How to do keyword research

What keyword research is for

Keyword research answers one question: what are my buyers actually typing, and what do they want when they type it? The output is a list of topics, each with a page to build or improve. It is a decision tool, not a list of words to repeat.

A "keyword" is any search query, and most are phrases or full questions. "Bookkeeper" and "how much does a bookkeeper cost for a small business" are both keywords, but they come from different people at different stages. The second is closer to a hire.

It sits at the start of what SEO is: pages cannot match questions you never identified. It also feeds AI visibility, because assistants break a question into parts, as the query fan-out guide explains.

Search intent comes first

Search intent is the purpose behind a query. Ahrefs, an SEO software vendor, groups it into four types: informational (the searcher wants to learn), commercial (comparing options), transactional (ready to act) and navigational (looking for a specific site). Many queries mix types.

You find intent by looking at the results. Ahrefs suggests checking three things about the top pages: the content type (blog post, product page, tool), the content format (guide, list, comparison) and the angle they share. If every top result is a comparison list and you plan a sales page, you are mismatching the intent.

This matters because Google is trying to show what satisfies the searcher. A well-written page of the wrong type may never rank, and a ranking page that serves the wrong intent will not convert.

The method, step by step

• Brainstorm seed topics from the questions customers ask before hiring or buying: sales calls, emails, reviews and support chats.
• Check what you already rank for in the Performance report of Google Search Console, using the Queries tab to see terms that bring impressions.
• Study competitors: which pages bring them visitors and which questions do they answer that you do not?
• Mine forums, question sites and customer conversations for phrasing real people use.
• Expand each seed with a keyword tool to find related terms and variations, then group them by topic.
• Check the results page for each group to confirm the intent and the type of page that ranks.
• Rate and choose, then map each topic to one page.

Reading volume, difficulty and traffic potential

Search volume is an estimate. Ahrefs describes it as the average monthly searches over a year, specific to a country, and counting searches rather than unique people. Different tools calculate it differently, so treat it as a rough size, not a forecast.

Keyword difficulty is a tool's guess at how hard it is to rank. Ahrefs defines its version as the estimated number of referring domains needed to reach the top 10, and calls it a guide, not a verdict. Other vendors score it differently, so never compare across tools.

Traffic potential is often more useful than volume. Ahrefs defines it as the total search traffic the top page for a keyword receives across all the terms it ranks for. A page can attract visitors for dozens of related searches, so a single low-volume phrase can undersell a topic.

Choosing what to target

Rate each topic on business value first. Would a person with this query plausibly become a customer? A query with 50 searches a month from people ready to hire beats 5,000 searches from people who will never buy.

Then weigh effort and realism. A new site with few links will struggle to rank for a highly competitive head term, so target narrower questions where you can be the best answer. Ahrefs notes that low-volume keywords can still add up across many pages and often carry strong commercial value.

Finally, map one topic to one page. Two pages chasing the same query compete with each other. If a topic needs a service page and a guide, give each a different intent: one to buy, one to learn.

Measuring and updating your keyword plan

Check the Queries tab monthly. Look for queries with many impressions but few clicks, which usually means the title or description does not match what searchers want, or your page ranks too low. Also look for queries where an unplanned page earns visibility: those are new topics.

Keep a simple sheet: topic, intent, target page, current clicks and impressions, and next action. Review it quarterly. Demand shifts with seasons, regulation and products, so keyword research is a recurring habit, not a project.

Ahrefs notes that even the first position rarely captures all of a keyword's searches, so expect traffic well below the volume figure. Judge success by enquiries, not by ranking screenshots.

When keyword research goes wrong

The common failure is writing for keywords instead of people. Google's helpful content guidance lists producing content mainly to attract search traffic and chasing trends without real expertise as warning signs. Use keywords to understand demand, then write what genuinely helps.

The second failure is trusting tool numbers as facts. Volume, difficulty and forecasts are estimates that differ by vendor. Use them to rank ideas against each other, not to promise outcomes.