Keyword Research 101: Find the Right Keywords
Keyword research is the foundation of successful SEO. It helps you discover what your target audience is searching for and guides your content strategy. In this comprehensive guide, you'll learn how to find profitable keywords using free and paid tools, even if you're a complete beginner.
Table of Contents
What is Keyword Research?
Keyword research is the process of discovering and analyzing the search terms that people enter into search engines like Google. It helps you understand:
- What topics your audience is interested in
- How much demand exists for certain topics
- How difficult it would be to rank for specific terms
- What questions people are asking
- What language your audience uses when searching
💡 Key Point: Keyword research isn't just about finding words—it's about understanding your audience's needs and creating content that meets those needs better than anyone else.
Why Keyword Research is Important
Without keyword research, you're creating content blindly. Here's why it matters:
🎯 Target the Right Audience
Find keywords that your ideal customers are actually searching for, not what you think they're searching for.
📊 Validate Content Ideas
See real search volume data before investing time creating content that nobody will find.
🏆 Find Winnable Opportunities
Discover low-competition keywords you can actually rank for as a new or small site.
💰 Prioritize High-Value Topics
Focus on keywords that drive traffic that converts into customers, not just visitors.
Types of Keywords
Understanding the different types of keywords helps you create a balanced SEO strategy:
1. Short-Tail Keywords (Head Terms)
Examples: "shoes," "coffee," "SEO"
- Characteristics: 1-2 words, very broad
- Search Volume: Very high (10K-1M+ searches/month)
- Competition: Extremely high
- Intent: Often unclear what the searcher wants
- Conversion Rate: Usually low because intent is vague
Recommendation: Generally too competitive for beginners. Avoid targeting these unless you have a high-authority site.
2. Long-Tail Keywords
Examples: "best running shoes for flat feet," "how to make cold brew coffee at home," "SEO tools for small business"
- Characteristics: 3+ words, very specific
- Search Volume: Lower (10-1000 searches/month)
- Competition: Much lower
- Intent: Very clear and specific
- Conversion Rate: Higher because intent is clear
Recommendation: Perfect for beginners! Long-tail keywords are easier to rank for and often convert better. They make up 70% of all searches.
3. By Search Intent
🔍 Informational Intent
Examples: "what is SEO," "how to tie a tie"
User wants to learn something. Best for blog posts, guides, and tutorials.
🧭 Navigational Intent
Examples: "Facebook login," "YouTube"
User wants to find a specific website or page. Usually branded searches.
🛍️ Commercial Intent
Examples: "best keyword tools," "Semrush vs Ahrefs"
User is researching products/services before buying. Great for comparison and review content.
💳 Transactional Intent
Examples: "buy running shoes online," "Semrush pricing"
User is ready to purchase. Target these with product and pricing pages.
How to Brainstorm Seed Keywords
Seed keywords are the starting point for your research. They're broad topics related to your business that you'll expand into more specific keywords.
Method 1: Think Like Your Customer
Ask yourself:
- What problems does my product/service solve?
- What would I search for if I needed this?
- What questions do customers frequently ask?
- What terms do people use in my industry?
Example for a Coffee Blog:
Seed keywords might include: coffee, brewing, espresso, coffee beans, cold brew, coffee maker, etc.
Method 2: Check Your Competitors
Visit your top 3-5 competitors' websites and note:
- Main navigation categories
- Blog post topics
- Product/service categories
- FAQ sections
Method 3: Use Google Autocomplete
Start typing your topic into Google and see what it suggests. These are real searches people are making!
Example: Type "coffee" and Google might suggest:
- coffee near me
- coffee beans
- coffee maker
- coffee recipes
Method 4: Check "People Also Ask" and "Related Searches"
When you search for a term, scroll to the bottom of Google's results page to find "Related Searches" and look for the "People Also Ask" boxes. These are goldmines for keyword ideas!
💡 Pro Tip: Aim for 5-10 seed keywords to start. You'll expand these into hundreds of keyword variations using tools.
Free Keyword Research Tools
You don't need expensive tools to start. Here are the best free options:
1. Google Keyword Planner (100% Free)
Best for: Finding search volume and getting keyword ideas
How to access: Create a free Google Ads account (you don't need to run ads)
What it shows:
- Estimated search volume ranges
- Keyword suggestions
- Competition level (for ads, but still useful)
- CPC (cost-per-click) data
Limitations: Shows volume ranges instead of exact numbers unless you're running ads
2. Ubersuggest (Free Limited Version)
Best for: Comprehensive keyword data on a budget
Free tier includes: 3 searches per day, limited results per search
What it shows:
- Exact search volume
- SEO difficulty score
- CPC and paid difficulty
- Keyword suggestions
- Content ideas
Upgrade option: $29/month for unlimited searches (affordable for most users)
3. Google Search Console (100% Free)
Best for: Finding keywords you already rank for
What it shows:
- Keywords your site appears for in search
- Your current rankings
- Click-through rates
- Impressions (how often you appear in search)
Why it's valuable: Shows opportunities to improve existing rankings and find quick wins
4. Answer the Public (Free Limited Version)
Best for: Finding question-based keywords
What it shows: Visualizes questions, prepositions, comparisons, and alphabetical keyword variations
Perfect for: Creating FAQ content and how-to guides
🔧 Premium Tools Worth Considering
Once you're ready to invest, these tools offer more comprehensive data:
- Semrush - $129.95/month - Best all-in-one SEO suite
- Ahrefs - $99/month - Best for backlink analysis and keyword research
- See full comparison →
Understanding Keyword Metrics
When you research keywords, you'll see various metrics. Here's what they mean and why they matter:
1. Search Volume
What it is: The average number of times a keyword is searched per month
Why it matters: Higher volume = more potential traffic, but also more competition
How to use it:
- 0-100 searches/month: Very low, but highly specific (often good for long-tail)
- 100-1,000: Low volume, easier to rank (great for beginners)
- 1,000-10,000: Medium volume, moderate competition
- 10,000+: High volume, usually very competitive
2. Keyword Difficulty (KD or SEO Difficulty)
What it is: A score (usually 0-100) indicating how hard it is to rank on page 1
Why it matters: Helps you avoid keywords you can't realistically rank for
How to interpret:
- 0-20: Easy - Great for new sites
- 21-40: Possible - With quality content and some backlinks
- 41-60: Difficult - Need established site with authority
- 61-80: Very Difficult - Requires significant authority and backlinks
- 81-100: Extremely Difficult - Near impossible without major authority
✅ Beginner Strategy: Target keywords with difficulty scores under 30 when starting out. As your site grows, you can tackle harder keywords.
3. Cost Per Click (CPC)
What it is: How much advertisers pay per click in Google Ads
Why it matters for SEO: Higher CPC often indicates commercial intent and potential value
How to use it:
- $0-$1: Low commercial value
- $1-$3: Moderate commercial value
- $3+: High commercial value (people ready to buy)
4. Trend
What it is: Whether search interest is growing, stable, or declining
Why it matters: You want to target keywords with stable or growing interest, not declining trends
Where to check: Google Trends (free tool)
Understanding Search Intent
Search intent (also called user intent) is why someone is searching. Matching intent is crucial for ranking well.
How to Determine Search Intent
Step 1: Google the keyword yourself
Step 2: Look at the top 10 results. Are they:
- Blog posts/guides? (Informational intent)
- Product pages? (Transactional intent)
- Comparison/review articles? (Commercial intent)
- Homepages/branded pages? (Navigational intent)
Step 3: Match your content type to what's already ranking
⚠️ Common Mistake: Creating a blog post for a keyword where all top results are product pages (or vice versa). If you don't match the intent, you won't rank well, even with great content.
Intent Keywords to Look For
Informational: what, how, why, guide, tutorial, tips, learn
Commercial: best, top, review, vs, comparison, alternative
Transactional: buy, price, discount, deal, order, purchase, cheap
Navigational: brand names, login, site name
Creating Your First Keyword List
Now let's put it all together with a step-by-step process:
Step 1: Brainstorm 5-10 Seed Keywords
Use the methods above to create your initial list of broad topics.
Step 2: Expand with Tools
Enter each seed keyword into Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest and export the suggestions.
Step 3: Filter and Prioritize
Create a spreadsheet with these columns:
- Keyword
- Search Volume
- Keyword Difficulty
- Search Intent
- Priority (High/Medium/Low)
Filter criteria:
- Remove keywords with 0 search volume
- For beginners: Focus on KD under 30
- Verify search intent matches your content capability
- Prioritize keywords with commercial intent if you're selling something
Step 4: Group by Topic
Group related keywords together. Each group could become one piece of content.
Example grouping:
- Topic: French Press Coffee
- how to make french press coffee (1,000 vol, KD 15)
- best french press coffee ratio (500 vol, KD 10)
- french press brewing time (300 vol, KD 12)
Step 5: Create a Content Plan
For each keyword group, plan:
- Content type (blog post, product page, landing page)
- Target word count (check top-ranking content length)
- Publication date
- Priority (which to create first)
💡 Pro Tip: Start with 10-20 keywords. Create content for them first, see what performs, then expand. Quality beats quantity every time.
Common Keyword Research Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Mistake #1: Targeting Only High-Volume Keywords
Why it's bad: High volume usually means high competition. You'll waste time creating content that never ranks.
Do instead: Target a mix of keywords, with emphasis on low-competition long-tail keywords you can actually rank for.
❌ Mistake #2: Ignoring Search Intent
Why it's bad: Creating the wrong content type means you won't rank, even with perfect optimization.
Do instead: Always check what's currently ranking and match that content format.
❌ Mistake #3: Keyword Stuffing
Why it's bad: Using keywords unnaturally will get you penalized and hurt readability.
Do instead: Use keywords naturally, include synonyms and related terms, and focus on comprehensive coverage of the topic.
❌ Mistake #4: Not Checking Your Current Rankings
Why it's bad: You might already rank #11-#20 for keywords that just need optimization to reach page 1.
Do instead: Use Google Search Console to find quick wins—keywords where you rank on page 2-3.
❌ Mistake #5: Creating Too Much Content Too Fast
Why it's bad: Publishing 100 mediocre articles is worse than 10 excellent ones.
Do instead: Focus on creating comprehensive, high-quality content that's better than anything currently ranking.
Related Beginner Tutorials
What is SEO? Complete Beginner's Guide
Understand what SEO is, how search engines work, and why SEO matters.
On-Page SEO Basics
Learn how to optimize your content using the keywords you've researched.
Google Search Console Guide
Track which keywords you're ranking for and find opportunities.