In the world of SEO, keyword research is the foundation of any successful campaign. The process of identifying the keywords and phrases that are most relevant to your business can help you better target your audience, increase your visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs), and drive more qualified traffic to your website. In this beginner’s guide to keyword research, we’ll cover the basics of what keyword research is, why it’s important, and how to get started with your own keyword research campaign.
What is Keyword Research?
Keyword research is the process of identifying the words and phrases that people use to search for products, services, or information online. By understanding the keywords that are relevant to your business and industry, you can create content that is more likely to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs) and drive targeted traffic to your website.
Why is Keyword Research Important?
Keyword research is essential for any business that wants to succeed in online marketing.
Here are some of the key benefits of conducting keyword research:
- Helps you better understand your target audience: By identifying the keywords and phrases that your target audience is using to search for products or services online, you can gain valuable insights into their needs and preferences.
- Improves your content strategy: Keyword research can help you create content that is more relevant and useful to your target audience, which can help you rank higher in SERPs and drive more traffic to your website.
- Increases visibility in search engines: By targeting the right keywords, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in SERPs and getting more visibility for your brand.
- Drives more qualified traffic to your website: By targeting keywords that are most relevant to your business, you can attract more qualified traffic to your website, which can lead to higher conversion rates and more sales.

Keyword Research Guide by SEO Sydney
1. Brainstorm a list of potential keywords
Brainstorming a list of potential keywords is the process of generating a list of words and phrases that are relevant to your business or website. This list can then be used as a starting point for conducting keyword research and developing a targeted SEO strategy.
When creating a list of potential keywords, it’s important to think about the products or services you offer, as well as the needs and interests of your target audience. You can also consider your competitors and what keywords they are targeting.
2. Use a keyword research tool
Using a keyword research tool refers to the process of using software or online applications to analyze and identify the most relevant and effective keywords for a particular business or website. These tools provide data on search volume, competition, and related keywords, allowing businesses to refine their keyword strategy and improve their search engine rankings.
Here are some popular keyword research tools:
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- Google Keyword Planner: A free tool provided by Google that allows businesses to find relevant keywords, see how often they are searched for, and assess their competition level.
- SEMrush: A paid tool that provides comprehensive keyword research, including data on search volume, competition, and related keywords, as well as competitor analysis and site audits.
- Ahrefs: Another paid tool that provides in-depth keyword research, including data on search volume, keyword difficulty, and competitor analysis.
- Moz Keyword Explorer: A paid tool that provides keyword suggestions, search volume data, and difficulty scores, as well as information on organic click-through rates and SERP features.
- Ubersuggest: A free tool that provides keyword ideas, search volume data, and information on SEO difficulty and paid competition.
- Keyword Tool: A free tool that provides keyword suggestions and search volume data for Google, Bing, YouTube, Amazon, and other search engines.
- Answer the Public: A free tool that provides keyword suggestions based on popular questions and phrases related to a particular topic.
3. Analyze the competition
Analyzing the competition is a critical step in keyword research as it helps you understand the level of difficulty in ranking for a particular keyword. Here are three ways to analyze the competition for keyword research:
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- Check the Domain Authority.
Domain Authority (DA) is a metric developed by Moz that measures the strength and authority of a website’s domain. The higher the DA, the more authoritative the website is considered by search engines. Analyzing the DA of your competition can help you determine how difficult it will be to rank for a particular keyword. - Analyze the Backlink Profile.
Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your website. Search engines consider backlinks as a signal of authority and relevance. Analyzing the backlink profile of your competition can help you understand how many backlinks they have and the quality of those backlinks. This information can help you develop a backlink strategy for your own website. - Evaluate On-Page Optimisation.
On-page optimisation refers to the elements on your website that can be optimised for search engines. These include title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and keyword usage within the content. Analyzing the on-page optimisation of your competition can help you understand what factors are contributing to their high rankings for a particular keyword. This information can help you develop your own on-page optimisation strategy to improve your chances of ranking well in SERPs.
- Check the Domain Authority.
4. Refine your keyword list
Refining your keyword list is the process of narrowing down your initial list of potential keywords to a more focused and targeted list of keywords that are most relevant to your business and have the best chance of ranking well in search engine results pages (SERPs).
To refine your keyword list, you should first analyze the search volume and competition level for each keyword using a keyword research tool such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs. Look for keywords that have a high search volume and low competition level, as these are generally the easiest to rank for.
Next, analyze the websites that are currently ranking for your target keywords and assess their domain authority, backlink profile, and on-page optimisation. This will give you an idea of how difficult it will be to rank for each keyword.
Based on your analysis, refine your keyword list to include only the most relevant and promising keywords. This may mean removing keywords that are too broad or competitive, or adding new keywords that you may have overlooked initially.
It’s important to keep in mind that refining your keyword list is an ongoing process. As you monitor your results and make adjustments to your SEO strategy, you may need to refine your keyword list further to stay competitive and achieve your online marketing goals.
5. Implement your keywords
Once you have a list of targeted keywords, it’s important to implement them into your website’s content and meta data.
Here are five specific actions you can take to implement your keywords:
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- Optimize your website copy.
Make sure your website copy includes your targeted keywords in a natural, reader-friendly way. Avoid keyword stuffing or forcing keywords into your copy unnaturally. Instead, focus on creating high-quality, informative content that naturally incorporates your keywords. - Use keywords in your blog posts.
Blogging is a great way to attract more traffic to your website, and it’s also an opportunity to incorporate your targeted keywords. Make sure your blog posts are optimised for your target keywords by including them in the title, subheadings, and body of the post. - Optimize your title tags and meta descriptions.
Your title tag and meta description are two important pieces of meta data that can impact your website’s ranking in SERPs. Make sure these elements include your targeted keywords in a natural, compelling way that accurately reflects the content of your page. - Use keywords in your image alt tags.
Alt tags are an important way to help search engines understand the content of your images. By incorporating your targeted keywords into your image alt tags, you can help improve your website’s ranking for those keywords. - Monitor and adjust.
Finally, it’s important to monitor your website’s performance and adjust your keyword strategy as needed. Keep an eye on your website’s ranking for your targeted keywords, and make adjustments to your content strategy and keyword targeting based on what’s working best.
- Optimize your website copy.
6. Monitor your results
Finally, it’s important to monitor your results and make adjustments to your keyword strategy as needed.
Here are some key aspects of monitoring your keyword research results:
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- Track your website’s rankings.
Use a keyword tracking tool to monitor your website’s rankings for your target keywords. This will help you see how your website is performing in search engine results pages (SERPs) and identify opportunities for improvement. - Monitor traffic and conversion rates.
Keep an eye on your website’s traffic and conversion rates to see how your keyword strategy is impacting your bottom line. If you notice a decrease in traffic or a decrease in conversion rates, it may be time to adjust your keyword strategy. - Analyze user behavior.
Use tools like Google Analytics to analyze user behavior on your website. Look at metrics like bounce rate, time on site, and pages per session to see how users are engaging with your content. This can help you identify areas for improvement in your keyword strategy and website design. - Stay up to date with algorithm changes.
Search engine algorithms are constantly changing, so it’s important to stay up to date with the latest updates and adjust your keyword strategy accordingly. - Adjust your content strategy.
Based on your monitoring and analysis, adjust your content strategy to better target your keywords and meet the needs of your target audience. This may involve creating new content, updating existing content, or optimizing your website’s meta data.
- Track your website’s rankings.
Conclusion
Keyword research is an essential part of any successful SEO and digital marketing campaign. By identifying the keywords and phrases that are most relevant to your business and target audience, you can improve your visibility in SERPs, drive more qualified traffic to your website, and ultimately increase your sales and revenue.
If you’re new to keyword research, it can seem overwhelming at first. However, by following the basic steps outlined above and using the right tools and resources, you can develop a targeted keyword strategy that will help you achieve your online marketing goals.