1. What keyword research actually is

Keyword research is the process of finding the words and phrases your audience uses to search, then deciding which of those are worth targeting with a page on your site. It's the foundation of SEO because it connects what you publish to real demand. Without it you're guessing — writing about topics in the words you use rather than the words your customers use.

The goal isn't to find the biggest keywords. It's to find the right keywords: terms with genuine search demand, an intent that matches what you offer, and competition low enough that a site your size can realistically rank. Google's own SEO Starter Guide puts it simply — think about the words a user might search for to find your content, including people who are more and less knowledgeable than you.

2. Start with seed keywords

Seed keywords are the obvious, broad terms that describe what you do. If you sell running shoes, your seeds are things like "running shoes," "trail shoes," and "marathon training." You don't need a tool for this step — just write down 5 to 10 phrases a customer might use to describe your product, service or topic.

A few quick ways to find seeds you might miss:

  • Ask how customers describe you. The language in support emails and reviews is often different from your marketing copy — and closer to what people search.
  • Check Google autocomplete. Start typing a seed and note the suggestions Google offers. Those are real, popular searches.
  • Read the "People also ask" and "Related searches" boxes on the results page for your seed. They're a free map of adjacent demand.

3. Expand your list

Seeds are too broad and too competitive to target directly. The value is in the long tail — the longer, more specific phrases that branch off each seed. "Running shoes" is brutally competitive; "best running shoes for flat feet" is specific, has clear intent, and is far easier to rank for.

Feed each seed into a keyword tool to pull the related phrases people actually search, along with rough volume and competition. This is the step where a generator saves hours — instead of brainstorming variations by hand, you get a structured list to work from.

Find keywords with the Keyword Research Tool

Enter a seed keyword and get a list of related phrases and low-competition ideas you can realistically rank for. Free, no signup.

Try the Keyword Research Tool →

4. Sort by search intent

Search intent is the why behind a query, and matching it is the single biggest factor in whether a page ranks. Two keywords with identical volume can need completely different pages. Most queries fall into four buckets:

  • Informational — the searcher wants to learn ("how to clean running shoes"). Best served by a guide or article.
  • Commercial — they're comparing options before buying ("best running shoes for beginners"). Best served by a comparison or review.
  • Transactional — they're ready to act ("buy Nike Pegasus 41"). Best served by a product or category page.
  • Navigational — they want a specific site or brand ("Strava login").

The fastest way to confirm intent is to search the keyword yourself and look at what already ranks. If the first page is all product listings, Google has decided the intent is transactional — a blog post won't crack it no matter how good. Match the format that's already winning.

5. Judge difficulty: can you actually rank?

A keyword is only useful if you have a realistic shot at ranking for it. "Difficulty" is an estimate of how hard that will be, based mostly on how strong the sites already ranking are. As a newer or smaller site, you want to concentrate on lower-difficulty, longer-tail terms first — they convert well, face weaker competition, and build the topical authority that lets you compete for bigger terms later.

Rule of thumb If the first page of results is dominated by huge, established brands and the pages are genuinely thorough, pick a more specific variation. You'll rank faster and waste less effort.

If you want a quick read on how competitive a term is before committing, run it through a difficulty checker so you're not guessing.

6. Group keywords into pages

You don't write one page per keyword — you write one page per intent, then target a cluster of related keywords with it. "How to clean running shoes," "best way to wash running shoes," and "can you put running shoes in the washing machine" are the same intent and belong on one strong page, not three thin ones competing with each other.

Grouping like this prevents keyword cannibalization (multiple pages fighting for the same term) and helps you build comprehensive content that covers a topic the way Google's helpful-content guidance rewards. A clustering tool can do this grouping automatically from a raw keyword list.

7. Prioritize and get started

You'll end up with more opportunities than you can act on. Prioritize by a simple combination: relevance to your business × achievable difficulty × reasonable volume. A medium-volume keyword you can rank for and that attracts buyers beats a high-volume one you'll never crack.

Pick three to five clusters to start. For each, confirm the intent, draft a page that genuinely satisfies it, and ship. Then track whether those pages start ranking, and repeat. Keyword research isn't a one-time project — it's a habit that compounds. For the mechanics behind how pages get found and ranked, see Google's guide to how Search works.

Once you have your keywords, the next step is turning them into pages that rank. Our guide on writing content that ranks picks up exactly where this one leaves off.