Keyword Research for SEO Explained
Want to rank higher in the search engine results pages (SERPS) and drive relevant organic traffic to your website?
Get started by learning the art (and science) of keyword research!
This a non-negotiable skill if you want to consistently improve the SEO (search engine optimization) of your website or a client’s website.
A solid foundation of keyword research empowers you to create and optimise content so it can be:
- Understood by search engines,
- Pushed up the search rankings for relevant keywords,
- Discovered and consumed by your target audience.
In this blog post, we’ll go over the basics of keyword research and the keyword research process so you can lay the groundwork for an online presence that can be found in search engines.
Keyword Research for SEO Simply Explained
Keyword (KW) research is not an exciting subject, but it really is the cornerstone of any successful SEO strategy.
KW Research involves identifying the specific words and phrases that your target customer is likely to type into the search box when looking for information online using a search engine like Bing, Yahoo or Duck DuckGo.
If you’re a business, the keywords you’ll want to target will be related to your products, services, location, FAQs, niche and other useful information specific to your industry (if you’re stuck you can always use a free keyword generator tool such as Semrush or Moz Keyword Explorer).
For example, let’s say you’re a car mechanic with a local auto repair shop based on the Gold Coast, QLD. You would want to start considering keywords and keyword phrases such as:
- mechanic gold coast [profession] + [location]
- gold coast car service [location] + [service]
- vehicle mechanic gold coast [variation on profession ] + [location]
- auto repair shop near me [profession category] + [local search intent]
- car radiator repair gold coast [specific service] + [location]
- fix power windows [specific service/problem]
- toyota engine light on [brand] + [problem/symptom]
- European car repair gold coast [niche service] + [location]
- how to change a car battery [FAQ]
You would then take these keywords and analyse them for monthly search volume, keyword difficulty and search trend.
How To Perform Keyword Research
Hopefully, you’ve now brainstormed a draft list of potential keyword ideas based on your products, services, location, FAQs or something industry specific.
Now it’s time to actually use an online tool to research this list of initial keywords. During the research and analysis phase, you will likely discover new keywords to add to this list and also remove some keywords.
At e-CBD, we use a paid KW Research tool called Keyword Tool to perform analysis. It doesn’t need to be complicated which you’ll see below.
Keyword Analysis
Start by entering some of your least specific (broad match) keywords and see what keyword suggestions, search traffic and trends you start to see
Here is a screenshot of the keyword search volume where I’m analysing the keyword ‘car mechanic gold coast’.
As you can see, the term with the most monthly searches (the high-volume keyword) is the term ‘gold coast mechanic’.
You’ll notice there are other terms listed here that are synonymous with this keyword, so the first thing you’ll want to do is group similar keywords together like this:
| Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Keyword Group |
|---|---|---|
| gold coast mechanic | 1,000 | Broad Category Keywords |
| gold coast car mechanic | 140 | Broad Category Keywords |
| auto mechanic gold coast | 30 | Broad Category Keywords |
| gold coast mechanic repairs | 20 | Broad Category Keywords |
Selecting and Grouping Relevant Keywords
Now, let’s pick out some more relevant keywords for this business from the initial list and group them accordingly:
| Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Keyword Group |
|---|---|---|
| gold coast mechanic | 1,000 | Broad Category Keywords |
| gold coast car mechanic | 140 | Broad Category Keywords |
| auto mechanic gold coast | 30 | Broad Category Keywords |
| gold coast mechanical repairs | 20 | Broad Category Keywords |
| car service gold coast | 590 | Service Keywords |
| cheap car service gold coast | 70 | Service Keywords |
| should I service my own car | 10 | Service Keywords |
| radiator repair gold coast | 170 | Service Keywords |
| volkswagon mechanic gold coast | 50 | Niche Brand Keywords |
| gemini car repairs gold coast | 30 | Niche Brand Keywords |
| toyota mechanic gold coast | 30 | Niche Brand Keywords |
| holden mechanic gold coast | 20 | Niche Brand Keywords |
| 4×4 mechanic gold coast | 50 | Niche Service Keywords |
| 4wd mechanic gold coast | 40 | Niche Service Keywords |
| mobile car mechanic gold coast | 30 | Niche Service Keywords |
| diesel mechanic gold coast | 260 | Not Relevant |
| car paint repair gold coast | 110 | Not Relevant |
Targeting Your Keywords and Keyword Phrases
Finally, let’s now examine these groups of related keywords and decide which pages on your website these keywords should be used to target.
The general rule is to assign 1 main primary keyword per web page. This primary keyword can be supported by a few other relevant secondary keywords or keyword synonyms.
| Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Keyword Group | Target Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| gold coast mechanic | 1,000 | Broad Category Keywords | Home Page |
| gold coast car mechanic | 140 | Broad Category Keywords | Home Page |
| auto mechanic gold coast | 30 | Broad Category Keywords | Home Page |
| gold coast mechanical repairs | 20 | Broad Category Keywords | Home Page |
| car service gold coast | 590 | Service Keywords | ‘Car Servicing’ Service Page |
| cheap car service gold coast | 70 | Service Keywords | ‘Car Servicing’ Service Page |
| should I service my own car | 10 | Service Keywords | ‘Car Servicing’ Service Page |
| radiator repair gold coast | 170 | Service Keywords | ‘Radiator Repairs’ Service Page |
| volkswagon mechanic gold coast | 50 | Niche Brand Keywords | ‘Volkswagon Mechanic & Repairs’ Landing Page |
| gemini car repairs gold coast | 30 | Niche Brand Keywords | ‘Gemini Mechanic & Repairs’ Landing Page |
| toyota mechanic gold coast | 30 | Niche Brand Keywords | ‘Toyota Mechanic & Repairs’ Landing Page |
| holden mechanic gold coast | 20 | Niche Brand Keywords | ‘Holden Mechanic & Repairs’ Landing Page |
| 4×4 mechanic gold coast | 50 | Niche Service Keywords | ‘4×4 Auto Mechanics’ Service Page |
| 4wd mechanic gold coast | 40 | Niche Service Keywords | ‘4×4 Auto Mechanics’ Service Page |
| mobile car mechanic gold coast | 30 | Niche Service Keywords | ‘Mobile Mechanic Gold Coast’ Landing Page |
| diesel mechanic gold coast | 260 | Not Relevant | No Page |
| car paint repair gold coast | 110 | Not Relevant | No Page |
A relevant page with good content will be capable of ranking for multiple keywords and keyword phrases.
So, if some of your target keywords are highly synonymous, they can usually be used interchangeably on the same target web page.
If your target keywords are related but about different topics, they are usually better off being separated onto their own individual page.
Applying Your Keyword Research To Your Target Pages
After doing some basic keyword analysis, you should now have:
- A list of keywords relevant to your business with accompanying search volume that you can target;
- Relevant keywords sorted into groups;
- Target pages assigned for these keywords.
The next step is to go ahead and complete what we call ‘On-Page Optimisation’. This is the practice of applying your primary and secondary keywords to your target pages in a way that benefits your SEO.
Using Your Keywords for On-Page Optimisation
On-Site keyword optimisation is a foundational aspect of on-page SEO that helps search engines better understand the subject matter, search intent and context of a web page.
When a search engine has a clear understanding of a page, it can rank that page for the most relevant keyword search terms in the organic search results.
At this point, it may be a good idea to take your list of target keywords and hire an SEO Agency to assist with implementing your on-site SEO strategy.
Having trouble choosing an SEO provider? Here is a quick guide on how to choose an SEO agency for your business.
On-Page Optimisation SEO Tactics
Here are a few of the primary areas of a page where your keywords should be naturally mentioned:
Title Tags and H1 Headings
Incorporate your primary keywords into your page’s title tags and main H1 heading. This signals to search engines the main topic that your page is about.
Page URL Alias
Try to get your primary keyword into the URL alias or permalink slug of the page. For example www.yoursite.com.au/radiator-repair-gold-coast/
Body Content
Naturally incorporate keywords throughout your h2-h5 headings, text paragraph content, and link anchor text. The main thing to consider is taking extra care so the content still reads smoothly.
Image Alt Text
Describe images on your website using relevant keywords in the alt text (alternative text). This aids accessibility but also provides another avenue for search engines to better grasp and understand your content.
If you want to learn more about applying your keywords, check out our breakdown of SEO techniques for using your keywords in On-Page Optimisation.
This article will further educate you about how to use your keywords on a web page to directly impact your website’s ability to be found, crawled, understood and ranked accordingly by search engines.
The Importance of Keyword Research for SEO
Effective keyword research serves as the bedrock of your SEO efforts.
It allows you to align your content with user intent, ensuring that your website appears in search results when users are actively seeking relevant information.
Furthermore, well-researched keywords enable you to stay ahead of trends, understand your audience’s preferences, and refine your content strategy to cater to their needs.
It is a good idea to conduct additional keyword research quarterly to stay ahead of organic search trends. You’ll also be able to easily identify any new and relevant keywords that may have appeared.
Impact of Keyword Research on User Experience
Effective keyword research isn’t just about appeasing search engines; it’s also about enhancing the user experience.
When your content aligns with user intent, visitors are more likely to engage, stay on your site longer, and convert into customers and sales.
FAQs About Keyword Research & Analysis
What is the ideal keyword density?
The real answer is that nobody knows and it probably doesn’t matter as long as your content makes sense and is readable by humans. Some SEOs preach that the ideal keyword density is around 1.30. This means your keyword should appear roughly 1.3 times per 100 words of content.
Can I rank for highly competitive keywords?
While it’s possible to rank for broad (seed keywords) and popular keywords, targeting long-tail keywords initially is often a smarter approach as the level of competition is lower. As your website gains authority, you can gradually compete for more competitive terms.
How frequently should I update my keyword list?
Aim for quarterly keyword reviews. Regularly revisit and update your keyword list to reflect evolving trends and changes in user behaviour.
Are there free keyword research tools available?
Yes, Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends are free SEO tools that provide valuable insights into keyword trends and search volume.
What role do user intent and context play in keyword research?
User intent and context are massive. Focus on keywords that align with what services you provide and what users are looking for in their search query. Then create content that fulfils their needs and expectations.
Is keyword research a one-time task?
No, keyword research is an ongoing process. As search trends and user behaviour evolve, so should your keyword strategy. Ideally, you want to be growing your keyword list so you can rank for more relevant keywords, attract more website traffic and grow your business.
Need Help With Your SEO? Contact e-CBD
Make sure your website can be found online by potential customers with a quality SEO strategy and a dedicated in-house team of digital marketing + SEO professionals.
If you’d like more keyword research tips, contact an experienced, local Gold Coast SEO company like e-CBD for a phone chat or meeting to discuss how we can start improving your online presence in search results.
Call now on (07) 5531 3810 or send us an online enquiry.
