Keywords — How to Choose Them Correctly
Keyword research is the foundation of every successful SEO strategy. Learn how to find the exact words your potential customers are searching for.
Why Is Keyword Research So Important?
Keywords are the bridge between what people search for and the content you offer. Without proper keyword research, you're essentially shooting in the dark — creating content and optimizing pages without knowing if anyone is even searching for those topics.
Well-conducted keyword research gives you three critically important things: understanding what exactly your potential customers are searching for, how many people are searching for it, and how difficult it will be to rank for those searches. This information is invaluable for planning SEO strategy, creating content, and even planning PPC campaigns.
Many businesses make the mistake of assuming they know what their customers search for. An auto repair shop owner might think people search for "automobile repair," when in reality the most common searches are "oil change price," "auto repair near me," or "car diagnostics." Keyword research reveals the real language of your customers.
Beyond SEO, keyword research data is extremely useful for understanding the market. It shows search trends, seasonality, regional differences, and even newly emerging customer needs. This information can influence business decisions far beyond digital marketing — from new product development to staff training.
Types of Keywords and How to Use Them
Keywords are divided into several categories based on length and intent. Head keywords are short, general words with high volume and high competition — for example "SEO," "shoes," "hotel." They attract lots of traffic, but conversion is low because the searcher's intent is unclear.
Body keywords are 2-3 word phrases with medium volume — "SEO optimization," "men's shoes," "hotel Bansko." They show clearer intent and are a good middle ground between volume and conversion. Long-tail keywords are 4+ word phrases with low volume but very high conversion — "SEO optimization for e-commerce store," "black leather men's shoes online," "family hotel Bansko with pool."
For most businesses, the optimal strategy is to focus main pages (homepage, services, product categories) on body keywords and create blog posts and supporting pages optimized for long-tail keywords. This combination ensures both broad visibility and targeted traffic with high conversion intent.
Another important classification is by search intent. Informational keywords ("what is SEO," "how does Google work") indicate the user is seeking knowledge. Navigational ones ("Facebook login," "Saitami web agency") indicate searching for a specific brand or site. Transactional ones ("buy iPhone 15," "SEO service price") indicate purchase readiness. Commercial investigational ones ("best SEO agency," "WordPress vs Shopify") indicate comparing options before purchase.
Understanding the intent type is critical for creating the right content. If you target an informational keyword with a product page, Google won't rank you well because the content doesn't match the intent. Our SEO optimization service includes detailed intent analysis for every keyword.
Keyword Research Tools
Google Keyword Planner is Google's free tool, accessible through Google Ads. It shows approximate monthly volume, competition level, and suggested cost per click. While designed for advertisers, it's an excellent starting point for SEO research.
Google Search Console is another free tool showing what keywords you already appear for. The "Performance" section reveals impressions, clicks, CTR, and average position for each keyword. This is a gold mine of data — here you can find "low-hanging fruit" — keywords where you're already near the top 10, and with a little optimization you can break through.
Paid tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz offer significantly more data and functionality. They show exact search volume, Keyword Difficulty, SERP analysis, related keywords, and competitive data. If SEO is your priority, investing in such a tool pays for itself many times over.
Don't underestimate free alternatives — Google Suggest (autocomplete), the "People also ask" section, related searches at the bottom of the page, Answer The Public, and Ubersuggest. These sources can generate hundreds of keyword ideas your competitors may be missing. For new websites, it's especially important to start with the right keywords from the very beginning.
How to Prioritize Keywords
Once you have a list of hundreds of potential keywords, you need to prioritize them. Create a spreadsheet with columns for: keyword, monthly volume, difficulty (KD), current position (if any), intent type, and business value. Rate each word on a 1-5 scale for business value — how likely is the searcher to become your customer.
Ideal keywords to start with are those with high business value, medium volume, and low to medium difficulty. They may not bring huge amounts of traffic, but the traffic they bring will convert significantly better. Once you win positions for these words and build authority, you can gradually attack more competitive keywords.
Don't forget to group related keywords into clusters. Instead of creating a separate page for every variation, group them thematically. For example "SEO optimization price," "how much does SEO cost," and "SEO prices" can all be covered by one page. This strategy prevents cannibalization and concentrates the page's authority.
Need Help with Keyword Research?
Our SEO specialists will conduct thorough keyword research for your industry and create a strategy that will attract the right customers to your business.
Free Consultation →