Keyword Research Questions for Beginners

As a beginner in keyword research, you're likely wondering where to start. The first question to ask yourself is: What are the most common questions my target audience is asking online?

Understanding your audience's pain points and needs is crucial in identifying relevant keywords. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find out what keywords are already being searched.

To begin with, you'll want to identify your niche and the topics you want to focus on. This will help you narrow down your keyword research and avoid overwhelming yourself with too many options.

Keyword research is a critical component of search engine optimization (SEO) that involves identifying the keywords your audience uses when searching for the products or services you offer.

By understanding search terms, you can develop a strategic list of keywords to target, ensuring that your content aligns with what potential customers are looking for. This process requires delving into your audience’s language and analyzing search traffic volume data to uncover popular and relevant keywords.

Without effective keyword research, you might find yourself using language that doesn’t resonate with your audience or competing with industry giants — a battle that can be hard to win.

Regularly updating your keyword strategy helps you create content that attracts high-quality traffic and stays current with search trends.

Check this out: Google Search Console Keyword Research

Keyword research tools can help you brainstorm more keyword ideas based on exact-match keywords and phrase-match keywords. Some of the most popular ones include Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, which can provide SEO experts with comprehensive SEO reports and keyword research.

To narrow down your search, you can use tools like Semrush Keyword Magic Tool, which offers a free account and allows you to type in a keyword and get a list of similar keywords. You can also sort the results based on how specific you need them to be.

Here are three top keyword research tools recommended by experts: SemrushAhrefsMoz These tools have been rigorously tested and proven to provide accurate data.

Related reading: Keyword Research Template Ahrefs

Keyword research tools can help you brainstorm more ideas based on exact-match and phrase-match keywords.

Some of the most popular ones include Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, which is known for producing high-quality SEO reports and keyword research.

Using KeywordTool.io can provide a solid search starting point with a list of 502 keyword ideas, although you may only see search volume, trend, CPC, and competition for the first five.

Not all keyword research tools are created equal, and some stand out from the rest.

Here are three top keyword research tools recommended based on rigorous testing and proven data accuracy:

Ubersuggest is a free keyword research tool that offers a lot of value, especially considering it's free. You get up to three free searches a day, and it's incredibly easy to use.

One of the standout features of Ubersuggest is its ability to find related keywords and do a quick reverse search to see what your site is already ranking for. This is a great way to get a quick snapshot of your current SEO performance.

Ubersuggest also allows you to find specific keyword performance, which is useful for understanding how well your content is doing. You can also use it to find untapped keywords that your competition may not be using.

Here are some of the key features of Ubersuggest:

Overall, Ubersuggest is a great tool to have in your keyword research arsenal, especially if you're on a budget or just starting out with SEO.

To start your keyword research strategy, think about the topics you want to rank for in terms of generic buckets. This will help you come up with a list of terms you should be targeting.

You'll want to come up with about five to 10 topic buckets you think are essential to your business. These are probably the topics you blog about most frequently, or the topics that come up the most in sales conversations.

HubSpot, for example, might have general topic buckets like "SEO" (201K), "blogging" (60.5K), and "CRM software" (49.5K).

To gauge how important these topics are to your audience, you can use data from tools like Ahrefs. This will help you understand how many different sub-topics you need to create content on to be successful with that keyword.

You should consider using keyword research tools to your advantage, and research related search terms to further refine your list.

Here are some topic buckets to consider, along with their estimated monthly searches:

Remember, there are no "best" keywords, just those that are highly searched by your audience. You want to find highly searched keywords that you can reasonably compete for based on your competition and your ability to produce excellent content on those keywords.

Keyword research is a crucial step in finding the right questions to answer. It helps you understand what people are searching for online and what keywords are relevant to your content.

You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find keywords with high search volume and low competition. For example, a keyword with 1,000 searches per month and 10 competitors is considered a good starting point.

Brainstorming sessions can also help you come up with unique and relevant keywords. By listing down all possible keywords related to your topic, you can identify patterns and trends that can inform your keyword research.

Conducting keyword research involves three main elements.

First, you need to identify your target audience and their search habits.

Next, consider search volume - are there enough people searching for a term to make it worthwhile? Ideally, you'd want to target high-volume keywords.

Keyword difficulty is another crucial factor, with a scale from 0 to 100 indicating how competitive it is to rank for a keyword. The higher the difficulty, the stronger the competition is in the top 10 organic search results.

You should analyze your keyword ideas to identify the most suitable ones, considering both search volume and keyword difficulty.

For your interest: Keyword Difficulty Analysis

Factor in SERP features as you choose keywords. There are several SERP feature snippets that Google will highlight if used correctly.

An easy way to find out about them is to look up keywords and see what the first result looks like. You can find a quick overview of the types of SERP featured snippets by reading about them on Google.

Google highlights 22 types of SERP featured snippets. You can read about all of them on Google if you want a comprehensive list.

See what others are reading: How to Find Trending Seo Keywords

You can find related keyphrases by using proper keyword data, such as the Semrush integration in Yoast SEO.

Type in some related search terms and look at their related search terms to spark ideas for other keywords.

Looking at the related search terms for a specific keyword can help you identify other search terms people are using.

Google shows related search terms at the bottom of the first page of search results.

Recommended read: How to Search Keywords Locally in Semrush

You can use these related search terms to fill out your lists of keywords.

The Semrush integration in Yoast SEO suggests related keyphrases and shows search volume and trend for every keyphrase.

You can find the related keyphrase feature in the Yoast SEO sidebar and meta box.

Connecting your Semrush account is required to use the related keyphrase feature.

The related keyphrase feature is available for free, but Premium users can also use it to optimize their content.

Additional reading: The Most Important Use of Marketing Research Is That

You can't always assume whether to aim for the singular or plural keyword, it depends on the query.

Google can guess what you're looking for based on search intent, so make sure you know what you offer on your page and that it fits with the query and results Google gives on that query.

If you search for "book", you get different results than if you search for "books", and Google thinks you're looking for a definition or to buy a book, respectively.

Yoast SEO Premium has word form support, automatically detecting all the different forms of your focus keyphrase, making optimizing your post a more natural process.

You can put your focus keyphrase in quotes, like "best books ever", to only consider that exact focus keyphrase when checking your content.

Creating a YouTube video is the next step after conducting keyword research. Use TubeBuddy to identify high-volume search terms that often feature in video search results.

To create engaging content, analyze YouTube Analytics for insights into current trends and user interests. This will help you align your content strategy with YouTube's unique search patterns.

Writing articles and blog posts on every keyword you want to be found for can be a challenge. This is the hardest part of any sustainable SEO strategy.

Identify high-volume search terms to create a long list of keywords for which you'd like to be found.

You might like: How to Do Keyword Research for Youtube

AI is changing SEO and keyword research, making it faster and more precise.

Generative AI tools can quickly identify trends and find long-tail keywords that are less competitive and align well with what users are searching for.

AI helps classify keywords into intent groups like informational or transactional, which is crucial for understanding what users intend with their searches.

AI tools like Semrush and Ahrefs provide AI-driven insights on keyword trends and competition, giving you a strategic edge.

Generative AI chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini are useful tools for improving your keyword research process.

With AI's help, you can better understand user intent and create high-quality, highly relevant content.

Suggestion: Ppc Competitor Keyword Research Tools

You can use domain age to find relatively easy-to-rank keywords by focusing on SERPs with young ranking websites.

A 6-months-old website in the first SERP could be easy to rank for, giving you an opportunity to get ahead.

The keyword Golden Ratio method allows you to find long-tail keywords you should be able to rank for immediately.

This method is explained in more detail in our Keyword Golden Ratio guide.

Sometimes, Google displays semi-relevant websites with high authority in the SERP if there is no relevant content.

This doesn't mean you can't outrank them with highly-focused, relevant content.

Here are some alternative estimates you can use:

Opting for originality over findability can backfire, as very few people search for uncommon terms like "vacation cottages". This means you'll likely rank well on that specific term, but won't generate much traffic or reach many potential customers.

Using different keywords than your competitors can make your product stand out, but it's essential to consider your target audience's search behavior. People remember products with unique names more easily, but that doesn't necessarily translate to more searches.

A wise marketing decision is to use uncommon names for your products, but you should also ensure it's a term your audience uses. If not, you'll end up optimizing for a term that doesn't generate much traffic.

YouTube suggestions can be a goldmine for keyword research. Thousands of searches are hidden behind the most popular topics, and it's likely that popular topics on YouTube will have high search volumes in Google too.

Searching for "water filter" on YouTube reveals a clear keyword idea in the title of one of the video results - "diy water filter". A quick check of the search volume shows that the phrase is indeed popular in Google search.

The YouTube Autocomplete feature is another useful tool. People usually use search queries that are more "practically" oriented when looking for videos on YouTube.

Take a look at this: Youtube Keyword Analysis

Google Search Console is an underrated keyword research tool that can help you find Opportunity Keywords.

You can combine your Google Search Console and Google Analytics accounts to get more in-depth keyword data.

The Google Search Console report lists out the pages on your site that get the most clicks from Google, along with the exact keywords that brought them there.

Did you know that you can find highly relevant keywords by checking what you already rank for in Google Search Console?

If the article already ranks for some keywords, there's a high chance you'll find other long-tail phrases it ranks for too.

To get started, check out the basics of Google Search Console with our simple guide.

Keyword research best practices are crucial for identifying relevant search terms and phrases that people use to find your content.

Use a long-tail keyword strategy to target specific phrases with lower competition and higher conversion rates. According to a study, 70% of online searches are for long-tail keywords.

You might like: Longtail Keyword Analysis

Brainstorm keywords by analyzing your website's content, industry trends, and customer feedback. For example, if you're a fitness website, you might brainstorm keywords like "yoga for beginners" or "home workout routines."

Use keyword research tools to identify relevant keywords and phrases. Google Keyword Planner is a free tool that provides insights into search volume and competition.

If you're looking for reliable keyword research tools, I've got you covered. We've tested many tools over the years, but our top recommendations are Semrush, Ahrefs, and Moz.

These three tools have proven data accuracy and have stood out from the rest. We've worked with clients in the ever-evolving landscape of SEO, and these tools have consistently delivered.

Here's a comparison of our top three keyword research tools:

Each of these tools has its strengths, but they all offer robust keyword research capabilities.

Google's Keyword Planner is a powerful tool for cutting down your keyword list. It gives you search volume and traffic estimates for keywords you're considering.

Use Google Trends to fill in some blanks and get a better understanding of your keywords' trend history and projections. This can help you determine whether to invest in low-volume terms now or later.

The Google Search Console isn't a traditional keyword research tool, but it has a feature that makes finding awesome keywords a cinch. It lists out the pages on your site that get the most clicks from Google, along with the exact keywords that brought them there.

You can combine your Google Search Console and Google Analytics accounts to get more in-depth keyword data. This is a game-changer for finding Opportunity Keywords.

If your article already ranks for some keywords, there's a high chance you'll find other long-tail phrases it ranks for too in Google Search Console. This is a great way to find highly relevant keywords.

Checking the monthly search volume (MSV) for keywords you've chosen can help you write content around what people want to discover. MSV is the number of times a search query or keyword is entered into search engines each month.

You can use tools like searchvolume.io or Google Trends to find the most searched keywords for related keyword clusters for free. These tools can give you a better understanding of what people are searching for.

Semrush is one of the most comprehensive SEO companies out there, so it's no surprise that their keyword magic tool is comprehensive as well. It's free to set up an account, and then you can type in your keyword, get a list of similar keywords, and sort based on how specific you need your results to be.

You can also use Semrush to find keywords that your competition already ranks for, which can be really valuable outside-the-box keywords that would be impossible to find using any other tool.

To use Semrush this way, enter a competitor's domain name in the field at the top of the page, and you'll get a list of 5 of the top keywords that they're ranking for. You can then click on "View all [number] keywords" to see more.

The "Organic Keywords" data in Semrush is particularly useful, as it shows you the top keywords that your competitors are ranking for, along with the estimated number of monthly organic visitors that come from Google.

Here are some key metrics you can use to evaluate the value of these keywords: