Keyword Research: What it is, How to Do it, and Free Tools to Use

One of the topics I get the most questions about surrounds SEO and keyword research. If SEO is a foreign concept to you, be sure to read my Simple Guide to SEO Basics first, and then come back here. But that way you'll have a better understanding of SEO, how the search engines work, and why it's all so important. Once you understand those things, understanding keywords is a good next step in the process.

I nerd out on keyword research. Some of my clients think I'm crazy when I email them all excited about their keyword research data. But that's ok—that's why they hire me.

But if you're wanting to learn about keyword research and ways to do it on your own, I've got you in today's post. By the end of this post, you're going to know:

• What SEO keywords are

• The different types of SEO keywords

• How to research and find the best SEO keywords for you and your business

• My favorite free (and paid) keyword research tools

• Qualities of a good keyword

• Where to use keywords

What are SEO Keywords?

SEO keywords are "ideas and topics that define what your content is about. In terms of SEO, they're the words and phrases that searchers enter into search engines, also called 'search queries.' If you boil everything on your page — all the images, video, copy, etc. — down to simple words and phrases, those are your primary keywords" (Moz).

Keywords are what help people find you.

As an entrepreneur with a website or social media, you want your keywords to be relevant and strong.

Types of Keywords

There are two types of keywords: short-tail keywords and long-tail keywords.

• Short-Tail Keywords: keywords that are made of 1-2 words that have a high search volume...which means tough competition and harder to rank for. For example, you may want to rank for "wedding planner" but you'll have a hard time ranking above Bridal Guide and The Knot.

• Long-Tail Keywords: 3-5 words strung together for a phrase and have a clear intent, which means less competition and an easier time ranking for them.

Short-Tail Keyword Examples

wedding planner

lifestyle photographer

graphic designer

Atlanta restaurant

realtor Nashville

Long-Tail Keyword Examples

Raleigh NC wedding planner

lifestyle and family photographer Raleigh

graphic designer for pediatricians

upscale burger restaurant Atlanta

realtor Nashville first time home buyers

TL;DR: Focus on long-tail keywords.

How to Research the Best SEO Keywords for Your Business

1. Set up a blank spreadsheet.

2. Brainstorm words that describe your brand, your offerings (services and/or products), and your content.

3. Type them into Pinterest, Google, and YouTube to see what comes up. What content seems on-brand and relevant to your biz and clients?

4. Use a free (or paid) keyword resource tool.

Free Keyword Research Tools

Pinterest

Yes, while it's considered a social media platform, Pinterest actually performs really well as a search engine. If you're in the creative industry, this is a great place to start. If you're in the real estate, home improvement, or home decor industry, this is a great tool.

Think about it: when someone wants to update the paint color in their house, they'll search on Pinterest for ideas.

When someone wants to upgrade their kitchen cabinets, they'll search for Pinterest for inspiration.

Brides search all day long on Pinterest for wedding inspiration.

All you need to do to use this free tool is type in your keyword. Then, without pressing "Enter", you'll see a list of related searches pop up. Look at all these related searches that pop up when you search the basic “wedding photography” keyword:

This list is giving you a slew of long-tail keyword ideas to add to your keyword brainstorm list.

Keywords Everywhere Chrome Extension

This is a free Chrome or Firefox extension I've talked about on Instagram before (see my “Content Planning” highlight). This tool gives you related keywords as you search for things on Google. It'll show you related keywords and things people also searched for when they searched for that term. You can also see trends in the searching for this term.

I tend to start with Pinterest or Keywords Everywhere. I'll use these two tools to add to my list of ideas and then dig into Google Keyword Planner and Ubersuggest.

Here’s what pops up when you search for “pediatrician raleigh nc”:

Google Keyword Planner

I mean, it makes perfect sense that Google has a keyword research tool. And it's free. It's a little deceiving, though, because at first glance it seems as though you have to pay for an ad. Wrong. Here’s how to use it:

1. Go to Google Keyword Planner, and make sure you're signed in to the correct Google account.

2. A window will appear with several options to click, but in the lower left with be blue text that says "Create with a campaign". Click that.

3. Then click whatever buttons appear to confirm your account.

4. Then click on "Tools and Settings" > "Planning" > "Keyword Planner"

5. Then click "Discover new Keywords" and start typing some of your keywords in to view the search volume and other metrics. As you look for new keywords, you'll see a slew of other ideas based off your original searches. Add any that are relevant to your list.

Ubersuggest

This is hands down my favorite tool. To the point I pay for the paid version of this and use it on a daily basis for my business as well as for my clients. Niel Patel, one of the best SEO experts, owns it.

Ubersuggest will give you similar results to Google Keyword Planner but is way more user-friendly. It also gives you exact search volumes. It shows you who is ranking on page one of Google for that keyword. One of my favorite features is where it gives you Content Ideas based on what else is popular online surrounding that keyword.

Qualities of a Good Keyword

So you’re doing all this research, but how do you know what makes a good keyword? Great question.

You're looking for this sweet spot between 3 main things:

1. Low search volume

2. not too much content out there about this topic;

3. and it's going to give you quality & relevant content

Search Volume

Is anyone actually searching for this keyword?

Here's how to tell... use one of the free keyword research tools and look at the Search Volume. If the average monthly search volume is "0", then no one is searching for it. So why waste your time writing content for it?

But how do you know beyond a "0" if the search volume is good? It depends on who you're trying to reach. If you're trying to be found in a local market, the search volume will be lower. For example, if you're a Photographer in Charleston, SC... "Photographer" gets 246,000 searches each month. That’s a lot. " Wedding Photographer gets 40,500 searches each month. And "Wedding Photographer Charleston SC" gets 390 searches each month. You can also see how the SEO difficulty for each of these is getting easier the more specific you get with the keyword.

Competition

How high is the paid-per-click for that term? The higher the amount, the more competition you'll have because people are willing to pay more money to advertise for it.

What other pages are showing up for that keyword search? Are those pages actually credible websites? If you use Ubersuggest (my recommendation), you'll be able to see the SEO difficulty.

Quality or Relevance

Your keywords need to be relevant to what you offer. If they're not relevant or full of value, the search engines will recognize the disconnect. So again - not worth your time.

Where to use Keywords?

Everywhere.

But, I've said it before and I'll say it again: DO NOT KEYWORD STUFF. That means stuffing your content with your keywords in irrelevant, obvious ways. The goal is to use your keywords organically and in ways that make sense, not forcing them into your content.

Here are 6 places you need to utilize your keywords:

Caveat: If it sounds too robotic or forced, skip it. This is keyword stuffing. Google is smarter than this and will actually penalize you.

1. In the title tag of each webpage. This is your page title.

2. URL Slug. This is what appears after the / in your URL.

3. One H1 on every webpage, and that H1 should have a keyword

4. Placed in each page's meta description

5. Mention your keyword within the first 100 words on each webpage and repeated every 200 words or so

6. Add them to alt text while also describing your image.

There you have it—an overview of keyword research with practical tips you can implement today. What other questions do you have?

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