How to Do Keyword Research for SEO (Step-by-Step)
The most crucial part of any search engine optimization strategy is along with providing valuable content for visitors of your website, is selecting the correct keywords. The best-optimized websites for SE’s can completely miss the mark and have little traffic if they do not contain the correct keywords. Companies that utilize SEO services understand that using the correct keywords helps them attain the peak of search engine rankings for the desired audience and helps capture valuable leads.
As a business owner, marketing professionals, and writers, it is imperative to take the time to learn and master keyword search. It is of particular importance if one is attempting to improve one’s ranking or visibility on the Internet. The launch of a new SEO service campaign, by any professional service, is predicated by keyword analytics and search queries.
Below is a practical guide for keyword research for SEO along with a recommended content strategy that aligns with digital marketing company objectives and online marketing solutions.
Step 1: Understand Your Niche and Goals
Before you start hunting for keywords, you need to know who you’re marketing to and what your objectives are. Targeting your marketing efforts is going to have the most benefit for you and ensure it is not a wasted effort.
Keyword searches are not all created equal. It is imperative to identify the most relevant keyword searches that reflect not only your user’s needs but also your business objectives, goal, and purpose.
Consider these questions for your audience analysis:
- Who do I want to reach?
- What issues do they need solutions for?
- What do they want?
- What would their Google searches look like?
Take, for instance, an SEO business. Relevant keywords may include:
- SEO services for small businesses
- local SEO services
- affordable SEO services
- SEO services company near me
Audience analysis gives businesses an advantage when developing their SEO strategy, ensuring they optimize for the right keywords.
Companies like Ranks Growth leverage audience knowledge as the first component in crafting effective SEO services that help businesses achieve solid results.
Step 2: Brainstorm Keyword Ideas
Now that you’ve identified your niche and your audience, you want to map out possible suggestions for keywords.
Seed keywords are basic starting points for keywords. You might consider, for example, the following keywords for a business that offers digital marketing services:
- AI-Driven SEO & Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
- Search + AI Visibility Optimization (Google, ChatGPT, SGE)
- Full-Funnel Performance Marketing
- Omnichannel Digital Growth Solutions
- Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
Ways to Brainstorm Keywords
- Google Autocomplete
Type a word into Google and see how it completes the phrase.
Example:
The phrase SEO services may suggest:
- Affordable SEO services
- SEO services for small business
- Local SEO services
- Related Searches
After searching for a Google query, suggestions will appear.
- Questions from Customers
Your audience offers insight into possible search queries. Questions that customers pose (and their comments on social media) can be helpful.
- Google “People Also Ask”
This feature is a helpful suggestion for keywords related to your search term. It also suggests excellent potential keywords for a blog post.
Before you move on to more sophisticated keyword research tools, brainstorming is a step that can be integral.
Step 3: Analyze Competitor Keywords
Keyword opportunity gaps can be discovered through competitor analysis. If a competitor has a specific keyword they rank for, it suggests that the keyword is being actively sought after.
What is the process for competitor analysis?
- Identify your biggest competitors from the results of a Google search.
- Assess which keywords they optimize for.
- Analyze their content and search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.
You should identify:
- Posts are ranking highly on search engines
- Keywords from the service pages
- Opportunities for longer keywords (or longer-tail keywords).
For instance, a competing SEO services company can rank for the following:
- best SEO services for eCommerce
- SEO services for startups
- and you can identify content gap opportunities.
Competitor analysis has proven beneficial for digital marketers to surface high-potential keywords that are less competitive.
This is the reason why digital marketing agencies dedicated to search engine optimization invest effort to study the competitors when constructing SEO marketing campaigns.
Step 4: Use Keyword Research Tools
Data from keyword research tools can direct marketers toward more actionable insights.
What these tools reveal:
- Search volume
- Keyword difficulty
- CPC (Cost Per Click)
- Competition level
- Related keyword
Here are some popular keyword research tools:
- Google Keyword Planner
This is a no-cost Google option. Users can find related keywords and get keyword search volume. Most useful for:
- beginner keyword research
- PPC campaigns
- discovering related keywords
- Ahrefs
Ahrefs is an advanced tool that’s often used for:
- competitor analysis
- keyword difficulty analysis
- backlink tracking
- SEMrush
SEMrush is extremely popular in the digital marketing space for:
- keyword tracking
- competitor research
- SEO audits
- Ubersuggest
This is a more basic tool that is useful for generating keyword ideas and spotting SEO-related gaps.
Using several tools gives you the best chance to find many long-tail keywords.
Teams at professional digital marketing agencies develop comprehensive keyword strategies using several tools.
Step 5: Evaluate Search Intent and Keyword Difficulty
Considerable analysis is needed to determine whether keywords are viable options.
Search Intent Analysis
There is most often a reason for each search query.
This reason is labelled ‘search intent’.
This can be broadly classified into four categories:
- Informational
Users are seeking data or details.
E.g. “What keywords should I use for my SEO”.
- Navigational
These users want to go to a specific page or website.
E.g., “Ranks Growth SEO page.”
- Commercial
These users are looking at options and comparing products or services.
E.g., “most reputable SEO services company.”
- Transactional
These users are about to take a course of action, meaning they are ready for the next step.
E.g., “buy SEO services.”
In developing your SEO strategy, a synthesis of different types of search intent is ideal.
Keyword Difficulty
Keywords have different levels of difficulty, meaning they are easier or harder to rank for.
In assessing keywords, one should consider the:
- Search volume
- Competition
- Domain authority of competitors
- Relevance to your services
The optimum strategy is to select long tail keywords while considering competition levels.
For instance:
Instead of just going for keywords targeting:
SEO services
You can narrow it down to
- affordable SEO services for small business
- local SEO services company
- SEO services for eCommerce websites
This approach focuses your target market and fast-tracks your ranking.
Step 6: Organize Keywords for Your Content Strategy
Let’s consider keywords that can help in building a roadmap for your content strategy.
Mapping keywords for web pages has specific use cases.
- Service Pages
Primary keywords can be used, such as:
- SEO services
- search engine optimization services
- digital marketing company
These keywords capture users who are looking for specific services.
A case in point is a business that wants to find an SEO expert for services. This can be explored at: https://ranksgrowth.com/
- Blog Posts
Blog content works best for informational keywords.
A few example blog post titles are the following:
- How SEO works
- On-page SEO checklist
- Keyword research guide
Blogs help gain traffic in an organic way and reinforce topical authority.
- Landing Pages
Landing pages are for specific campaigns/industries.
For example:
- SEO services for healthcare
- SEO services for real estate
- SEO services for eCommerce
4. Content Clusters
Clustering content also helps search engines understand your content silo.
An example cluster could be:
Main topic: SEO services
Blogs that support the main topic:
- Keyword research guide
- On-page SEO tips
- Link building strategies
Such a structure will enhance your SEO and increase your ranking.
To achieve advanced strategies like the ones mentioned above, in most cases, businesses collaborate with SEO service companies.
Conclusion
SEO is part art and part science, and keyword research is imperative to this art and science combination. If you have no direction with keywords, reaching your audience and being visible on search engines is near impossible.
There are multiple steps to building a keyword strategy, and they are as follows:
- Consider your audience and niche
- Strategize potential keywords
- Examine keywords used by competitors
- Implement quality keyword research tools
- Analyze search intent and how challenging a keyword is
- Structure keywords to enrich your content strategy
When you do keyword research the right way, you help your business become more visible, drive traffic to the site, and create more opportunities with leads.
SEO is a combination of skill, undefinable magic, and renovation. It would be most prudent to funnel your efforts into a company that specializes in search engine optimization, so you know that your site is being optimized by a company with techniques that have been proven and formulated with a data-driven strategy.
For more digital visibility and to grow your business, Ranks Growth has professional search engine optimization that is unparalleled. The team has spent the time to create unique online marketing solutions to guarantee a business high visibility digitally and continued success.
Contact Ranks Growth to let search engine optimization do all of the heavy lifting to elevate your digital presence.
