How to do keyword research

Before looking at volumes, you need to understand what type of intent each search carries. Google classifies queries into four main categories: informational (learning something), navigational (finding a specific site), commercial (comparing options) and transactional (buying or hiring).

Search intent determines what type of content you should create. If someone searches “what is technical SEO,” they expect an educational article, not a sales page. If they search “SEO agency London prices,” they’re in the decision phase and need a commercial landing page.

Keyword research tools provide search volume, difficulty, CPC and trend data that are impossible to obtain manually. Combining multiple sources gives a more complete picture than relying on a single one.

Google Keyword Planner remains useful for first-party data, but specialised tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, Sistrix or Ubersuggest offer more detailed metrics and competitive analysis features.

Long-tail keywords are phrases of three or more words with lower search volume but greater specificity and less competition. “Running shoes” has millions of searches, but “running shoes for overpronators road size 10” carries crystal-clear purchase intent.

A long-tail strategy lets you rank pages faster, attract highly qualified traffic and cover a broader spectrum of searches. Collectively, long-tail queries account for the majority of total organic traffic on any site.

Before trying to rank for a keyword, analyse who is currently ranking. The real difficulty of a keyword is determined not only by its volume but by the authority and content quality of the results already occupying the top positions.

Examine the top 10 Google results: are they high-authority domains (DR/DA)? Is the content deep or shallow? Are there opportunities to surpass what already exists with more comprehensive, up-to-date or uniquely angled content?

Keyword mapping is the process of assigning each keyword or keyword group to a specific page on your site. This prevents cannibalisation (two pages competing for the same keyword) and ensures every URL has a clear ranking objective.

Create a document where each row represents an existing or planned URL, its primary keyword, secondary keywords, search intent and estimated volume. This map becomes the action plan for your SEO content strategy.

The most common mistake is obsessing over search volume without considering intent or difficulty. A 50,000 monthly-search keyword dominated by Wikipedia and Amazon is less valuable than a 200-search keyword where you can rank first and convert directly.

Another frequent error is doing keyword research once and never updating it. Search trends change, new competitors appear and your audience’s needs evolve. Keyword research should be an ongoing process, not a static report.