Keyword research is the first step toward building a strong digital marketing strategy. If you want more people to visit your website, increase your brand's visibility, and boost sales, understanding keyword research is essential. This process helps you discover what words and phrases people search for so you can align your content with their interests. In this blog, we’ll walk through what keyword research is, why it matters, the best tools to use, and how it powers SEO content creation to improve your website’s performance.
What Is Keyword Research?
Keyword research is the process of finding the search terms people type into search engines like Google. It helps businesses learn what their audience is looking for and how to connect with them through their content.
By identifying the right keywords, companies can match their content with what people want to find. Whether you are updating current content or starting fresh, keyword research is key to increasing visibility and getting your site to rank higher in search engine results.
Why Is Keyword Research Important?
Google and other search engines rely on keywords to determine how relevant your content is to a search query. If you skip keyword research, your content may not reach your target audience, making it hard for people to find your site. Including the right keywords ensures that your content matches user searches, which boosts traffic and improves your site’s ranking.
When keyword research works together with SEO content, it helps your site become more visible, builds trust, and attracts more organic traffic. As a result, your content can engage more people and drive more business.
How to do keyword research: a step-by-step guide
Keyword research plays a crucial role in helping businesses attract the right audience and improve their search engine rankings. Below is a detailed, step-by-step guide that will walk you through the process of conducting keyword research. Each step will provide answers to common questions, as well as practical advice and examples to help you develop a solid keyword strategy.
1. Understand Your Audience
The first step in keyword research is identifying who your audience is and what they need. The better you understand your audience, the more effectively you can align your keywords with their search behavior. This step lays the foundation for your entire SEO strategy.
Why is understanding your audience important?
Knowing your audience helps you predict what they are searching for, whether they are looking for information, a solution, or a product. If you can anticipate their needs, you can create content that matches their intent, increasing your chances of appearing in search results.
How do I identify my audience’s search behavior?
Think about these questions:
- What problems or questions does your audience have?
Example: Are users searching for “how to improve website traffic” or “top SEO tools”?
- What type of content will they find helpful?
Example: Are they looking for how-to guides, product reviews, or blog posts?
- Where are they in their buyer’s journey?
Example: A person researching “benefits of SEO” is likely in the early stages, while someone searching “hire digital marketing agency” is ready to take action.
Pro tip:
Use customer surveys, feedback forms, or tools like Google Analytics to better understand your audience's behavior. This will help you create keyword lists that match what they are likely to search for.
2. Use Keyword Research Tools
Using the right tools makes keyword research more efficient and insightful. These tools provide data such as search volume, keyword difficulty, competition, and trends to help you choose the best keywords for your content.
What are the top keyword research tools, and how do they help?
- Google Keyword Planner:
- Offers keyword suggestions based on Google’s search data.
- Displays monthly search volume to show how popular a keyword is.
- Useful for finding location-specific keywords for local SEO.
When to use it: When planning your content around highly searched terms.
- Ahrefs:
- Tracks keyword difficulty, backlink profiles, and competitor insights.
- Displays related keywords and search trends to expand your keyword strategy.
When to use it: To find competitive keywords and monitor how your site ranks.
- SEMrush:
- Provides competitor keyword analysis and helps track ranking trends.
- Analyzes keyword performance over time and suggests improvement strategies.
When to use it: For tracking the progress of your keywords and spotting new opportunities.
- Ubersuggest:
- Generates long-tail keywords and related search terms.
- Offers predictive keyword metrics to forecast performance.
When to use it: For brainstorming new keywords or finding niche terms to target.
Why are these tools essential?
These tools provide valuable data, like search volume (how often a keyword is searched) and keyword difficulty (how hard it is to rank for a specific keyword). This information helps you make smarter decisions about which keywords to focus on.
3. Identify Search Intent
One of the most important parts of keyword research is understanding the intent behind a search. Search intent tells you why a user is searching for a specific term. There are generally three types of search intent:
What are the different types of search intent?
- Informational Intent:
- Users are looking for information or answers.
Example: “How to improve website traffic” or “best digital marketing tools.”
Content to create: Blog posts, how-to guides, and informational articles.
- Navigational Intent:
- Users want to find a specific brand or website.
Example: “THAT Agency website” or “Google Analytics login.”
Content to create: Product pages, about pages, or landing pages optimized for your brand name.
- Transactional Intent:
- Users are ready to take action, like making a purchase or booking a service.
Example: “Hire a digital marketing agency” or “buy SEO tools.”
Content to create: Product pages, service pages, or CTA-driven landing pages.
How do I align my content with search intent?
Each keyword you target should match the content type users expect to find. For example:
- If a user searches “how to improve SEO rankings,” they expect to see a guide or tips—not a product page.
- If a user searches “buy SEO tools,” they are ready to make a purchase, so a detailed product page with a call-to-action (CTA) works best.
Pro tip:
Use SERP analysis to see what kind of content is already ranking for your target keywords. This will give you insight into what search engines believe matches the user’s intent.
Example of Applying Keyword Research
Let’s say you run a digital marketing agency targeting local businesses. Here’s how to apply these steps:
- Understand your audience: You identify that your ideal customers are small businesses in your area looking for SEO services.
- Use keyword tools: Google Keyword Planner shows that “SEO services in West Palm Beach” has a high search volume with moderate difficulty.
- Identify search intent: The intent is transactional, meaning users are likely looking to hire a service.
- Create optimized content: You build a service page targeting the keyword, including a CTA like “Contact us today for a free consultation.”
Keyword research is essential for creating content that matches your audience’s needs and improves your SEO performance. By following this step-by-step guide, you’ll be able to:
- Understand your audience and what they are searching for.
- Use keyword research tools to find valuable keywords.
- Align your content with search intent to improve visibility and engagement.
Taking the time to conduct thorough keyword research will help your site rank higher and attract the right audience. Whether you’re focusing on local SEO or targeting global markets, these strategies will set you on the path to SEO success.
Strategies for Using Keywords in SEO Content
Finding the right keywords is just the beginning of a successful SEO strategy. To fully maximize your efforts, you need to know how to use these keywords effectively within your content. Below are detailed strategies to help you optimize your content and improve your search engine rankings.
1. Focus on Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that help target niche audiences. While these keywords may have lower search volumes, they are highly targeted, making them easier to rank for and more likely to convert visitors into customers.
- What makes long-tail keywords effective?
They attract users with specific search intent, which improves the chances of driving qualified traffic to your site. Someone searching for “best digital marketing agency in West Palm Beach” is likely closer to making a decision than someone searching for just “digital marketing agency.”
- Examples of Long-Tail Keywords:
- “Luxury beachfront hotels in Miami with spa services”
- “Best organic pet food brands for large dogs”
- Tip: Use tools like Ubersuggest or Google’s autocomplete feature to discover long-tail keyword ideas.
2. Use Primary and Secondary Keywords
Using keywords strategically means placing them where they’ll have the most impact while keeping your content natural.
- Primary Keywords: These should appear in key areas, including:
- The title of the page or blog
- The first 100 words of the introduction
- At least one subheading
- The conclusion of your content
- Secondary Keywords: These are related terms that complement your primary keyword. Use them naturally throughout your content to avoid keyword stuffing, which can harm your rankings.
- Avoid Keyword Stuffing:
Overusing keywords makes your content sound unnatural and may lead to penalties from search engines. Instead, use keywords where they fit naturally within sentences.
3. Answer User Questions
Content that directly answers common questions often performs well in search engine rankings. Google rewards content that provides value by featuring it in snippets or "People Also Ask" sections on the SERP.
- How can you find user questions?
Tools like Answer the Public show what questions people are searching for within your niche. You can also check Google’s "People Also Ask" section to see popular inquiries related to your keywords.
- Why is answering questions effective?
Users searching with questions often have high intent and are looking for specific solutions. Providing those answers increases your content’s relevance and improves your chances of being featured in snippets.
- Example: If people frequently search for “How to boost website traffic,” include a section in your content that addresses this question directly.
4. Update Old Content
SEO trends evolve over time, and content that once ranked well may lose visibility. Refreshing old content with updated keywords and new insights keeps it relevant.
- Why is updating content important?
Search engines favor content that stays current and relevant to user needs. Old content with outdated keywords or data may drop in rankings over time.
- How often should you update content?
Regularly audit your content every 6–12 months to identify posts that need updates.
- What should you look for when updating?
- Replace outdated statistics or trends.
- Add new keywords based on current search intent.
- Ensure internal links point to relevant, active pages.
International and Location-Based Keyword Data
To reach a broader audience or target specific regions, you need to adjust your SEO strategy with international and location-based keyword research. Search behaviors vary by location, and tailoring your keywords accordingly ensures your content resonates with local users.
- What are location-specific keywords?
These keywords include geographic references, such as city or country names (e.g., “restaurants in New York”). These terms help capture local search intent and attract users looking for services near them.
- Example: Instead of just using "plumbing services," use “24-hour plumbing services in Los Angeles.”
- How can international SEO help businesses expand?
If your business operates globally, it’s essential to understand local languages and cultural nuances. A keyword that performs well in one country may not resonate in another. Use related keywords in the local language to increase visibility.
- How do predictive keyword metrics work?
Predictive tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush help you forecast keyword trends by location, ensuring your strategy stays ahead of market shifts. These tools analyze search volume fluctuations, giving you insights into emerging trends.
Keyword Analysis and Tracking
Finding the right keywords is only half the battle—tracking and analyzing their performance is crucial to ensuring SEO success. Here’s how keyword analysis and tracking help improve your strategy:
- What is competitive keyword analysis?
This involves studying what keywords your competitors rank for and identifying gaps where you can outperform them. Tools like Moz provide domain authority and page authority scores, which indicate the strength of your site compared to competitors.
- What is keyword difficulty?
Keyword difficulty measures how hard it is to rank for a specific keyword. Higher-difficulty keywords may require more resources, while lower-difficulty keywords can offer quick wins, especially for newer websites.
- Why is tracking changes important?
SEO is dynamic, and rankings can fluctuate. Tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush allow you to monitor these changes and identify when new competitors enter the SERP. This helps you respond quickly and protect your rankings.
- How do search volume trends impact SEO?
Search volume indicates how often a keyword is searched within a specific time frame. Monitoring trends ensures your keywords remain relevant. If search interest declines, it might be time to explore new keyword lists or pivot to a different focus.
Keyword Suggestions and SERP Analysis
Generating fresh keyword ideas and staying updated with SERP analysis helps refine your SEO strategy and keeps you ahead of the competition.
- Where can you find keyword suggestions?
Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, and Ahrefs provide suggestions based on current search behavior. They also help you discover related keywords that may offer untapped opportunities.
- What are SERP features?
SERP features are special elements, such as featured snippets, knowledge panels, or video carousels, that appear on Google’s results page. Optimizing for these features can increase visibility without needing the top organic position.
- Example: If Google’s "People Also Ask" section frequently features questions related to your topic, structure your content to answer those questions clearly and concisely.
- Why is competitive SERP analysis important?
Studying how competitors rank in the SERP gives you insights into which strategies are working. By analyzing page authority, domain authority, and backlink profiles, you can identify opportunities to improve your ranking.
By following these strategies, businesses can use keywords effectively to enhance their SEO efforts. Combining thoughtful keyword selection with regular tracking, analysis, and updates will keep your content relevant and competitive.
Keyword Suggestions and SERP Analysis
Generating fresh keyword ideas and studying SERP (Search Engine Results Page) features can improve your SEO strategy and identify new opportunities. SERP analysis gives insights into how search engines display results and what you need to do to stay competitive.
- Keyword Suggestions: Tools like Ubersuggest or Google’s autocomplete feature provide keyword suggestions based on search behavior. These tools also generate related keywords to expand your SEO reach.
- SERP Features: Look for opportunities to optimize for SERP features such as featured snippets, knowledge panels, or "People Also Ask" sections. Ranking for these features can increase your visibility without needing the top organic spot.
- Moz Domain Authority and SERP Ranking: Analyze your domain’s authority using Moz tools to see how likely your site is to rank for certain keywords. Higher domain authority boosts your chances of appearing on the first page.
- SERP Analysis for Competitors: Study how competitors rank for your target keywords. Knowing what’s working for them gives you insights into gaps or opportunities for your SEO strategy.
Refining your strategy through keyword suggestions and regular SERP analysis ensures your website stays competitive and improves organic search performance.
Why SEO Content and Keyword Research Work Together
Using keyword research to create SEO content offers several important benefits:
- Increased Traffic: Ranking higher in search results helps more people find your site.
- Better Engagement: When visitors find what they’re looking for, they stay longer on your site.
- More Conversions: Content that matches search intent encourages users to take action, whether that’s contacting you or making a purchase.
THAT Agency knows how to use keyword research to create content that delivers results. Our SEO strategies are designed to engage your audience and improve your site’s performance.
Use Keyword Research to Grow Your Website Traffic
Keyword research is more than just finding popular terms—it’s about understanding what your audience is looking for and creating SEO content that meets their needs. When you use the right tools and strategies, you’ll see improvements in traffic, engagement, and conversions.
At THAT Agency, we specialize in building SEO strategies that include thorough keyword research. If you want to grow your online presence and get better results, contact us today to learn more about how we can help.
