Keyword Research in 7 Easy Steps

Keywords and Keyword Research: Internet’s Foundations

Keywords, and keyword research are indeed the foundations of the internet. Their work never end. Further, keyword metrics is the art, science and common sense of using data to improve the performance of keywords.

These three terms are important, interrelated, and at first confusing. But with practice, you will master them and conduct meaningful keyword research.

Search engine optimization (SEO) begins with thoughtful keyword research for: 1.  websites, 2. pdfs, 3. images, 4. alt tags, 5. infographic file names, and so much more. This means that every element on your website should be optimized with the best keywords.

Please resist the urge to dismiss keyword research because it seems too complex. Just take smaller and slower steps until you have mastered every part of it.

Commit yourself to improving your research skills with every on-page and off-page SEO opportunity. Slowly but surely your skills will improve.

This article explores basic keyword research methods, basic keyword metrics, and the supporting keyword tools (both free and paid) to help you improve your skills.

What Are Keywords?

Keywords are what you type into the search engine box to find information on the internet. Keywords are words or phrases that describe a product, service, brand, or idea. Keywords are used in search queries by users, and also by search engines for indexing. They are vital to any successful SEO (search engine optimization), PPC (paid per click), or content efforts (blog articles, ads, landing pages, and more).

There are three types of keywords: 1. head, 2. body, and 3. long tail. Generally, the longer a keyword (which also matches the buyer’s intent) the higher the conversion rate. Long tail keywords consist of 3+ words and are the most prized. Generally they have a higher conversion rate.

Head keywords are one or two words long. They typically are used by large well-financed companies with the resources (for ads, SEO experts, copywriters, marketing agencies, etc.) to fight for rank in a highly competitive markets such as the “insurance” market.

Thus body  keywords consist of keywords that are 2 to three words long. They also are very competitive, but a skilled keyword researcher can find low competition, good traffic body keywords. These keywords can be used with primarily head or long tail keyword searches to bring well-rounded, long term targeted webpage traffic.

Again long tail keywords are most prized. This is true because they attract the exact type of web visitors interested in your website.

Wedding Example

For example, if a fashion-forward wealthy bride is planning to travel in two weeks to a distant European city for an impromptu wedding. She is looking for couture shoes. Then “buy couture designer bridal shoes” (buyer intent + long tail keyword) will convert higher than “shoes”.

The term “shoes” (head keyword) will undoubtedly include heavy duty construction work shoes. The phrase “bridal shoes” (body keyword) will undoubtedly include used shoes from a thrift store.

Neither of these types of shoes will the wealthy bride buy for her wedding day. But the long tail keyword “buy couture designer bridal shoe” will convert higher even though the shoes will be very expensive. It is exactly what the wealthy bride wants to find  and she has the intent to purchase this specific type of shoes—NOW!

Therefore if you are a small web owner with limited resources, a “long tail” keyword should have a higher conversion rate than a “head” keyword. This an important reason to master keyword research so that you can maximize your resources.

Keywords Research’s Main Goal?

Keywords are not generally targeted for the entire website. Rather they are targeted for a specific webpage. A benefit of this is that although a long tail keyword has lower traffic volume when combined with the other pages, the combined traffic could be substantial.

Therefore you should keep this in mind when conducting keyword research. Although your research might generate many keywords, this massive amount of information will become naturally and optimally organized when . . . the best keywords are placed on the best pages and match the ideal visitor intent (to buy, donate, complete a form, etc.).

This is the main goal of keyword research. You want to place the best keyword on the best page with the correct visitor intent.

What Are Keyword Metrics?

A broad definition of metrics is: “metrics. a standard for measuring or evaluating something, especially one that uses figures or statistics[.]” Therefore, for keyword metrics you want to evaluate if a keyword for a webpage is ranking high on search engine results pages.

Keyword metrics is a technical term that makes  people feel that keyword research is very difficult. Yet, it simply means to analyze relevant data and find the best keywords for a specific webpage. The goal of  keyword metrics is for your webpages to achieve the highest search engine page rank for a specific keyword.

A better term for “keyword metrics” might be “keyword ranking opportunities indicators.” You want to look at the keyword data that indicate that a keyword has low competition and good traffic volume.

Further you want to ensure that the other keyword metrics indicates that a  keyword will allow you to rank first (or at least in the top ten website) on the first page of a Google search engine results page.

Keyword Research and You

You must always be willing to study and understand new keyword metrics. This will allow you to develop skills to fine-tune the keywords on your webpages.

Again, to help ensure high page rank, the webpage must be fully SEO optimized for organic traffic (for both on-page and on-page optimization). This means more study. But you can master it with practice.

Seven Step Keyword Research Plan

If you are a novice researcher, then keep things simple. You want to focus on this  Seven Step Keyword Research Plan:

1. Determine Your Visitors’ Ideal Intent for Each Webpage
2. Make a Seed List of Relevant Keyword
3. Research long tail keywords
4. Research traffic volume for one month
5. Research traffic volume for one year
6. Research True Competition
7. Expand, then Categorize Your Keyword List

So just focus on these seven steps for your first 5 keyword searches and gradually add more keyword metrics that makes sense for your niche. More details about this is given below.

Seven Step Keyword Research Plan Explained

We assume you already have an ideal niche. If not, please our blog article on how to select a niche.

Of course you can alter or expand the steps below to suit your needs. Again we want to keep thing simple so that you will continue to grow in your understanding of keyword research. But mostly importantly, that you start and complete each keyword research you start. Don’t give up!

1.  Determine Your Visitor’s Ideal Intent for Each Webpage

You must have to such specific keywords that match the ideal visitor’s specific intent for a webpage in order to attract the correct web visitor.. Here is an excellent article that explains the stages the average visitor goes through before making a purchase. Here is an article explains the broad  types of keyword intent. Here is an article  on commercial intent keywords.

2. Make a Seed List of Relevant Keywords

You are passionate about your product and services. You practically know everything there is to know about your industry. You also have read sales brochures, checked the competition, and more. That is fantastic news, now think about the topics (keywords) you for your niche.

Make a list of the terms the potential visitors in your market actually use to make sure there is not a disconnect between the terms you use and the terms they use. You can talk to people. You visited online forums, and Questions and Answers websites.

Your potential visitors are most likely asking questions about  specific terms and might include terms that are new to you. Include them in your lists.  These lists will serve as a guide later in the process to identify quality keywords that will direct traffic to your webpage.

Next use a keyword suggestion tool that will suggest more keywords related to the niche. Perhaps  you will find more keywords that are new to you.

3. Research Long Tail Keywords

In the above steps, you laid a thorough foundation of keywords. Now you have to drill down your list to find the best keywords.

In this step, you have to pay attention to the keywords that could drive the most targeted visitors to website. The involves checking the key words through with various keyword tools that will give you reasonably accurate information on competition and traffic volume. This will be taught in the Pretty Please Passive Income courses.

4. Research Traffic Volume for One Month

Without traffic from visitors it is not possible for your website to be effective. You need traffic to make sales, provide information and to do all the other things you want to do with your website.

5. Research Traffic Volume for One Year

By analyzing traffic volume for one year, you will be able to determine if your product or service is seasonal. If it is, then you will want to offset it with other products or services.

6. Research Your True Competition

Keyword research is largely about numbers. Sometimes, the numbers do not reflect reality. Perhaps your data show that a keyword is ideal but your know that in reality it is a domain name of an authority site. So despite the emphasis on numbers and data, you still have to use your common sense to make a final decision.

7. Expand, Then Categorize Your Keyword List

Write down the related search terms (synonyms, appropriate head, and body keywords, etc.) which are displayed at the bottom of search engine result pages. Those search suggestions are likely high quality keywords.

Have a balanced mix of both head, body, and long-tail keywords. This simply means when creating the list of keywords, avoid making your keywords too short or generic. Do not restrict yourself to two to three words. Have four, five or six words. Better yet make short sensible sentences.

At this point you will begin to realize there is a larger universe of quality keywords than you initially believed when you first began your keyword search. The point is: let the research data suggest. Don’t be limited by you earlier ideas about the keywords you thought were ideal.l you which keys are best. You must be willing to again drill down and dismiss keywords you realize will not work regardless of how much time and money you might invest in them.

So you found the near-perfect pool of keywords. Now carefully categorize the best keywords to the appropriate visitor’s keyword intent of each specific page. Matching the best keyword to the specific page with the correct visitor intent. This is the entire point of all your keyword research. Again, slow down and carefully complete this step.

Important Keyword Metrics

How do you track, monitor and evaluate their performance? This is what keyword metrics is all about and understanding the basics of keyword metrics is important. In order to be successful  online, you need to understand, track, analyze the metrics to improve the keywords performances.

Below are basic metrics to know when embarking on a search engine optimization campaign, for both on-page and off-page. As you know, this is not a complete list of keyword performance metrics. Rather, slowly increase your understanding of how to use data, fine-tuned skills, and common sense to determine the strength of keywords.

1. Average Monthly Search Volumes, and One Year of Search Volumes

This provides information on how popular, and the seasonality of  a particular keyword is amongst search engine users.

2. Keyword Rank

This metric shows you how well your webpage ranks for a specific keyword that a potential visitor searches for when looking for your product or services. It also lets you know whether there are opportunities to improve the rank of a keyword.

3. Visit/Leads per keyword

These metrics tells you the amount of traffic being driven to your website by your keywords. It also shares insight on how many of the visits, converted into leads for your business.

4. Bounce Rate

This metric shows the rate at which visitors exit your website, without engaging with your content or viewing additional pages.

Keyword Tools

This can be overwhelming especially if you’re new to SEO. However, there are many free 4. and paid  tools that can help with processing raw data. When you find a keyword tool that you find useful, search it to understand its strengths and weaknesses.

Ask such questions as: Where is it collecting the raw data? Are the final numbers seasonably accurate? What are SEO experts saying about the tool? Such questions will help you determine if you should use another keyword tool to offset the weaknesses of a particular tool.

Below are free and paid tools, for a wide range of budgets, for each of the seven steps. No one tool is absolutely complete or perfect. We listed some quality keyword research tools. To prevent information overload, just try a few of them that interest you. Try the others only  if you want to compare keyword tools.

Free tools  can be useful but some do not provide keyword metrics. Some of the paid tools have a trial period, so that you can try them before buying them to determine if these tools are correct for you.

Seven Step Keyword Research Plan and Suggested Keyword Tools

1. Determine Your Potential Visitors’ Ideal Intent for Each Webpage

• Excel Sheet or its free alternatives
• Any method that you can do to note the intent for each specific webpage (for example: buy, donate, subscribe)

2. Make a Seed List of Relevant Keywords

• Brainstorm, existing written materials, videos, training materials, and other such information (free).
• Your website’s analytic dashboard:  Include  on your seed list keywords your are currently ranking from organic searches (free).
• Google Keyword Planner Google Keyword Planner [(free, provides keyword metrics). (If needed, search how you can sign up without a credit card if you are not yet for using paid adwords)]. This tool is designed for ads but can be used for SEO). If you are  new to Google Keyword Planner, then keep detailed notes on how to conduct basic keyword research. You might find that your steps will change as you gain more experience.
• Google Suggest/Google Autocomplete function (free).This tool suggest words as you type in Google’s  search box.
• Yoast Suggest (free)  This tools is similar to Google Suggest but provides a more expanded list of sugges.
• Google Correlate (free) This tool shows you related keywords.
• Ubersuggest (free) Get maion.ny suggestions with this tool.
• TinySuggest.  This tool is similar to Google Suggest but you might get a few more keyword suggestions.
• Soolve.com A search suggestion tool that combines the suggestion results from the top internet providers  in one place.
• SEOBook SEO Tools. This fast tool is similar to Google Keyword Planner.
• Moz: Keyword Explorer. This is a powerful tool the provides excellent keyword metric information.
• Wordtracker (trial period, paid). A trusted keyword suggestions with  keyword metrics.
• SEMRush (paid). A keyword tool that is also highly trusted.

3. Research long tail keywords

• GoogleKeyword Planner (free, provides keyword metrics)
• Answer the Public: This visual keyword tool helps bloggers and marketers find the best and focused content of based on the questions the public is asking.
• Longtail Pro.com. This is an excellent tool for long tail keyword research.
• Hittail.com. This tool assists bloggers with increasing organic traffic by suggesting long tail keywords based on the website.
• SEOBook SEO Tools. This fast tool is similar to Google Keyword Planner.
• Moz: Keyword Explorer. This is a powerful tool the provides excellent keyword metric information.
• SEMRush (paid). A keyword tool that is also highly trusted.

4. Research traffic volume for one month

• GoogleKeyword Planner (free, provides keyword metrics)
• Longtail Pro.com. This is an excellent tool for long tail keyword research.
• Hittail.com. This tool assists bloggers with increasing organic traffic by suggesting long tail keywords based on the website.
• KWFinder: This tool does an excellent job on helping you to find low completion long tail keywords.
• Moz: Keyword Explorer. This is a powerful tool the provides excellent keyword metric information.
• Wordstream. This is a comprehensive keyword research tool.
• SEMRush (paid). A keyword tool that is also highly trusted.

5. Research traffic volume for one year

•  Google Trends (free, provides seasona keyword metrics)
• Longtail Pro.com. This is an excellent tool for long tail keyword research.
• Hittail.com. This tool assists bloggers with increasing organic traffic by suggesting long tail keywords based on the website.
• SEMRush (paid). A keyword tool that is also highly trusted.

6. Research True Competition

• GoogleKeyword Planner (free) Search the domain name of your competitor
• Open Site Explorer. This tools provides you with demographics, competition metrics, and traffic.
• Alexa. This tool provides excellent SEO and traffic information.
• Quantcast. This tool might be useful to some because it provide audience measurement information.
• SEOBook SEO Tools: This fast tool is similar to Google Keyword Planner.
• Moz: Keyword Tool: This is a powerful tool the provides excellent keyword metric information.
• SEMRush(paid): A keyword tool that is also highly trusted.
• Your Common Sense: Keywords metrics are mostly numbers. ou have to use your com You have to use your common sense about the real world world to make good decisions and not rely 100% on the numbers.

7. Expand, then Finally Categorize Keyword List

You can use Excel  for your keyword spreadsheet or its  alternatives to organize your keywords. Here is a great article about alternatives to Excel spreadsheet for those who do not have it.

Create the headers for your spreadsheet (you might need more than one spreadsheet based on what your want to do). Headers for your keyword spreadsheet could include:

a. Specific Visitor Page Intent,

b. Keyword,

c. Name of Campaign or Projct,

d. Search Volume,

e. Competition (High, Medium, or Low),

f. Availability of domain extension (.com, .org, others)

g. Bid Amounts (if you are doing PPC),

h. Decisions,

i. Notes,

j. Other Needed Headers

If you do not know how to use a spreadsheet try  to learn. But do not let that stop you. You could compile the information manually and although it would be time consuming, you will have a thorough understanding of keyword research.

The point is this: Don’t give up. Use any method that you can easily do, for now, to get keyword information in a logical order.

Now you have a pool of valuable keywords. As stated about you can apply them to your website, but also to your social media , podcasts, landing pages, display ads ,and so much more.

Conclusion

In conclusion, although we cannot disregard the importance of high page rank on search engine page results, or the vital role keyword tools play. Nevertheless quality content remains king. Providing solutions to your audience is the core of any successful online campaign. And yes, quality content must be keyword optimized.

Keywords and keyword research are the foundation of the internet. Start with the major free tools and master them. Conduct internet research to find more free tools for a particular metric not mentioned in article—and master those also. Then move to the trial tools. Then, if needed master the paid tools. Yes, you can become a master at each step.

So continue to learn more so that you can effectively optimized your website, content, images and so much more. As stated earlier, this information will be explained in our courses. Also, we will provide a  detailed infographic and other graphic designs that will outline the entire keyword research process.