Keyword Research: Find the Right Keywords for Your Business

Keyword research is the foundation of any SEO strategy. It tells you what your potential customers are searching for and how you can reach them. In this guide, you will learn how to do effective keyword research.

What is Keyword Research?

Keyword research is the process of discovering and analyzing search terms that people use in search engines. The goal is to understand:

• What are your potential customers searching for?
• How many people are searching for this?
• How difficult is it to rank for this?
• What intent do these searchers have?

Why is Keyword Research Important?

1. Understand Your Target Audience

Keywords reveal what concerns your target audience:

• What problems do they have?
• What solutions are they looking for?
• What language do they use?

2. Content Strategy

Keywords determine:

• What pages you need to create
• What topics you need to cover
• How to structure your content

3. ROI Optimization

Focus on keywords that:

• Generate conversions
• Are achievable to rank for
• Are relevant to your business

Understanding Search Intent

Not all searches are equal. Understand the intent behind the search.

Informational Intent

Goal: Gather information

Examples:

• "what is SEO"
• "how do I create a website"
• "difference between wordpress and wix"

Content type: Blog posts, guides, how-to articles

Navigational Intent

Goal: Find a specific website

Examples:

• "robuust marketing"
• "google search console"
• "facebook login"

Content type: Homepage, branded landing pages

Commercial Intent

Goal: Research before purchase

Examples:

• "best web design agency rotterdam"
• "wordpress vs shopify"
• "website development prices"

Content type: Comparison pages, reviews, pricing pages

Transactional Intent

Goal: Take action

Examples:

• "request web design quote"
• "hire website developer the hague"
• "hire SEO specialist"

Content type: Service pages, contact pages, pricing

Types of Keywords

Short-tail Keywords

Characteristics:

• 1-2 words
• High search volume
• High competition
• Broad intent

Examples:

• "web design"
• "SEO"
• "website"

Long-tail Keywords

Characteristics:

• 3+ words
• Lower search volume
• Lower competition
• Specific intent

Examples:

• "web design for small businesses the hague"
• "how much does a professional website cost"
• "wordpress website development pricing"

Why Long-tail Matters

| Aspect | Short-tail | Long-tail | |--------|------------|-----------| | Volume | High | Low | | Competition | High | Low | | Conversion | Low | High | | Ranking chance | Low | High |

80% of all searches are long-tail keywords.

Keyword Research Process

Step 1: Brainstorm Seed Keywords

Start with basic topics:

1. Your products/services:

   • web design
   • website development
   • SEO
   • hosting

2. Problems you solve:

   • slow website
   • not found on google
   • outdated website

3. Your target audience:

   • SMB website
   • startup website
   • e-commerce

Step 2: Use Keyword Tools

Google Keyword Planner (Free)

1. Go to Google Ads
2. Tools → Keyword Planner
3. "Discover new keywords"
4. Enter seed keywords

Output:

• Search volume
• Competition indication
• Related keywords

Google Search Console (Free)

Discover what you are already being found for:

1. Go to Search Console
2. Performance → Queries
3. Analyze impressions vs clicks
4. Find optimization opportunities

Ubersuggest (Freemium)

1. Enter keyword
2. View suggestions
3. Analyze competition
4. Find content ideas

Other Tools

Free:

• Answer The Public
• Google Trends
• Google Autocomplete

Paid:

• Ahrefs
• SEMrush
• Moz

Step 3: Analyze the Competition

For each keyword, research:

1. Who is currently ranking?

• Big brands or small sites?
• Direct competitors?
• Type of content (blog, page, video)?

2. How strong is their content?

• Depth and quality
• Word count
• Visual elements
• User experience

3. Can you do better?

• More complete
• More current
• Better presented
• Unique angle

Step 4: Evaluate Keyword Potential

Search Volume

• High volume: More potential visitors
• Low volume: More specific, often higher-converting visitors

Note: Volume is not everything. 100 converting visitors > 10,000 bouncers.

Keyword Difficulty

How difficult is it to rank?

Factors:

• Domain authority of competitors
• Backlink profiles
• Content quality
• SERP features (featured snippets, etc.)

Business Potential

Score each keyword on relevance to your business:

| Score | Meaning | |-------|---------| | 3 | Directly related to your service | | 2 | Indirectly related | | 1 | Informational, little conversion potential | | 0 | Not relevant |

Step 5: Organize into Keyword Clusters

Group related keywords:

Cluster: "Website development"

• website development
• website development cost
• professional website development
• website development for business
• affordable website development

→ Create one comprehensive page covering all variations

Keyword Mapping

Assign keywords to pages:

| Page | Primary Keyword | Secondary Keywords | |------|-----------------|-------------------| | Homepage | web design agency | web development, website creation | | Services | website development | professional website, business website | | Blog post | website cost | website pricing, how much does a website cost |

Rules:

• One primary keyword per page
• Multiple secondary keywords possible
• No keyword cannibalization

Practical Tips

1. Think Like Your Customer

What words do they use?

• Industry jargon vs everyday language
• Problems vs solutions
• Questions they google

2. Use Question Terms

• "how do I..."
• "what is..."
• "why..."
• "difference between..."

3. Local Keywords

For local businesses:

• "web design [city]"
• "[service] near me"
• "[service] [region]"

4. Seasonal Keywords

Consider:

• Seasonal peaks
• Holidays
• Industry-specific moments

5. Stay Current

• Monitor new trends
• Update outdated keywords
• Search behavior changes

Common Mistakes

1. Focusing Only on Volume

High volume ≠ best keyword. Focus on:

• Relevance
• Conversion potential
• Feasibility

2. Keyword Stuffing

Wrong: "We are a web design agency that does web design for web design projects."

Right: Write naturally, use variations.

3. Ignoring Search Intent

If someone searches "what is SEO," they want information, not a sales pitch.

4. One-time Action

Keyword research is ongoing:

• Discover new opportunities
• Monitor rankings
• Adjust strategy

5. Too Broad Focus

Better:

• 10 keywords you rank for
• Than 100 keywords you do not rank for

Template: Keyword Research Spreadsheet

Create a spreadsheet with columns:

| Keyword | Volume | Difficulty | Intent | Business Score | Target Page | Priority | |---------|--------|------------|--------|----------------|-------------|----------| | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

Determining priority:

• High volume + Low difficulty + High business score = High priority
• Low volume + High difficulty + Low business score = Low priority

Getting Started

1. Start small: Focus on 10-20 core keywords
2. Analyze competition: What are they doing well?
3. Create content: One topic cluster at a time
4. Monitor results: Track rankings and traffic
5. Optimize: Adjust based on data

Conclusion

Effective keyword research is:

• Understanding what your target audience is searching for
• Evaluating where you can win
• Strategically planning content
• Continuously optimizing

It is the foundation for all your SEO efforts. Invest time here before starting content creation.

Need help with your keyword strategy? Contact us for a free consultation.

Related Articles

• On-page SEO Optimization - Apply keywords effectively
• Content Marketing Strategy - From keywords to content
• Getting Started with SEO - SEO fundamentals