SEOBestie*
SEO · Search Engine Optimisationbeginner3 min read

What is Keyword Research?

Keyword research is the process of finding and analysing the search terms people use to discover content related to your topic. It informs which pages to create, what to title them, how to structure your content, and where your best opportunities to rank exist. Good keyword research is the foundation of an SEO strategy — it tells you what people actually want, not what you think they want.

15%
of daily Google searches have never been searched before
Source: Google, 2022
Fact-checked against 3 sourcesLast updated 8 June 2026
Key Takeaways
  • Search intent matters more than search volume — a 200/month keyword with clear buying intent outperforms a 10,000/month keyword with unclear intent.
  • Long-tail keywords (3+ words) are less competitive and easier to rank for, with more specific intent.
  • Keyword difficulty is relative — a DR20 site can rank for low-competition terms that a DR80 site ignores.
  • The best keywords often come from studying competitors' pages, not keyword tools alone.
  • Map one primary keyword and 2-3 secondary keywords per page — don't stuff, just inform the content.
In this article
  1. 01Search Intent: The Missing Piece
  2. 02How to Build a Keyword List

Search Intent: The Missing Piece

Volume and difficulty are vanity metrics without understanding intent. Every keyword has an intent: informational (how does X work?), navigational (brand X homepage), commercial (best X for Y), or transactional (buy X online).

Building a product page for an informational keyword wastes effort. Writing a blog post for a transactional keyword misses the sale. Before targeting any keyword, search for it yourself — look at what's already ranking. Google has already decided what type of content satisfies that query.

How to Build a Keyword List

Start with seed keywords — the core topics your site covers. Expand using tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or free options like Google Keyword Planner and Google Search Console.

Use competitor gap analysis: find keywords that similar sites rank for that you don't. Also study autocomplete suggestions and 'People Also Ask' boxes in Google — these reveal real user questions.

Prioritise by: business value (will this traffic convert?), ranking difficulty, and current position (quick wins on page 2-3 of Google).

Stay sharp

Most guides are already outdated.

One email a week. The search stuff that actually matters — what shifted, what died, and what to do about it.

Subscribe free →
68%
of online experiences begin with a search engine
92.96%
of global traffic comes from Google Search, Images & Maps
15%
of daily Google searches have never been seen before
0%
of keywords get any clicks — over half of searches are zero-click
✓ DO
✓

Match your target keyword to the dominant search intent before creating content

✓

Use long-tail keywords to capture high-intent, lower-competition traffic

✓

Validate keyword ideas using real data from Google Search Console and Ahrefs

✓

Group keywords by topic clusters to plan content architecture strategically

✓

Revisit your keyword list quarterly — search behaviour and volume shifts over time

✗ DON'T
✗

Don't target a keyword purely because it has high monthly search volume

✗

Don't stuff multiple unrelated keywords into a single page

✗

Don't ignore branded keyword variations — they reveal how people perceive you

✗

Don't skip competitor gap analysis — you may be missing obvious opportunities

✗

Don't treat keyword difficulty scores as absolute — domain authority context matters

KEYWORD TYPES: SHORT-TAIL VS LONG-TAIL
AttributeShort-Tail KeywordsLong-Tail Keywords
Examplerunning shoesbest running shoes for flat feet 2024
Avg. Monthly Volume100,000+100–1,000
Keyword DifficultyVery HighLow to Medium
Search Intent ClarityVague / MixedClear and Specific
Conversion PotentialLowerHigher
Best ForBrand awareness, authority pagesTargeted landing pages, blog content
KEYWORD PRIORITISATION SCORE
Priority = (Business Value × Intent Match) ÷ Keyword Difficulty

Score each keyword by how likely it is to drive converting traffic (Business Value: 1–5), how well your planned content matches the search intent (Intent Match: 1–5), and divide by Keyword Difficulty (1–100 from your SEO tool). A higher score means a better opportunity to pursue first. This helps you move beyond chasing volume and focus on ROI-positive keywords.

KEYWORD RESEARCH QUALITY CHECKLIST
0/8 complete
Seed keywords identified for every core topic your site covers
Search intent confirmed by manually reviewing the top 5 SERP results
Monthly search volume validated in at least one reputable tool (Ahrefs, Semrush, or GKP)
Keyword difficulty assessed relative to your site's current domain authority
Competitor gap analysis completed to surface missed ranking opportunities
Long-tail and question-based variants included (PAA, autocomplete, forums)
Keywords mapped to specific pages — no two pages targeting the same primary keyword
Commercial and transactional keywords linked to revenue-generating pages
KEYWORD RESEARCH TERMINOLOGY
Search Volume

The average number of times a keyword is searched per month. Reported as an estimate by tools like Ahrefs and Google Keyword Planner; high volume does not guarantee traffic.

Keyword Difficulty (KD)

A score (typically 0–100) estimating how hard it would be to rank on page one for a keyword, based on the backlink profiles and authority of currently ranking pages.

Seed Keyword

A broad, foundational term representing a core topic of your site. Used as the starting point to generate expanded keyword lists through tools and research.

Keyword Gap

Keywords that competitor sites rank for but your site does not. Identifying gaps reveals content opportunities and competitive blind spots.

SERP Feature

Non-standard search result elements — such as Featured Snippets, People Also Ask, and Local Packs — that can capture clicks before organic blue links and influence which keywords to prioritise.

Free Tool

How does your site score on SEO?

Paste your URL. Get a score and a fix list across all three disciplines. No form, no email.

Run Free Audit →

Frequently Asked Questions

Target one primary keyword per page — the main topic the page comprehensively covers. Add 2-5 semantically related secondary keywords naturally. Don't force keywords; write for the reader. Keyword stuffing hurts rankings and user experience.

Yes — especially for newer sites. Long-tail keywords have lower competition, clearer intent, and convert better despite lower volume. A page ranking #1 for 'best accounting software for freelancers under $20' will convert far better than a page struggling on page 3 for 'accounting software'.

Sources & Further Reading
  • 1.Ahrefs — Keyword Research Guide
  • 2.Google Keyword Planner
  • 3.Moz — Beginner's Guide to SEO: Keyword Research

Read next

SEObeginner

Internal Linking

Internal linking is the practice of linking from one page on your site to another page on the same domain. It…

SEOintermediate

E-E-A-T

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It's a framework from Google…

SEOadvanced

Programmatic SEO

Programmatic SEO is the practice of using data and templates to generate large numbers of unique, search-optim…