Skip to content

How to Do Keyword Research Effectively for Your Link Building Campaign

Do you want to increase organic trafficOrganic search traffic (sometimes called natural or unpaid search) is the traffic that's driven to a website because of unpaid placement on a search engine results page. to your site and get on that highly coveted first page of Google? If yes, then you need to learn how to…
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Blog Post

Do you want to increase organic traffic to your site and get on that highly coveted first page of Google?

If yes, then you need to learn how to do a keyword search as well as how to research keyword competition and learn how to do it properly.

In terms of link building, keyword research is crucial as it allows you to gain natural and organic links that are looked upon favorably by Google and will have a greater impact on your rankings on SERPs in the long term.

Not sure how to carry out an effective keyword research report for your link building campaign?

Fear not, the below guide will provide you with step-by-step instructions that will ensure you are using the right keyword research methods for your business.

What is keyword research?

Before looking into the different keyword research types and how they can help your business to increase its visibly online, let’s first take a closer look at what keyword research is and why it is important for link building.

Keyword research is needed to find out what users are typing into the most popular search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Without adequate keyword research, your business will be effectively invisible to users online.

Think about it this way. Do you want to waste both your time and money creating amazing content that nobody can find, or even worse, that nobody wants to read?

This is where the beauty of keyword research comes into play.

How to carry out keyword research

Step 1: Brainstorm keyword ideas

If you have never carried out keyword research before, this can be a challenging first step, but it is crucial if you want to achieve detailed keyword research.

Start by thinking about what a user would type into Google if they were looking for your product or service. You can then search these topics or phrases on online platforms such as Google, You Tube, and Facebook to see what other suggestions come up.

You can also use the Google AdWords Keyword Tool which can help you with keyword search volume and competition.

Step 2: Analyze your keywords

Once you have a list of seed keywords, it is now time to analyze these words or phrases using a range of SEO tools.

Although you may think that Google’s ultimate goal in life is to make the process of SEO more difficult for you, they do in fact provide several free online tools that offer keyword research best practices for your business. These include:

  • Google Keyword Planner
  • Google Trends

There are also a number of other online SEO tools that offer a free trial such as Ahrefs Keyword Generator and SEMrush Keyword Overview Tool. Although, you will need to pay if you want to use these on a regular basis.

Step 3: Choosing your final keywords

When it comes to selecting your final keywords for your link building campaign, there are several factors that you need to take into consideration.

Keyword search volume

This refers to the volume or number of searches for a particular keyword in a given timeframe. Keyword search volume is important because if no one is searching for your keyword, how can you expect anyone to find your content?

In terms of effective link building, you want to try and find that perfect keyword that has a relatively high volume while still having relatively low competition. It can also be a good idea to look for high volume keywords with top competitors that have lower domain authority and backlinks.

If your site is already on the first page of Google but you would like it to go up a rank or two, and the keywords have good search volume, focus your efforts on getting those specific keywords to move up.

Keywords with search intent

Search intent, also known as user intent, refers to the purpose of an online search, i.e. the reason why a user is performing a particular search. Search intent is crucial for SEO and effective link building, as Google will rank your site higher if your page is the best fit for a specific search query.

If you are a commercial site, you will want to focus on keywords with transactional and commercial intent, whereas if your website is informational, such as a blogging site, you should opt for keywords with informational intent.

That said, it is worth noting that Google do favor informational content over promotional content, so you should also ensure that your page offers real value to your target audience.

Do you need help with keyword research? Get in touch with our SEO experts today!

James Owen, Co-Founder & Head Of Search

James has been involved in SEO and digital marketing projects since 2007. James has led many SEO projects for well-known brands in Travel, Gaming and Retail such as Jackpotjoy, Marriott, Intercontinental Hotels, Hotels.com, Expedia, Betway, Gumtree, 888, Ax Paris, Ebyuer, Ebay, Hotels combined, Smyths toys, love honey and Pearson to name a few. James has also been a speaker at SEO and digital marketing conferences and events such as Brighton SEO.

View all Downloads

Downloads

The cover of an e-book titled 'SEO: The Basics', features a person's hands typing on a laptop.

SEO: The Basics

Download our Basic SEO Guide to help you build traffic today!

Download
A blue section and the text "The Millionaire Guide On SEO." The right side is filled with scattered U.S. one-dollar bills.

The Millionaire Guide on SEO

Download our free Millionaires SEO Guide Today!

Download

Web Core Vitals: Your Complete Guide

Has Google's Web Core Vitals update caused havoc to your SEO results? If so, find a solution with our in-depth guide!

Download
View the Blog

You may also be interested in...

How AI Search Is Presenting Your Brand (And How Click Insights Helps You Track It)

The introduction of the internet forever changed how brands experienced visibility, and, with its updates…

How Content Hubs and Entity Clusters Drive AI SEO Performance

Search is getting smarter by the day, and the way we create content needs to…

From Search Engines to AI Engines: Choosing SEO That Performs Everywhere

For years, success equated to being highly ranked in Google’s organic search results, but the…

Editorial Links: Why They Matter for AI SEO

When it comes to succeeding with modern SEO, there are many avenues to explore, but…

Google March 2026 Spam Update: What It Means for Your SEO Strategy

On March 24, 2026, Google announced that it was rolling out its latest spam update…

The Top 3 Digital PR Services to Harness in 2026

In 2026, digital PR services are essential for any brand wanting to build lasting authority…

How to Get LLMs to Mention Your Brand

Simply appearing on a search page isn’t enough anymore, not in today’s world driven by…

Follow vs. Nofollow: Why Your AI Search Strategy Needs Both to Succeed

Follow vs nofollow links have been debated in digital marketing for years. Questions are often…

View all Guides

Online Guides

5 Best AIO SEO Companies
View guide
Best AI SEO Service Companies
View guide
Best 5 AEO SEO Agencies
View guide
10 Best US Consulting Agencies
View guide
Best Enterprise SEO Companies
View guide
6 Best AEO SEO Companies
View guide
5 Best SEO Consulting Agencies
View guide
5 Best On-Page SEO Agencies
View guide
Back To Top