What is keyword research?

Keyword research in SEO (search engine optimisation) is the process of discovering search terms (keywords) that users enter into search engines, such as Google or Bing, when looking for information online.

The importance of keyword research in SEO

Keyword research is often the first step of any SEO campaign. By researching and selecting the most appropriate target keywords, you create the opportunity to rank well in search engines for that specific topic.

High rankings in search engines drive traffic to your website, and in turn, allow you to promote your products/ services online.

Keyword research tools

There are a number of tools available to help you find keywords. Here are a couple of our favourites.

SEMrush

Using SEMrush is the quickest way to see a comprehensive summary of your keyword metrics – monthly search volume, competition, related keywords, and more. Users on the free SEMrush plan can perform up to 10 searches per day. You can either read about how to use SEMrush for keyword research, or you can watch the video below, where Greg Gifford, Vice President of Search at Wikimotive will talk you through the keyword research tools that SEMrush have to offer.

Google Keyword Planner

The keyword planner is seen as one of the most reliable sources of keyword information, as the data comes straight from Google.

The tool is free to use, however, you’ll need to have a Google Ads account in order to use it. Although the tool is designed to help with Google Ad campaigns, you can use the planner to find lists of keywords and queries with lots of searches.

How to choose a keyword

1. Create a keyword list using one of the keyword research tools mentioned above
2. Ensure the keyword is relevant to the topic of your content
3. Check the search volume – the higher search volume a keyword has, the more traffic you could potentially receive
4. Check the keyword difficulty – finding low-competition keywords can give newer sites a better chance of ranking

The below example shows how long-tail keywords (keywords that are more specific and longer than other commonly searched keywords) are usually less competitive. This means that they’re often easier to rank for, but perhaps have less search volume than shorter-tail keywords (‘advanced keyword research’ vs ‘keyword research’ in this example).

We can help:

If you’re not sure how, or simply don’t have the time for SEO, then we’re here to help. We offer a monthly SEO package to help raise your profile/ranking in Google and drive traffic to your website.

Feel free to contact us via our online form, or give us a call on 0207 112 9117.