How to do keyword research

In one line

Keyword research is finding the search terms your audience uses, then choosing those with the right mix of demand, intent, value and winnability.

The steps

  1. 1List your customers' problems, topics and questions
  2. 2Expand with keyword tools, autocomplete and People Also Ask
  3. 3Add your own Search Console queries (real terms you show for)
  4. 4Check volume, difficulty and intent for each
  5. 5Group by topic and prioritise the winnable, valuable ones

Tips

Favour specific, high-intent long-tail terms early, they convert and are easier to win. Cluster related keywords into one page rather than splitting them across cannibalising pages.

Frequently asked

What tools do I need?

A keyword tool for volume/difficulty, plus free sources: autocomplete, People Also Ask, and your Search Console query data.

How many keywords per page?

One primary keyword plus closely-related secondary terms, cover a topic per page, not one page per near-identical term.

Put this into practice

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Related

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Discover terms competitors rank for that you don't.