Good keyword research shows you which terms your customers really use to search for your products and services. You find these search terms by understanding search intent, analysing free data from Google tools and assigning exactly one suitable page to each keyword. In this post, we show you how to do it in 6 steps.
Key takeaways
- Keyword research starts with your customers and their questions, not with a tool.
- Search intent decides which type of page suits a search term.
- Google Search Console, Keyword Planner and Google Trends provide free data.
- Each main keyword gets exactly one target page, so that your pages do not compete with each other.
- For AI search, complete questions and clear answers count for more than single words.
What is keyword research and why do you need it?
Keyword research identifies the search terms your target group uses to look for solutions, and so forms the basis for content, site structure and ads. Without it, businesses often write in their own jargon while customers type in completely different words. A manufacturer may talk about “cladding systems”, while customers search for “house cladding”.
In its SEO Starter Guide, Google explicitly recommends thinking about the words people might use to find your content. At the same time, Google points out there that its systems can match pages to a search query even without exactly the same terms. So the point is not to repeat a word as often as possible, but to cover your customers’ topic completely. We explain the basics in our SEO Basics guide.
Which types of search intent should you distinguish?
Which page suits a search term depends on the intent behind the search: getting information, finding a specific site, comparing or buying. Someone searching for “what is keyword research” wants an explanation. Someone entering “SEO agency London” is looking for a provider. If you serve the wrong page for the intent, visitors leave.
- Informational: questions and guide topics, e.g. “how does Google Ads work”. Blog posts and guides are a good fit.
- Navigational: searches for a brand or site, e.g. “Search Console login”. A clear brand page matters most here.
- Commercial: comparisons and reviews, e.g. “WooCommerce or Shopify”. Comparison articles and service pages are a good fit.
- Transactional: intent to buy or enquire, e.g. “buy women’s running shoes”. Product, category and landing pages are a good fit.
The quickest clue to search intent is the results page itself: search for the term on Google and look at which types of page appear at the top. If Google shows almost only guides, a pure sales page will struggle.
Which free tools are suitable for keyword research?
Three free Google tools are enough to get started: Search Console for existing rankings, Keyword Planner for search volume and Google Trends for seasonal developments. Paid SEO tools also provide competitor data, but they are not essential at the start.
| Tool | What it shows | What to note |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Search queries for which your site already appears, with clicks, impressions, click-through rate and average position | Only data for your own website |
| Google Ads Keyword Planner | Average monthly search volume, keyword ideas and bid ranges | Rounded values; a Google Ads account with completed setup is required |
| Google Trends | Relative development of search interest over time and by region | No absolute search numbers, but values from 0 to 100 |
| Google Search itself | Autocomplete, related searches, “People also ask” | Results are personalised and depend on location |
According to Google’s help page on the Performance report, Search Console shows the four metrics clicks, impressions, click-through rate and average position. For Keyword Planner, Google notes in its help page on forecasts that search volumes are rounded and based on exact search queries. Google Trends, in turn, scales the data to a range from 0 to 100 and uses a sample of searches, according to the Trends FAQ.
How do you carry out keyword research step by step?
A process in 6 steps has proven effective: collect topics, expand, check intent, evaluate, group and assign pages. This turns a loose list of words into a plan you can put into practice straight away.
- Collect topics: note down your services, products and the questions customers ask in sales conversations, on the phone or by email.
- Expand terms: add synonyms, plural forms, regional additions and questions from Google Autocomplete and Keyword Planner.
- Check search intent: search for every important term yourself and note which types of page Google shows at the top.
- Evaluate keywords: weigh up search volume, competition and, above all, how closely the term matches your offer.
- Group topics: combine terms with the same intent into clusters, for example all variants around “create a shop”.
- Assign pages: define one target page for each cluster and record whether the page already exists or needs to be created.
Keep the result in a simple table with the columns keyword, intent, search volume, target page and status. This list will later also form the basis of your editorial calendar.
How do you assess search volume and competition correctly?
High search volume alone is no measure of success; what matters is whether searchers match your offer and whether you can realistically reach the first page. A general term like “shoes” is searched very often but rarely brings buyers to a specialist retailer.
Longer search terms of three or more words, known as long-tail keywords, are searched less often but are usually more specific. Someone searching for “waterproof hiking boots wide feet” knows exactly what they want. For small and medium-sized businesses, such terms are often the faster route to enquiries – more on this in our post SEO for SMEs. You can estimate the competition by looking at the results page: if only large marketplaces and brands appear there, a more specific term usually makes more sense.
Also use data from paid search: if you run Google Ads, the search terms report shows you which terms actually lead to enquiries. We describe how both channels work together in our post Combining SEO and PPC.
How do you assign keywords to the right pages?
Each main keyword should get exactly one target page, supplemented by related terms that answer the same question. If two of your own pages compete for the same term, Google cannot tell which one is more important, and both rank less well.
Practical example (simplified): an online shop for coffee accessories has three blog posts on “cleaning a portafilter”, “descaling an espresso machine” and “portafilter care tips”. All three essentially deal with the same question. The sensible approach here is to merge the content into one detailed guide, redirect the old addresses to the new page with 301 redirects and link the guide to the relevant category pages. Instead of three weak pages, this creates one clear destination for the topic.
Place the main keyword in the important spots: page title, main heading, first paragraph and meta description. Beyond that, write naturally. In its SEO Starter Guide, Google warns against repeating the same words excessively and classes keyword stuffing as a violation of its spam policies.
What role does keyword research play for AI search and GEO?
For AI answers in ChatGPT, Gemini or Google’s AI Overviews, complete questions and precise answers count for more than single keywords. In AI assistants, users usually phrase whole sentences, such as “Which shop system suits a small fashion shop?”.
So add real questions to your keyword list: from “People also ask” on Google, from customer conversations and from your support team. Answer each question on your page with a short, clear sentence before going into detail. We use exactly this format in this post, too. You can check free of charge whether your pages are structured like this with our GEO Score Check: you get a score from 0 to 100 based on 27 checks and the 3 most important improvements. What changes with AI Overviews on Google is explained in our post Google AI Overviews. How we make businesses visible in AI search is shown on our service page AI visibility and GEO.
Which keyword research mistakes should you avoid?
Common mistakes are chasing pure search volume, using your own jargon instead of your customers’ language and failing to assign keywords to pages. We have seen these points again and again in our work in digital marketing since 2003:
- Choosing only high-volume terms that do not match your offer.
- Ignoring search intent and optimising a sales page for informational searches.
- Targeting several pages at the same keyword.
- Doing the research once and never reviewing it, even though search behaviour and offers change.
- Not using existing Search Console data, even though it shows what your site is already visible for.
Plan to review your keyword list at least once a year, and additionally whenever you launch new products or services or plan a relaunch.
Frequently asked questions
How many keywords should a page have?
A page should have one clear main keyword around which the content revolves. Added to this are related terms and synonyms that serve the same search intent, for example plural forms or questions on the topic. Google does not set a fixed number. What matters more is that the page fully answers the searcher’s question and that none of your other pages targets the same term.
Is Google Keyword Planner free?
Keyword Planner is part of Google Ads and can be used at no extra cost. However, you need a Google Ads account whose setup has been completed, which according to Google’s help pages also includes payment information. The search volumes shown are rounded averages. For a first assessment of which terms are searched more or less often, this information is perfectly sufficient in most cases.
What are long-tail keywords?
Long-tail keywords are longer, specific search terms, usually of three or more words, for example “have an online shop built with WooCommerce”. They are searched less often than general terms but show a clearer intent. For smaller businesses they are often easier to reach, because fewer large competitors optimise for them. Taken together, many such terms can account for a large share of your visitors.
How often should you repeat keyword research?
We recommend reviewing your keyword list at least once a year. It is also worth taking a look when you introduce new products or services, plan a relaunch or when search behaviour changes noticeably, for example through new terms in your industry. Search Console continuously shows you which new search queries your pages appear for, making it a good early indicator.
Do I need separate keyword research for AI search?
Completely separate research is not necessary, but extending it is worthwhile. Add complete questions to your existing list, phrased the way customers would ask them in ChatGPT or Gemini. Answer these questions on your pages directly and clearly in one sentence. This helps traditional search engines and AI systems alike to recognise your content as a suitable answer.
Keyword research with a system
We carry out keyword research for you with a clear assignment to your pages and an actionable plan for content, Google and AI search. Get in touch with us.
