HOW TO DO KEYWORD RESEARCH

Keyword research is the foundation of every effective search engine optimisation strategy. It involves identifying the words and phrases that people use when searching for information, products or services that relate to your business. When done well, keyword research allows you to create content that is highly relevant, easier to rank and more likely to drive meaningful traffic to your website.

At its core, keyword research is about aligning your content with the real queries your target audience is entering into search engines. It bridges the gap between what your business offers and what users are actively looking for. Whether you are launching a new website, optimising existing pages or creating a blog content plan, this process ensures your efforts are grounded in real demand.

Why Keyword Research Matters

Keyword research helps you understand your audience more clearly. It shows you how people think, what questions they are asking and which solutions they are looking for. This knowledge allows you to create content that matches intent and offers value. Rather than guessing what people might be searching for, keyword research gives you data to make informed decisions.

It also helps you uncover new opportunities. By looking beyond your core offering, you may discover related topics or underserved niches that your competitors have overlooked. This can be particularly valuable for smaller businesses that need to build authority gradually by targeting less competitive terms first.

Beyond visibility, keyword research supports conversions. If you know the intent behind a search term, you can tailor your content to move users further down the funnel. A person searching for “how to repair a leaking tap” might be looking for information, while someone searching for “emergency plumber near me” is ready to book a service. Recognising this difference can shape your content, design and call to action.

Step One: Define Your Goals and Audience

Before you begin gathering keywords, it is important to clarify what you want to achieve. Are you trying to increase sales, grow traffic, attract leads or build authority? Different goals require different keyword strategies. For example, eCommerce sites might focus on transactional keywords, while a service business might prioritise local search terms.

Knowing your audience is just as important. Consider their age, location, profession, problems and language style. The more you understand your users, the more accurately you can predict the phrases they use when searching. This ensures your content speaks their language and connects with their needs.

Step Two: Brainstorm Seed Keywords

Seed keywords are the basic ideas that describe your products, services or topics. These are typically short phrases that reflect the core themes of your business. For a garden centre, seed keywords might include “plants”, “garden furniture” or “landscaping tips”. These terms form the starting point for deeper research.

From here, you can begin expanding your keyword ideas by thinking about related terms, synonyms and customer questions. This initial brainstorm phase is about quantity over precision. You are building a list of potential angles to explore in more detail using tools and data.

Step Three: Use Keyword Research Tools

Once you have a list of seed keywords, you can begin using keyword research tools to find data-backed suggestions. These tools will show you how often a keyword is searched, how competitive it is and which variations or related terms are worth targeting. They can also help uncover long tail keywords, which are longer and more specific phrases that often signal higher purchase intent.

Tools can also reveal keyword trends over time, allowing you to identify seasonal patterns or emerging topics. For example, a spike in searches for “raised garden beds” in early spring could help you plan timely content to capture that interest. Similarly, understanding keyword difficulty can help you prioritise terms that you are more likely to rank for, especially if your site is relatively new.

Step Four: Analyse Competitor Keywords

Looking at which keywords your competitors are targeting can offer valuable insight. If they are ranking well for certain terms, it may be worth exploring whether you can produce more comprehensive or user friendly content for the same queries. On the other hand, if there are high volume terms they are not targeting, you may have an opportunity to fill that gap.

Analysing competitor keywords also gives you context on what users expect from top ranking content. You can see how others structure their pages, which subtopics they cover and what kinds of calls to action they use. This can help you reverse engineer successful strategies and improve upon them with your own content.

Step Five: Organise and Group Keywords

After collecting a large list of keywords, the next step is to group them into themes. This process is often referred to as keyword mapping. It allows you to assign specific keyword groups to specific pages on your website. For example, a category page might target the term “men’s walking boots” while a blog post could focus on “how to choose the best walking boots for UK weather”.

Grouping keywords helps avoid duplication and ensures each page has a clear focus. It also supports better on-page SEO and user experience by keeping content relevant and organised. Over time, a well structured site with clearly mapped keywords will build stronger topical authority and improve overall rankings.

Step Six: Monitor Performance and Refine

Keyword research does not end once the content is published. You need to track how your chosen keywords are performing. This involves monitoring rankings, organic traffic, bounce rates and conversion metrics. If certain keywords are underperforming, it may be worth updating the content, improving internal linking or exploring different variations.

Search behaviour is constantly evolving. New trends emerge, language shifts and user preferences change. By revisiting your keyword strategy regularly, you can ensure that your content remains relevant, competitive and aligned with current demand.

Final Thoughts on Keyword Research

Keyword research is one of the most valuable skills in digital marketing. It shapes the way content is created, ensures visibility in search engines and supports every part of the user journey. By taking the time to understand your audience, use the right tools and apply a structured approach, you can build a keyword strategy that drives long term growth.

The most successful websites are those that speak the language of their users. Keyword research gives you the tools to do just that, helping you attract attention, build trust and convert interest into action.