SEO Basics: How to do Keyword Research Best Practices

Posted 3 years ago by Max Komonov

顿辞听测辞耻 have an听amazing website that you wish more people would see? If听you want customers to听find your site, you have to听know how they are searching for听products and听services similar to听your own. That鈥檚 where keyword research comes in.

Keyword research is听the听process of听identifying words or听phrases that are frequently used by听customers in听their Google search terms. Once you have those SEO keywords, you can fill your website with them to听appear more frequently in听search engine results and听drive more traffic to听your page.

There鈥檚 no听need to听jump over to听Google and听type how to听do听keyword research because we鈥檝e already compiled the听best tips and听tricks for听you! In听this article, we听will teach you the听basics of听how to听search for听keywords and听how to听find the听best keywords for听SEO.

Why is听Keyword Research Important?

Keyword research is听a听vital part of听building or听bettering any听website. The internet is听a听vast space filled with millions upon millions of听web pages, each of听which is听vying for听our attention. Search engines like Google make the听chaos manageable and听act as听digital tour guides.

Tour guides, though, only point out the听most interesting and听worthwhile attractions. Keyword research helps you understand which features (SEO keywords) you can add to听your website to听make it听stand out to听the听digital tour guides that bring valuable tourists to听your pages.

This keyword research is听a听two-way street, as听it听can also help you determine which tourists you鈥檙e most interested in听attracting. For example, in听a听hypothetical search for听wall posters, let鈥檚 say that people thirty and听younger tend to听use the听term 聯cheap poster聰 while those over thirty use the听term 聯wall art.聰

Someone who hopes to听sell posters to听college students would likely decide to听emphasize the听term 聯cheap poster聰 when writing content for听their site. In听short, depending on听the听type of听product or听service you sell and听the听demographic you hope to听attract, you may choose to听utilize different SEO keywords.

Keyword research and听SEO keyword analysis can unlock a听wealth of听information to听give you a听competitive edge in听generating more digital traffic. Keep reading to听find out how to听find the听best keywords for听SEO.

Getting Started with Keyword Research

Below, we鈥檝e laid out a听few simple steps that will help you complete your keyword research, find Google search terms common in听your market, and听perform basic SEO keyword analysis.

Brainstorm

For our keyword research, we鈥檙e going to听start with something analog. Grab a听pen and听a听piece of听paper and听jot down a听few words that come to听mind when thinking about your product or听service.

顿辞听测辞耻 sell jewelry? Keywords might include: necklace, engagement ring, DIY jewelry, custom jewelry, etc.

Don鈥檛 spend all day coming up听with these words, as听this is听just the听starting point for听your SEO keyword research.

Initial search

For this next step, you鈥檙e going to听take on听the听role of听the听customer. One at听a听time, type the听list of听keywords you brainstormed in听as听Google search terms. Take note of听the听types of听sites that appear as听the听top results.

In听this stage, you鈥檙e trying to听identify which SEO keywords produce results that include sites similar to听your own. Essentially, you鈥檙e using SEO keywords to听find your competitors. However, competitors come in听all shapes and听sizes.

If听a听keyword search is听bringing back results full of听links to听Amazon and听other big-name brands, that SEO keyword should probably be听scratched off of听your list. For now, you want to听find keywords that lead to听competitors similar in听size and听scope to听your business or听website. Making these judgment calls is听part of听good SEO keyword analysis.

If听none of听the听keywords you brainstormed help you find websites like your own, it鈥檚 time to听find a听few new SEO keywords. Google can help with this. As听you type in听your Google search terms, pay attention to听the听suggested search terms that appear under your query.

Follow those terms (and the听suggestions that appear at听the听bottom of听the听results page) until you find sites similar to听your own.

Analyse the听competition

After you鈥檝e used SEO keywords to听locate your competitors, it鈥檚 time to听analyse the听traffic coming to听their websites. Services like Ahrefs鈥� will analyse traffic to听a听website whose link you upload. You can find out which pages on听their site generate the听most traffic from search engines and听which SEO keywords are helping them appear high in听the听list of听search results.

Sites like , , and听 also offer similar services with both paid and听free plans.

From there, it鈥檚 up听to听you to听utilize the听information you鈥檝e gleaned. Fill your website with SEO keywords that have driven traffic for听your competitors and听try to听find Google search terms that they might not be听capitalizing on.

Keep researching

Once you鈥檝e performed SEO keyword analysis on听your competition, there are still plenty of听other ways to听find SEO keywords that will drive traffic to听your site. If听you don鈥檛 want to听follow the听paths laid by听your competitors, feel free to听start with this step.

When it听comes to听how to听do听keyword research, one of听the听most helpful (and free!) tools is听Google鈥檚 . While this is听primarily a听tool for听advertisers deciding where to听place ads, it听can also be听used for听keyword research.

The Keyword Planner will take your Google search terms and听tell you how many people search for听those specific keywords, as听well as听a听list of听related terms and听their search numbers. With just one quick search, you can build out your list of听potential SEO keywords even further.

Consider a听paid service

You don鈥檛 have to听purchase anything to听conduct SEO keyword research, but it听can help expedite the听process. Websites like Ahrefs, Ubersuggest, SEMrush, and听others can analyze your competitors, help you explore SEO keywords, scan your site for听SEO issues, and听track how your web pages rank in听search engine results.

These services offer free and听paid plans, depending on听the听scope of听services you need, so听you don鈥檛 have to听commit unless you鈥檙e sure you can benefit from the听product.

Keyword Research Best Practices

Consider search intent

After identifying a听number of听SEO keywords related to听your product or听service, it鈥檚 also important to听consider the听intent of听the听customer who input those specific Google search terms. There are four commonly referred to听types of听search intent:

Informational Intent. The person who types a听Google search term with an听informational intent want to听find the听answer to听a听question or听learn more about a听particular topic.
Navigational Intent. This intent describes someone who utilizes a听search engine to听reach a听particular website. If听someone searches for听YouTube, they鈥檙e more likely trying to听access the听site than they are learning more about its history.
Transactional Intent. These searchers are people who want to听buy something at听the听moment of听their search. They know what they want to听buy and听are using a听search engine to听reach a听product page.
Commercial Intent. This intent, like the听transactional intent, involves an听individual who wants to听purchase something. However, in听this case, the听person is听searching with the听intent to听learn more about which product would be听best to听buy in听the听future. Rather than being ready to听purchase immediately, they are doing research to听find the听best product for听a听later buy.

The intent of听the听searcher alters the听types of听Google search terms they use. A听search with an听informational intent might include the听words 聯how to聰 or听聯why.聰 Someone with a听transactional intent might use the听word 聯buy聰 or听聯deal聰 in听their search.

Consider which intent your website can most easily satisfy. On听your product pages, utilize SEO keywords that will help draw in听searchers with a听transactional intent. If听your website includes a听blog, you can incorporate SEO keywords related to听informational searches.

Don鈥檛 overlook long-tail keywords

When beginning your keyword research, you may focus primarily on听what are known as听聯head聰 terms. These 迟别谤尘蝉鈥攍颈办别聯engagement rings聰 for听a听jewelry 蝉别补谤肠丑鈥攁谤别 searched by听millions of听people everyday and听have results pages dominated by听large businesses.

For websites with lower traffic, you may want to听consider SEO keywords that are longer and听satisfy a听more specific search. The long-tail SEO keyword alternative to听聯engagement rings聰 would be听something like 聯sustainably made customizable engagement rings.聰

To听generate your long-tail keywords, consider what your website has to听offer on听a听deeper and听more specific level than those keywords you initially brainstormed.

Use Google Trends

SEO keywords, like everything on听the听internet, change rapidly. Use sites like to听find out if听a听Google search term seems likely to听go听out of听style, or听if听a听particular SEO keyword that isn鈥檛 generating much traffic might be听the听next hot search.

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About The Author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.

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