Keyword research: how to find the searches that matter

Keyword research is finding out exactly how people search for what you sell, so your pages use their words and answer their questions. It also tells you which searches are worth a page of their own and which belong together on one page.

Free sources of keyword data

Paid tools such as Semrush, Ahrefs, Mangools and SE Ranking add difficulty scores, competitor keywords and larger databases. Their volumes are estimates; see keyword research tools compared.

A simple method

1. List what you sell and the problems you solve, in customers' words.
2. Expand each item with autocomplete, People also ask and a keyword tool.
3. Note the intent of each search: learning, comparing, buying or finding a local business.
4. Group searches with the same intent; each group is one page.
5. Check who ranks now. If the top results are big brands for a broad term, start with longer, more specific searches.
6. Map each group to an existing page or a new one, so no two pages target the same group.

Keyword optimization, without stuffing

Use the main phrase in the title, H1 and first paragraph, and related phrases where they fit naturally, often as headings for the questions people ask. Repeating keywords unnaturally is keyword stuffing, which Google's spam policies cover. See long-tail keywords.