A Beginner’s Workflow to Find Keywords That Drive Traffic and Conversions

Learn a practical, repeatable keyword-research process you can use today — from idea generation to prioritization — using free and paid tools to find high-impact keywords.

📘 Table of Contents

Why Keyword Research Matters
Tools You’ll Need
Step 1 — Brainstorm Seed Topics
Step 2 — Expand with Tools & Suggestions
Step 3 — Analyze Metrics (Volume, Difficulty, Intent)
Step 4 — Prioritize & Build a Keyword List
Step 5 — Map Keywords to Content
Measure Performance & Iterate
Key Takeaways

1. Why Keyword Research Matters

Keyword research is the foundation of any effective SEO strategy. It tells you what your audience is searching for, how frequently they search, and what language they use. Without it, you’re guessing — and guesses rarely win on Google.

Good keyword research helps you create content that matches search intent, attract qualified visitors, and prioritize content that delivers results faster.

2. Tools You’ll Need

You don’t need expensive software to do useful keyword research. Start with a mix of free and low-cost tools, then graduate to paid options as your needs grow.

Free: Google Keyword Planner, Google Search Console, Google Autocomplete, “People Also Ask”, AnswerThePublic (limited free queries).
Low-cost / Paid: Ubersuggest, Ahrefs (lite), SEMrush (pro), Moz, Keywords Everywhere.
Support tools: Google Sheets (for organization), a simple SERP tracker, and a browser extension for quick on-page checks.

3. Step 1 — Brainstorm Seed Topics

Start with broad topics related to your business. These are “seed” topics — general ideas that will expand into multiple keywords.

How to brainstorm:

Think about your product/service categories (e.g., SEO services, keyword research guide).
Ask colleagues or customers what words they’d use to describe your offer.
Scan competitor websites and note the headings and service names they use.

Record 10–20 seed ideas in a spreadsheet — these will be the input for your next step.

4. Step 2 — Expand with Tools & Suggestions

Use tools to grow your seed list into hundreds of keyword ideas. Combine multiple sources for breadth and context.

Google Autocomplete: Type a seed topic into Google and note the autocomplete suggestions — these show real user queries.
People Also Ask & Related Searches: Scavenge the SERP for question-based and related terms.
Keyword Tools: Plug seeds into Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or Ahrefs to get volume estimates and related keywords.
Competitor Analysis: Enter a competitor domain into a tool to see what keywords they rank for — you may find quick wins.

5. Step 3 — Analyze Metrics (Volume, Difficulty, Intent)

Not every keyword is worth chasing. Use three primary filters to decide which keywords to keep:

Search Volume

Volume indicates how many people search a term monthly. High volume sounds attractive, but it often means high competition.

Keyword Difficulty / Competition

Most tools provide a difficulty or competition score. This estimates how hard it will be to rank on page one. For new sites, prioritize low-to-moderate difficulty long-tail keywords.

Search Intent

Intent is the most important filter. A keyword may have volume, but if its intent doesn’t match your content or business goals, it won’t convert. Ask: is the user looking to learn (informational), compare (commercial investigation), or buy (transactional)?

6. Step 4 — Prioritize & Build a Keyword List

Now combine your metrics into a prioritized list. Create columns in your spreadsheet for:

Keyword
Monthly Volume
Difficulty/Competition
Intent (Informational/Transactional/Commercial/Navigation)
Current Rank (if any)
Notes / Content Angle

Sort by a mix of intent and opportunity: target long-tail keywords with clear intent and manageable competition first. Mark “quick-win” opportunities — keywords where you already have some authority and a small boost could move you up.

7. Step 5 — Map Keywords to Content

Don’t target too many keywords with one page. Instead, map a primary keyword to each page and a handful of related secondary keywords.

Use this simple mapping approach:

Cornerstone pages: Target broad, high-value primary keywords (e.g., “keyword research guide”).
Supporting posts: Use long-tail variations to answer niche queries and link back to cornerstone pages.
Product/service pages: Target transactional keywords with commercial intent.

This structure builds topical authority and prevents keyword cannibalization.

8. Measure Performance & Iterate

Keyword research is not one-and-done. Track performance using Google Search Console and your analytics platform:

Monitor impressions, clicks, average position, and CTR for your target keywords.
Adjust pages that are ranking but not converting — update meta descriptions, improve content, or add stronger CTAs.
Repeat the research cycle quarterly or when you launch new services or content verticals.

9. Key Takeaways

Start with seed topics, expand using multiple tools, and analyze volume, difficulty, and intent.
Prioritize long-tail, intent-driven keywords for faster wins.
Map keywords to specific pages and create a content structure that builds topical authority.
Measure, iterate, and keep your keyword list fresh as trends change.

🎥 Watch the Related Video

Watch our step-by-step tutorial: “How to Do Basic Keyword Research — Practical Walkthrough”.

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