What is keyword research?
Quick answer
Keyword research is the process of finding the words and phrases people type into search engines about your business, then judging each one by search volume, competition and intent (what the searcher is trying to do) before writing pages or buying ads for it.
Last updated
Updated · By Robert Breen
Why it matters
Writing a page or launching an ad without keyword research is guessing. You might target a phrase nobody searches for, or one dominated by huge websites you cannot outrank. Research shows which phrases are worth the effort.
Intent matters as much as volume. "What is payroll" is someone learning; "payroll software pricing" is someone getting ready to buy. The first suits a guide, the second a pricing page or a PPC ad.
A worked example
A bookkeeping firm in Austin considers three phrases. "Bookkeeping" has about 90,000 monthly US searches but is dominated by national brands and mostly informational. "Bookkeeping services Austin" has about 390 searches, local intent and moderate competition. "How much does a bookkeeper cost per month" has about 1,300 searches and clear buying research intent.
The firm builds a service page for the Austin phrase and a pricing guide for the cost question, and skips the broad term. Within five months the two pages bring about 260 organic visits a month and 11 consultation requests.
Often confused with
Keyword vs search query
A keyword is the phrase you target. A search query is exactly what someone typed. One keyword can match hundreds of slightly different queries.
Search volume vs traffic
Volume is how often a phrase is searched. Even ranking first, a page typically gets a fraction of those searches as clicks, and Google’s own answers and ads take a share.
SEO keywords vs PPC keywords
The research is the same. For SEO you weigh how hard a phrase is to rank for; for PPC you weigh what it costs per click.
Tips
- Start with the questions customers ask on sales calls; they are often real searches.
- Free tools: Google Keyword Planner (inside Google Ads), Google Search Console and Google’s own autocomplete.
- Group phrases with the same intent onto one page instead of writing a page per variation.
Related terms
Learn it in a free lesson
- PPC Metrics Explained: CPC, CTR, CPA and ROAS With Examples (about 11 minutes)
Questions about it
- Should a small business start with SEO or PPC?: PPC first if you need customers this month; start SEO now if you can wait 3 to 6 months. Most small businesses end up doing both. A plan…
Related in the AI glossary
Frequently asked questions
- Is keyword research free?
- You can do plenty for free with Google Keyword Planner, Google Search Console and autocomplete. Paid tools such as Semrush and Ahrefs add competition scores and competitor data.
- What is a long-tail keyword?
- A longer, more specific phrase with fewer searches, such as "payroll software for restaurants with tip pooling". These are usually easier to rank for and closer to a purchase.
- How many keywords should one page target?
- One main topic and its close variations. If two phrases need different answers, they need different pages.
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