How to Perform Basic Keyword Research for SEO

Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. It helps you understand what your potential audience is searching for and how to create content that meets their needs. It drives customers, and it’s the vary reason this article is even being written! If you’re new to SEO or want a simple guide to start keyword research, this article will walk you through the basic steps and tools you can use, without any mumbo jumbo jargon to throw you off the scent!

Why Keyword Research Matters

Without knowing the right keywords, your website content might not reach your target audience. Keyword research helps you:

• Identify what topics your audience cares about
• Understand the language and phrases your customers use
• Find opportunities where competition is low but search volume is good
• Guide your content creation to improve search engine rankings

Tools for Beginner Keyword Research

You don’t need expensive software to get started. These free tools are great for beginners:

• Google Keyword Planner: Originally for Google Ads, it’s useful for finding search volume and keyword ideas.
• Ubersuggest: Offers keyword suggestions, SEO difficulty, and content ideas with a friendly interface.
• AnswerThePublic: Helps uncover questions and phrases people use related to your topic.

How to Find Relevant Keywords for Your Niche

Start broadly with your main topic or product. Enter these terms into your chosen tool to generate ideas. Look for keywords that:

• Are directly related to your business or content area
• Have a reasonable monthly search volume (too low might mean no audience, too high could be very competitive)
• Match the user intent — what the searcher wants to find or do

For example, if you run a local bakery in London, ON, start with keywords like “fresh bread,” “London bakery,” or “best pastries London.”

Understanding Search Intent

Search intent is why someone types a query into Google. It falls into categories like:

• Informational: Looking for information or answers (“how to bake bread”)
• Navigational: Searching for a specific website or brand (“Starbucks menu”)
• Transactional: Ready to buy, book, or take an action (“order bread online London”)
• Commercial Investigation: Researching before buying (“best bakery near me”)

Choose keywords that align with your goals. For blog posts, informational keywords work well, while product pages benefit from transactional keywords.

How to Prioritize Keywords by Difficulty and Volume

Aim for a balance: a keyword with decent search volume but manageable competition is ideal. Most free tools will give you a score or indication of how hard it is to rank for a keyword.

• Start with some low to medium difficulty keywords to build traffic.
• Avoid highly competitive keywords unless you have significant authority or resources.
• Track your progress and expand to more challenging keywords over time.

Basic Tips for Using Keywords in Content

• Use your main keyword in the page title and meta description.
• Include keywords naturally within the first 100 words.
• Use variations and related keywords throughout your content.
• Optimize headers (H1, H2) with key phrases where relevant.
• Don’t keyword stuff — keep content readable and user-friendly.