How to Conduct Keyword Research

Discover the Hidden Keyword Opportunities That Will Transform Your SEO Strategy

Looking to drive more traffic to your site and increase conversions through keyword research? It’s all about finding the right keywords. When you understand how to select and prioritize keywords, you’re not just boosting visibility—you’re attracting visitors who are more likely to convert. So, if you want to turn traffic into paying customers, keyword research is your golden ticket.

Why is keyword research so critical? You could be targeting the wrong search terms, bringing in loads of visitors with no real interest in your product or service. This leads to wasted effort, low conversion rates, and missed opportunities. You want to target keywords that align with what your potential customers are actively searching for, so you attract quality traffic that converts.

In this guide, we’ll break down the different types of keywords, show you how to identify the best ones for your campaigns and introduce tools and techniques to uncover keyword opportunities that others may overlook.

Types of Keywords: Head, Body, and Long Tail

Understanding the different types of keywords is key to choosing the right ones. You’ll encounter three categories: head, body, and long-tail keywords.

Head Keywords

Head keywords are usually one or two words, like “house.” These terms are incredibly broad, and while they may have a lot of search volume, they come with several issues:

1. Unclear Intent: When someone searches for “house,” it’s hard to know exactly what they want. Are they looking to buy a house? Rent one? Build one? Because the intent is unclear, your traffic quality will be low.
2. Low Conversion Rates: Even if you manage to rank for a term like “house,” the visitors you attract won’t necessarily convert, because they might not be looking for what you offer.
3. High Competition: Head keywords are often fiercely competitive, making it difficult to rank unless you have a massive budget and SEO resources.
4. SERP Volatility: Google frequently shuffles results for head keywords because it’s trying to figure out user intent. Even if you do rank, you’ll find yourself battling for stability in search rankings.

Body Keywords

Body keywords are usually two to three words, such as “buy house” or “sell house.” These keywords are more specific, which helps clarify user intent, but they’re still highly competitive. The intent is clearer, but because they’re easier to identify, most competitors are already fighting for them.

Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are more detailed phrases with four or more words, like “buy a house in San Diego, California.” These keywords are gold. Here’s why:

1. Clear Intent: When someone searches for “buy a house in San Diego, California,” you know exactly what they’re looking for, allowing you to provide more relevant content and offers.
2. Higher Conversion Rates: Long-tail keywords often bring in traffic that is closer to converting, whether that’s filling out a form, making a purchase, or scheduling a consultation.
3. Lower Competition: While fewer people search for long-tail keywords, the competition is lower, making it easier to rank and generate quality leads.

Finding Keyword Opportunities

Now that you understand keyword types, the next step is finding keywords that will work best for your campaign. Here are three great strategies to get started:

1. Analyze Your Existing Keyword Profile

Your first stop should be to check what keywords your site is already ranking for. These can offer a wealth of insights. Tools like SEMrush allow you to explore your site’s organic keyword rankings.

• Low-Hanging Fruit: Focus on keywords where you already rank between positions 2 and 15. These are prime targets for optimization because you’re already doing something right. Improving content or adding a few backlinks might boost you to the top spot.
• Existing Keywords: Keywords ranking between positions 16 and 50 still hold potential, but they’ll need more effort than low-hanging fruit. Keep them on your radar, but prioritize them second.
• Clustering Opportunities: For keywords ranking between positions 51 and 100, consider building out more targeted content. If you’re ranking poorly, the content may not be specific enough to the search term.

2. Use the Keyword Magic Tool

SEMrush’s Keyword Magic Tool is perfect for uncovering new opportunities. Start by searching for a broad term (like “buy house”) and use the filters to find more specific, less competitive phrases.

To refine your search:

• Start with Low KD (Keyword Difficulty): Look for keywords with low difficulty scores first. These will be easier to rank for, even if you’re just starting.
• Filter Out Irrelevant Terms: Use language filters and exclude options to remove unrelated terms that aren’t relevant to your campaign.
• Leverage Subtopics: You can dig deeper into related terms by exploring subtopics on platforms like Wikipedia. For example, if your main keyword is “house,” you can explore related concepts like “house renovations” or “buying a house with a mortgage.” This can lead to discovering untapped keyword opportunities.

3. Explore “People Also Ask” Sections

Google’s “People Also Ask” feature is an often-overlooked resource for keyword research. The questions that appear in this section offer insight into what real users are searching for, and they’re often less competitive.

You can streamline this process using tools like AlsoAsked.com, which pulls all relevant queries from the “People Also Ask” section. These keywords might not show up with high search volumes in traditional tools, but they represent real-time data on what users are asking. Use this data to craft relevant content that targets specific pain points or questions your audience has.

How to Qualify and Prioritize Keywords

Once you’ve gathered a list of potential keywords, it’s time to qualify them. Not all keywords are worth targeting, so you’ll need to filter your list based on several key factors:

1. Current Ranking: Start by focusing on keywords where you already rank. Enhancing content for these terms is often easier and more rewarding than starting from scratch.
2. Search Volume: Ensure your target keywords have enough monthly searches to be worth your effort. A minimum of 100 searches per month is a good benchmark for most industries, though local businesses may aim lower.
3. Keyword Difficulty: Begin with low-difficulty keywords, especially if your site is new. As you build authority and gain more backlinks, you can target more competitive keywords.
4. Intent: Focus on keywords with transactional intent, especially if your primary goal is conversion. Informational keywords are useful too, but prioritize those that drive action.
5. Relevance: Make sure the keyword is highly relevant to your core offering. For example, if you specialize in selling houses in San Diego, a keyword like “best houses in San Diego” would be highly relevant.
6. Trends: Keep an eye on trending keywords in your industry. Tools like Google Trends can help you see which topics are gaining momentum, giving you a chance to capitalize early.
7. CTR Potential: Finally, consider the click-through rate (CTR) potential. If a keyword has many SERP features like ads, images, or answer boxes, it might reduce your organic CTR, so weigh this factor before going all in.

By following these strategies, you’ll not only discover the best keywords for your business but also ensure that your SEO efforts are driving quality traffic and higher conversions.