In SEO, finding a keyword is the first and most critical step. Before generating content for your website, you must know high-volume search keywords relevant to your industry.
SEO keywords will guide your material, ensuring that your published information is relevant and readily indexed by Google. In short, searching a keyword is all about this.
For the most part, this is a time-consuming and challenging process that requires a lot of work to sort through figures, details, and large keyword lists. It’s critical, though, that you do it correctly. Therefore, comprehensive keyword research is the cornerstone of every successful SEO campaign.
Keywords are the basis of SEO. If people are not searching for what is about your content, then you won’t get Google traffic.
Table of Contents
What is Keyword Research?
Examining and compiling a list of worthwhile keywords for SEO copywriting is known as keyword research. The path of your content and marketing plan is frequently determined by the keywords, also known as search phrases.
How To Use The SEO Tools For Keyword Research
Here’s how to create keywords for your Keyword List using SEO tools.
Google Adwords
The Google Adwords Keyword Planner is developed for ad campaigns. But it’s also a great free tool to find SEO keywords.
Create a Google Ads account first. Then click the “Google Keyword Planner” link at the top. Then, add a relevant keyword in the “Find new keywords” area. Google will also suggest similar terms.
They’ll also provide plenty of keyword info (such as “top of page bid”). At this point, collect relevant keywords to your keyword list. As I said, I use Google Sheets for my keyword list, but you may use Excel, Word, or whatever works for you.
SEMRush
My favorite keyword tool is SEMRush.
Why? Because it displays your rivals’ keywords.
How it works:
First, enter a competitor’s site.
(Pro Tip: Use a competitor of similar size; a considerable authority site will show WAY too competitive terms.)
Then click Organic Research Positions to check their Google rankings.
-
- Keyword Magic Tool: finding keyword ideas based on seed keywords
- Organic Research: finding your competitors’ best keywords
- Keyword Gap: finding keywords you’re missing out on
- Keyword Overview: getting a detailed analysis of a single keyword and its search results
- Keyword Manager: Clustering new and existing keyword lists and refreshing keyword metrics in real-time
Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner has long been many marketers’ go-to free keyword research tool. However, getting exact search volume data from the device has become increasingly complex, so its popularity has decreased.
Still, it can be a valuable tool if you’re on a tight budget.
Remember that because the tool is made for keyword research for paid advertising (PPC), it doesn’t provide any information about organic difficulty or search intent.
Seed Keywords
SeedKeywords.com is a fantastic free keyword tool. Seed Keywords help you uncover phrases customers use to find your site offers. It eliminates a lot of guessing from keyword research.
Make a “Scenario” using it. Generate seed keywords. Imagine how consumers might search for your product or service on Google.
Then, spread your scenario. See what they said.
Seed Keywords are keywords entered into a keyword research tool. Most individuals make up seed keywords. Or they employ Seed Keywords they THINK Google users use. This tool is excellent for finding real search terms.
Moz
Moz’s Keyword Explorer is powerful in suggesting relevant keywords and assessing the difficulty associated with ranking for those keywords. It’s a valuable tool for understanding the competitive landscape within your niche, helping you identify which keywords might be more accessible or more challenging to target.
Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a great tool to see what keywords you’re ranking for and how many clicks and impressions you get for them in Google Search.Â
Also, you can integrate it with your Semrush account and connect it to your Google Analytics data to get invaluable website insights in one place.
Ahrefs Keywords Explorer
Keywords Explorer is an Ahrefs SEO tool. It creates ideas depending on your seed term.Â
Renowned for its comprehensive SEO toolkit, Ahrefs includes a powerful keyword explorer among its many features. It provides an in-depth analysis of keywords, backlinks, and competitor strategies, making it a top choice for advanced users.
What sets Ahrefs unique is the quantity of data it provides on each term.
Ubersuggest – Free Keyword Research Tool
Ubersuggest offers a notably user-friendly interface and comprehensive features, including keyword ideas and competitor analysis. This tool balances providing insights into keywords and understanding competitor strategies, making it a practical choice for users looking for keyword insights and competitive intelligence within their niche.
Its ease of use makes it appealing for those seeking a straightforward yet robust keyword research and analysis tool.
How To Find A Keyword
Here’s how you discover the best keywords for SEO, from competitiveness to search volume.
Step #1: Identify your niche
Before diving into keyword optimization, it’s pivotal to grasp the essence of your niche. Engage with your current customer base, gathering insights into how they perceive and articulate your brand or product. Active participation in online communities within your place aids in identifying prevalent pain points. Such comprehensive research uncovers distinctive SEO and marketing approaches, offering unique angles to reach and engage your audience effectively.
Step #2: Generate Keyword Ideas
A seed keyword is a general term relevant to your topic and commonly used to generate keyword suggestions. Here’s how to use tools to increase the number of keywords in your list after you have this starting keyword:
-
- Seed Keywords
- Tools for Expansion
- Keyword Expansion
- Filter and Organize
- Refine and Iterate
Step #3: Analyze Keywords
When analyzing keywords, you should consider several criteria to ensure they complement your SEO plan and company objectives. Here are some essential points to remember:
-
- Determine the search volume
- Data from Moz and Ahrefs
- Relevance
Step #4: Evaluate Earnings Potential
Having minimal competition and a high search volume is one thing. However, the actual query is:
Is that keyword going to pay off? Two ways to ascertain:
-
- Page One Bid
- Product Keyword
Step #5: Calculate organic CTR
This stage counts the number of users that click on the search results. They calculate the approximate links derived from #1 and #2.
However, these graphs fail to convey the current search results’ clutter.
These days, Google uses millions of Featured Snippets to provide you with an answer without requiring you to do anything. It’s because images, videos, etc, obscure the organic discoveries.
The volume of search helps. Nobody searches for that phrase until they click on the results. You thus require an organic CTR estimate.
Step 6: Identify Low-Competition Terms
It’s necessary to evaluate the opponents. Start by determining which terms on your list are non-competitive.
By using Chrome MozBar
By finding the Keyword Difficulty Score
Step 7: Pick Trendy Keywords
Find out if your keywords are trending higher or downward. It’s best to select well-known words. As a result, you get more visitors over time from these terms.
Your ally is Google Trends.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the Types of Keywords in SEO?
Short-Tail Keywords: Short and general phrases with one or two words. Example: “shoes.”
Long-Tail Keywords: More specific, usually longer phrases that target a particular niche or audience. Example: “Best running shoes for flat feet.”
Transactional Keywords: Reflecting an intent to make a purchase or take a specific action. Example: “Buy Nike running shoes.”
Informational Keywords: Geared towards seeking information rather than making a purchase. Example: “How to tie shoelaces.”
2. How do I find profitable SEO keywords?
-
- Keyword Research Tools: Use tools to explore keywords related to your niche, focusing on relevance, search volume, and competition.
- Competitor Analysis: Analyze competitors’ keywords to identify profitable terms.
- Long-Tail Keywords: Consider specific, less competitive phrases that target niche audiences.
- User Intent: Understand what users search for and align keywords with their intent.
3. What are Google-ranked keywords?
These are the keywords for which a website or page appears in Google’s search results. Google ranks pages based on relevance, quality of content, backlinks, and other SEO factors. Websites aim to optimize content for specific keywords to rank higher in Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs).