What is Keyword Research?

Keyword research is the process of finding, analyzing, and choosing search terms people use to find products or information. Keyword research provides the foundation for creating content that aligns with real user behavior and matches search demand with business goals.

The meaning of keyword research lies in understanding how potential customers think and search online. Keyword research helps uncover the exact words and phrases the target audience uses, along with how often those terms are searched and how competitive they are. These insights guide decisions across SEO, content planning, digital marketing, and advertising strategies.

The purpose of keyword research is to drive qualified traffic to a website by targeting the right search terms at the right time. Keyword research supports better visibility in search results, improves content relevance, and increases the likelihood of attracting visitors who are ready to engage or convert. As search trends keep changing, continuous keyword research keeps the strategy aligned with user intent and market demand.

Why is Keyword Research Important?

Keyword research identifies the exact words and phrases users enter into search engines. Keyword research uncovers real-world language patterns, interests, and search behaviors. Keyword research provides a data-driven foundation for building content that aligns with audience demand.

Search engines rely on keywords to connect user intent with relevant results. Content that targets the right keywords appears more frequently, ranks higher, and captures greater visibility. Without keyword research, businesses publish blindly, missing valuable traffic opportunities and failing to align with how their audience searches.

Keyword research reveals what consumers want, how they express needs, and where they seek solutions. Marketers use keyword research to develop targeted campaigns, write persuasive copy, and refine messaging to match buyer intent. It guides product positioning, informs content angles, and maximizes campaign efficiency by focusing on high-impact terms.

Keyword research helps businesses understand market trends, discover unmet demand, and track competitor focus. It supports strategic planning by showing where consumer attention lies. Businesses use keyword data to develop relevant offerings, enter new markets, and identify revenue-driving opportunities backed by real search behavior.

Keyword research drives SEO by identifying the queries that earn impressions and clicks. It determines what topics deserve content, what structure aids ranking, and what search intent the page must satisfy. Keyword data helps map content to the funnel, build semantic depth, and compete in high-value search.

Keyword research powers paid search, organic growth, social content, and email strategy. It informs ad targeting, improves quality scores, and reduces wasted spend. Keyword research unifies cross-channel efforts around audience behavior, ensuring all messaging aligns with how users explore, evaluate, and decide.

How to do Keyword Research?

Keyword research is the process of discovering and evaluating the exact phrases people use to search for information, products, or services online. Keyword research uncovers the language the target audience uses across search engines, which allows content, ads, and messaging to attract qualified traffic and conversions. Rather than guessing, keyword research offers a structured approach to aligning business goals with real-world demand.

There are 5 steps to doing keyword research. The 5 steps to doing keyword research are listed below.

1. Understand Your Business and Brainstorm Topics

2. Compile Initial Keyword Lists

3. Expand Your Keyword List

4. Utilize Keyword Research Tools.

5. Analyze and Refine.

We have broken down the 5 steps to doing keyword research below. 

Understand Your Business & Brainstorm Topics

Understanding the business and brainstorming topics is the foundational step of keyword research because it aligns digital marketing efforts with what the brand offers and what the audience truly needs. Without this clarity, keyword targeting becomes generic and disconnected from business value. This step sets the direction for every keyword pursued by ensuring relevance, intent alignment, and marketing focus.

This phase involves clearly defining what the business does, who the ideal customers are, and which solutions or outcomes products or services provide. It also means identifying the key topics, problems, and interests that matter most to the audience, especially those that lead to action, such as signing up, making a purchase, or requesting more information.

The steps to understanding the business and brainstorming topics have been listed below.

• List your core services, products, or content themes.
• Define the primary goals of your digital marketing campaign (leads, sales, visibility, education).
• Build out buyer personas that reflect customer demographics, needs, and search behavior.
• Identify the pain points or questions your audience has before they convert.
• Review conversations from sales or support teams to understand how prospects talk about your offerings.
• Brainstorm broad topic categories that relate to these pain points and business goals.

The goal here is not to find keywords yet, but to build a strategic lens for identifying terms that match both audience demand and business priorities. A clear understanding of the business and its value drivers ensures that the keywords eventually pursued support measurable outcomes rather than surface-level traffic.

Compile Initial Keyword Lists

Compiling an initial keyword list is a critical step in keyword research because it builds the foundation for all further discovery, analysis, and content planning. At this stage, the goal is to gather a broad set of terms that reflect core offerings, target audience needs, and business goals.

This list typically includes product or service names, problem-based phrases, customer questions, and industry-specific terms. Start by reviewing the website, sales materials, and customer feedback to identify recurring themes and language.

Consult internal teams such as sales, support, and marketing to gather insights on how customers describe solutions. Examine existing analytics to see which keywords already bring traffic and review competitor sites to identify high-level categories they target.

The result is a working list of keywords that covers core themes and provides a structured starting point for further expansion and refinement in the research process.

Expand Your Keyword List

Expanding the keyword list is a vital step in keyword research because it reveals the full range of language the audience uses when searching online. While initial keywords help define the core focus, expanding the list uncovers variations, long-tail phrases, and untapped opportunities that increase visibility across different search intents and stages of the buyer journey.

This step involves going beyond seed terms to identify synonyms, questions, modifiers, and related topics that align with goals. Start by compiling a list of keywords the website already ranks for using tools like Google Search Console or a keyword tracking service.

These represent existing strengths and reveal which themes are gaining traction. Next, build a separate list of keywords not yet found for by analyzing competitors, using keyword discovery tools, and checking autocomplete and related searches on Google.

Merge both lists into a single master list that captures the current footprint and growth potential. This combined list serves as the raw material for deeper analysis, mapping, and content development.

Utilize Keyword Research Tools

Utilizing keyword research tools is an essential step in keyword research because it turns raw ideas into measurable, strategic insights. While brainstorming and expansion help generate keyword possibilities, tools provide the data needed to evaluate which terms have real potential to drive traffic and conversions. 

This step involves using platforms that analyze search volume, keyword difficulty, competition level, and search intent to help prioritize keywords based on relevance and value. Start by trying out free keyword tools to explore basic variations, user queries, and related phrases. 

Use a keyword research tool to refine the list by checking average monthly searches, competition levels, and suggested alternatives tailored to the business category or website. Use a competitor analyzer tool to see what keywords they rank for.

This reveals strategic gaps and opportunities, allowing targeting of terms that others in the space already benefit from. Keyword tools help validate ideas, uncover new ones, and focus strategy on terms that connect audience needs to business goals.

Analyze and Refine

Analyzing and refining is a crucial step in keyword research because it filters a broad list into a focused, strategic set of terms offering the highest return. At this stage, the goal is to evaluate which keywords are truly worth targeting based on their potential to drive meaningful traffic and align with content goals.

This process involves retrieving data on search volume, competition level, and overall attractiveness for each keyword. Look for a balance between reach and feasibility. Keywords with high search volume tend to be more competitive, while lower-volume terms offer quicker wins with less resistance.

Understanding search intent is equally important. Group keywords by user intent such as informational, commercial, navigational, or transactional, and ensure each keyword aligns with content that matches audience expectations. Prioritize terms that serve business goals and reflect what the target audience is actually trying to achieve. 

This refinement step helps eliminate irrelevant or overly competitive terms and shapes a keyword strategy built around both opportunity and intent.

What are the Elements of Keyword Research?

Keyword research is not simply about finding search terms. It involves evaluating a wide range of factors that influence how well a keyword performs in search results and how effectively it supports marketing and business goals. Each element of keyword research plays a role in determining whether a term is worth targeting, how difficult it is to rank for, and what type of content or strategy is required to compete.

There are 19 elements that form keyword research. The 19 elements of keyword research have been listed below. 

1. Analyze Competitors
2. Search Volume
3. Keyword Difficulty
4. Keyword Selection
5. Analyzing Your Keywords
6. Keyword Expansion
7. Long-Tail Keywords
8. Research Tools
9. Trending Keywords
10. Commercial Keywords
11. Relevance
12. Search Intent
13. CPC Value as Selection Factor
14. Find Related Search Terms
15. Head Terms
16. Topics Encompass Keywords and Queries
17. Traffic Potential
18. SERP Structure
19. Authority 

These elements help marketers and business owners create a structured, informed approach to keyword targeting that leads to better rankings, more relevant traffic, and higher conversion rates.

We have broken down the 19 elements of keyword research below.

Analyze Competitors

Analyzing competitors helps uncover valuable keyword opportunities by showing which search terms are already driving traffic in the industry. Instead of starting from scratch, competitor analysis provides a clearer picture of which terms perform well and where visibility can improve. The purpose of this step is to identify keywords competitors rank for but are not targeted, as well as to assess how difficult it might be to compete for those terms.

This process also reveals how competitors structure their content, what topics they emphasize, and what search intent they target. By reviewing the keywords and content strategies of top-ranking sites, it becomes possible to spot content gaps, uncover new angles, and align strategy with user demand. Competitor analysis supports more informed keyword targeting by focusing on proven opportunities that align with business goals.

Search Volume

Search volume is a core part of the keyword research process because it shows how often a term is searched within a specific timeframe, typically measured monthly. This quantitative metric helps estimate the potential reach of a keyword and whether it is worth targeting. High search volume suggests strong demand, while lower volume indicate a niche topic with less competition but possibly higher intent.

Understanding search volume is important for prioritizing keywords that attract meaningful traffic. It allows comparison of different terms to decide which ones align best with visibility goals. For example, targeting a keyword with 10,000 monthly searches drives more impressions but might also be harder to rank for. The purpose of tracking this metric is to balance traffic potential with competitiveness and ensure content is optimized for terms that users actively search.

Keyword Difficulty

Keyword difficulty measures how challenging it is to rank for a specific search term based on the strength of the pages already occupying top positions. It is an essential part of the keyword research process because it helps determine which keywords are realistic targets given the current authority of the website. This quantitative metric typically considers factors like backlink profiles, domain strength, and content quality of competing pages.

Understanding keyword difficulty is important for setting expectations and building a practical SEO strategy. Targeting highly competitive keywords without sufficient authority wastes time and resources, while focusing on lower-difficulty terms leads to quicker wins and steady traffic growth. The purpose of this metric is to guide keyword selection by matching effort with opportunity, allowing focus on terms where content has a stronger chance of ranking successfully.

Keyword Selection

Keyword selection is a key process step in keyword research because it turns raw data into actionable targets. After generating and analyzing a list of potential keywords, this step involves choosing the specific terms that align with business goals, audience needs, and content strategy. It bridges the gap between research and implementation by identifying which keywords deserve focus and how they support overall objectives.

This step is important because not every keyword with search volume or low difficulty is right for a site. Some keywords attract the wrong audience, lead to poor engagement, or compete with existing content. Effective keyword selection ensures that the terms targeted reflect both user intent and business value. The purpose is to build a focused keyword strategy that prioritizes quality over quantity and sets the foundation for content that drives visibility, relevance, and conversion.

Analyzing Your Keywords

Analyzing keywords is an essential process step in keyword research that involves evaluating the performance and potential of the selected terms. This step goes beyond initial data gathering to assess how well each keyword aligns with goals, how it ranks currently, and its ability to drive qualified traffic. Careful analysis of keywords provides insights into which terms are most valuable and which require adjustment or removal.

This step is important because it helps refine strategy based on real-world results and ongoing trends. Understanding keyword performance enables optimization of content, improvement of rankings, and focus of efforts where they will have the greatest impact. The purpose of analyzing keywords is to ensure that SEO and marketing initiatives remain targeted, efficient, and effective over time, adapting to changes in search behavior and competitive dynamics.

Keyword Expansion

Keyword expansion is a vital process step in keyword research that involves broadening the initial list of keywords to include related terms, variations, and longer phrases. This step ensures the strategy captures the full range of search queries the target audience might use, covering different ways people express the same intent. Expanding the keyword list helps prevent missed opportunities and allows diverse needs to be addressed.

Its importance lies in increasing the scope and depth of keyword targeting. By exploring synonyms, questions, modifiers, and related topics, keyword expansion uncovers less competitive or niche terms that attract highly relevant traffic. The purpose of this step is to create a comprehensive and nuanced keyword portfolio that supports varied content formats and stages of the buyer journey, ultimately improving visibility and engagement across search engines.

Long-tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are an important keyword type within the keyword research process because they represent longer, more specific search phrases that often indicate clear user intent. Including long-tail keywords in research captures highly targeted traffic often overlooked when focusing solely on broad or generic terms. This keyword type tends to have lower competition, making it easier to rank for while attracting visitors who are closer to making a purchase or taking action.

The importance of long-tail keywords lies in their ability to drive qualified, conversion-ready traffic. Although these keywords usually have lower search volumes, their specificity means searchers are often further along in the decision-making process. The purpose of incorporating long-tail keywords into strategy is to diversify the keyword portfolio, improve ranking potential, and better meet the nuanced needs of the audience throughout different stages of the customer journey.

Research Tools

Research tools are an essential part of the keyword research process because they provide the data and insights needed to make informed decisions. These tools help gather information such as search volume, competition, keyword difficulty, and related terms, transforming guesswork into a data-driven strategy. Research tools also validate ideas, uncover new keyword opportunities, and analyze competitor performance efficiently.

Their importance lies in offering accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive keyword data that guides prioritization and targeting. Without these tools, keyword research relies heavily on assumptions and limited perspectives, which leads to missed opportunities or wasted efforts. The purpose of research tools is to streamline the keyword discovery and evaluation process, empowering marketers and businesses to build effective, measurable SEO and digital marketing strategies.

Trending Keywords

Trending keywords are a valuable keyword type in the research process because they reflect current shifts in user interest and emerging topics. Including trending keywords keeps content relevant by capturing timely search queries that see rapid growth in popularity. Monitoring these keywords allows quick responses to changes in market demand, news, or seasonal events.

The importance of trending keywords lies in their ability to generate spikes in traffic and engagement when capitalized on early. They often provide opportunities for quick wins and increased visibility before competition intensifies. The purpose of focusing on trending keywords is to align content strategy with real-time audience behavior, ensuring a brand remains visible and responsive to evolving search trends.

Commercial Keywords

Commercial keywords are a crucial keyword type within the keyword research process because they indicate strong purchase intent from users. These keywords often include terms like “buy,” “discount,” “best,” or “reviews,” showing that the searcher is actively considering a purchase or comparing options. Identifying and targeting commercial keywords helps focus marketing efforts on attracting visitors who are ready to convert.

Their importance stems from their high potential to drive revenue and qualified leads. By prioritizing commercial keywords, businesses connect with customers at critical stages of the buying journey, increasing the likelihood of sales. The purpose of including commercial keywords in research is to align content and advertising with intent that directly supports business growth and return on investment.

Relevance

Relevance is a key part of the keyword research process because it ensures that targeted keywords align with business offerings and audience needs. Even if a keyword has high search volume, it holds little value if it does not connect with what a product, service, or content delivers. Relevance acts as a qualitative metric, helping evaluate whether a keyword will attract the right visitors likely to engage or convert.

The importance of relevance lies in driving meaningful traffic rather than just increasing numbers. Relevant keywords attract searchers who are genuinely interested in what is provided, improving on-site engagement and lowering bounce rates. The purpose of focusing on relevance is to create a keyword strategy that supports long-term success by connecting the brand with search intent that matches delivered value.

Search Intent

Search intent is a central part of the keyword research process because it reveals the reason behind a user query, whether the user is looking for information, comparing options, or ready to take action. Understanding search intent ensures that content matches what the searcher expects to find, which improves both user satisfaction and SEO performance. It is a qualitative metric that helps categorize keywords beyond volume or difficulty by focusing on user goals.

The importance of search intent lies in aligning content with behavior. Content that matches the intent behind a keyword ranks well and converts more effectively. Informational intent calls for guides or how-tos, while commercial or transactional intent requires product pages or service comparisons. The purpose of using search intent in keyword research is to prioritize terms based not only on potential traffic, but also on their ability to deliver the right experience to the right audience at the right time.

CPC Value as Selection Factor

CPC (cost-per-click) value is part of the keyword research process because it reflects the commercial value advertisers are willing to pay for a single click on a keyword in paid search campaigns. While often used in paid advertising, CPC also serves as a useful qualitative metric in SEO, indicating which keywords have strong transactional or business intent. Higher CPC values usually suggest that a keyword is more likely to drive conversions or revenue.

Its importance lies in helping prioritize keywords that align with business goals. A keyword with a high CPC often signals purchase intent, making it a strategic target for content that aims to convert traffic into leads or sales. The purpose of using CPC value as a selection factor is to go beyond basic metrics like volume and difficulty and focus on keywords that are not only popular, but also financially meaningful for business growth.

Find Related Search Terms

Finding related search terms is a valuable keyword research process step because it uncovers the different ways users search for the same topic. These terms often appear in Google autocomplete, “People Also Ask” sections, and related searches at the bottom of search results pages. They provide insight into the language, questions, and variations the audience uses when exploring a subject.

This step is important because it expands keyword coverage and helps connect with users across different stages of their search journey. Related search terms often reveal long-tail opportunities, emerging trends, and alternate phrasing that might not be captured through seed keywords alone. The purpose of this step is to strengthen content strategy by increasing relevance, improving semantic coverage, and aligning more closely with user intent.

Head Terms

Head terms are a foundational keyword type in the keyword research process because they represent short, broad search phrases that cover high-level topics. These keywords typically consist of one or two words, such as “shoes” or “digital marketing,” and often carry high search volume. Including head terms in a keyword strategy helps define the primary themes content will revolve around.

Their importance lies in establishing topical relevance and capturing wide interest. Head terms are highly competitive and do not convert as well as long-tail phrases, but they signal authority and help shape the structure of keyword clusters. The purpose of targeting this keyword type is to build a strong presence around core industry topics, attract top-of-funnel traffic, and create a foundation for deeper, more specific content that supports SEO growth over time.

Topics Encompass Keywords and Queries

Understanding that topics encompass keywords and queries is a crucial conceptual element in the keyword research process. Rather than focusing on individual keywords in isolation, this approach emphasizes building content around broader subject areas that naturally include a variety of related terms and questions. It reflects how search engines evaluate relevance, by assessing overall topic coverage instead of relying on single keyword matches.

This is an important keyword research process step because it supports the creation of content clusters that improve semantic depth and topical authority. Grouping keywords under a unified topic allows coverage of multiple search intents and variations while improving internal linking and site structure. The purpose of treating topics as the central conceptual element is to align with how search algorithms interpret content, helping pages rank for a wider range of queries while delivering more value to the audience.

Traffic Potential

Traffic potential is a key part of the keyword research process because it helps estimate the overall value a keyword or topic brings in terms of actual visitors. Unlike search volume alone, which only shows how often a term is searched, traffic potential looks at the bigger picture, how many clicks a page realistically receive by ranking for that keyword and related variations. It is considered one of the most useful qualitative metrics in determining whether a keyword is worth pursuing.

This keyword research process step is important because it reveals which terms drive consistent, long-term traffic, not just surface-level interest. Some keywords rank across multiple queries or appear in featured snippets, leading to significantly more visits than their volume suggests. The purpose of measuring traffic potential is to move beyond theoretical numbers and focus on practical opportunities that align with business goals and offer measurable visibility.

SERP structure

SERP structure is an essential part of the keyword research process because it shows how search results are displayed for a given keyword. This includes features like featured snippets, image packs, video results, “People Also Ask” boxes, and shopping ads. Understanding SERP structure helps assess what type of content is needed to compete and whether there is a realistic opportunity to gain visibility.. It acts as one of the qualitative metrics used to evaluate keyword potential beyond search volume.

Its importance lies in revealing how users interact with search results and what content formats dominate the page. A keyword with multiple SERP features might have lower organic click-through rates if the top of the page is filled with ads or instant answers. The purpose of analyzing SERP structure is to shape content approaches around real user behavior and search presentation, helping design content that fits the format search engines reward and users prefer to click.

Authority

Authority is a key part of the keyword research process because it determines the ability of a website to rank for competitive search terms. Search engines assess authority based on signals like backlink profiles, content quality, domain history, and trustworthiness. As one of the qualitative metrics in keyword evaluation, authority helps identify which keywords are realistically within reach based on current site strength.

Its importance lies in setting achievable goals. Targeting high-competition keywords without sufficient authority often leads to poor rankings and wasted resources. Instead, aligning keyword choices with authority level allows for better strategic focus, especially when building momentum in early SEO stages. The purpose of factoring in authority is to select keywords a site can realistically compete for, ensuring content has a real chance of ranking and driving results.

Does Link Graph Offer a Keyword Research Service?

Yes, Link Graph does offer a dedicated keyword research service as part of its SEO offering. On their services page, “Keyword Research” is listed alongside other core SEO offerings like Technical SEO, On‑Page SEO, and Content Strategy.

This means clients engage Link Graph not just for link building or technical audits, but also to systematically identify, evaluate, and prioritize search terms that align with their goals. Their tools and team support the full process, from generating seed keywords and analyzing volume and difficulty to grouping by intent and mapping keywords to content, helping businesses shape data-driven SEO campaigns.