HOW TO DO KEYWORD RESEARCH

At Lillian Purge, we specialise in Local SEO Services and have written How to do Keyword Research to show you how to discover search queries, target high-intent keywords, and build a content plan with real impact.

Whenever I discuss SEO with business owners I notice the same pattern. Everyone accepts that keywords are important yet most are unsure how to choose them in a way that actually works. I believe keyword research is misunderstood because people often rely on guesswork. They pick words they assume customers search for rather than the phrases people genuinely type into Google. This guesswork leads to content that never ranks and hours of work that delivers very little return. Conducting research is so much easier than you think!

Keyword research is the process of discovering the exact words and phrases people use in search engines when looking for products, services or information. It tells you what your audience cares about, how they think and how they communicate. If you get your keyword research right everything else becomes easier. Your content becomes clearer. Your SEO structure becomes stronger. Your rankings improve faster. Your website attracts people who are ready to buy.

In this guide I want to take you through everything from start to finish. This includes how keyword research works, which tools to use, how to find strong opportunities, how to group keywords, how to choose the right ones and how to avoid the common mistakes that damage SEO.

My goal is to make this simple, practical and usable even if you have never done keyword research before.

Part 1: What Keyword Research Actually Is and Why It Matters

Keyword research is the process of identifying the search queries that your ideal audience uses to find information online. A search query could be:

  • a short phrase such as “solicitor Bedford”

  • a question such as “how long does conveyancing take”

  • a problem such as “boiler losing pressure”

  • a comparison such as “best accountant for small business”

  • a location based search such as “electrician near me”

The job of keyword research is simple. Understand what people search for then create content that answers those searches.

Keyword research matters because it helps you:

1. Attract the right audience

If your keywords match your ideal customers you get qualified traffic not random visitors.

2. Rank faster

When you choose realistic keywords that match your authority level you improve your chances of appearing on page one.

3. Build topical authority

When you target related keywords within a topic Google begins trusting your expertise.

4. Strengthen conversions

If people search with buying intent they convert at much higher rates.

5. Avoid wasted content

Instead of guessing what to write you follow demand based on real data.

In my opinion keyword research is the foundation of every strong SEO strategy because it tells you exactly what to focus on.

Part 2: Understanding Search Intent Before Anything Else

Search intent describes the reason behind a keyword. If you misunderstand the intent you will create the wrong type of content and your page will not rank even if you use the keyword perfectly.

There are four main types of search intent.

1. Informational intent

The user wants an answer.

Examples:

  • “how does probate work”

  • “what is local SEO”

  • “how to service a boiler”

  • “what is company tax”

Content type required:
Helpful, educational content such as blogs or guides.

2. Navigational intent

The user wants to reach a specific site or brand.

Examples:

  • “NatWest login”

  • “Lillian Purge SEO”

  • “GOV UK self assessment”

Content type required:
Your homepage or branded pages.

3. Commercial intent

The user is comparing options.

Examples:

  • “best estate agent Bedford”

  • “top restaurants in Milton Keynes”

  • “solicitor reviews Bedfordshire”

Content type required:
List posts, comparison pages, service detail pages.

4. Transactional intent

The user is ready to buy or take action.

Examples:

  • “book boiler repair Bedford”

  • “divorce solicitor consultation”

  • “hairdresser Bedford appointment”

Content type required:
High converting landing pages.

Why intent matters so much

If you choose a keyword with informational intent but create a sales page Google will not rank it. If you choose a transactional keyword but write a blog post Google will not rank it.

In my experience understanding intent reduces 90 percent of SEO mistakes.

Part 3: The Tools You Can Use for Keyword Research

You do not need dozens of tools. Three to five is enough. Here are the ones I believe work best.

1. Google Keyword Planner

Free inside Google Ads. Good for discovering search volumes and related terms. Although numbers are broad not exact.

2. Google Search Console

Shows real searches your website already appears for. Ideal for identifying quick wins and expanding existing content.

3. Google autocomplete and People Also Ask

This is one of the best free keyword tools. Google tells you what people are asking in real time.

Autocomplete example:
Start typing “probate” and see popular searches.

People Also Ask example:
Appears under search results with questions people ask.

4. SEMrush

Excellent for keyword difficulty scoring, competitor research and topic clustering.

5. Ahrefs

Another powerful premium tool for keyword research and content gap analysis.

6. AnswerThePublic

Perfect for finding question based queries.

7. Ubersuggest

A simple budget friendly keyword tool for beginners.

Part 4: How to Generate Your First Keyword List

Before touching any tools you should step into your customers’ minds. What do they actually search for

I usually start with brainstorming.

Step 1: Brainstorm seed keywords

Seed keywords are the basic phrases describing your business.

Examples:

  • accountant

  • plumber

  • SEO agency

  • solicitor

  • personal trainer

These are too broad to target directly but they help generate deeper ideas.

Step 2: Expand them using questions

Ask:

  • what does the customer want

  • what problem do they have

  • what location are they in

  • what are they worried about

  • what decision are they trying to make

Examples:

  • “how much does probate cost in the UK”

  • “plumber to fix leaking boiler Bedford”

  • “SEO agency for electricians UK”

These become more specific and rankable.

Step 3: Use Google autocomplete

Type your seed words and look at suggestions.

Search:
“conveyancing”
You might see:

  • conveyancing fees

  • conveyancing timeline

  • conveyancing near me

  • conveyancing solicitor Bedford

Autocomplete is customer data. Use it heavily.

Step 4: Use People Also Ask

Search: “boiler pressure”
People Also Ask shows:

  • what causes low boiler pressure

  • can I fix boiler pressure myself

  • is low pressure dangerous

Each of these can become an article or an FAQ section.

Step 5: Analyse competitors

Search for your keyword and look at who ranks. Run their domain through SEMrush or Ahrefs.

Look for:

  • keywords they rank for

  • keywords they miss

  • related topics

  • phrases with commercial intent

This reveals opportunities they have not targeted properly.

Part 5: How to Analyse Keyword Metrics Properly

Keyword research is not about picking the phrases with the highest volume. It is about choosing achievable opportunities.

You should analyse keywords using six metrics.

1. Search volume

How many people search per month. Useful but not the most important metric. I prefer a mix of low, medium and high volume keywords.

2. Keyword difficulty

This estimates how tough it is to rank. Lower difficulty means faster results. For new sites I recommend aiming for low to medium difficulty until authority grows.

3. Intent

Does the keyword match the page you want to create If not it will not rank.

4. Relevance

Will this keyword attract the right customer or just traffic for no reason Relevance is more important than volume.

5. SERP landscape

Search the keyword and see what Google shows.

Questions to ask:

  • Are the results blogs or landing pages

  • Are the sites huge competitors

  • Are there map results

  • Are the results localised

This tells you what content type you should create.

6. Opportunity score

A balance of:

  • search volume

  • competition

  • intent

  • ranking potential

Choose keywords where you have a real chance.

Part 6: How to Group and Organise Your Keywords

Grouping keywords properly helps you build topical authority and improves your rankings across the entire niche.

1. Group by topic not individual keywords

Example: Probate keywords

  • what is probate

  • how long does probate take

  • probate fees UK

  • do I need a solicitor for probate

  • probate timeline

All of these belong to a single topic cluster.

2. Group by service

Example: Electrician

  • rewiring services

  • fuse box replacement

  • electrical safety certificates

  • emergency electrician Bedford

Each cluster becomes a service page with supporting blogs.

3. Group by location

Local SEO requires location grouping.

Example: Plumber Bedford

  • Bedford plumber

  • plumber in Bedford

  • boiler repair Bedford

  • emergency plumber Bedford

Create one main location page then supporting pages or FAQs.

4. Prioritise pages based on commercial value

Not all keywords are equal. Some lead to money. Some lead to information.

Prioritise:

  • high buying intent

  • strong local intent

  • high convertibility

Informational keywords support authority but should not replace money pages.

Part 7: How to Choose the Right Keywords

Once you have keyword groups you must decide which keywords to target first.

I follow this process.

1. Choose the primary keyword

The primary keyword defines the page.

Example: “Probate solicitor Bedford”

Place it in:

  • title tag

  • H1

  • URL

  • intro paragraph

  • natural places in content

2. Choose 5 to 15 secondary keywords

These support the topic naturally.

Examples:

  • probate process

  • probate costs

  • probate timeline

Use them once or twice each.

3. Choose long tail keywords

These are gold for easy rankings.

Examples:

  • how much does probate cost UK

  • do I need a solicitor for probate

  • what happens after probate is granted

In my opinion long tail keywords are the fastest route to building authority.

Part 8: Creating Content From Your Keyword Research

Many businesses stop after collecting keywords. The real power comes from turning them into logical high quality content.

1. Create one page per primary keyword

Do not mix multiple unrelated intents into one page.

2. Use your secondary keywords naturally

This strengthens context without stuffing.

3. Structure content clearly

Use:

  • short paragraphs

  • headings

  • bullet points

  • FAQs

Google loves clarity.

4. Write for humans not robots

If your content feels awful to read Google will not reward it.

In my opinion writing naturally is more powerful than trying to hit keyword density.

5. Add internal links

Link related pages to build topical clusters.

Example:

Your probate page links to:

  • probate fees

  • probate process

  • what is probate

This improves ranking across all pages.

Part 9: Using Keyword Research for Local SEO

Local SEO has its own keyword rules.

1. Include your location naturally

Do not overuse it. Google hates location stuffing.

2. Create unique landing pages for each location

Do not duplicate content. Write fresh helpful content for each area.

3. Use your keyword in:

  • title

  • H1

  • first paragraph

  • at least one subheading

4. Use local modifiers

Examples:

  • near me

  • in my area

  • best in Bedford

These reflect real user behaviour.

5. Use Google Business Profile insights

Look at the queries people use to find your profile. Add them to your keyword plan.

Part 10: Advanced Keyword Research Techniques

Once you master the basics you can move into more advanced methods.

1. Competitor content gap analysis

Find keywords your competitors rank for but you do not.

2. SERP feature analysis

Look for:

  • featured snippets

  • People Also Ask

  • video results

  • map pack

Create content that fits these features.

3. Seasonality analysis

Some keywords spike during:

  • tax season

  • winter boiler repairs

  • summer events

Plan content around seasonal demand.

4. Industry trend analysis

Use tools like Google Trends to identify rising topics before competitors use them.

5. Customer language analysis

Read your customers’ messages, emails and reviews. They often use phrases that become excellent keywords.

Part 11: Keyword Research Mistakes to Avoid

I have seen the same mistakes repeatedly.

1. Choosing keywords with huge search volume but impossible competition

New sites cannot rank for “solicitor” or “plumber” alone.

2. Ignoring intent

You cannot rank an FAQ page for a transactional keyword.

3. Stuffing keywords into content

Google will penalise manipulation.

4. Using the same keyword across multiple pages

This causes cannibalisation where pages compete with each other.

5. Ignoring low volume keywords

Low volume often means low competition. Perfect for early authority building.

6. Forgetting to update keyword research

Search behaviour changes. Refresh your research every six to twelve months.

Bringing Everything Together

When I look at keyword research as a whole I believe it is one of the most important skills in SEO. It tells you what your customers want, how they think and what content you should create. When you understand keyword research you stop guessing. You build your website around real demand. You create content people actually search for. Your SEO becomes strategic instead of random.

In my opinion keyword research will always be the foundation of successful SEO because everything else depends on it. If you choose the right keywords you attract the right traffic. If you attract the right traffic your chances of ranking and converting improve dramatically.

We have also written in depth articles on How to Find Keywords for SEO and What are Long Tail Keywords? Long Tail Keyword Examples as well as our Keywords Hub to give you further guidance.