content and compete for those rankings.
Also look for keywords where your competitors are ranking poorly. If they’re on page 2 or 3, you might be able to create better content and outrank them.
Analyze Their Content
Don’t just look at what keywords they’re targeting—look at what type of content is ranking. Are they using blog posts, product pages, or comprehensive guides?
Understanding the content format that works for each keyword helps you create the right type of content for your target keywords.
Learn from Their Success
If a competitor is ranking well for a keyword, analyze their page to understand why. Look at their content length, structure, use of images, and how they address the search intent.
You’re not copying their content—you’re learning what makes content successful for that keyword so you can create something even better.
Creating Your Keyword Strategy
Once you’ve researched keywords, you need to organize them into a strategic plan that guides your content creation and optimization efforts.
Group Keywords by Topic
Instead of targeting individual keywords, group related keywords into topic clusters. This helps you create comprehensive content that can rank for multiple related terms.
For example, a topic cluster around “home gardening” might include keywords like “how to start a garden,” “best vegetables for beginners,” “garden soil preparation,” and “when to plant vegetables.”
Prioritize Based on Opportunity
Not all keywords are equally valuable for your business. Prioritize based on:
- Relevance to your business goals
- Search volume potential
- Competition level
- Commercial intent
- Your ability to create great content for that topic
Map Keywords to Content Types
Different keywords need different types of content:
- Informational keywords work well for blog posts and guides
- Commercial keywords might need comparison pages or product reviews
- Transactional keywords need optimized product or service pages
- Local keywords need location-specific content
Plan Your Content Calendar
Turn your keyword research into a content calendar. Plan when you’ll create content for each target keyword, considering factors like seasonality, business priorities, and content creation capacity.
Track and Measure Results
Set up tracking to monitor how your targeted keywords are performing. Use Google Search Console to see your rankings, impressions, and clicks for each keyword.
Regularly review and adjust your strategy based on what’s working and what isn’t. SEO is an ongoing process, not a one-time task.
Conclusion
Finding the right keywords for SEO is the foundation of any successful search engine optimization strategy. It starts with understanding your audience and business goals, then using the right combination of free and paid tools to discover opportunities.
The key is focusing on keywords that match your audience’s search intent while being realistic about your ability to compete. Long-tail keywords often provide the best opportunities for new websites, offering less competition and more qualified traffic.
Remember that keyword research isn’t a one-time activity. Search trends change, new competitors emerge, and your business evolves. Regularly revisiting and updating your keyword strategy ensures you stay competitive and continue attracting the right visitors to your website.
The most successful SEO strategies combine thorough keyword research with high-quality content that genuinely helps people. When you target the right keywords with valuable content, you create a foundation for long-term SEO success that drives real business results.
FAQ’s
How to pick the right keywords for SEO?
Pick keywords by understanding your audience’s search intent, analyzing search volume and competition levels, focusing on long-tail keywords for easier ranking, studying competitor keywords, and matching keywords to your business goals. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find relevant terms. Prioritize keywords with good search volume, low competition, and high relevance to your content.
How can I find keywords for SEO?
Find keywords using Google Keyword Planner, Google Search Console, AnswerThePublic, and Ubersuggest for free options. Paid tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs offer advanced features. Start with seed keywords related to your business, analyze competitor websites, check “People also ask” sections, use autocomplete suggestions, and review customer questions for natural keyword ideas.
Which keyword is best for SEO?
The best keywords have moderate search volume, low competition, high relevance to your business, and clear search intent. Long-tail keywords like “best running shoes for flat feet” often work better than broad terms like “shoes.” Focus on keywords your target audience actually uses and that match your content’s purpose and expertise.
What are the 9 types of keywords in SEO?
The main keyword types are: Short-tail (1-2 words), Long-tail (3+ words), Informational (seeking knowledge), Navigational (finding specific sites), Commercial (researching purchases), Transactional (ready to buy), Local (location-based), Branded (company names), and LSI (semantically related terms). Each serves different search intents and user needs.
What is a slug for SEO?
A slug is the URL-friendly version of a page title that appears in your website’s web address. For example, “how-to-find-keywords” in “website.com/how-to-find-keywords.” Good slugs are short, descriptive, include target keywords, use hyphens between words, and avoid special characters. They help search engines understand page content and improve user experience.
