How to Search for Keywords: A Step-by-Step Guide to Smarter Keyword Research
Introduction: Why Keyword Research Is Essential
Keyword research is a foundational element of SEO and digital marketing. It helps you understand what your target audience is searching for online, what language they use, and how to align your content to meet their needs. Beyond just traffic, keyword research can uncover customer intent, spark content ideas, and enhance the performance of both organic and paid campaigns.
When done right, keyword research allows you to:
- Discover the terms your website already ranks for
- Uncover new opportunities your competitors may be missing
- Measure content performance over time
- Align your strategy with user intent and business goals
In this guide, we’ll explore practical steps and free tools that you can use to conduct in-depth keyword research—even without a paid subscription to premium platforms.
Start with What You Know: Use Your Website as a Foundation
Before diving into tools, begin with your own website. Audit your existing content and determine what keywords you’re currently targeting—and whether they are relevant to your products or services.
Ask yourself:
- Are the right people finding my content?
- Are we getting traffic from queries that match our offerings?
- Are some pages ranking for irrelevant or low-intent keywords?
You can manually review your website pages, URLs, titles, and meta descriptions to see what phrases they seem optimized for. This forms your baseline.
Use Google’s Free Tools to Discover Keyword Opportunities
1. Google Keyword Planner
This tool allows you to enter seed keywords and view estimated search volume, competition level, and related suggestions. Note that Google may limit data unless you’re actively running ads.
2. Google Trends
Use this tool to explore the popularity of search terms over time. Compare terms, discover seasonal trends, and explore regional interests.
3. Google Search Console (GSC)
GSC provides insight into what search queries your website is already ranking for. Navigate to “Performance > Search Results” to:
- View impressions (how often you appeared)
- See clicks (how many clicked your link)
- Calculate CTR (click-through rate)
High impressions + low CTR? It may indicate a mismatch between your metadata and user expectations.
Search for Keywords in Google Analytics
Google Analytics (GA) complements GSC by showing what users do after they land on your site. When linked with GSC and Google Ads, GA becomes a powerful analysis tool.
Navigate to:
- Acquisition > Search Console > Queries (for organic search)
- Acquisition > Google Ads > Search Queries (for paid campaigns)
Look for keywords that:
- Have low bounce rates (indicates user interest)
- Lead to conversions or deep page visits
These are great candidates for long-tail keyword expansion.
Analyze Competitor Websites to Uncover Keyword Gaps
Competitive research reveals what keywords are driving traffic to similar sites. While premium SEO tools provide direct reports, you can still glean valuable insights manually:
- Review your competitors’ meta titles, headings, and content structure
- Analyze URL slugs and category names for patterns
- Look for terms consistently repeated across product or service pages
This gives you an idea of the topical focus and keyword priorities of your competition.
Perform Keyword Gap Analysis Without Paid Tools
Keyword gap analysis helps you find what your competitors rank for that you do not. To do this manually:
- Use GSC to export your current ranking queries
- Visit competitor sites and compile their keyword-rich content
- Compare both lists in a spreadsheet
Highlight the keywords you aren’t ranking for but are highly relevant to your business. These are opportunities worth targeting in your upcoming content.
Expand Topics Using Seed Keywords
Seed keywords are broad phrases that define your niche. Start with your core topics and plug them into a keyword suggestion tool (like Google’s autocomplete or any free keyword planner).
For example, a seed keyword like “non fungible tokens” might reveal variations like:
- What is NFT
- How to invest in NFT
- NFT meaning for beginners
Use the “People Also Ask” and “Related Searches” sections in Google SERPs to uncover long-tail variations and FAQs around your topic.
Evaluate SERP Competition for Target Keywords
Google your potential keywords and examine the search engine results page (SERP):
- Who is ranking in the top 10?
- Are the pages authoritative or niche?
- What is the structure (lists, how-tos, guides)?
Check if the top results are filled with weak content (thin articles, outdated info, or irrelevant pages). That’s your opening to create something better and more useful.
Organize Keywords into Topics and Clusters
Rather than treating each keyword individually, group them by:
- Topic relevance
- Search intent (informational, commercial, transactional)
This helps you create content silos that cover the entire journey a user might take—from awareness to decision.
Use spreadsheets or free mind-mapping tools to tag and organize keywords into:
- Blog ideas
- Product pages
- Pillar and cluster content
Track Keyword Performance Over Time
Once you start creating and optimizing content, monitor how your keywords perform.
Use Google Search Console or a free rank tracker to:
- Track position changes
- Identify which pages are gaining or losing traffic
- Spot new opportunities as your site evolves
Regularly update older posts to maintain rankings and add new keywords you find through ongoing research.
Conclusion: Build Smarter Strategies with Informed Keyword Research
Keyword research is more than a one-time task. It’s an ongoing strategy that evolves as your business grows and search trends shift.
By:
- Leveraging free tools like GSC, GA, and Google Trends
- Understanding what your audience wants
- Studying competitors
- Grouping and tracking your efforts
…you create a content strategy rooted in real search demand.
Start with your own data, look outward, and build a long-term plan to dominate your niche—one keyword at a time.
FAQs: Keyword Research Made Simple
Q1. What is a keyword?
A keyword is a word or phrase that people type into search engines to find information. In SEO, targeting the right keywords helps your content appear in relevant search results.
Q2. What is the difference between short-tail and long-tail keywords?
Short-tail keywords are broad and generic (e.g., “shoes”), while long-tail keywords are more specific (e.g., “best running shoes for flat feet”). Long-tail keywords often have less competition and higher conversion rates.
Q3. Why is search intent important in keyword research?
Search intent reflects what the user wants to accomplish (learn, buy, find, etc.). Aligning content with intent ensures higher relevance, engagement, and conversion.
Q4. Can I do keyword research without paid tools?
Yes! You can use free tools like Google Search Console, Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends, and Answer The Public. These offer valuable data for basic and even advanced research.
Q5. How often should I update my keyword strategy?
Regularly review your keyword strategy every 3–6 months, or when launching new content. Track keyword performance and adjust based on rankings, search trends, and business priorities.