Learning how to do keyword research is a rite of passage for anyone trying to build a solid foundation in SEO for their business.
That being said, searching SEO research online and trying to piece together all the different elements such as how to do keyword research for SEO and the various keyword research types that you need to understand can be a bit overwhelming.
Fortunately, the below keyword research step by step guide contains everything you need to know and more to ensure that you have the best chance of getting on that elusive first page of Google.
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Step 1: Identify how searchers can find your business online
The first step, and perhaps one of the most important ones, before you start searching for the right keywords, you need to explore how users can find your business online.
A good place to begin is by thinking about your existing customers, who are they, and why do they use your business?
You also need to try and determine what they ask before purchasing with you?
If you are unsure, why not simply ask them?
You will be surprised at how helpful this information will be when it comes to the time for you actually to choose your keywords. You can never know enough about your target audience, especially when learning how to do keyword research as a part of your overall SEO strategy.
Step 2: Determine your end game
How can you build an effective SEO campaign if you don’t first establish what you want to achieve?
You may be thinking it’s obvious, “I want to get on the first page of Google”, and yes, this is the ultimate goal of most SEO experts. However, you need to dig a little deeper and be more specific when it comes to determining your own company goals.
For example:
Do you want more email subscribers?
Do you want a specific number of followers on social media?
Or do you want to reduce your site’s bounce rate?
If you are not completely sure what you want to achieve, except an increase in sales, of course, you may want to look to your company mission statement for inspiration.
What does your brand represent?
What is your USP?
What do you strive to provide that is lacking in your niche?
Step 3: Brainstorm relevant themes
Once you have recognized what you want to achieve with keyword research, you are now ready for a bit of blue-sky thinking. Before creating a list of core keywords, you first need to come up with a group of themes that directly relate to your business.
For example, if your brand specializes in kids clothing and you need to focus on how to do keyword research for eCommerce sites, some themes you may identify include
- Kids sweatshirts
- Kids fashion trends 2021
- Designer clothes for kids
During this step, you must always keep your target audience at the forefront of your mind. Think about what they would be searching for to get the best results.
Step 4: Create a list of primary keywords
Primary keywords, also known as head keywords or seed keywords, typically consist of one or two words. You need to make sure that these keywords directly relate to your chosen themes and that they match what your target audience would search on Google.
For example, a good example of a seed keyword for kids clothing would be “girls shorts” or “school uniform”.
If in doubt, you can check out your competitors’ sites and have a look at what keywords they are using.
Step 5: Use Google tools
Although you may sometimes think of Google as the enemy with their constantly changing algorithms, they do offer help to SEO beginners and experts alike in the form of free online SEO tools.
From Google Ads Keyword Planner to Google Analytics, these user-friendly SEO research types can help you to both condense your search and discover new keywords that have the potential to revolutionize your business.
If you are a highly specialized company that does not have many competitors to gain inspiration from and you find yourself floundering when it comes to how to do keyword research for niche sites, these tools will become your new best friend.
Step 6: Focus on search intent
A vital factor in SEO research that is often overlooked, search intent refers to why a user is searching a specific term on search engines.
There are several reasons why people use Google and other popular search engines, and you need to consider them all when trying to understand search intent.
Ask yourself:
What are they searching for?
Do they need a solution to a specific problem?
Are they looking for a particular brand?
Are they ready to make a purchase?
If you are uncertain about the search intent of your target audience, try and imagine that you are the customer, not the business owner. What would you search and why?
It is also important to remember that Google prefers informational over promotional content when it comes to ranking sites, so try and focus on offering your users added value in the form of how-to-guides or listicles.
Step 7: Pay attention to trends
Think about why the internet is so popular. One of the reasons is that you can get access to pretty much any facts that you need at the touch of a button. However, another highly important factor is that you can discover what is relevant in that exact moment.
They are otherwise known as trending content.
Trending content can cause a high spike in traffic, if only in the short term, and should be an essential part of any well-managed SEO campaign.
You can discover what keywords and phrases are trending by using Google Trends.
Make sure to remember to also look for seasonal keywords that are searched often at specific times of the year, like through the Super Bowl or the Black Friday sales.
Step 8: Choose long-tail keywords
Equally as important as short-tail keywords or head terms (see our guide on search volume for more info), long-tail keywords are vital for targeting users that are ready to make a purchase.
These types of keywords are usually three or more words long and work by providing context to your content.
For example, instead of “kids clothing,” which would be your seed word, your long-tail keywords might be “what is the best kids raincoat”.
Step 9: Make great content
The most exciting part of the whole SEO process for many now is the time for you to start creating and optimizing the content for your website. Don’t forget to use your newly found keywords for both your existing content and any new content that you produce.
A top tip for ensuring that as many people see your great content as possible is to focus on creating a high performing link building campaign.
Step 10: Analyze your performance
Unfortunately, SEO is an ongoing process and just when you think you’ve nailed it, Google will go and make yet another update. Therefore, you need always to bring your A-game when it comes to SEO and be willing to make improvements to your site on an ongoing basis.
Did you know that in 2018, Google made a whopping 3,234 “improvements” to the way its search works – that’s an average of nine a day!
Although you cannot be expected to be that efficient, you can schedule in time to review your sitemap once a month and carry out a full SEO audit once every quarter.
It will be worth it, we promise!
Are you ready to start your journey to becoming a master at SEO research? Contact us today.
