Imagine yourself at the most happening party in the city where the high and mighty are present, a crowded room filled with people vying for attention and no one is getting it except the Stars.

But wait, what if you had a secret code that allowed you to speak directly to those most interested in what you have to say? 

The code helps you discover a quiet corner at that bustling party where you can have meaningful conversations, grab eyeballs and steal the thunder from the stars. 

Keyword research does that for your blog.

But how to do keyword research for blogs?

Trust me, I am not training you on the occult. Instead, I will tell you how to do keyword research and rank high on Google ( some of my articles written for my clients are ranking high on the search engine).

Why to do keyword research? 

To understand the importance of keyword research, you need to question yourself why you are writing these blogs.

You do not need to wear your philosopher’s hat to answer that. Let me help you. 

Simply put, by writing blogs you want to solve your target audience’s problems or answer their queries. 

Keywords are nothing, but search queries that people use to find solutions to their problems.

And keyword research helps you find which keywords are the best to target and offers valuable insights into problems that your target audience is trying to solve using Google search. 

These insights can help you build your content strategy and marketing strategy.

How to do keyword research for blogs?

Keyword research is one of the most important parts of your SEO content writing. 

The simplest way to start your keyword research process is to pick a broad keyword and then use a keyword research tool to get a list of related keywords check their volume and competition and then come up with a final list of keywords that you want to target. 

Before moving forward, let’s address a topic that might confuse you at times.

Topic vs Keyword: Don’t get confused

Topics are wide-ranging subjects central to your content, while keywords are precise terms users input into search engines. In SEO, there’s often confusion between topics and keywords, given their interconnectedness. Both play important roles in optimizing content for search engines.

For example:

“Digital Marketing Strategies” is a topic and “SEO techniques,” “social media marketing tips,” and “content marketing trends” are keywords. 

I am sure that the distinction between keyword and topic is clear now. 

Now if you think you can opt for any keyword related to your topic you are about to commit some mistake. 

Personally, I would suggest that you opt for low-competition long-tail keywords that will help you rank higher and shine brighter than the star blogs that are dazzling at the top spots on Google. 

Why? 

Here’s why. 

Long tail vs. short tail keywords: which one you should target

As a mentor, I come across blogs and articles which don’t have the most important ingredient: INTENT.

In my effort to understand why people ignore the mightiest ingredient of any content, I discovered that most of these writers commit a common mistake during their keyword research stage.

What is that mistake?

They opt for seed or short-tail keywords instead of long-tail ones.

How does it matter?

Among “bread,” “brown bread,” “multigrain bread,” “moldy bread,” and “what happens if you eat moldy bread” which query do you think has given a clear idea about the searchers’ intent?

I have no doubt you will agree that “What happens if you eat moldy bread” gives a clearer picture of the searchers’ intent than the others in the lot. It is a long-tail keyword and long-tail keywords always give a clearer idea. 

While creating content, when you are clear about what your readers want, you will have a better understanding of their problem, and as a result, you will be a better problem solver.

After all, content writing is all about answering users’ queries and solving their problems.

The best part of using a long tail is that you have a definite direction, and there is little scope for confusing readers. 

How to do keyword research: step-by-step guide

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the keyword research process. Dig deep!

Step 1: start with a broad keyword 

For this blog, I have chosen “how to do keyword research” first. I checked what are the subtopics they have chosen, and then based on that I would search for the secondary keywords that are closely related to my broad keyword. 

Right now, I am focusing on topical authority. I am writing a lot about SEO and keyword research is one of the important aspects of SEO, so I have chosen this topic.

What does topical authority mean?

Topical authority refers to how much a website is seen as an expert in a specific area. It helps search engines figure out what a website’s content is about and rank it higher for related keywords. It’s more of an idea or strategy for SEO rather than a specific measurement.

If you are planning to start a new website, concentrating on topical authority can help you reach your target audience faster. 

If you have a premium tool, your keyword research becomes much easier.  With a premium tool, you can check the keywords your competitors are ranking for. As I use free tools for my research I will talk only about them for now. 

Once I decided on my primary keyword, I started searching for related keywords. 

Step 2: Start searching for your secondary keywords

Next, I start making my list of secondary keywords. For that,  I use a host of free tools like Ahrefs Keyword Generator Free version, Google Autocorrect, Google People Also Ask, Google Related Search, Also Ask, and AnswerThePublic. 

While making the list remember the user intent. Understanding user intent is important during keyword research because it ensures that the keywords chosen align with what users are actually searching for. 

By identifying the intent behind a search query (whether it’s informational, navigational, or transactional), marketers can select keywords that not only drive traffic but also attract the right audience and lead to higher conversion rates. This ensures that the content created meets the needs and expectations of users, ultimately improving the effectiveness of SEO and digital marketing efforts.

For example, if you are writing a blog on how to do keyword research you need to talk first about what is keyword research and then show the readers how to do it with practical examples. 

While making the list you need to keep in mind these things:

Audience’s intent

But when you are writing a blog on what is longtail keyword you don’t necessarily need to explain what is keyword research. These guys already know that but they want to know why they should opt for long-tail ones instead of short-tailed ones, and how to find them. 

Check where your readers are in terms of the sales funnel. Do they have:

• Navigational intent is when they have found a problem and want a solution. “Facebook login” can be one such keyword. 
• Informational intent when they want to know more about something. One example can be “What is keyword research”.
• Commercial intent is when the audience wants to check the best product or service. Examples of such keywords are “best keyword research tool”, and “the best air fryer”. 
• Transactional intent is when the audience has made up their mind and is finally ready to make a purchase. Examples of such keywords are “Ahrefs Keyword Research Tool plans”, and “buy Philips Air Fryer”.

Keyword Volume and Keyword Difficulty

Keyword search volume is a measure in SEO that shows how many times a particular word or phrase is searched for each month in a specific area. Typically, it indicates the number of searches on Google, but it can also apply to other search engines.

Keyword difficulty, also known as SEO difficulty, is a measure that shows how hard it is to get your website to appear near the top of Google’s search results for a particular word or phrase. It’s usually shown as a percentage, where higher percentages mean it’s more challenging to rank well. For instance, if a keyword has 100% difficulty, it’s very competitive, and it’s tough to get your website on Google’s first page for that keyword.

When conducting keyword research, both Keyword Difficulty (KD) and Keyword Volume are important factors to consider.

Keyword Difficulty (KD) helps you understand how challenging it will be to rank for a specific keyword in search engine results pages (SERPs). Higher KD scores indicate bigger competition, while lower scores suggest it may be easier to rank for that keyword. 

To use KD effectively in keyword research, aim for competitiveness and relevance to your website or content. Focus on keywords with moderate to low difficulty that align closely with your target audience and content goals.

Keyword Volume indicates how frequently a particular keyword is searched for within a specific timeframe, often measured monthly. Higher search volumes suggest greater potential traffic if you manage to rank well for those keywords. 

Incorporate keyword volume data into your research to prioritize keywords with significant search interest and potential audience reach. However, also consider relevancy and competitiveness alongside volume to ensure you’re targeting keywords that align with your content strategy and are feasible to rank for.

Best free tools to do keyword research

As a beginner, you might hesitate while investing money in SEO tools. Don’t worry, I also do my keyword research using free tools. And some free tools are amazing. Here are some of them.

1. Ahrefs Free Keyword Generator tool
2. Google AutoCorrect
3. Google People Also Ask
4. Google Related searches
5. Google Keyword planner
6. AlsoAsk
7. Ask The People 
8. Question DB
9. Google Trends

Start with these tips and tools and grab eyeballs

Nothing can beat amazing content, and to create amazing content you need incredible keyword research skills. Start with these tips and tricks and keep yourself updated with the happenings of the SEO world. I can guarantee you that no one can stop you from going off the charts as a blogger. 

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