Keyword research tells you which words people type into Google when they need what you offer. Get it right and every post you write has a real audience waiting for it. Skip it and you end up writing posts nobody searches for.
Here is a simple 6-step process you can run with free tools and a spreadsheet.
Step 1: Start with your customers’ questions
The best keyword ideas come from real people. Write down the questions customers ask on sales calls, in support emails, in comments and in online communities such as Reddit. These questions show the exact words your audience uses.
Step 2: Expand your list
- Type your topic into Google and note the autocomplete suggestions.
- Check the “People also ask” box and the “Related searches” at the bottom of the results page.
- Open Google Search Console and look at the queries your site already appears for.
- Use a keyword tool such as Ahrefs, Semrush or Google Keyword Planner to see rough search volumes.
Step 3: Check the search intent
Search each keyword and look at what ranks. The type of page Google shows tells you what searchers want.
| Intent | What the searcher wants | Example keyword | Best page type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Informational | To learn something | what is email deliverability | Guide or explainer |
| Commercial | To compare options | best email marketing tools | Comparison or list |
| Transactional | To buy or sign up | mailchimp pricing | Product or pricing page |
| Navigational | To reach a site | gmail login | Home or login page |
Step 4: Pick keywords you can win
New sites rarely rank for short, popular terms like “email marketing”. Look for longer, more specific phrases with less competition, such as “email deliverability checklist for small business”. Check who ranks now. If the top results are small blogs and forum threads, you have a chance.
Step 5: Group keywords into topics
Many keywords mean the same thing. “Keyword research for beginners” and “how to do keyword research” usually need the same page. Group keywords with the same intent together and target each group with one post. This keeps your own pages from competing with each other.
Step 6: Turn each group into a content brief
For each topic group, write a short brief before you write the post:
- The main keyword and its close variations
- The search intent
- The questions the post must answer
- 2 or 3 internal links to related posts
Once the post is written, run it through our on-page SEO checklist before you publish.
Keyword research for AI search
People now ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI Mode full questions instead of short keywords. The same research still works: the questions you collected in step 1 are often the exact prompts people use. Read more in our guide to brand visibility in AI search.
Start small. Pick 10 keyword groups, write one strong post for each and track the results in Search Console before you add more. You will find more guides in our SEO section.
