How do I Perform Keyword Research for a Specific Location?

Keyword research is one thing that hasn’t changed, even as search trends keep evolving. If you’re an inbound marketer wanting to boost your website’s performance, knowing how to do keyword research is absolutely essential.

In this post, we’ll break it all down for you: what keyword research is, why it matters, how to do it for your SEO strategy, and how to pick the best keywords for your website. Let’s dive in!

Why is Keyword Research Important?

Keyword research is like finding your SEO sweet spot—it’s all about identifying keywords that aren’t too competitive and match topics you can create amazing content around. It also helps you figure out what your target audience is actually searching for on Google.

By understanding real search terms, you can shape your content strategy—and even your overall marketing strategy. For example, let’s say your Purranormal Detective Agency has the best ghost-detecting kittens out there. But if no one’s searching for “cat paranormal detective” (spoiler: they aren’t), building your content strategy around that won’t get you much traffic.

People use keywords to find solutions while researching online. If your content shows up at the right time with the right answers, you’ll attract more traffic. That’s why your content should target those searches and meaningfully incorporate relevant keywords.

Inbound marketing isn’t about pushing out what we want people to know—it’s about creating content that aligns with what they’re already searching for. Your audience is looking for helpful, engaging answers, and it all starts with solid keyword research.

Benefits of Keyword Research

Doing keyword research comes with plenty of perks, and here are the most popular ones:

Spotting Trends
Keyword research helps you spot current marketing trends. It lets you focus your content on the topics and keywords your audience is actually searching for, keeping your strategy relevant and on point.

Boosting Traffic
When you choose the right keywords for your content, you’ll rank higher on search engines. Higher rankings mean more people will find your website, giving your traffic a nice boost.

Attracting Customers
If your content solves your audience’s problems, you’re already halfway there. Add a solid call-to-action, and you can guide them through the buyer’s journey—from first learning about you to making a purchase.

By analyzing keywords based on popularity, search volume, and intent, you’ll uncover the questions your audience cares about most. For example, the Purranormal Detective Agency might focus on creating top-notch content about “paranormal investigators,” a topic with an MSV (monthly search volume) of 800, instead of a hyper-specific niche that no one’s searching for.

Keywords vs. Topics
Here’s a pro tip I hear often from HubSpot SEOs: understanding “search intent” is key. The reason someone searches for a keyword is just as important as the keyword itself.

Your content should solve problems for your audience. If you landed on this page by searching “SEO keyword strategy,” it’s our job to anticipate your questions about that topic—and then answer them.

SEO is always evolving, but keyword research remains the backbone of understanding search intent. It tells you what topics your audience cares about and how popular those topics really are.

Notice I said “topics,” plural. When you identify keywords with high search volume, you can organize them into topics or categories. These categories guide your content strategy, helping you decide which keywords to target and what kind of content to create.

Elements of Keyword Research

When it comes to keyword research, there are three key things to keep in mind:

1. Relevance

Google ranks content based on how relevant it is to a user’s search. This is where search intent plays a big role. Your content needs to match what searchers are looking for—and it has to be the best answer out there. If your content doesn’t offer more value than competitors, Google won’t rank it highly.

For example, if you’re starting an SEO business for small businesses, you might think “SEO tips for small businesses” is your best bet. But when you check Ahrefs, you’ll see it has a monthly search volume (MSV) of 300 and high keyword difficulty. Meanwhile, its parent topic, “small business SEO,” has a higher MSV of 2,500 but is even more competitive. This shows how tricky relevance can be.

2. Authority

Google favors content from trustworthy, authoritative sources. To build authority, create helpful, high-quality content and promote it to earn backlinks and social shares.

For instance, HubSpot’s main site and blog are seen as credible sources because they consistently provide valuable content for their audience. This effort gives them high domain authority, which boosts their rankings.

If your website is new or not seen as an authority in your niche, ranking will be harder—especially if your competition includes major players like Forbes or The Mayo Clinic.

3. Search Volume

Even if you rank #1 for a keyword, it won’t help if no one’s searching for it. MSV, or monthly search volume, measures how often a keyword is searched per month.

Take “cat detective agency” versus “paranormal investigator” as an example. Sure, kittens solving ghost mysteries is your business’s unique angle, but no one’s searching for that term. On the other hand, “paranormal investigator” isn’t a super popular keyword either, but it gets significantly more searches—making it the better choice.

Also Read: How do I Respond to Reviews on Google My Business?

It’s important to strike a balance between volume and competition. For instance, Kalepp warns against chasing high-MSV keywords like “Instagram marketing” because they’re incredibly competitive. Instead, targeting something more specific like “Instagram marketing for small businesses” might give you a better chance to rank and attract the right audience.

Her advice? Don’t underestimate lower-MSV keywords with less competition. They can drive more traffic than overly broad, competitive terms. Focus on what works for your niche and audience!

How to Research Keywords for Your SEO Strategy

Let’s talk about how to do keyword research the right way. It’s not as complicated as it seems, and I’ll walk you through a simple process to create a list of keywords you should target. With this, you’ll be able to build a solid keyword strategy that helps your audience find you.

Step 1: Make a list of relevant topics for your business.
Start by thinking about the key topics you want to rank for—these will be your main “buckets.” Aim for about 5 to 10 topics that are most relevant to your business. If you’re a blogger, these are probably the things you write about most often. Or they might be common topics in your sales conversations. Think about what your ideal customers are searching for and create topics around that. For example, if you’re in marketing, your topics might include SEO, blogging, email marketing, or AI tools.

Step 2: Fill those buckets with keywords.
Once you’ve got your topic buckets, brainstorm specific keywords for each one. These should be the phrases your audience might type into Google. For instance, if one of your buckets is “marketing automation,” you might come up with keywords like “top marketing automation tools” or “how to use marketing automation software.” Don’t worry about being perfect—this step is just about getting ideas on paper. You can narrow them down later.

Step 3: Understand user intent.
This is where things get interesting. Keywords can mean different things depending on what the person searching is actually looking for. For example, if someone searches for “how to start a blog,” are they looking for tips on writing a blog post or creating a full website? To figure this out, search the keyword yourself and see what types of results come up. Make sure your content matches what people want to find.

Step 4: Check out related search terms.
Google is your best friend here. When you search a keyword, scroll to the bottom of the page to see related searches. These can give you even more ideas for keywords. You can also search for those related terms to keep expanding your list. It’s a quick and creative way to uncover new opportunities.

Step 5: Use keyword research tools.
Tools can make this whole process easier and more effective. Here are some of the best options:

• Ahrefs: Great for detailed keyword and backlink analysis.
• SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool: Offers a comprehensive look at keyword opportunities.
• Ubersuggest: A simple, free tool for generating keyword ideas (with some limits).
• Google Keyword Planner: Perfect for insights straight from Google.
• Keywords Everywhere: A browser extension that gives you keyword data as you search.
• KWFinder: Beginner-friendly and great for finding keyword suggestions.

Each tool has its strengths, so pick the one that fits your needs and budget.

With this process, you’ll have a solid keyword list to guide your content strategy and help your audience find you online. Don’t forget to involve your team—sales and customer service folks often have great insights into what customers are asking about. And remember, keyword research is all about understanding your audience and providing content that truly helps them.

Also Read: How do I Find Local SEO Keywords for My Business?

How to Find and Choose Keywords for Your Website

Once you’ve picked out some keywords you want to rank for, it’s time to narrow things down and focus on the best ones for your strategy. Here’s how you can do it step by step:

Step 1: Use Google Keyword Planner to Trim Your List

Google’s Keyword Planner is great for checking search volume and traffic estimates for your keywords. It helps you spot terms with too little or too much search volume. But don’t stop there! Use Google Trends to check how keywords are performing over time.

If a keyword seems low in volume now but has growth potential, it might still be worth targeting. On the other hand, if your list is just too long, look for keywords trending upward and focus on those.

Step 2: Focus on the Easy Wins (Low-Hanging Fruit)

Start with keywords you have a realistic chance of ranking for. If your site doesn’t have much authority yet, avoid the high-competition terms that big brands dominate. Instead, go for less competitive keywords where you can rank more easily.

If there’s little to no competition for a keyword, you might even grab the top spot by default. Always look for those opportunities!

Step 3: Check Monthly Search Volume (MSV)

You need to know what people are searching for. MSV tells you how many times a keyword gets searched each month. For example, the term “SEO keyword strategy” has an MSV of 400.

Tools like Ahrefs, searchvolume.io, or Google Trends can help you find MSV for free. The goal is to focus on keywords that align with what your audience is actively searching for.

Step 4: Look at SERP Features

Google often highlights certain types of content in search results, like:

• Image Packs: A row of images that pops up for certain searches. If your target keyword triggers this, try adding images to your content.
• AI Overviews: Google’s summaries for some searches. These are often based on structured data.
• Paragraph Snippets: Quick, text-based answers to questions. Focus on clear, concise content to grab this spot.
• List Snippets: Ideal for “how-to” posts. Use numbered or bulleted steps to improve your chances.
• Video Snippets: If videos are being prioritized, consider posting content on YouTube or your site.

Tailoring your content to fit these features can improve visibility and engagement.

Step 5: Mix Head Terms and Long-Tail Keywords

Your keyword list should include both head terms (short, broad phrases) and long-tail keywords (longer, more specific phrases).

• Head terms bring in more traffic but are harder to rank for.
• Long-tail keywords are easier to rank for and often bring in more targeted, high-intent traffic.

For example:

• “Blogging” (head term) is very competitive.
• “How to write a great blog post” (long-tail keyword) is less competitive and more specific.

A balanced mix of both gives you short-term wins and long-term growth.

Step 6: Analyze Competitors

See how your competitors are ranking for certain keywords. If a competitor ranks for keywords you care about, work on creating better content for those terms.

At the same time, don’t ignore keywords your competitors aren’t targeting. Those could be great opportunities for you to dominate.

Use tools like Ahrefs or simply search in an incognito browser to see where competitors stand. Then, use what you learn to fine-tune your strategy.

Best Keywords for SEO

There’s no such thing as the “best” keyword—just the ones your audience is searching for the most. So, your goal is to create a smart strategy that helps your pages rank higher and attracts more traffic.

The ideal keywords for your SEO strategy should focus on three things: relevance, authority, and search volume. Look for popular keywords that are relevant to your audience and ones you can realistically compete for. To do that, you’ll need to assess your competition and ensure you can deliver top-notch content on those topics.

Also Read: What is the Difference Between Local and Global Keywords?

You’re Ready to Build Out Your Content

Now you’ve got a solid list of keywords to guide your focus. These will help you target the right topics for your business and achieve both quick wins and long-term results.

Make sure to revisit and update your keyword list regularly—about once a quarter is a good starting point, though some businesses prefer to check more often.

As your site builds authority in search results, you’ll be able to expand your list with even more keywords over time.

Just keep in mind that SEO success doesn’t happen overnight. As Kalepp points out, “It takes time to see results when you’re building your strategy.” So, be patient and stay consistent!