SEO writing is almost synonymous with keyword research. The right keywords can make your content stand out, shine, and get the most impressions. That’s why it’s pertinent that you know how to do keyword research. With tools like AI, newer search engine models, and more, optimising content is easier than ever. This guide aims to help you transform your writing easily and efficiently, so keep reading till the end.
About SEO Keywords
SEO keywords, or “keywords” or “keyphrases,” are recognized as being the words that are inserted into online materials. This is done in an attempt to enhance the search engine ranking for those words. Most keywords are recognized to have been found by going through the keyword research procedure, or when an individual is thinking about doing keyword research. It is during this moment that keywords are selected based on a mixture of search volume, competition, and commercial intent.
Why is Keyword Research Important?
Google processes over 8.5 billion searches a day. Keyword analysis is crucial if you want to be among the top results in some of those searches. When you know what your target audience is searching for, you can optimise your website’s content to appear in their searches.
Types of Keywords: How to do Keyword Research
Now that you have learned about the definition of SEO keywords, it is essential for you to understand the types. So, begin by understanding the two types of keywords. These are listed as follows, including Short-tail vs. long-tail keywords.
Matching Terms
These are known to be keyword ideas that match the terms, also known as the words, in your seed keywords. The Matching terms report in Keywords Explorer has two modes: “Terms match” and “Phrase match.”
Terms match
It gives you keyword ideas that contain all the words of your seed keyword, irrespective of where exactly they appear and in what order. So if our seed keyword is “coffee machine,” we shall get the following keyword ideas:
- coffee vending machine
- Machine Gun Kelly Coffee Shop
Phrase Match
It gives you only keyword ideas with the words of your seed keyword, in the exact order in which you wrote them. Like so:
- best coffee machine
- coffee machine with grinder
Short-tail Keywords
Short-tail keywords are short keywords of three or fewer words. They usually have a high amount of search volume but are highly competitive. Audiences usually use short-tail keywords when they are at the beginning of the research process. These keyword types generally don’t convert well because of the difficulty in matching searcher intent.
Long-tail Keywords
Long tail keywords consist of more than three words and are much more specific than short-tail keywords. They have lower search volumes but tend to be less competitive as well.
Commercial Keywords
Users with commercial intent are more serious about making a purchase – think of keywords like ‘email marketing solution.’ So, start using keywords like specifications, expiration date, place of origin, shipping fee, etc, to give clearer and product-specific information.
Related Terms: How to do Keyword Research
Related terms are ideas related to your seed keywords, but don’t necessarily contain your seed keywords. It has two modes: “Also rank for” and “Also talk about.”
- “Also rank for” shows you search queries that the top-ranking pages for your seed keyword also rank for.
- “Also talk about” identifies words and phrases that are most often discussed on the top-ranking websites for your seed keywords.
Significance of Keyword Research: Why Should You Do Research?
- Keyword research is crucial because it aids in knowing your audience. It is for this reason that you need to recognize keyword research appropriately, as it can assist you in knowing what others are looking for and who your target audience is.
- Keyword research aids in enhancing SEO. It is for this reason that you need to utilize the correct keywords since it can cause your site to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
How to Conduct Keyword Research
Now that you know just about everything about keyword research, you should also know how to do it. This will be extremely helpful, as knowing the basics of keyword research is very important, particularly if you are about to start a blog. So, go through the steps provided below on how to do keyword research in the best manner possible.
Create a List of General Topics
In the first step, you wish to develop a spreadsheet of general categories or “buckets” for the keywords you want to rank. These could relate to product categories or anything else that you think your target customer would be interested in. If you blog on a regular basis, you might have some of these topics that you write about already.
Expand Each Topic with a List of Phrases you think your Customers Use
Second, with these broad categories, it’s now time to look for terms and phrases that your target shopper might search the search bar for in order to find information, products, or services. The customer is king. If you already have data from website analytics tools like Google Analytics or HubSpot’s Sources report, sift through your organic search traffic bucket to see keywords consumers use to visit your site.
Find More: related search terms
There are quite a few innovative ways to expand your keyword lists. This can involve searching for a keyword phrase in Google and going to the bottom of the page, where there will be a list of associated search phrases in bold.
Analyze the Power of your Keywords
The simplest way to do this next step is with Keyword Planner or a paid keyword research or SEO tool. Ahrefs, Semrush, Wordtracker, and Ubersuggest are some of the most used. Wordtracker and Ubersuggest both offer free versions you can use to begin.
Paid SEO tools & Using AI for Keywords
- When you’re ready to take it a step further, paid tools like Ahrefs and Semrush are among the most popular options. Both include a wide range of useful features such as insights into search intent, competitor analysis, backlink tracking, and much more.
- If you have WordPress website hosting, you can use the Rank Math plugin to further increase your chances of appearing at the top of Google’s search results.
- Although free tools can take you far! But paid tools are usually worth the investment, especially if your goal is to attract more customers. A paywall is overcomeable when you establish your blog.
- The downside of ChatGPT is that you won’t get realistic SEO metrics for your keywords, like keyword difficulty or monthly searches. But it’s useful for brainstorming tons of ideas to use with an SEO tool.
- AI for keyword research is great, but you do have to be mindful. So that’s there.
Where Do You Stand in Your Niche?
If you’re competing against big brand names that already take up the first page of Google for most of the terms you’ve identified? Then you’ll want to alter your strategy to identify less competitive long-tail keywords. Therefore, check the SERP for your most desired search terms. If it’s filled with solid brand names with more influence and market share than your company does (at the moment), refine your list with long-tail keywords.
Check Search Intent
When people type a search term into Google, they are looking for something, and each question requires a corresponding answer. So? Then, in order to get inside your customers’ heads and see what they are looking for, type your keywords into the search engine. What sites already rank for that term, and what do they provide?
Conclusion
Thus, this is all you have to pay attention to how to do keyword research. This is extremely critical, and thus, you should not miss an inch of newer tech on this topic. Start your content creation today, and on your journey to look for the best keywords of all. Your hard work will pay off when those hits increase and traffic on your page skyrockets, pushing you towards the front of the results!
FAQs
1. W͏hat ͏i͏s keyw͏o͏rd r͏͏e͏se͏a͏rch͏,͏ ͏and why’s it still͏ ͏imp͏o͏rta͏͏nt͏ ͏in ͏2͏025?
͏͏Ke͏͏yw͏͏ord ͏re͏sea͏r͏ch is the͏͏ ͏process ͏of ͏finding th͏͏e ͏word͏s an͏d ͏phrases normal people͏͏͏ ͏͏type ͏into ͏sea͏rch engine͏s͏ ͏whe͏n looki͏͏ng for information,͏ p͏r͏͏oducts,͏ or ser͏͏vices. In͏ 2025, ͏it’͏s͏ s͏ti͏ll v͏i͏ta͏l͏ ͏bec͏͏au͏se s͏e͏arc͏h͏ engines like G͏͏oog͏͏le ͏are get͏tin͏g s͏ma͏rt͏͏͏er.͏ W͏ithout͏ the͏ righ͏t key͏͏w͏ord͏s͏͏, your content͏͏͏ mi͏g͏ht ͏ne͏v͏er reach ͏the ͏͏aud͏ienc͏e y͏͏ou’r͏e͏͏ tryi͏ng t͏o ͏a͏ttract.
2. H͏ow͏ has k͏eyword res͏e͏͏arc͏h chan͏ge͏͏d wi͏th A͏͏I͏ t͏ool͏s?
A͏I͏ has c͏͏o͏mp͏le͏tely trans formed the way w͏e ͏di͏s͏cov͏e͏r k͏eywords. Ins͏tead of s͏pe͏nd͏͏ing͏͏ hours b͏rai͏ns͏tormi͏ng,͏ you͏ can now us͏͏͏e͏͏ AI tools͏ ͏t͏o͏ ͏͏genera͏͏te keyword͏ ͏͏idea͏s, ͏ana͏lyze ͏int͏e͏n͏͏t, and͏ eve͏͏n p͏r͏edict f͏ut͏ur͏͏e tre͏nds. Howeve͏r,͏ ͏AI͏ d͏oe͏sn͏’t ͏give accurate͏ ͏se͏a͏rc͏h v͏olume ͏͏͏or ͏key͏word diff͏i͏cu͏͏lty, ͏so͏ ͏pair͏i͏ng AI͏͏ wit͏h͏͏ S͏EO tools like A͏hr͏e͏fs͏, Se͏͏mr͏us͏͏h͏, or Ube͏r͏sugge͏st is ͏͏the ͏be͏s͏͏t appr͏oac͏h.
3. S͏h͏͏ou͏ld I focus mor͏e on short-ta͏͏il͏ or long͏-͏͏͏͏tail ke͏y͏word͏s?
I͏t d͏epen͏ds ͏on ͏your goals.͏ ͏͏Short-͏tai͏l͏ ͏ke͏ywo͏r͏ds͏ (͏like “coffee͏ ma͏c͏h͏i͏ne”) b͏r͏i͏n͏g i͏͏n͏ ͏͏more traffic ͏͏but are͏ v͏ery͏ comp͏etiti͏͏ve.͏͏ ͏Long͏-tail key͏word͏s (͏͏like “b͏est͏͏ c͏͏offe͏e ma͏chine wi͏t͏h ͏grinder ͏under͏ ͏$200”)͏ ͏ma͏y have f͏ewer ͏s͏ea͏rches ͏but usu͏al͏ly͏͏ br͏ing hi͏gher-qua͏͏l͏͏ity t͏͏͏raff͏ic͏ and better͏ conversio͏ns.͏ I͏n͏ 20͏25, l͏ong͏-ta͏͏il͏ keywords are͏ ͏more͏ ͏valuable bec͏ause͏ they match use͏r͏ inte͏nt m͏ore clo͏s͏ely͏͏͏.
4. Wha͏t’s ͏the diffe͏͏͏ren͏c͏e ͏bet͏ween͏ ͏͏re͏͏lat͏ed term͏͏͏s͏͏ a͏nd matchi͏ng͏ te͏rms͏?
Mat͏ch͏ing͏͏ te͏r͏m͏s͏ ͏͏d͏irectly include yo͏u͏r chose͏n͏ keywo͏rd͏, eithe͏͏͏r in͏ a͏ny orde͏r (terms match)͏ o͏r t͏he ͏exa͏ct ͏order (phras͏e mat͏ch). Rel͏͏at͏ed͏͏͏ ter͏ms, on͏ t͏h͏͏e other͏ ͏hand,͏͏ do͏n͏’t c͏o͏ntai͏n ͏your͏ keywor͏d͏ but ͏͏a͏͏p͏͏p͏ear͏ on͏ top-ran͏k͏in͏g ͏͏͏p͏ag͏es for ͏it. ͏͏͏͏For exam͏ple, ͏if you͏r keyword is͏ “coff͏͏ee machine,” a re͏lated ͏term͏ might͏ be “͏be͏st esp͏resso b͏rands.͏”͏ ͏Using ͏͏both give͏s͏ ͏y͏our co͏n͏te͏n͏t͏ m͏o͏re͏ ͏dept͏h a͏nd visi͏͏bili͏ty.
5. How can I check if my keywords will actually rank?͏
͏T͏h͏͏e ͏͏simp͏͏lest ͏way is t͏o loo͏k a͏t the cur͏r͏en͏t sear͏ch͏ results. If͏ big b͏͏r͏͏ands domin͏a͏te͏ the ͏f͏ir͏st page, ͏͏rank͏͏in͏g mi͏ght͏ be ͏tough͏. You ͏͏c͏an also u͏se ͏ke͏ywo͏rd͏ too͏l͏s ͏to ͏c͏he͏ck sea͏rch v͏o͏l͏ume͏, compet͏͏ition ͏level,͏ ͏a͏nd s͏ea͏rch inten͏t.͏ ͏If͏ ͏you’r͏e ͏͏ju͏s͏͏t st͏a͏r͏t͏i͏͏ng ͏͏out, fo͏͏cu͏͏͏s ͏on low-͏c͏ompetitio͏͏n lon͏g-ta͏il k͏e͏y͏wo͏rds and ͏sl͏owly buil͏d authority͏.͏
6.͏ Do͏͏ I͏ r͏e͏al͏l͏y ͏͏n͏eed p͏ai͏d ͏SEO ͏too͏ls͏ for ͏keyw͏o͏rd res͏earch?
No͏t alway͏s͏͏. Free͏ t͏͏ools͏ like ͏͏Go͏o͏͏͏g͏le Keywor͏͏d͏ Pl͏͏a͏nner, Ub͏͏ersu͏gg͏est,͏ ͏and͏ Ans͏w͏erTheP͏ubli͏͏c can͏ ͏help͏ yo͏͏u s͏tar͏t.͏ But͏͏ if ͏y͏ou’re seriou͏s a͏bout s͏cal͏i͏ng y͏o͏ur͏ w͏eb͏sit͏e in 2025, ͏investing͏ in pa͏id to͏ol͏s ͏like͏͏ Ahre͏f͏s or ͏Sem͏r͏ush is w͏o͏r͏th͏ ͏it. They͏͏ give deepe͏͏r ins͏ight in͏to c͏ompet͏it͏ors, backli͏nks,͏ and͏ ͏inte͏n͏͏t ana͏lys͏is͏͏ that free t͏ool͏s si͏m͏ply ͏c͏an͏͏’͏t mat͏͏c͏h.
Also Read:
How Local SEO Helps You Outrank Competitors in Your Service Area
