How to Perform Keyword Research for Your Website Like a Pro

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If you’re like most website owners, you’ve probably heard the phrase “keyword research” thrown around, but maybe you’re not sure exactly how to approach it. Don’t worry—I’ve got your back! In this article, I’ll walk you through the process of performing keyword research like a seasoned pro. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or just starting out, these tips will make keyword research feel like a walk in the park.

Did you know? 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results. So, if you want your website to stand out, keyword research is where you need to start. But how do you find the right keywords? What’s the secret to figuring out what people are actually searching for?

By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly how to find high-traffic keywords, choose the best ones for your website, and leverage them to improve your rankings and drive traffic. Ready to dive in? Let’s go!

What is Keyword Research and Why Should You Care?

Before we get into the “how,” let’s take a moment to understand why keyword research matters in the first place. Keyword research is the process of identifying the words and phrases your target audience is using to search for content, products, or services like yours.

Why is this so important?

• It helps you understand your audience better.
• It ensures your content is targeting the right queries.
• It’s crucial for SEO—get the right keywords, and search engines will rank your site higher.
• It’s your ticket to driving targeted traffic.

Now that you understand why it’s important, let’s break down the process of performing keyword research.

How to Perform Keyword Research for Your Website Like a Pro

Step 1: Understand Your Niche

Before you start plugging terms into keyword research tools, you need to understand your audience. I can’t stress this enough—know your niche!

Take a few moments to answer the following questions:

• Who are your customers?
• What problems are they looking to solve?
• What are they searching for when they want a solution?

Pro tip: Put yourself in your customer’s shoes! When I first started my website, I literally asked friends and family what they would search for if they were looking for my services. This gave me some fresh, unique keyword ideas that I hadn’t even thought of.

Step 2: Brainstorm Seed Keywords

Once you understand your audience, it’s time to brainstorm seed keywords. These are the foundational terms that describe your business, products, or services. For example, if you run a fitness blog, seed keywords could be:

• Fitness tips
• Home workout plans
• Healthy recipes

Want to know a secret? Start broad and then narrow it down. It’s like starting with a large, fluffy snowball and rolling it to create the perfect snowman. Keep it simple and relevant to your niche.

Step 3: Use Keyword Research Tools

Now the fun part—using tools to expand your list of seed keywords. Here are a few tools I personally love:

1. Google Keyword Planner – Free and reliable, this tool provides data on search volume and competition.
2. SEMrush – Paid tool that offers in-depth keyword analysis, competitor insights, and keyword suggestions.
3. Ahrefs – Great for finding keywords and analyzing backlinks.
4. Ubersuggest – Affordable option with decent keyword data and SEO insights.
5. AnswerThePublic – Awesome for finding questions people ask about your topic.

Let me show you something cool. When I was working on a blog about healthy eating, I typed in “healthy recipes” into AnswerThePublic, and it gave me a goldmine of content ideas based on actual questions people were asking—like “What are healthy snacks for weight loss?” or “How do I cook healthy meals on a budget?” This helped me create content that directly addressed what my audience was looking for!

Step 4: Analyze the Competition

You’ve got a solid list of keywords, but now you need to check out the competition. Simply put, you want to know how hard it will be to rank for those keywords.

I use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to analyze the difficulty of ranking for a particular keyword. Look for:

• Keyword Difficulty – How tough is it to rank for a specific keyword?
• Search Volume – How many people are searching for this keyword?
• Cost Per Click (CPC) – How much do advertisers pay for this keyword (this can indicate commercial intent)?

The goal here is to find a sweet spot: keywords with high search volume but low to medium competition. It’s all about finding opportunities that allow you to rank without fighting for the same spots as industry giants.

Step 5: Consider User Intent

Here’s a pro tip: user intent matters more than ever in SEO. When you’re picking keywords, think about why people are searching for those terms. Are they looking for information? To make a purchase? To solve a problem?

User intent can be categorized into:

• Navigational: Searching for a specific website or brand (e.g., “Nike official site”).
• Informational: Looking for information (e.g., “how to bake a cake”).
• Transactional: Ready to make a purchase (e.g., “buy running shoes online”).

For instance, if you’re targeting the keyword “best yoga mats for beginners”, it’s likely a transactional search because the user is ready to make a purchase.

Quick tip: Use a tool like Google’s Search Console to see what search queries are already bringing traffic to your site. This can give you insights into additional keyword opportunities.

Keyword Research Strategy: Putting It All Together

Step 6: Narrow Down Your Keyword List

At this point, you probably have a long list of keywords—now it’s time to narrow it down. Here’s how I do it:

1. Prioritize by Relevance – Does the keyword align with your business or content?
2. Balance Search Volume and Competition – Focus on keywords with decent search volume but manageable competition.
3. Look at Search Trends – Google Trends can help you identify rising topics and keywords that are gaining traction.

Example: I’ve had great success targeting long-tail keywords—phrases that are more specific but tend to convert better because they show clear intent. For example, instead of just targeting “fitness tips,” I’ll go after “fitness tips for busy professionals”. It’s more targeted, and the competition is usually lower.

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Step 7: Optimize Your Content

Now that you’ve got your keywords, it’s time to optimize your website content. Here’s where the magic happens!

Pro tip: You want to avoid keyword stuffing—don’t force keywords into places where they don’t fit. Instead, write naturally and use keywords in places like:

• Page titles (H1 tags)
• Meta descriptions
• Headings (H2s, H3s)
• URL slugs
• Image alt text

I remember when I first started optimizing my blog posts. I didn’t just focus on throwing keywords into the content—I made sure each keyword was placed strategically where it made sense and enhanced the overall user experience.

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Conclusion: Start Your Keyword Research Journey Today

In this article, we’ve covered how to perform keyword research like a pro. Let me summarize the key takeaways:

1. Understand your niche—know your audience and their search behavior.
2. Brainstorm seed keywords to create a solid foundation.
3. Use keyword research tools to expand your list and discover new opportunities.
4. Analyze competition and choose the right keywords for your website.
5. Consider user intent and prioritize keywords that align with your audience’s goals.
6. Optimize your content with your selected keywords.

Trust me, by following these steps, I’ve seen firsthand how effective keyword research can be for driving traffic and improving SEO rankings.

Ready to get started on your own keyword research journey? Let me know in the comments what tools you’ve used, or if you have any questions. I’m here to help!