Seven Methods for Keyword Research for SEO Specialists
- Speak to the Business Owner
Objective: Understand the business, its services, and the target location.
Approach: Ask detailed questions about the business offerings and geographic focus to gather initial keyword ideas. - Manual Keyword Analysis on Google
Objective: Identify suggested keywords.
Approach: Enter related terms in Google search and note the autocomplete suggestions. Also, check the “People also ask” and “Related searches” sections for additional ideas. - Google Keyword Planner
Objective: Obtain a comprehensive list of keywords along with their search volumes and competition levels.
Approach: Create a free Google Ads account, access the Keyword Planner tool, and conduct keyword research to gather data-driven insights. - Competitor Analysis
Objective: Discover keywords that competitors are ranking for.
Approach: Analyze competitor websites to identify the keywords they target. Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to gain deeper insights into their keyword strategies. - AI Tools like ChatGPT
Objective: Generate keyword ideas based on relevant prompts.
Approach: Use AI tools to brainstorm keyword ideas. Ensure the prompts are specific and relevant to the business niche to get accurate suggestions. - SEO Tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz)
Objective: Collect a broad range of keywords using specialized SEO tools.
Approach: Use these tools to perform keyword analysis, find keyword gaps, and explore long-tail keyword opportunities. These tools provide extensive data on keyword difficulty, search volume, and competitive analysis. - Combine All Strategies
Objective: Create a robust keyword list by leveraging multiple sources.
Approach: Integrate insights from business owner interviews, manual Google analysis, Google Keyword Planner, competitor analysis, AI tools, and specialized SEO tools to develop a comprehensive keyword strategy.
Final Note
Utilize all these strategies to ensure a thorough and well-rounded keyword research process. Combining these methods will provide a diverse set of keywords, helping you optimize your SEO efforts effectively. Good luck!