Hey there!
I‘m thrilled to have you here friend as we dive into the world of strategic SEO together. 🤝
Many business owners get overwhelmed trying to figure out keywords research. I know I did too initially!
But fret not, because the payoff of ranking higher in organic search for valuable keywords makes every bit of effort worthwhile. 💰
In this action-packed guide, we will uncover:
✔️ When and why keyword research is CRUCIAL for your SEO success
✔️ Step-by-Step keyword research framework proven to maximize results
✔️ 14 Best keyword tools SUITED for your business needs
✔️ Trending smart keyword research strategies used by SEO experts
So strap in as we take this exciting ride to search engine glory! 😎
Why Keyword Research is Make-Or-Break for SEO
Many business owners know SEO is vital but focus overly on creating "great" content first.
Without strategic keyword targeting, even amazingly written content falls short of driving relevant organic traffic.
Here‘s why keyword research lays the crucial foundation:
🔎 Over 70% of searchers click organic results on page 1
📈 SEO drives over 30X more traffic than social media
🏆 53% of clicks go to the top 3 organic listings
Clearly, ranking high for keywords searchers are using is VITAL for visibility.
SEO success requires a dual top-down and bottom-up approach…
Top-Down: Align Keywords to Business Goals
Keywords need to map to your:
- Products
- Services
- Target customer personas
- Wider business objectives
This ensures you rank for searches that CONVERT into revenue.
Many make the mistake of targeting keywords randomly without tying them back to commercial goals.
Bottom-Up: Establish Authority with Long Tail Keywords
The second thrust is targeting less competitive long-tail keywords early.
This gradually builds domain authority allowing you to rank for more difficult high-volume keywords over time.
Without this solid base built on long-tail keywords first, you risk trying to run before learning how to walk! 👶
Now that you know why keyword research must preceed actual content creation and optimization…
Let‘s move onto the step-by-step framework to execute it systematically.
Step-by-Step Keyword Research Master Framework
Here is a 6-step master framework successful SEOs use:
1. Seed Keywords Identification 📝
Create an initial list by:
- Leveraging existing content and categories
- Checking search analytics for popular searches
- Exploring related sites/competitors
- Brainstorming top products/services
This forms the starting "seed" keywords list for further expansion.
2. Generate Semantic Keyword Variations 🔀
The tools we will cover help uncover:
- Long tail keyword variations
- Latent semantic keywords
- Related keywords by topic
Expanding seed keywords is key for discovering low competition opportunities.
3. Filter by Relevance and Value 💎
Next we will refine the keyword list using parameters like:
- Search volume – minimum threshold
- Competitiveness – target difficulty score
- Intent match – commercial terms over informational
- Trends – growing over stagnant
Filtering separates the signal from the noise.
4. Prioritize Aligned to Strategy 🎯
With a refined list, we pick winners by:
- Revenue potential – pricing/margin
- Ideal customer fit
- Competitor gaps
- Content creation viability
Ultimately keywords need to map back to commercial or brand objectives.
5. Track Keyword Rankings 📈
Tools like Serpstat and Rank Tracker help monitor positions over time.
Tracking progress for target keywords shows tangible ROI on SEO efforts.
6. Expand Content Scale 🚀
For ranked keywords, create new pages targeting untapped long-tail variations.
More content at scale locks down rankings across multiple keywords driving higher traffic.
Now that you know how to approach it step-by-step, let‘s explore 14 of the best keyword research tools available today…
1. SEMrush 🔎
Kicking off the list, we have the hugely popular SEMrush that powers over 5 million SEO and marketing professionals globally.
With the wealth of aggregated search data at its disposal, SEMrush offers unmatched depth in its keyword research capabilities.
Some standout features include:
✔️ Keyword Difficulty Score – Quantify competitiveness
✔️ Search volume – Accurate global monthly estimates
✔️ Related keywords – Long tail expansions
✔️ Questions mining – Uncover user search questions
✔️ Location targeting – Gear keywords locally
SEMrush provides a centralized workspace to execute every step of our keyword research framework making it hugely valuable.
It packs the most comprehensive features amongst paid tools. The costs however are also higher starting from $99/month.
Best fit: Agencies and enterprises focused on complete end-to-end SEO management
Case Study: Dog Accessories Ecommerce Site
Raj owns an ecommerce store selling dog accessories to pet owners across Australia.
He uses SEMrush to identify buyer keywords around popular products he sells:
| Keyword | Search Volume |
| ---------------- | ------------- |
| dog shoes | 3000/month |
| winter dog boots | 800/month |He expanded seed keywords further into long tail opportunities:
| Keyword | Search Volume |
| --------------------------- | ------------- |
| waterproof dog shoes | 700/month |
| dog rain jacket with hoodie | 500/month |Now he creates funnelled content around multiple keywords, helping him scale search visibility and sales.
This is the power of leveraging SEMrush for strategic keyword discovery!
2. Ahrefs 🔎
Up next we have Ahrefs – the other hugely popular paid SEO toolkit.
While SEMrush focuses on depth, Ahrefs prides itself on the breadth of 1 trillion indexed pages allowing unmatched analysis.
Standout features for keyword research include:
✔️ Keyword difficulty percentile – Quantify competiveness
✔️ Search volume – Split by device type
✔️ Questions mining – Uncover latent searches
✔️ Click-through-rate data – Visitor intent gauge
✔️ SERP analysis – Keyword optimization opportunities
✔️ Competitor keywords – Steal targets from rivals!
With its vast dataset, Ahrefs makes it possible to take a very scientific data-driven approach to keyword research.
It matches the depth of SEMrush when it comes to actionable keyword intelligence to aid SEO.
Pricing is broadly comparable to SEMrush as well, given it caters to sophisticated enterprise needs.
Best fit: Larger agencies and brands seeking expansive SEO capabilities
Case Study: Pet Care Blog
Sarah runs a blog educating pet owners on care, training and nutrition best practices.
She uses Ahrefs to uncover most searched questions for creating useful content:
| Keyword | Search Volume |
| ----------------- | ------------- |
| how to potty train a puppy | 7500/month |
| home cooked dog food recipes | 6000/month |The People Also Ask and Questions mining features provide amazingly useful content ideas matching visitor needs!
3. UberSuggest 🔎
If we go from heavyweights SEMrush and Ahrefs to simpler and affordable options – Ubersuggest fits that bill neatly.
Created originally by Neil Patel and now owned by SimilarWeb, it makes keyword research highly accessible.
Key features:
✔️ Keyword ideas – Long tail suggestions
✔️ Search volume – Global and local estimates
✔️ SERP analysis – Optimization opportunities
✔️ Backlink check – Site trust gauge
Ubersuggest certainly covers all the core areas of keyword research through an easy to use interface.
It manages to maintain robust features despite more reasonable pricing from $49/month. Comprehensive filters, bulk imports and exports make it very convenient.
The organic traffic estimates could be more accurate. But overall extremely versatile for the price point.
Best fit: Startups, bloggers and small business owners
Case Study – Home Services Business
Mark runs a local plumbing services business in Toronto, Canada.
He uses Ubersuggest to gauge search interest around typical home repair jobs:
| Keyword | Local Volume |
| ------------------------ | ------------ |
| replace bathroom faucets | 60/month |
| fix running toilet | 100/month | He smartly expanded exact matches into longer questions:
| Keyword | Local Volume |
| -------------------------------------------------------| -------------|
| how much does it cost to replace bathroom sink faucets | 30/month |
| why is my toilet constantly running | 40/month |This allows Mark to quote services around multiple keywords driving higher qualified traffic.
4. Answer the Public 💬
Now for a slightly left-field idea yet extremely effective – Answer the Public.
It automatically surfaces questions people are already searching around your keywords!
I love this unique approach as it avoids guesswork creating content. You KNOW what users want answers for.
Plus it works sideways to uncover fresh long-tail angles that generic keyword tools miss out on.
✔️ Automatically surfaces FAQs
✔️ Global + Local data split
✔️ Search trend analysis
✔️ Competitor compare
While limited in features, for the goal of discovering search conversations and questions it works brilliantly!
Priced very reasonably as well starting from $18.
Best fit: Content-focused sites wanting data-driven ideation
Case Study: Wine Blog
Jenny recently started a blog around the latest trends in wines and exotic labels.
She uses Answer the Public to identify questions searchers have:
| Question | Global Searches |
| ---------------------------- | ----------------|
| what wine goes with steak | 3000/month |
| how long does red wine last | 2500/month |Voila – she already has a content pipeline with guaranteed search interest locked and loaded!
Keyword Research Tool Comparison
Here is a comparative glance across the core capabilities:
(click image to expand table)
Beyond this at a feature level – each tool has minor strengths here and there. But broadly this gives an overview.
Now depending on your business scale and specific needs, you can determine which tool fits you best! 🧰
Trending Keyword Research Strategies in 2023 🔮
Let‘s go beyond tools now and discuss some smarter approaches to keyword research:
📜 Long tail key phrases – Easier to target and more qualified traffic potential
🔎 Expanding "People also ask" – Uncovering 100s of latent questions with search intent
🗄️ Group keywords in topics clusters – Create siloed category pages around semantically related keywords
🏷️ LSI keyword integration – Improves relevancy by naturally working related keywords across content
👪👩👦 Intent-driven personas – Align keywords to what target users are searching
These strategies help multiply your keyword yield and relevance. Now whatever tool you choose, these proven tactics will maximize your output!
Common Keyword Research Mistakes 🚨
Here are some tactical errors to avoid in your workflow:
🎯 Shotgun keyword targeting without a clear commercial goal
😵💫 Trying to rank for high competition keywords prematurely
🥽 Ignoring long tail easier wins in pursuit of short tails only
👔 Mismatch between informational vs commercial keywords
🔚 Not expanding seed keyword list further strategically into latent semantic opportunities
📉 Assuming first page Google rank guarantees traffic
By dodging these missteps, you set yourself for keyword success!
Most tools today eliminate heavy number crunching in keyword research. But ultimately the onus lies on US to use them effectively! 💪🏻
Frequently Asked Questions ❓
Here are some common questions around keyword research:
Q: How many keywords should I target for a website?
A: Start with 10-20 core well-researched primary keywords. Then expand into at least 100-200 long tail variations.
Q: Is it better to rank #1 for a mid-competition keyword or top 3 for a high competition one?
A: Top 3 for a truly high search volume keyword is better. Just ensure some mid-competition keywords are also covered to support overall authority.
Q: How often should I refresh my keyword list?
A: Annual reviews help keep your keyword list aligned to latest search trends and business trajectory. Quick checks every 2-3 months for new opportunities.
Still have a question? Ping me in comments below!
Let‘s Get Your Keywords Popping! 🚀
Phew, that was quite the adventure uncovering everything keywords and SEO research!
Here are the key takeaways:
🔑 Keyword targeting must align with business goals based on products, customers and growth areas
🔑 Establish authority first with less competitive long tail keywords
🔎 Tools should aid your workflow, not replace strategic thinking
🔑 Keep expanding keyword list into latent semantic opportunities
I hope you feel empowered now to absolutely crush it with your SEO keyword research! 💪🏻
Do you have any other proven tactics or tools you have used successfully? Share them below to help the community.
To your search ranking success! 🥂
