Keyword research is the foundation of any SEO strategy. It tells you what topics people search for and how popular those topics are Whether you run a blog, an e-commerce store, or a local business, this checklist covers the full keyword research process. We’ll use a mix of free and paid tools, plus examples, to make every step clear. The advice is general-purpose but we’ll note how to tailor it: e.g. local businesses should include geo-specific terms, and e-commerce sites focus on product-related queries Let’s dive in.
A General Keyword Research Approach
This checklist stays broad so it applies to any site. Core SEO principles are the same for all niches. For example, whether you run a tech blog or a pet store, you start by understanding what your audience is looking for. We will point out variations where relevant (like adding location modifiers for local SEO Overall, the goal is to cover every aspect of keyword research deeply, using real examples to illustrate each point.
1. Understand Your Audience and Goals
Before picking keywords, know who you’re targeting. Define your ideal customer or reader’s profile and their needs. Semrush notes that knowing your target audience, their demographics, interests, and search habits helps you create content that resonates For instance, a fitness blog targeting runners might use different terminology than one aimed at weightlifters. Clarify your business goals (awareness, leads, sales) so you can prioritize keywords that align with those outcomes.
2. Brainstorm Seed Keywords
Start by listing seed keywords. These are broad, core terms related to your business or niche. Think about the products, services, or topics you cover. For each, ask: what would someone type into Google to find this? For example, an online tech magazine might list seeds like “tech news”, “gadget reviews”, and “technology trends” . A bakery shop could use “fresh bread”, “cupcakes”, or “artisan bakery”. Don’t overthink it, jot down anything obvious. These seed terms will fuel the rest of the research.
3. Expand Keywords with Research Tools
Turn each seed keyword into a larger list of ideas. Use autocomplete and keyword research tools to find related terms, synonyms, and variations. For example, enter a seed like “cupcakes” into Google Keyword Planner or tools like SEMrush Keyword Magic, Ahrefs Keyword Explorer, or even free tools like Ubersuggest. These tools suggest hundreds of related queries based on search data Pay attention to suggested keyword groups and categories (e.g. product types, topics). This process uncovers important related terms you might not have thought of. For instance, Semrush’s Keyword Magic groups suggestions by theme, helping you spot new angles
Tip: Also use Google Autocomplete (type a seed into Google and see suggestions) and forums (Reddit, Quora) to capture real user wording. For example, searching “how to choose running shoes” in Google or Reddit might reveal questions runners actually ask.
4. Find Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are longer, very specific phrases. They have lower search volume but also lower competition. Targeting them can quickly drive highly relevant traffic. For example, the broad keyword “shoes” has about 550K US monthly searches and very high competition. By contrast, the long-tail phrase “women’s running shoes size 8” has only ~110 searches and an easy ranking difficulty. Such specificity often means the searcher is closer to buying.
An example from SEMrush: the generic keyword “shoes” (550K volume) is very hard to rank for, whereas a long-tail like “women’s running shoes size 8” (110 volume) has much lower difficulty.
By digging out these long-tail phrases, you get quicker wins and target motivated visitors. Use filters in your tools to find them. For instance, in Semrush’s Keyword Magic you can filter for low Keyword Difficulty (KD) to reveal long-tail ideas Repeat this for each seed. Even though each long-tail term brings less traffic individually, together they add up and tend to convert better because they match specific intent.
The keyword “women’s running shoes size 8” has only 110 US searches and 17% difficulty (Semrush data). Low competition long-tail keywords like this can be easier to rank for.
Example: If your site sells kitchen gadgets, a broad term might be “kitchen knives.” A useful long-tail could be “best Japanese kitchen knife for sushi.” The narrow phrase has far fewer searches, but it’s exactly what a buyer might type.
5. Analyze Competitor Keywords
Research what keywords your competitors rank for. Competitor analysis reveals gaps and opportunities. Using a tool like SEMrush’s Keyword Gap or Ahrefs’ Content Gap, enter your domain and your main competitors’ domains. The tool compares their keyword profiles.
Using SEMrush’s Keyword Gap tool, enter your site and competitors (e.g. techcrunch.com, theverge.com, etc.) to find overlapping keywords and gaps.
After running the comparison, look for keywords marked as “Missing” for your site. These are terms all your competitors rank for, but you don’t. Each “missing” keyword is a content opportunity. For example, in the screenshot below, there are 22 missing keywords. You might decide to create new content around those topics.
The Keyword Gap results for “techcrunch.com” show 22 “Missing” keywords (purple box) that competitors rank for but TechCrunch does not These highlight content gap opportunities.
Example: If a competitor’s site ranks for “how to repair a DSLR camera,” and you notice that keyword is missing from your site, consider writing a blog post on camera repair. This directly leverages competitor insights.
6. Evaluate Keyword Metrics
Not all keywords are worth targeting. For each candidate, check key metrics:
- Search Volume: How many monthly searches on average. Higher is generally better, but also more competitive.
- Difficulty (KD): An estimate of how hard it is to rank in the top results. Lower is easier for newer sites.
- Competition/CPC: How many advertisers bid on the term (high CPC often means high commercial intent).
- Trends: Check seasonality with Google Trends. Are searches steady, rising, or falling
Enter your keyword list into a tool (e.g. Google Keyword Planner for volume, or SEMrush’s Keyword Overview for all metrics). Look for a balance: ideally higher volume with low-to-medium difficulty For example, a keyword with 1000 searches and KD 30% is often a good target. Avoid 90% KD terms unless you have a very strong site. Prioritize based on how these metrics align with your goals (e.g. a product launch might justify tougher terms).
Tip: You can use filters. In SEMrush’s Keyword Magic, filter difficulty to “Easy” to list only low-competition terms
7. Identify Search Intent
Understand why users search each keyword. There are four main intent categories: informational (seeking answers), navigational (looking for a site), commercial (researching before buying), and transactional (ready to buy).
Determine the intent for each keyword. For example, “how to tie a tie” is informational, while “buy silk tie online” is transactional. Google’s results usually reflect intent: the presence of a PAA box or shopping results can hint at user intent. SEMrush even labels intent (e.g. “I” for informational) Match your content to intent: write a helpful guide for informational queries, product pages for transactional ones, etc. For instance, someone searching “best noise-canceling headphones” (commercial intent) expects reviews or comparisons, not an e-commerce product page.
8. Group Keywords into Topics (Clustering)
Organize similar keywords by topic or page. This is often called keyword clustering. Clustering helps you avoid keyword cannibalization and cover all related terms. For each theme (e.g. “camera maintenance”), group keywords like “how to clean DSLR sensor,” “shutter repair service,” etc. You can do this manually or with a tool (SEMrush’s Keyword Manager can auto-cluster by intent
Within each cluster, choose one primary keyword (highest volume) and treat the others as secondary. Plan to create or optimize a single page for that topic, targeting the primary term in the title and headers, while naturally including secondary terms throughout the content This strategy lets one page rank for multiple related keywords.
Example: A cluster for “Italian pasta recipes” might have “homemade ravioli recipe” (primary), “traditional carbonara ingredients,” and “easy lasagna dish.” You could write a guide covering all these dishes, using the main phrase in the page title.
9. Use Semantic (LSI) Keywords and NLP Insights
Modern search engines use Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand content context. Instead of just matching exact terms, Google recognizes related concepts and entities. In SEO, these are often called semantic keywords. For instance, words like “interest rates” or “credit score” are semantically related to “credit cards.” Including such related terms signals to Google that your content covers the topic thoroughly. SEMrush calls them “semantic keywords,” and using them can boost content relevance
SEO experts emphasize that NLP-driven keyword research “understands language like a human would,” going beyond exact matches Google even uses its Knowledge Graph and NLP to detect entities (people, places, things) and nuances. You can leverage this by identifying synonyms, related phrases, and questions users ask. Tools like SEMrush’s SEO Content Template or Surfer SEO analyze top-ranking pages and suggest relevant terms you should include. Also consider LSI keyword research tools (e.g. LSI Graph) for more ideas.
Example: If your main keyword is “renewable energy,” semantic terms might include “solar panels,” “wind turbines,” “carbon footprint,” etc. Including those shows Google your content is on the same topic.
10. Target Question Keywords and FAQs
People often search using questions (especially with voice search). Targeting question-style keywords can capture that traffic. Identify common questions users ask in your niche, and create content that answers them. Use Google’s “People Also Ask” box, forums (Reddit, Quora), or tools like AnswerThePublic (free for 3 queries/day and AlsoAsked (free for a few queries to find these.
For example, Google’s search results will often show a “People also ask” list of related questions. If you search for a term relevant to your niche, note those questions. AlsoAsked automatically scrapes Google’s PAA data. Once you have question keywords, decide: if a question is central (e.g. “What is a good credit score?”), write a full article (using the question as a heading). If it’s a sub-question, answer it in an FAQ section or a blog paragraph.
Example: A financial planner’s site might target “how to invest in index funds” (informational) or “best robo-advisors 2025.” Writing clear, helpful answers (with the question as an H2) can also attract featured snippets. HubSpot notes: “If you found your way to this article via the search term ‘SEO keyword strategy,’ we have to anticipate your questions on this topic. And then answer them.”
11. Plan Your Content Strategy
Now map keywords to pages. For each page on your site, decide the primary keyword cluster it will target. Ensure your site has a logical hierarchy: broad topics (high-level categories) cover ToFu keywords, while product/service pages cover BoFu queries. Prioritize content that aligns with business goals: start with bottom-of-funnel keywords (e.g. “buy running shoes online”), then address informational queries to attract awareness
Create a content calendar or outline. For each chosen keyword, plan how to use it in title, headers, and content. Remember to address the identified user intent. When writing, sprinkle in all relevant variants and semantic terms. Monitor keyword density (aim for ~1-2% naturally) and avoid stuffing. Good content solves the user’s problem: focus on that rather than obsessing over exact keyword count.
12. Track Rankings and Refine Your Strategy
After publishing, keep an eye on how your keywords perform. Use tools like Google Search Console or a rank tracker (SEM/rush Position Tracking) to monitor your positions over time. Semrush advises setting up daily tracking and getting email updates Look for trends: which keywords are climbing, which need more work. If a term isn’t moving, try refreshing content or building relevant links.
Regularly update your research. The search landscape changes: new competitors arise, and user interests shift. By revisiting this checklist periodically (e.g. quarterly), you can find new keywords, drop underperforming ones, and keep your content strategy aligned with current data.
Keyword Research Tools (Free and Paid)
A variety of tools can speed up this process. Both free and paid options are useful:
- Google Keyword Planner (Free): Provides search volume and competition data. It’s completely free with a Google Ads account
- Google Trends (Free): Shows search interest over time to spot seasonality or rising topics
- AnswerThePublic (Freemium): Visualizes question and preposition queries related to a keyword. (Free users get 3 searches/day
- AlsoAsked (Freemium): Scrapes Google’s “People also ask” questions. (Free plan includes a few daily searches
- Keyword Surfer / Keywords Everywhere (Browser Extensions): Show volume and similar terms directly in Google SERPs (low-cost or free versions).
- SEMrush / Ahrefs / Moz / Ubersuggest (Paid): All-in-one SEO suites. They offer keyword ideas, difficulty scores, competitor analysis, clustering tools, and more. (For example, SEMrush’s Keyword Magic and Gap tools were used above Many have free trials or limited free versions.
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