The Ultimate Guide to Keyword Research for SEO

In this comprehensive guide to keyword research for SEO, we’ll delve into the significance of keyword research and its role in optimizing content for search engines. 

We will explore why keyword research is essential, how to do it effectively, and its purpose in the evolving landscape of SEO, transitioning from individual keywords to broader topics.

1. What is Keyword Research?

It is the process of identifying and analyzing specific words and phrases (keywords) that people use when searching for information, products, or services on search engines like Google. 

In the realm of SEO, keyword research is the foundation of content optimization and marketing strategies.

It plays an important role in SEO as it helps you understand the language your target audience uses when searching online. 

By identifying the right keywords, you can tailor your content to match their search intent, increasing your chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

2. Types of keywords

Keywords are terms that users type into their search engines.

There are two types of keywords:

• short-tailed keywords and
• long-tailed keywords.

The difference between them is that short-tailed keywords are generic terms.

On the other hand, long-tailed keywords are far more specific. These are most often words that describe in detail a concept or subject.

So an example of a short-tailed keyword can be “lighting” and a long-tailed version derived from it can be “living room lighting ideas“.

It only makes sense that there are far more search results for short-tailed keywords and therefore, it is significantly harder to rank for them on top of search pages.

When making an SEO strategy, long-tailed keywords are the first on the list. But, don’t be discouraged to try and rank for short-tailed keywords. Taking a little share of that traffic is still traffic you get.

Our advice is to have a good combo of both.

3. Purpose of Keyword Research in Content and Marketing Strategies

Keyword research serves 3 primary purposes in content and marketing strategies:

• Content Optimization: By incorporating relevant keywords into your content, you can make it more discoverable to search engines. This leads to increased organic traffic and better visibility.
• Market Insight: Keyword research allows you to understand the evolving trends and preferences of your target audience. This data is invaluable for crafting marketing campaigns and product development.
• Higher Return On Investment (ROI): Lastly, keyword research enables you to allocate your resources more efficiently, making your marketing efforts cost-effective. By focusing on high-impact keywords that attract the most traffic and conversions, you can achieve better returns on your investments.

4. Keywords vs. Topics in SEO

In the evolving landscape of SEO, there has been a significant shift from a narrow focus on individual keywords to a broader emphasis on topics. 

This shift is driven by a user-centric approach that aims to provide comprehensive, valuable content that aligns with user intent.

Let’s illustrate this through an example.

Let’s say you have a website about home decor, and you want to create content around the topic of “living room lighting.”

Keyword approach:

Short-tailed keyword: “Lighting”

Long-tailed keyword: “Living room lighting ideas”

Topic approach:

Topic: “Living room lighting”

Subtopics:

“Best floor lamps for a cozy living room”

“Choosing the right ceiling lights for your living space”

“How to use table lamps effectively in your living room decor”

In the keyword approach, you might focus on optimizing individual pages for specific keywords like “lighting” or “living room lighting ideas.” 

However, in the topic-based approach, you create a comprehensive guide or series of articles covering various aspects related to living room lighting.

This way, you’re not just targeting specific keywords; you’re providing a holistic resource that addresses multiple facets of the topic. 

It aligns better with user intent, as someone searching for “living room lighting” may be interested in various lighting options and tips for enhancing their living space.

5. Elements of Keyword Research

Keyword research consists of three key elements:

• Relevance
• Authority
• Search Volume

RELEVANCE is the foundation of effective keyword research. It means that the keywords you choose should be closely connected to the content you’re planning to create and the interests of your target audience. 

Think of keywords as the words your audience would type into a search engine to find information or solutions related to your topic. 

If your keywords aren’t relevant, your content won’t appear in front of the right people. 

For example, if you’re writing about healthy recipes, keywords like “low-fat dinner ideas” or “nutritious meal plans” would be relevant because they match the topic and what your audience is looking for.

AUTHORITY refers to the competitiveness of a keyword and your ability to rank for it. 

It’s like assessing the difficulty level of a video game. Some keywords are highly competitive, meaning lots of websites are trying to rank for them. 

Others are less competitive and easier to target. As a beginner, it’s often a good idea to focus on keywords with lower competition, but don’t shy away from the competitive ones too. The trick is to find the right balance.

Keyword research tools can help you assess the authority and competitiveness of keywords, making it easier for you to choose the right ones for your content.

But take this info with a grain of salt. It is truly difficult to know the authority of a website and the tools just give an approximation, not the exact information. 

SEARCH VOLUME tells you how popular a keyword is among people using search engines. 

It’s like knowing how many people are interested in a particular topic. 

Keywords with high search volume are searched for frequently, which means they have the potential to bring a lot of traffic to your website. 

However, keep in mind that very competitive keywords may also have high search volumes. They are very often short-tailed keywords.

On the other hand, keywords with lower search volumes are less popular but often less competitive. Those are often long-tailed keywords.

Keyword research tools can provide data on search volumes, helping you make informed decisions.

Most important of all, many feel that because of strong competition, you shouldn’t target short-tailed keywords. But this is a mistake that causes traffic loss.

You should target both, short-tailed keywords with high traffic and competition and long-tailed keywords with low traffic and competition. 

Even if you take a small piece of traffic from the high-competition keywords is better than no traffic at all. 

Further on in this blog post, we will talk about the best keyword research tools.

6. How to Research Keywords for Your SEO Strategy in 5 Steps

By following these 5 steps, you’ll systematically build a comprehensive list of keywords that align with your content goals, cater to user intent, and offer valuable information to your audience. 

This strategic approach to keyword research is the foundation for creating content that not only ranks well in search results but also resonates with your target audience.

6.1. Create a List of Important Topics

Start by brainstorming and listing down the most critical topics that are relevant to your business, industry, or the content you want to create. 

These topics should serve as the foundation for your keyword research. 

For instance, if you run a fitness blog, your topics could include “nutrition,” “weight loss,” “strength training,” and “cardio workouts.”

6.2. Populate Categories with Keywords

Once you have your list of important topics, it’s time to expand each topic by generating a list of keywords associated with it. 

Think of these keywords as subtopics or specific aspects of your main topics. 

For “nutrition,” relevant keywords might include “balanced diet,” “meal planning,” “protein sources,” and “calorie counting.”

6.3. Understand User Intent

Each keyword has an underlying user intent. In other words, why are people searching for that specific keyword? 

It’s crucial to consider this intent and ensure that your content aligns with it. 

For example, if the keyword is “high-protein diet,” the user may want to find information about how to follow such a diet. Your content should provide the relevant information to satisfy that intent.

6.4. Research Related Search Terms

To capture a broader audience and address various aspects of your topics, it’s essential to explore related search terms and questions. 

These can often lead to valuable content ideas. 

For instance, if your main topic is “cardio workouts,” related search terms might include “best cardio exercises,” “cardio for weight loss,” and “cardio workout routines.”

6.5. Utilize Keyword Research Tools

Keyword research tools are invaluable for gathering data, assessing competition, and discovering new keyword opportunities. 

They provide insights into factors like search volume, keyword difficulty, and related keyword suggestions. 

Remember these are only insights and the data may vary from one keyword research tool to another.

Tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz Keyword Explorer can help you refine your list of keywords and make informed decisions about which ones to target. 

Further on in the text, there will be more talk about these tools.

7. How to Find Keyword Ideas For Your Business

There are different ways of going about this. We are sure there are many other strategies, some can be even better, but so far, this method proved to be very effective in practice. 

This is our guide on how to find keywords ideal for your business by using many keyword planner tools.

7.1. ChatGTP and Keyword Research

With the emergence of AI, the Chat GTP has proven to be an amazing tool for finding keywords and related keywords for SEO strategy for your business.

This is a short guide to searching for keywords using ChatGPT:

• Access a ChatGPT interface or platform.
• Initiate a conversation and specify your niche or topic.
• Request keyword suggestions by asking questions like, “Can you suggest keywords for [your topic]?”
• Engage in a conversation to refine suggestions.
• Evaluate and save relevant keywords.
• Double-check the quality and relevance of keywords.

ChatGPT can be a valuable starting point for your research, but it should be supplemented with human analysis and other SEO tools for the best results.

7.2. Google Suggest and YouTube Suggest

When you type a term into Google before you press enter, you will see some suggestions. These are Google’s suggestions and we get them from the search engine itself, which makes them valid data.

Here’s an example: We typed in ‘search engine optimization’ into Google and got the following results:

So, what people are looking up are techniques, examples, courses, and SEO in digital marketing. These are very useful and are worth marking down.

YouTube keyword research quick tip:

If you make YouTube videos and want to optimize them, then you will need to look at the YouTube search engine suggestions. We get them the same way:

The difference between the two searches is obvious. This one contains the word tutorial, which is something YouTube is known for.

7.3. Google – Related Keywords

At the bottom of the search page, Google displays several searches related to the phrase that is getting looked up:

This gives us knowledge of new keywords, like techniques, uses, examples, and courses, so add them to your keyword list.

If you need more keywords, you can click some of these results, and click the next set of results. This will provide you with more than enough keywords.

Here’s a tip: There’s a tool called Soovle, which can give you suggestions of many search engines at once, such as Wikipedia, answers.com, Bing, and so on.

7.4. Reddit Keyword Research

Reddit is a great way of finding new topics to write about and for finding quality content as well. You can find a ton of questions to which you can give answers in your blog posts.

You can see that the SEO subreddit is very popular, with over 245.000 members. If you click it, you’ll see many interesting posts:

The first two posts are something you can write about. They would be interesting topics for the community. 

7.5. Quora Keyword Research

Quora also represents a very popular platform that deals with every kind of question.

And here, every frequently asked question can be regarded as a long-tail keyword.

To find the most popular questions for a specific niche you have to find the topic page on Quora. Then you type in your main keyword and select the wanted result.

When you get to the topic page, in the right panel, you’ll see a list of related topics that can help you explore the niche more.

It’s impossible to rank the questions by popularity on Quora, but you can select “Questions” on the right side of the interface.

A list of all the questions that are related to the topic will show up. You can go through them and find the ones with the highest number of followers/answers.

That will guide you to the popular topics within your niche.

7.6. How to Find Keywords Through Forums

Forums are quite useful when it comes to finding all sorts of information related to a topic, but also questions and keyword research.

If you type ‘keyword + forum’ into Google, it will display a ton of useful stuff. You’ll get different forums related to the topic of interest that contain plenty of questions, answers, as well as keywords.

Here are the results for my ‘search engine optimization + forum’ search:

If you click any of the links, you’ll get new keywords related to the term.

Forums are a great way of getting to know your target audience, what they like and dislike, and everything related to your topic.

This way, you’re not only getting keywords but also quality content, which, in the end, is the most important thing of all.

7.7. SEMrush

SEMrush offers a unique approach to keyword research. Instead of generating keyword ideas from scratch, it shows you the keywords your competitors are already ranking for, often revealing unconventional, high-value options.

Here’s how it works:

1. Input a competitor’s domain in the search bar.
2. Explore the “Organic Research” section, which provides insights on the keywords your competitor ranks for, estimated monthly visitors, and the value of their traffic.
3. Discover your competitor’s top-ranking keywords. You can access a comprehensive list by clicking “View all [number] organic keywords.”
4. Identify your competitor’s first-page competitors, which can lead to more keyword ideas.
5. If you prefer to start with a keyword, Semrush offers a “Phrase match report” with long-tail keyword suggestions related to your query.

One standout feature is the “Keyword Magic Tool,” which taps into Semrush’s vast database of over 21 billion terms, making it a valuable resource for keyword research.

While Semrush may not be the most budget-friendly option, it’s a top choice for serious SEO professionals seeking to uncover competitive keywords and gain a competitive edge.

7.8. Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest, a widely used keyword research tool, offers numerous benefits for SEO experts. 

It provides an extensive list of related keywords and their search volumes. Users can export these keywords as a CSV spreadsheet, and the tool is free to use.

To use Ubersuggest, simply enter a keyword, select the language, and hit enter. 

The tool displays a wealth of data, including paid difficulty (PD), SEO difficulty (SD), search volume, and cost-per-click (CPC) for each keyword. It also offers insights into the top-ranked links for the keyword.

Ubersuggest features additional tabs for related keywords, questions, prepositions, and comparisons. You can export all this data in CSV format.

Furthermore, it can be used for domain analysis, revealing keywords associated with a specific website.

7.9. Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is a top choice for PPC keyword research, especially for paid keyword campaigns.

Here’s an overview of its pros and cons:

Pros:

1. Completely Free: Google Keyword Planner is entirely free, even if you don’t use Google Ads, eliminating concerns about limitations or costly upgrades.
2. Helpful Forecasting: It offers forecasting features that aid in budgeting, particularly valuable for Google Ads users.
3. Website-Specific Suggestions: The tool can generate keyword suggestions based on your website, enhancing relevancy.

Cons:

Limited for Organic Research: While it excels in PPC research, it’s not as effective for organic keyword research.

Google Keyword Planner provides two key features:

1. Keyword Ideas: Similar to other tools, it generates keyword ideas based on a seed term. It provides data on monthly search volume, trends, competition, ad impression share, and bid ranges. You can filter keywords based on brand or non-brand terms and other criteria.
2. Forecast: This feature is particularly useful for planning paid ad campaigns and budgeting for Google Ads users.

Moreover, it can indirectly benefit your organic strategy by highlighting areas where organic ranking may reduce PPC costs.

Pricing: It is free, making it accessible to all users.

Google Keyword Planner is an excellent choice for PPC keyword research due to its cost-effective nature and valuable features, although it’s less suited for organic keyword research.

7.10. Google Search Console – Underappreciated Free Keyword Research Tool

Google Search Console is a unique keyword research resource, often overlooked.

While not a conventional keyword tool, its Performance Report feature simplifies the discovery of valuable keywords.

Here’s how it works:

1. The Performance Report reveals your site’s most clicked pages from Google search results, along with the specific keywords that drive traffic to them.
2. Use this data to identify “Opportunity Keywords,” where your site ranks between positions #8 to #20 on Google.
3. With some on-page SEO improvements, you can boost your rankings for these Opportunity Keywords. For example, if your average ranking for the keyword “SEO tool” is 6.2, optimizing your page for this keyword should result in improved rankings.

A standout feature is the integration of Google Search Console with Google Analytics. Combining these accounts provides more comprehensive keyword data than using either tool individually.

Google Search Console is an underappreciated gem for finding Opportunity Keywords, offering a unique advantage for SEO optimization.

7.11. Ahrefs –Premium Tool for Keyword Research

We saved Ahrefs for last, which is the most popular backlinking tool among SEO experts. It has a Keyword Explorer, which can help in your keyword research.

It is a powerful tool for making informed keyword decisions. Here are the key points:

Benefits:

1. In-Depth Keyword Information: Keywords Explorer provides comprehensive data for each keyword, going beyond search volume. It includes insights into first-page competition and click-through rates.
2. Competitive Analysis: You can assess the competition on the first page, helping you understand the SEO landscape for your chosen keyword.
3. Click-Through Rate Data: It offers valuable information on how many searchers actually click on search results, aiding in prioritizing keywords.

Favorite Feature: Keyword Difficulty

A standout feature is the precise measurement of keyword difficulty. Instead of vague difficulty assessments, Ahrefs tells you the exact number of backlinks required to rank on the first page of Google.

In summary, while Ahrefs is well-known for backlink analysis, it also offers a formidable keyword research tool. Its accuracy in assessing keyword difficulty and providing detailed keyword insights make it a compelling choice for keyword research.

8. Best Keywords for SEO

There are no universally “best” keywords.

The best keywords are those highly relevant to your target audience and aligned with your content. 

Prioritize keywords based on relevance, authority, and search volume.

9. What follows keyword research?

We finished our keyword research and got a long list, which includes short-tailed keywords, long-tailed keywords, questions, and related keywords. So, what’s next?

After we gather enough keywords related to a topic, the writing follows.

Keep in mind your SEO strategy and all relevant On-page SEO factors to start writing quality content.

What’s most important is that your post does have some value.

It is crucial that, after reading your text, the reader learns something. Make sure that your text is as quality as it can be.

10. Conclusion

In this guide, we’ve explored the importance of keyword research in SEO, its purpose, and the steps to do it effectively. 

Keyword research not only enhances your content but also provides valuable insights into your target audience. 

As the SEO landscape continues to evolve, adapting your strategies to focus on topics and user intent is essential. 

We encourage you to embark on your keyword research journey to boost your online presence and achieve your SEO goals.