How To Do Proper Keyword Research

Introduction.

When it comes to making your website stand out, there’s one thing you can’t ignore: keyword research. It’s the foundation of any successful online strategy, yet it’s often overlooked or misunderstood.

Without the right keywords, your website might not even be seen by the people who are looking for exactly what you offer.

In this guide, I’m going to walk you through everything you need to know about proper keyword research.

I’ll break it down step-by-step, showing you how to find the best keywords to target, tools that can help, and how to use them to drive real traffic to your site.

If you’re new to SEO or just looking to sharpen your skills, this guide will help you get started and avoid common mistakes.

Let’s dive right in!

Why Keyword Research is Crucial for Your Website

Before we jump into the how-to, let’s take a moment to understand why keyword research is so important.

Essentially, it’s the process of figuring out what words or phrases people are searching for online. You want to target the terms that are most relevant to your business or content.

When you use these keywords effectively on your site, search engines like Google are more likely to show your page to people who are actively looking for what you provide.

But here’s the thing: It’s not just about picking random words. Effective keyword research is about finding the right words—those that balance search volume (how many people are searching for them) with competition (how many other sites are also trying to rank for them).

The goal is to target keywords that give you the best chance of ranking high on search engine results pages (SERPs) and driving the right kind of traffic to your site.

How Can I Do Proper Keyword Research?

Let’s go through the process of keyword research together, so you can start using it to your advantage.

1. Start with Broad Topics

First things first, think about the main topics or categories related to your business or website. For example, if you run a bakery, some broad topics might be “baked goods,” “cake recipes,” “gluten-free desserts,” or “custom cakes.” These are general ideas that relate to what your business is all about.

2. Brainstorm Specific Keywords

Once you have your broad topics, it’s time to get more specific. These specific phrases are your potential keywords. For example, under the broad topic of “cake recipes,” you could have specific keywords like “easy chocolate cake recipe,” “vegan cake recipe,” or “best birthday cake recipe.” These are terms people might type into Google when they’re looking for exactly what you offer.

3. Use Keyword Research Tools

Now, we get to the fun part: using keyword research tools to find out which keywords are worth targeting. There are several great tools out there, many of them free or with affordable options. Some of the most popular ones include:

• Google Keyword Planner: This tool is free and allows you to enter a keyword to see how many people are searching for it and how much competition it has.
• Ubersuggest: A free tool that offers keyword suggestions, search volume data, and insights into competition.
• SEMrush: A paid tool with advanced features, including keyword analysis, competitors’ keywords, and more.
• Ahrefs: Another powerful tool for finding keywords, analyzing search volume, and checking out the competition.

These tools will give you a list of related keywords and phrases, along with details like search volume and difficulty (how hard it is to rank for them). This data is crucial for making informed decisions about which keywords to focus on.

4. Check the Search Intent

It’s not enough to just target keywords with high search volume. You also need to consider the search intent behind them.

Search intent is what the person is really looking for when they type a specific query into Google. Are they looking for information? Are they ready to buy something? Or are they just browsing?

For example, if someone types “best chocolate cake recipe,” their intent is likely informational—they’re looking for a recipe.

But if someone types “buy chocolate cake online,” their intent is commercial—they want to purchase a cake.

By understanding the search intent behind a keyword, you can better tailor your content to meet the needs of your audience. This can improve your chances of ranking higher and attracting the right kind of traffic.

5. Analyze Your Competitors

Another important step in keyword research is to check out your competitors. Look at the websites that are already ranking for the keywords you want to target. What kind of content are they producing? How well is it performing?

You can use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to see which keywords your competitors are ranking for and whether they’re getting a lot of traffic from them.

This can give you insights into which keywords are most valuable and how difficult it will be to rank for them.

6. Long-Tail Keywords Are Your Friend

While it might be tempting to go after highly competitive keywords with huge search volumes, it’s often smarter to target long-tail keywords. These are longer, more specific phrases that tend to have lower search volume but also less competition.

For example, instead of going after a broad term like “chocolate cake,” you might target “how to make a chocolate cake without eggs” or “chocolate cake for beginners.”

These keywords may attract fewer searches, but the people who do search for them are likely much more interested in your content and ready to engage.

7. Monitor and Adjust Your Strategy

Keyword research isn’t a one-time thing. It’s an ongoing process. Once you’ve started targeting specific keywords, keep an eye on your rankings and see how your website is performing.

Are you seeing more traffic? Are certain keywords performing better than others? You might need to tweak your strategy over time to stay ahead of the competition.

Common Keyword Research Mistakes to Avoid

Keyword research can seem simple, but there are a few common mistakes that can trip you up. Here are a few to watch out for:

• Focusing only on high-volume keywords: As I mentioned earlier, long-tail keywords can be just as valuable—if not more so—than highly competitive short keywords.
• Ignoring search intent: If your content doesn’t match the intent behind the search query, you’re less likely to rank well, no matter how good your keyword selection is.
• Not analyzing competition: If you try to rank for super competitive keywords without considering how hard it will be, you might be wasting your time. Make sure to check out the competition before you dive in.
• Forgetting to update your keyword list: Keywords and search trends change over time. Regularly revisiting your keyword research can help you stay on top of these changes.

FAQs

How many keywords should I target on a page?

There’s no magic number, but I recommend focusing on 1-2 primary keywords and a few secondary ones per page. Make sure they’re naturally integrated into your content, without overstuffing.

Can I use keywords more than once on a page?

Absolutely! As long as it sounds natural and doesn’t feel forced, you can use a keyword multiple times. Just remember that quality content is always more important than keyword quantity.

How do I know if my keyword research is working?

Monitor your rankings and traffic using tools like Google Analytics. If you see your page climbing the search rankings and attracting more visitors, you’re on the right track.

What if I can’t afford paid keyword tools?

No worries! There are plenty of free tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, and Google Trends that can still provide you with valuable insights.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to do proper keyword research, it’s time to put it into action.

But here’s a question for you: Are you ready to start implementing these keyword research tips and seeing the results? If so, it’s time to get started—and don’t forget, the key to success is always keeping an eye on how things evolve.