The SEO Keyword Research Process Explained

Keyword research isn’t rocket science, but it’s not exactly child’s play either. You’re essentially trying to get inside the heads of millions of internet users & figure out what they’re typing into search boxes when they’re looking for what you offer. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, perhaps it’s a bit more nuanced than that.

The truth is, most businesses approach keyword research like they’re throwing spaghetti at the wall. They pick a few obvious terms, maybe use a tool or two, then wonder why their website isn’t ranking. That’s backwards thinking.

Here’s what actually works.

Starting With Your Brain Power

Before you touch any fancy tools, you need to brainstorm. I mean really brainstorm, not just jot down five obvious keywords & call it done. Grab a notepad (or open a spreadsheet if you’re that type) and start thinking like your customers.

What problems are they trying to solve? What language do they use when they talk about those problems? This is where many people stumble because they assume everyone speaks their industry jargon. Spoiler alert: they don’t.

If you sell accounting software, your customers might not search for “enterprise financial management solutions.” They’re probably typing “bookkeeping software for small business” or “how to track expenses easily.” See the difference?

Start with seed keywords. These are your foundation terms. Think broad categories first, then get specific. For that accounting software example, your seeds might be: accounting software, bookkeeping tools, expense tracking, financial management, tax preparation software.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. You want to think about variations, synonyms & related concepts. Don’t just think about what you call your product or service. Think about what frustrated customers at 11 PM are typing into Google when they need help.

Tools That Actually Matter

Once you’ve exhausted your brainstorming (and I mean really exhausted it), it’s time for the tools. There are loads of them out there, from free ones like Google Keyword Planner to premium options like Ahrefs or SEMrush.

Google Keyword Planner is decent for beginners. It’s free & gives you search volume ranges, though they’re often frustratingly vague unless you’re running active Google Ads campaigns. The suggestions can be gold mines though.

Premium tools like Ahrefs provide much more granular data. Search volumes, keyword difficulty scores, related terms, competitor analysis – the works. But honestly? You don’t need to spend hundreds of pounds right away if you’re just starting out.

AnswerThePublic is another favourite of mine. It visualises search queries as questions, prepositions & comparisons. Type in your seed keyword & watch it generate dozens of long-tail variations you probably wouldn’t have thought of.

Here’s the thing about tools though: they’re only as good as the person using them. I’ve seen people get paralysed by choice, spending weeks comparing metrics instead of actually creating content. Don’t be that person.

Making Sense of the Numbers

Right, so you’ve got a massive list of potential keywords. Now what? Time to start analysing the metrics, but don’t get too caught up in the numbers game.

Search volume is important, obviously. No point targeting keywords nobody searches for. But here’s where beginners go wrong: they assume higher volume always equals better opportunities. Not true.

A keyword with 10,000 monthly searches might seem attractive until you realise it has a difficulty score of 85/100 & you’re competing with massive corporations. Meanwhile, that 500-search keyword with difficulty 20 might actually drive more qualified traffic to your site.

Keyword difficulty scores attempt to measure how hard it’ll be to rank for a term. Different tools calculate this differently, so take these scores with a pinch of salt. I generally look at the actual search results – who’s ranking, what type of content they’re publishing, how authoritative their domains are.

Search intent matters more than most metrics, though many people overlook it entirely. Someone searching “best project management software” is in a different mindset than someone searching “download project management software free trial.” The first person is researching & comparing options. The second is ready to accomodate their need right now.

Cost per click data (even if you’re not running ads) can reveal commercial intent. Higher CPC often indicates keywords that convert well, which means they’re probably worth targeting organically too.

Mapping Keywords to Customer Journeys

Customer journeys aren’t linear, but they follow predictable patterns. People generally move from awareness to consideration to decision. Your keyword strategy should reflect this progression.

Top-of-funnel keywords are broad & informational. Someone searching “what is email marketing” is just starting their journey. They might not even know they need email marketing software yet. These keywords typically have higher search volumes but lower commercial intent.

Middle-of-funnel keywords show more specific interest. “Email marketing software for ecommerce” or “Mailchimp vs Constant Contact” indicate someone who understands their need & is evaluating options. These are your consideration stage keywords.

Bottom-of-funnel keywords reveal purchase intent. “Buy email marketing software,” “Mailchimp pricing,” or “email marketing software free trial” suggest someone ready to make a decision. Lower search volumes typically, but much higher conversion potential.

The mistake I see constantly? Businesses only targeting bottom-funnel keywords. Sure, they convert better, but you’re missing the majority of your potential audience who aren’t ready to buy yet. You need content for every stage.

Organising Your Keyword Chaos

By now you’ve probably got hundreds (maybe thousands) of keywords scattered across various spreadsheets & tool exports. Time to bring some order to the chaos.

Group keywords by topic clusters first. If you’re selling project management software, you might have clusters around “project planning,” “team collaboration,” “time tracking,” & “project reporting.” Each cluster becomes a potential piece of content or landing page.

Priority scoring helps focus your efforts. I use a simple system: multiply search volume by commercial intent score, then divide by keyword difficulty. It’s not perfect, but it gives you a starting point for which keywords to tackle first.

Don’t forget about seasonal trends. Google Trends is brilliant for this. “Christmas marketing ideas” peaks in October & November, not December. “Tax software” spikes between January & April. Plan your content calendar accordingly.

Geographic modifiers matter if you serve local markets. “Accountant London” vs “accountant Manchester” might have similar search volumes but completely different competition levels & customer values.

Common Pitfalls to Sidestep

Keyword stuffing is alive & well in 2024, unfortunately. Some people still think cramming their target keyword into every paragraph will boost rankings. It won’t. It’ll make your content unreadable & potentially hurt your SEO.

Ignoring user intent is another classic mistake. Just because a keyword has high search volume doesn’t mean it’s right for your business. “Free accounting software” might get loads of searches, but if you sell premium software, those visitors won’t convert.

Chasing trends blindly can waste months of effort. That viral TikTok keyword might seem like gold, but if it doesn’t align with your business objectives, it’s fool’s gold.

Over-optimising for difficulty scores leads to missed opportunities. Sometimes a “difficult” keyword isn’t actually that competitive in your specific niche or location. Always sanity-check the actual search results.

Neglecting long-tail keywords is perhaps the biggest mistake small businesses make. “SEO agency” might be impossible to rank for, but “SEO agency for veterinary clinics in Manchester” could be wide open.

Keeping Your Research Fresh

Keyword research isn’t a one-and-done task. Search behaviour evolves, new competitors emerge & Google’s algorithms shift priorities regularly.

Set up Google Search Console if you haven’t already. It shows which keywords are actually driving traffic to your site, often revealing opportunities you hadn’t considered. Sometimes you’ll find you’re ranking for keywords you didn’t even target.

Monitor your competitors’ keyword strategies. Tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs let you see which keywords are driving traffic to competitor sites. I’m not suggesting you copy them, but competitive intelligence can reveal gaps in your own strategy.

Quarterly reviews work well for most businesses. More frequently can lead to constant strategy shifts that never get proper testing. Less frequently means missing important trends or opportunities.

Keep an eye on Google’s “People also ask” boxes & related searches at the bottom of results pages. These reveal real user questions & interests that might not show up in traditional keyword tools.

The Bottom Line

Keyword research feels overwhelming when you first start, but it’s really about understanding your customers & how they search for solutions. The tools & metrics matter, but they shouldn’t drive the entire process.

I think the best keyword strategies balance ambition with realism. Yes, you want to rank for competitive terms eventually, but build your foundation with achievable targets first. Win some easier battles, establish authority, then gradually move upmarket.

Remember that perfect keyword research executed poorly beats mediocre keyword research executed brilliantly. Don’t get so caught up in the analysis that you forget to create actual content. Sometimes you just need to start & adjust as you learn what works for your specific situation.