What is the Best Way to do Keyword Research?
It all comes down to choosing the right words.
When building a brand, your customers need to be able to find your product or service. If the keywords you use don't accurately describe your business, potential customers simply won't find you. They'll find your competitors instead.
But how can you know which keywords are the right ones? The answer is keyword research.
Keyword research means identifying the specific terms that customers use when searching for businesses like yours. But effective keyword research isn't just about testing random words until something works. You need to dig deeper.
TLDR: Keyword research identifies the specific terms customers use to search for your products or services. It shapes your entire SEO and marketing strategy. Start by understanding your target audience, break research into topic categories, use keyword research tools to test variations, and prioritize keywords that balance search volume with relevance to your business.
In this guide, we're going to show you exactly how to do keyword research that actually drives traffic and customers to your business.
Why Keyword Research Matters So Much
Besides ads and word of mouth, many customers will discover your business through Google searches. Since Google processes millions of searches every day, they use sophisticated algorithms to filter and rank results. These algorithms determine which content appears on the coveted first page.
That means you need to master Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO is the practice of getting your content noticed by search engine algorithms. Successful SEO results in more traffic, more visibility, and ultimately more business.
For this reason, you can't just write whatever you want and hope it ranks. Everything from page speed to link quality affects SEO. But keywords are the most important aspect of any SEO campaign.
The results of keyword research don't just tell you which keywords to use. Keywords and SEO will shape your entire marketing strategy. That's why it's essential to do thorough research before creating content or launching campaigns.
Keyword research takes significant time and patience. It requires a deep dive into data and customer behavior. But those who invest the time and effort often see the best results. You need to read the data carefully and let it tell you a story about what your customers actually want.
The main benefit of keyword research is boosting awareness of your product or service. As your content ranks higher and garners more interest, you get more website traffic. More traffic leads to more customer conversions. And more customers means more revenue and growth for your business.
Before you get excited about those conversions, let's explain how keyword research actually works.
How Does Keyword Research Work?
First, you need to understand what a keyword actually is. Counterintuitively, a keyword can be a single word or an entire phrase. Both "hosting" and "best local web hosting" are considered keywords.
When Google's web crawlers search your website, they focus on keywords. These allow their AI to understand what sort of content you're providing. Think of keywords like shelf markers in a library - they designate what readers will find in that section.
The key to effective keyword research is identifying your target audience. You need to know who's buying your product or service. Once you understand your ideal customers, you can determine what keywords they use to search for solutions like yours.
For example, your business might provide managed hosting services. The critical question you need to ask is: what will customers type into the search bar when looking for what you offer?
It pays to think like a consumer, not like an expert in your field.
If someone needs managed hosting services, they probably know they need it but might not understand the technical details. If you asked them the difference between self-hosting and managed hosting, you might get a blank look.
"Managed hosting" might still get you some traffic. But if you want to cast the widest net and capture the most potential customers, you need broader terms. Ranking for "web hosting" or "hosting services" might deliver better results because that's what people actually search for.
Keywords that are too specific or technical will result in fewer searches finding you. The more esoteric you get, the less likely someone is to discover your business. This is exactly why it's so important to shape your marketing strategy around thorough keyword research.
How to Do Keyword Research
Before you even start searching for keywords using tools, you need to talk to your customers. Real research isn't just typing random keywords and hoping for the best. You'll make much better progress if you gain an intimate understanding of what your customers are actually thinking and searching for.
Step 1: Study Your Customers
You can interact with and learn from customer in a number of ways:
- Speak to them directly - Ask existing customers how they found you and what they searched for - Ask existing customers how they found you and what they searched for
- Send surveys - Gather data about their search behavior and needs
- Read forums related to your product or industry - See what questions people ask
- Search hashtags related to your product on social media - Understand trending topics and language
- Study competitor websites - Analyze what keywords they're targeting
- Put yourself in the customer's shoes - Think about your product from an outsider's perspective
During this research, pay close attention to vocabulary. Identify the specific terms customers use when referring to all aspects of your product or service. Good keyword research means documenting all these nuances for later analysis.
You can also use tools like Google Search Console, Google Trends, and keyword research platforms like SEMrush to dive deeper into keyword data and trends.
Step 2: Break Your Research Into Topic Categories
With your research complete, you need to simplify and organize. This means distilling what you learned into more specific categories and themes.
"Web hosting with high-security standards" becomes "secure web hosting." "WordPress maintenance for small businesses" becomes "WordPress maintenance."
This simplification is crucial because effective keywords tend to be short and focused. The longer and more complex the keyword, the more nuanced (and limited) your results will be. Google breaks searches down into concise keywords, so you need to identify what those core terms are.
Think in terms of topics and subtopics. Your main topics might be broad services you offer. Subtopics get more specific about particular aspects of those services.
Step 3: Experiment With Keyword Tools
This is where you put all your research into practice. Using keyword research tools, test out the various keywords you've identified.
These tools provide valuable information including:
- Search volume - How many people search for a specific keyword each month
- Search frequency - Whether searches are consistent or seasonal
- Competition level - Which competitors are also targeting these keywords
- Keyword variations - Related terms that get more or fewer searches
All of this is valuable information. With more experimentation, we get closer to the keywords we'll need for our campaign. Patience is a virtue, since we might stumble upon a keyword that's better than the ones we've assembled.
Step 4: Prioritize Based on Intent and Opportunity
Not all keywords are equally valuable. You need to prioritize based on:
- Search intent - Are people searching to learn, or are they ready to buy?
- Competition - Can you realistically rank for this keyword?
- Relevance - Does this keyword truly match what you offer?
- Business value - Will traffic from this keyword convert into customers?
Sometimes a keyword with lower search volume but higher intent is more valuable than a high-volume keyword that attracts browsers who'll never buy.
Why Keyword Research Matters for Your Small Business
Picture this: You're a small business owner trying to attract more customers to your website. You've spent countless hours creating great content, but nobody seems to be visiting. What's the problem?
You haven't done keyword research.
By optimizing your website and content around the right keywords, you increase your visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract more qualified traffic. And what small business doesn't want more visibility and customers?
Small business owners often have more limited resources than big companies. With a small team and a tight budget, competing with larger brands that have significant time and money for digital marketing can feel impossible.
But keyword research levels the playing field. By identifying highly searched and highly relevant keywords that your larger competitors may have overlooked or ignored, you can carve out your own space in search results.
By strategically incorporating these keywords into your website and content, you improve your visibility in SERPs and attract more targeted traffic. These aren't random visitors - they're people actively searching for exactly what you offer.
That's the power of smart keyword research for small businesses.
Keyword Research Is Just the Beginning
Keyword research is the foundation of any successful marketing campaign. It allows you to identify the precise terms customers use to search for your product or service. Without it, you lose a massive chunk of potential business that search engines could provide.
But remember - keywords aren't the only factor affecting your SEO performance. Mobile optimization, fast loading speeds, user-friendly navigation, and proper security all impact your search engine rankings.
You could have perfect keywords, but if your website is slow, broken, or provides a poor experience, you won't convert that traffic into customers.
We Help Your Website Perform at Its Best
From keyword research strategy to complete website management, Your WP Guy can help ensure your site is optimized for search engines and ready to convert traffic into customers.
We handle all the technical details - speed optimization, security updates, mobile responsiveness, and ongoing maintenance. This ensures that when your keyword research brings traffic to your site, that traffic has the best possible experience.
You focus on your business and your marketing strategy. We'll make sure your website is fast, secure, and working perfectly to support your efforts.
Ready to stop worrying about the technical side of your website? Schedule an appointment today. With Your WP Guy's help, you can finally sleep soundly knowing your website is performing exactly as it should.
Your keyword research deserves a website that converts. Let us make sure you have one.
