You’ve probably heard of keyword research if you have spent any time researching SEO.

But… What is keyword research?

Why is this important?

These are not uncommon questions. It can be difficult to understand how to conduct keyword research.

It’s a fact that can’t be ignored.

Keywords are an essential part of any SEO strategy. If you don’t get the mark, your SEO results will suffer.

It’s not a guessing game. You need the right keyword research tools.

This page will explain how to conduct keyword research in 2018 and provide some keyword research tips.

What is Keyword Research?

Keyword research refers to the process of identifying keywords and phrases that you want to target on your site’s on-page SEO strategy.

SEO is not about appearing in search results. It’s about appearing in search results for keywords your target audience is searching for.

Before you can optimize your website, it is important to understand which keywords and phrases your potential clients and customers use when searching for information about your industry or products.

Keyword research is the first step in any SEO strategy.

Why your website should use the best keywords

Keyword research, like any other research process, can be time-consuming and difficult.

Hence, is it worth your time?

Why not just rank for keywords that you understand about your business and your customers?

Both of these are valid questions.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t know your industry or audience. Spending hours learning words and phrases may seem like a waste.

Keyword research is essential, regardless of how well you know your customers.

You’ll be more successful in achieving a few key goals if you choose your keywords based on data.

1. Attract qualified traffic

Keywords determine not only how much traffic your site can attract, but also the quality and quantity of that traffic.

Low-quality traffic is defined as visitors who are not part of your target audience or are unlikely to become clients or customers.

They won’t impact your most important business goals like revenue and sales.

The best traffic is therefore made up of people who are part of your target audience and have high conversion rates.

The keywords you choose can have a significant impact on the type of traffic that your site receives.

Spend time researching your audience’s search habits to tailor your strategy to their keywords and phrases.

You won’t be just optimizing your website for keywords that generate high traffic, but you will also be targeting users likely to buy or become leads.

2. Reach out to searchers at all stages of the buying process

Think about the different ways users search for products. You might be more focused on transaction-based keywords like “buy” and “sign up.”

These can be attractive to qualified traffic but most users don’t use them until the end of the buying process.

Keyword research is a way to find the keywords and phrases that will help them reach you at every stage of the buying process.

The three basic stages are the same for most consumers.

They first look for informational content to help them understand the industry and determine what solutions are available.

They then evaluate the solutions offered by each company and decide which ones are most suitable for what they need.

They can then contact the companies to get more information or to make a purchase.

You will miss the opportunity to be a part of the first two stages if you create only content and optimize your website for those actions.

This could mean that your customers may be switching to your competitors simply because you’re not part of the research process.

Keyword research allows you to learn more about your audience at each stage. This will allow you to create content around them all, and make your company a clear choice from the beginning.

3. Answer your audience’s questions.

Many keywords that you find during your research will be information-based.

These keywords will allow you to learn more about the industry and the information your target audience needs before they make a purchase decision.

This will have the immediate effect of helping you to create content that is at the top and middle stages of your sales funnel.

These keywords can help you address the needs of your audience more effectively.

Let’s take, for example, the desire to increase customer numbers at your auto repair shop.

You could choose to use keywords like “auto repair [your town]” or “auto shop [your town].

However, to complete the funnel’s top and middle, you will need to identify additional informational keywords.

Let’s suppose that you often search for the phrase “How often do I need to change my oil?”

The intent of the search is clear in this instance. This phrase is being searched by users who are looking for an oil change service for their car but don’t know when.

This question could be addressed by a blog post or article about the frequency of oil changes. You can then publish it on your site.

When a user searches for that keyword and then lands on your website, they will find the answer to their question.

This will benefit both your business as well as your audience.

Searchers receive useful information at no cost, and potential customers can connect with your business while they are actively looking for it.

If the searcher decides it is time to have an oil change and they are located near you, they will be able to contact you for an appointment.

Even if they’re not ready to act immediately, they’ll still be able to trust your business as a reliable source of information.

How to Do Keyword Research for SEO in 2018

Keyword research can be complex.

The six steps below will help you find the keywords that will assist you in reaching your SEO goals.

1. Identify niche topics

You must use the same words, phrases, and terms as your target audience to attract quality traffic.

This means that you need to determine what topics they are searching for related to your products and services.

This is possible by using the Google-related search feature at the bottom of Google search results.

Start by searching for the primary keywords or phrases that you believe your target audience might be looking for.

Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see the related searches. These suggestions are based upon real user search data, meaning they are what users are searching for most frequently.

2. To see your competitors, use keyword tools

There is a good chance that your competitors already use SEO.

While this may make it difficult to reach the rankings you desire, it does not mean that you have to start over when it comes to finding keywords.

This is especially true if you’re using a competitor research tool such as SEOrush.

Enter the domain name of a competitor to see a report that includes all keywords they rank for as well as their search volume and level of competition.

If you feel that any of these keywords are relevant to your business, which they should be, you can add them to your list. You’ll also have the assurance that you won’t miss any opportunities offered by your competitors.

3. Mix long-tail and head keywords

A successful SEO strategy must target keywords with varying lengths and specificities.

Long-tail keywords are the most difficult keywords to rank for, which are phrases that have a specific intent.

The other end of this spectrum is short-tail keywords or “head” keywords. These are short, general phrases.

The monthly search volume for a keyword is generally lower the shorter it is. This may lead you to believe these are the keywords you should be focusing your efforts on, but it is important to remember that they are often very difficult to rank for.

Long-tail keywords on the other side have a lower monthly volume but are easier to rank for.

Additionally, the more precise a keyword is the clearer the searcher’s intent. This means that these phrases can often result in higher conversion rates.

4. Search volume, keyword difficulty, and other metrics should be considered.

Once you have compiled a list, you can use metrics such as search volume or competition level to assess their value for your business.

This data can be accessed using tools such as the keywords Everywhere extension. You can copy and paste keywords into Bulk Upload to see their monthly search volume and competition levels on a scale of 0 to 1.

A keyword with a high monthly search volume and low competition is the ideal keyword.

You’ll probably find this rare combination when you analyze your keywords. However, the data can be used to inform your decisions about where to concentrate your efforts.

5. Create a list

You’ll need to create a master list with all the keywords you are researching and key data about how you use them on your website.

Although it might seem unnecessary at first, you will likely collect a few hundred or thousand keywords over time, which will be a valuable resource for both you and your team.

You can export your research using tools such as Key Planner and then copy and paste the data into a master tracking file.

This document can be used to help you develop your strategy, and track how keywords are implemented on your site, and the results.

6. How to Prioritize

You’ll be able to identify keywords that are more complicated than adding a title tag to an existing page as you build your keyword list.

Each one of these represents a new opportunity for your business, but you will need to prioritize them.

To simplify the process, you can use metrics such as search volume or competition level. Beyond that, consider the potential of each for your business’s goals.

You should focus on keywords that have clear search intent as they are the best ways to fulfill a specific need.

Clearer keywords will increase your confidence that searchers will find your content. This will allow you to make connections that can lead to sales.

6 Keyword Research Tools 

It can be difficult to find and evaluate keywords for websites.

There are many tools that you can use to locate the most relevant keywords for your business. Let me show you six.

1. Google Keyword Planner

Keyword Planning is Google’s keyword research tool for AdWords users.

It was once freely available to all, but it is now restricted to advertisers who run ad campaigns on this platform.

AdWords can still be a valuable tool for keyword research if you are already using it or are willing to set up a campaign to gain access to Keyword Planner.

The tool’s “Find New Keyword” function can be used to find potential keywords based on a list or ideas.

You can then access search volume data and competition data for each keyword on your list.

2. Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is an SEO tool that you can use to find keywords and phrases that are relevant to your SEO strategy.

You can enter a keyword or phrase to see a list of suggestions based on Google search data.

You can then add any keywords relevant to your business to your list.

3. Keywordtool.io

Keyword Tool is another popular way to find long-tail keyword suggestions based on Google Autocomplete data.

You can enter a keyword to see a list of long-tail keywords that are based on user searches.

This tool is only for paid users. However, you can copy and paste the list to other tools for additional information for each keyword.

4. SEMrush

The best tool for competitor research is 

Enter the URL of a competitor to view all keywords they rank for and where they rank in the results.

5. Ahrefs

Ahrefs is most well-known as a backlink analysis tool. However, you can also use this tool for competitor research.

You can search a competitor’s website, click “Organic keyword”, and you’ll be able to see a list with each keyword that the site ranks for.

This process can be repeated for all your main competitors. You’ll almost certainly find a wealth of opportunities for your website.

6. Moz

Moz’s Keyword Explorer provides a wealth of data to assist you in your keyword research.

You can start by searching for one of your target keywords. This will give you an overview of the keyword’s volume and difficulty as well as potential and provide a SERP analysis. It also gives you a list of similar keyword suggestions.

This is the best way to get a detailed analysis of the keywords that you are considering.

How do I find keywords in Google Analytics?

Google Analytics was used to give a complete report on keywords searched before landing on your website.

This helped to identify the keywords that are most valuable for a site so that SEOs could use this insight to choose similar keywords.

This is no longer true. Analytics reports show many keywords as “not provided”.

Accessing this information is not as easy as opening a report. However, you can still take steps toward identifying how visitors are finding your site.

You can find out more in our blog post Six ways to unlock your keywords. Learn more about the search habits of your visitors. 

Conclusion

Keyword research is an important step in the SEO process.

This is the best way to make sure your strategy attracts qualified traffic. The keywords you choose will have a significant impact on how many visitors your site receives.

You can also reach buyers at all stages of the buying process with a comprehensive keyword strategy. It will help you address your audience’s questions and needs.

This can be time-consuming, but it is possible.

It is important to identify the most relevant topics for your business. Use keyword tools to gather data. Consider metrics such as search volume, and competition, and choose a mix of long- and short-tail keywords.

If you follow these steps, you can rest assured that your website is optimized for keywords that will help you reach your marketing goals.