Keyword Research

Keyword Research is the process of finding and analyzing search terms that people use to find information, products, or services related to your business. This basic SEO practice helps you understand what your audience searches for. It also shows you how to create content that matches their needs. Good keyword research guides your entire Content Strategy and forms the basis for Implementation decisions.

While the goal is traffic, the best target is not always the highest search volume, which is often a recipe for disaster. Every site has words they rank for (or none) and these help paint a picture of the level of competition the site can compete with. Good practice involves setting a competition difficulty of roughly 10 points higher than your "current weightclass" and not much higher. Then look at the highest search volume in this range and find the intent behind the term to be sure you can deliver for users.

This simple formula helps avoid wasting resources on words out of your league, though the homepage and pages it links to can target any competition difficulty since they rank better than most pages on your site.

The research process involves checking Search Volume to understand how many people search for specific terms. You also look at Competition levels to see ranking difficulty. Intent Analysis helps you understand what users want when they search. This makes sure your content matches their goals. The process also includes finding Long Tail opportunities that offer less competition and more specific targeting.

Modern keyword research goes beyond basic terms through Semantic Research that finds related concepts and topics search engines connect with your main keywords. Competitor Analysis shows what terms your rivals target and reveals content gaps you can fill. Together, these research methods create a complete picture of search opportunities and help you build content that both users and search engines value.