How to Do Keyword Research for SEO
The use of keywords is the basis of successful SEO. Even if you create great content, you won't attract search engine traffic if your content doesn't match what users are looking for. This is why understanding how to do proper keyword research is essential to achieving SEO success.
Let's be clear: choosing the right keywords is not a mystical science, but it is necessary to understand some key principles that will influence the success of your strategy.
You can learn most of these basics in about 20 minutes. However, it is important to be aware of common mistakes and misunderstandings that can lead to poor keyword decisions.
For example, you can choose keywords that are too broad or that have a low search volume, which means that your efforts will be wasted. Imagine that you manage an online store and target a keyword with low search demand: even with high-quality content, your chances of reaching your audience will be slim. That's why it is essential to choose keywords with the right search volume that match your target audience.
So how can we avoid these mistakes? The answer lies in understanding how to choose the right keywords based on several factors, such as search volume, competition, and search intent. By following these practices, you can optimize your search results and effectively attract a more targeted audience.
Let’s dive into the basics of keyword research and discover the best tips to help you improve your content and achieve SEO success.
Content
Keyword Research Fundamentals
Introduction to Keyword Research
How to Generate Keyword Ideas
How to Analyze Keywords
Keyword Targeting Strategies
How to Prioritize Keywords
Best Tools for Keyword Research
Keyword Research Fundamentals
An Introduction to the Art of Keyword Research
What is keyword research?
Why is keyword research essential to success?
How does keyword research transform your website's performance?
A Clearer Picture with Smart Keyword Research
How to identify your seed keywords
If you already have a clear idea about your business or products, finding your seed keywords becomes a simple and effective task. Just think about what potential customers might type into Google to find out what you have to offer.
Let's take the example of a hamburger restaurant. Your seed keywords could include terms like homemade burger, cheeseburger recipe, or even the best veggie burger.
Imagine a customer searching for a gourmet burger. They can ask questions like bacon burger recipes or special burger sauce. These general terms serve as a starting point for refining and expanding your SEO strategy.
Keywords
Seed keywords are only the first step. They serve as a basis for discovering more specific and targeted terms. Don't worry too much about perfection at this point. A handful of well-chosen ideas is enough to get you going.
Once you have identified your seed keywords, you can start exploring and expanding on them to reach a wider audience while remaining relevant to your niche. This is how a simple idea can evolve into a powerful content strategy!
Smart Keyword Research: Analyzing Your Competitors
To speed up your keyword research process, looking at keywords that are already driving traffic to your competitors' websites can be a very effective strategy. But how to identify these competitors?
Step 1: Identify your competitors
Start with your initial list of keywords. Search for one of these keywords in the search engines and see which one ranks first. If the pages that appear have similar goals or target markets to your website, they are probably your competitors. However, if the first results don't match your business, you may need to refine your search with more specific keywords.
Practical example: Office supplies sales
Imagine that you have a store that sells office supplies. Searching for keywords like "office supplies" can lead to online stores similar to yours. However, if you search for more specific terms like "innovative office supplies" or "office accessories". Modern", you can find websites that specialize in these types of products. This helps you identify keywords that will attract your ideal customers.
Step 2: Analyze competitor websites
Once you have identified a major competitor, use competitive analysis tools such as Ahrefs or similar platforms. Enter the competitor's website URL to analyze which keywords are driving the most traffic to their site and which sites are performing the best. This will give you valuable information about keywords for your website.
Step 3: Expand Your Keyword List
Repeat the process with some of your competitors. Collect as many relevant keyword ideas as possible, whether they are informational (like blog posts) or commercial (like product pages). The goal of this step is to compile a solid list of potential keywords.
Step 4: Use Advanced Reports
If you already have an established website, you may find that you have already covered many of your competitors’ keywords. In this case, use tools like the Content Gap report to identify keywords that your competitors are ranking for, but that you haven’t yet targeted.
The Final Tip
Don’t underestimate the value of competitive analysis. It’s not just about understanding the market; it’s about making informed decisions about which keywords to target and optimizing your SEO strategy.
By following this approach, you will be able to create a powerful keyword list that will support your SEO success and increase your chances of outperforming your competitors.
Use keyword research tools.
Competitors can be a great source of keyword ideas. However, there are probably many keywords that your competitors are not yet targeting. You can find out with various keyword research tools.
Keyword research tools generally work the same way: you enter an initial keyword and it generates keyword ideas based on that keyword.
Google Keyword Planner (GKP) is one of the most popular tools. It’s free, and while it’s primarily designed for Google ad campaigns, you can also use it to find keywords for SEO purposes.
Here are some keyword ideas that GKP can suggest for the keyword “phones”:
Smartphones
Cell phones
Phone Accessories
Cordless phones
It’s important to note that keywords may not be automatically generated. For example, the term “phone accessories” may not be obvious to everyone, but it’s closely related to phones, making it a useful keyword.
When you find an interesting keyword, use it as a new starting point for further research and see what other ideas you can get from it.
In addition to Google Keyword Planner, there are many other free keyword research tools. They are very useful if you are just starting, but they can be limited in terms of data and functionality.
If you decide to take your research to the next level, you may want to consider using professional tools.
These provide a large amount of data and features that allow you to refine your searches more effectively.
How to Effectively Analyze Keywords for SEO Success
In the world of search engine optimization (SEO), success depends on a thorough understanding of keywords. If you use keyword research tools, you will probably come across thousands of potential keywords to target. But how do you choose the best one? After all, analyzing them all by hand would be almost impossible. In this article, we will learn how to analyze keywords and choose the most suitable ones using key metrics.
Search volume: does it count?
When we talk about “search volume,” we mean the number of times a given keyword is searched on a search engine. For example, if you have a keyword like “best smartphones 2024,” you might find that its search volume ranges from tens of thousands to millions per month.
But what does this number mean to you? Does this necessarily indicate heavy traffic? The answer is not that simple. Although these keywords may appear attractive, it is not easy to classify. Have you ever tried to compete for a keyword like "best phones"? You will probably find yourself facing tough competition from the big sites.
So is it better to focus on high volume keywords? Maybe not. Keywords with medium or low search volumes can often be more effective, especially if you are just starting out or if your site has specialized content or targets a niche audience.
Competition: Can I compete for these keywords?
What matters here is the balance between search volume and competition. Some high volume keywords may face high competition. Imagine participating in a competition with hundreds of other participants who are all experts in the field. Does it make sense to target these keywords? Of course not.
It may be better to focus on keywords with the lowest search volume, as the competition will be lighter. These keys, often called long-tail keys, consist of several long terms and specific. You may find that they don't generate many searches per month, but the beauty of these keywords is that they attract a very targeted audience. For example, instead of using the general keyword “phones”, you could target something like “the best budget 5G phones for 2024”.
Business value: will this bring me clients?
What happens if you rank well for a keyword but don’t convert visitors into customers? That’s where the business value comes in. Some keywords may drive traffic to your site, but those visitors may not be interested in what you sell. For example, keywords like “how to build a house” may drive a lot of traffic, but if you sell beauty products, they won’t attract the right audience.
So when choosing keywords, you should also consider the search intent behind the keyword. Are people looking to buy, subscribe, or take action? If so, these keywords may be more useful than others.
Variety of Keyword Discovery Tools and Resources
Do you think tools like Google Keyword Planner are the only way to find keywords? Of course not! Many other tools can provide additional information. Tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Ubersuggest offer in-depth analytics that can help you discover new, sometimes unexpected keywords.
For example, you may discover through keyword analysis tools that some keywords with apparently low search volume may be becoming. Golden opportunities if you aim them right.
Data Analysis and Continuous Monitoring
To ensure the effectiveness of your selected keywords, you should continue to track your results. Have these keywords led to an increase in traffic? Has your conversion rate increased? You may find that some keywords perform better than others.
Analyzing your data with tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console will allow you to better understand your keyword performance in real time. Is it time to adjust your strategy? The answer may be yes if you find that some keywords are not performing as expected.
Keyword analysis is a crucial step towards SEO success and increasing online visibility. Do you have the right tools? Are you choosing the most appropriate keywords for your audience? By focusing on these four key metrics (search volume, competition, business value and tool diversity), you can identify the most influential keywords and achieve measurable SEO results.
Traffic Potential
The search volumes for the two top keywords are very similar in the US, so logically the amount of traffic you can generate by targeting one or the other should be about the same, right?
Well, not exactly.
To make a more accurate comparison, let’s look at the top ranking pages for each of these keywords and see how much search traffic they receive in the US. This can be easily done by copying their URLs into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer tool.
And as you can see, one of these sites actually receives almost five times more search traffic than the other.
How is that possible?
Pages are not ranked on Google based on a single keyword. If you look closely, the top ranking page for “sales page” ranks for 55 keywords (see the “organic keywords” section), while the top ranking page for “submit site to search engines” ranks for 406 different keywords. .
The lesson to be learned is this: no matter what question you think of, people can phrase the same question in different ways while essentially asking the same thing. Google is smart enough to figure this out. That’s why it’s listed on the same page for all of these related questions.
Studies have shown that the top ranking page is also ranked for many other similar keywords. This means that when you estimate the search traffic you will get from the ranking for a particular keyword, you should not rely only on the search volume. For this keyword.
Instead, you should look at the ranking of the page for that keyword and see how much search traffic they receive from all the other variations of that keyword for which they are ranked.
Ahrefs has developed a custom metric for this called "Traffic Potential", which shows how much search traffic the top-ranking page receives for that keyword, taking into account all its variations.
Keyword Difficulty (KD)
SEO professionals generally estimate the Manual difficulty rating for each keyword. This involves analyzing the search results for each keyword and taking into account various factors, such as:
Remember, the KD metric is designed to help you understand what you need to rank for a specific keyword, not to convince you. avoid high difficulty keywords altogether.
Cost per click (CPC)
Cost per click (CPC) refers to the amount that advertisers are willing to pay for a click on an ad that appears in the first search results for a given keyword. Although CPC is a more critical metric for advertisers, it can also be a useful indicator of a keyword's value.
For example, the keyword "project management software" has a high CPC because it shows that people searching are interested in buying a product. In contrast, "project management methodologies" is more of an informative search, which means that the people who search are less likely to look to buy. Project management software, which results in a much lower CPC.
CPC values fluctuate more than search volumes. While search demand for most keywords remains relatively stable from month to month, CPC can change at any time due to an increase in bids for those keywords.
So the CPC values you see in SEO tools represent a snapshot in time and are not entirely accurate. If you need real-time CPC data, it is better to use Google Ads (AdWords).
Search intent
Depth, relevance, freshness, and content authority
Number (and quality) of backlinks
Domain authority
SERP features
And more
Although opinions differ on what is important, there is consensus that backlinks are an important ranking factor.
Ahrefs' Keyword Difficulty (KD) metric is based on the number of unique websites linking to the top 10 ranked pages. This shows how many backlinks you need to rank in the top 10, not necessarily number one, which is a bit different.
Although many SEO professionals focus on low-difficulty keywords (low KD), high-difficulty keywords can still offer interesting opportunities. It pays to target them first, because ranking requires a significant investment in building backlinks, which is a long-term process.
How to Identify the Right Keywords for Your Website
Identifying the right keywords for your website is an essential step in achieving search engine optimization (SEO) success. If you want your site to rank well in search engine results, you need to understand how to choose the keywords that will get you there. In this article, we’ll look at how to identify the right keywords, starting with analyzing search intent to create content that matches those keywords.
Initial Keyword Analysis
The first step in determining keywords begins with identifying terms that your target audience might search for. Let’s say you own an online burger shop and you start collecting keywords related to burgers like “beef burger,” “vegan burger,” and “best fast food burger.” Now, do all of these keywords belong to the same topic? Or do some of them need their own separate pages? To do this, you can search for each keyword individually and analyze the results that appear in search engines.
For example, if you search for “vegan burger” and most of the results are recipes for making vegan burgers, this suggests that this topic requires its own content. On the other hand, if keywords like “best fast food burger” appear together in the same results, you can combine them into one page.
Understand search intent
When choosing keywords, it’s important to understand the search intent behind each keyword. Are people looking for information or are they looking to make a purchase? For example, if someone searches for “best fast food burgers,” they may have the intent to buy, which means you’d be better off creating a product or category page for burgers. On the other hand, if they search for “how to make a vegan burger,” they’re looking for a guide or informational article, so your content should be more educational.
Use keywords naturally in your content.
Once you have identified the keywords, you need to integrate them. of course in your content. Avoid using the same keyword repeatedly, as this can have a negative impact on your SEO. Instead, use synonyms or different variations of the main word. For example, if your main keyword is "beef burgers", you can also use terms like "best beef burgers" or "quick beef burger recipes". This helps make your content more diverse and improves the reader's experience.
Target Long Tail Keywords
A very effective SEO strategy is to target long tail keywords. These keywords are usually more specific and less competitive. For example, instead of targeting "burger", you can target "the best vegan burger for a quick lunch". This helps to attract visitors who are looking for specific information, increasing the chances of converting them into potential customers.
Analyze Your Competitors
Reviewing the content provided by your competitors can be very helpful. When you search for a particular keyword, look at the pages that rank high in the search results. Read the content on these pages to understand how your competitors use keywords and submit information. With this analysis, you can find new ideas for more effective keyword integration in your content.
Identification of the subject Related
It is also important to consider keywords that are indirectly related to your keyword. For example, if you write about "making a vegan burger", you can add subtopics such as "best types of burger buns" or "innovative ingredients for vegan burgers". This helps make your content more comprehensive and cover a wider range of related questions.
Using Keyword Research Tools
There are many tools available to help you find keywords for your website. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush provide insight into search volume and keyword competition, helping you identify the most effective terms to target. These tools also show you which keywords can bring more traffic to your site.
Continuous performance testing
You must continuously monitor the performance of your speech. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console allow you to track the performance of your keywords in search engines. If you see that certain keywords are not generating enough traffic, you may need to adjust your keyword strategy or update your content to improve its performance.
How to Prioritize Keywords: A Step-by-Step Guide
Prioritizing your keyword list and deciding where to invest your efforts first is the least simple and most "individual" aspect of the keyword research process. There are simply too many factors to consider:
Main Factors to Consider: Where Should I Focus?
Several essential factors must be kept in mind when prioritizing keywords, as each of them has a significant impact on your strategy. What is the estimated traffic potential for this keyword? How hard is it to classify? What is the level of competition? These are just some of the questions that arise when analyzing a particular keyword.
The business value of a keyword is so important. A keyword may have high search volume, but is it aligned with your business goals? You should ask yourself, "What do I get by ranking for this keyword?" »
Commercial value: is it worth it?
Take for example the keyword “hamburger”. Some may think that this keyword generates significant traffic, but is it really going to help you achieve your business goals? The business value of keywords varies depending on the user’s intent.
While some keywords may seem tempting, they may be in the early stages of the buyer’s journey, such as “best burgers in town”. At this point, the person may not be ready to make a purchase and is simply looking for information.
So how can you determine if it's the right keyword for your business? The answer lies in keyword segmentation based on the “buyer’s journey”.
The buyer’s journey:
What does the user want at each stage?
The buyer's journey can be divided into three main stages:
Top of Funnel (TOFU): In this stage, people are looking for general information about a topic. Keywords such as "best fast food" fall into this category. The user is not yet ready to make a purchase, but is looking for answers.
Middle of the Funnel (MOFU): In this stage, people look for specific solutions to their problems. For example, someone might search for "best burgers for a quick lunch." This indicates that he is thinking about the options, but is not yet ready to buy.
Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU): In this phase, users are ready to buy. You can search for "best burger restaurant in your area". The keywords at this stage can be very profitable, although they tend to have a weaker search volume.
Priority importance based on business value
Keyword priority is not just about search volume or difficulty. You should also consider the business value of each keyword. For example, “best burgers for a quick lunch” may have lower search volume than “best fast food options,” but it is much more likely to convert users into paying customers.
How to get started with keywords?
When prioritizing keywords, it’s important to consider the nature of your website and your business goals. Are you focused on driving traffic or are you focused on converting visitors into customers? Do you need quick results or are you planning for the long term?
The answer is simple: if you need quick results, focus on high-volume, low-competition keywords. If your goal is to get conversions, focus on high value keywords. commercial value.
Don't just focus on easy keywords.
It can be tempting to target "easy" keywords, but it's not always the best strategy. There are many keywords that can be difficult to rank for, but have high business value. Therefore, flexibility in your keyword choices is essential.
Short-, Medium-, and Long-Term Goals: Finding the Right Balance
When setting your keyword strategy, don't just focus on short-term goals. Achieving long-term results requires patience and dedication. Persistence At the same time, short-term goals are necessary to maintain constant traffic.
Balancing short, medium, and long-term goals ensures that your SEO efforts remain effective and aligned with your business goals.
Keyword Research Tools: Uncover the Secrets of Search Traffic
Keyword research is an essential step in driving organic traffic to your website, but it’s impossible to succeed in this area without the right tools. If you’re new to the field or on a tight budget, don’t worry: some free keyword research tools can get you on the right track. Let’s take a look at some of the most valuable of them.
Google Search Console: Your First Look at
Google Search Queries Search Console is an essential tool for every website owner. It provides valuable information about the search queries that are already bringing visitors to your site. It not only shows you the keywords your site is ranking for, but also tells you how many clicks you get for each one. This data can help identify areas for improvement or opportunities for further optimization.
For example, if you have that a certain keyword drives a significant amount of traffic but is not converting, you may want to adjust the content on that page to better respond to the searchers' intent.
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools: Advanced Insights with Free Access
Ahrefs offers a free version of its powerful Webmaster Tools, which offers similar functionality to Google Search Console, but with additional benefits. In addition to showing the keywords your site is ranking for, Ahrefs also shows Keyword Difficulty (KD) scores. This feature helps you assess how competitive a keyword is, which can be crucial in deciding where to invest your efforts.
For example, if you are targeting a high-difficulty keyword with a low ranking probability, it may make more sense to focus on long-tail variations or less competitive keywords that still have value to your audience.
Google Keyword Planner: A Double-Edged Sword
Although Google Keyword Planner is primarily designed for advertisers, it is also a valuable tool for SEO professionals. This helps you discover ideas based on keywords about a product or service that you can integrate into your content strategy. Even if you don't advertise, the data provided, such as search volume and level of competition, can give you an idea of the importance and demand of a particular keyword.
For example, a keyword with a high search volume, but a low competition can be a golden opportunity for targeted blog posts or landing pages.
Keyword Tool: Fuel for Creative Content Ideas
If you’re having trouble coming up with new keyword ideas, Ahrefs’ free keyword generator can give you a boost. It generates keyword ideas based on a starting keyword, helping you expand your keyword list and uncover new content creation opportunities. Whether you’re writing a blog post, an eBook, or creating product pages, this tool can help you refine your content strategy.
Imagine you’re writing a blog post about “healthy recipes.” The tool can suggest related keywords like “quick healthy recipes” or “easy healthy dinner ideas,” which you can then use to create different content that addresses multiple angles of the same topic.
Keyword Difficulty Checker: Assess the Challenge Up Front
Keyword difficulty is a critical factor in determining how much effort you should invest in ranking for a particular keyword. Ahrefs offers a free keyword difficulty checker that estimates how many backlinks you need to rank high for a specific keyword. This tool helps you identify which keywords are worth pursuing and are likely to be highly competitive for your site at its current authority level.
If you’re targeting a highly competitive keyword like “best laptops,” the difficulty score may be high and you may need to build a stronger backlink profile to compete. On the other hand, a keyword with a lower difficulty score can achieve a faster ranking with fewer resources.
Keyword Explorer: The All-in-One Tool for Expert Keyword Research
Once you're ready to take your keyword research to the next level, Ahrefs Keywords Explorer is the tool to use. This premium tool provides in-depth keyword analysis, which reveals search volume, traffic potential, keyword difficulty, and even the estimated number of links needed to rank. It's an essential tool for anyone serious about increasing organic traffic and gaining a competitive edge in search engine results.
With Keywords Explorer, you can discover millions of keyword ideas directly related to your business. It also provides information about the search intent behind each keyword, helping you create highly targeted content that matches what people are searching for.
Keywords
To drive search traffic, you need to create content around keywords that people are actively searching for.
Start your keyword research by studying your competitors. Find out what keywords drive traffic to their websites and look for opportunities to target those keywords.
Professional keyword tools provide access to large keyword databases. These tools reveal millions of keyword ideas which you can use to improve your content strategy.
Volume and difficulty are important. Search volume tells you how popular a keyword is, while keyword difficulty helps you calculate how difficult it is to rank for that keyword.
The purpose of the research is essential. Understanding user intent will help you create content that matches what people are looking for, whether it’s an informative blog post, a product page, or something else.
The business potential is significant. Ranking for a keyword is important, but you should also ask yourself if that keyword will bring real value to your business. Focus on keywords that can help generate leads, conversions, or sales.
By using these keyword research tools and understanding their nuances, you can refine your SEO strategy and effectively target keywords that will drive more traffic to your site.
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