If you want your business to appear at the top of Google search results, you need to target the right keywords. Choosing the best keywords ensures that your ideal customers can find your website when they search online.
But here’s the challenge—not all keywords are created equal. Some are too competitive, while others don’t generate enough traffic. So, how do you find and use the best keywords for your business?
In this step-by-step guide, we’ll break down the most effective keyword research strategies to help you find high-ranking, low-competition keywords that drive real business results.
Step 1: Understand the Different Types of Keywords
Before you start researching, it’s crucial to understand the three main types of keywords:
🔹 Short-Tail Keywords (Head Keywords)
- Examples: “Shoes,” “Marketing,” “Coffee”
- Search Volume: High
- Competition: Extremely High
- Intent: Broad and unclear
- Best For: Big brands with huge budgets
🔹 Long-Tail Keywords (Low Competition & Highly Targeted)
- Examples: “Best running shoes for flat feet,” “Digital marketing tips for small businesses”
- Search Volume: Low to Medium
- Competition: Low
- Intent: Highly specific
- Best For: Small businesses and niche markets
🔹 LSI Keywords (Latent Semantic Indexing Keywords)
- These are related words and phrases that Google associates with your main keyword.
- Example: If your keyword is “Digital Marketing,” LSI keywords could be “SEO strategies,” “social media marketing,” “Google ads,” etc.
👉 Pro Tip: Long-tail keywords are easier to rank for and bring higher conversion rates because they match user intent more precisely.
Step 2: Brainstorm Keyword Ideas for Your Business
Start by thinking about the terms your potential customers are searching for. Ask yourself:
✅ What problems does my product/service solve?
✅ What questions do my customers frequently ask?
✅ What industry-related terms are people searching for?
Tools for Brainstorming:
- Google Search Suggestions (Start typing and see what Google suggests)
- People Also Ask (PAA) section in Google
- Reddit & Quora discussions
- Customer reviews and feedback
Step 3: Use Keyword Research Tools to Find High-Value Keywords
The best way to find data-driven keywords is by using keyword research tools. Here are some of the best:
✅ Google Keyword Planner (Free)
- Shows search volume & competition
- Ideal for PPC & SEO
- Best for beginner-friendly keyword research
✅ Ahrefs (Paid)
- Find keyword difficulty scores
- Analyze competitor keywords
- Best for SEO professionals
✅ SEMrush (Paid)
- Keyword gap analysis (Find what your competitors rank for but you don’t)
- Shows CPC & keyword trends
- Best for detailed SEO insights
✅ Ubersuggest (Freemium)
- Good for finding long-tail keywords
- Shows search volume, difficulty, and trend analysis
✅ AnswerThePublic (Freemium)
- Helps discover question-based keywords
- Ideal for creating FAQ and blog content
👉 Pro Tip: Choose keywords with moderate search volume and low competition to increase your chances of ranking higher.
Step 4: Analyze Your Competitors’ Keywords
Your competitors have already done some of the hard work—so why not leverage their keyword strategy?
How to Steal Competitor Keywords:
1️⃣ Go to Ahrefs/SEMrush/Ubersuggest
2️⃣ Enter your competitor’s domain
3️⃣ See which keywords they rank for
4️⃣ Pick high-performing but low-competition keywords
👉 Pro Tip: If your competitor ranks for high-traffic, low-competition keywords, you can create better content to outrank them!
Step 5: Find Keywords with Buying Intent
Not all keywords lead to conversions. You need to target keywords that drive sales. These are categorized as:
🔥 Informational Keywords (For Blogs & Awareness)
Examples: “What is SEO?”, “How to rank on Google”
✅ Great for educating your audience
✅ Helps bring top-of-funnel traffic
💰 Commercial Keywords (For High-Intent Searches)
Examples: “Best SEO tools for small businesses”
✅ Users are researching before buying
💵 Transactional Keywords (For Sales & Conversions)
Examples: “Buy running shoes online,” “SEO agency near me”
✅ High conversion potential
✅ Users are ready to buy
👉 Pro Tip: Prioritize commercial & transactional keywords for business growth!
Step 6: Optimize Your Website for the Best Keywords
Now that you’ve found high-quality keywords, it’s time to use them effectively on your website.
✅ Where to Place Your Keywords for Maximum SEO Impact:
🔹 Title Tags & Meta Descriptions (Your primary keyword must be here)
🔹 Headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.)
🔹 First 100 Words of Your Blog Post
🔹 URL Structure
🔹 Image Alt Text
🔹 Internal Links & Anchor Texts
👉 Pro Tip: Avoid keyword stuffing—it can hurt your rankings instead of helping.
Step 7: Track & Improve Your Keyword Rankings
SEO is an ongoing process, and keyword rankings fluctuate over time. Use SEO rank tracking tools like:
📌 Google Search Console (Free) – See how your site ranks on Google
📌 SEMrush/Ahrefs – Track keyword positions & competitors
📌 Google Analytics – Monitor organic traffic growth
👉 Pro Tip: Update old blog posts with new keywords & fresh content to maintain rankings.
Conclusion: Master Keyword Research for Business Success
Finding the best keywords for your business is not just about traffic—it’s about targeting the right audience that converts.
Here’s a quick recap:
✅ Use long-tail keywords for easier rankings
✅ Spy on competitors to discover hidden keyword opportunities
✅ Choose high-intent keywords that bring real leads & sales
✅ Optimize your website properly to maximize SEO impact
✅ Track keyword performance and adjust your strategy accordingly
🚀 Ready to rank higher on Google? Start implementing these keyword research techniques today and watch your business gain more visibility, leads, and revenue!
FAQs on Finding the Best Keywords for Your Business
1. What is keyword research, and why is it important for SEO?
Answer: Keyword research is the process of identifying the words and phrases people use in search engines to find information related to your business. It is crucial for SEO because targeting the right keywords helps your website rank higher on Google, attract the right audience, and increase conversions.
2. How do I find low-competition, high-traffic keywords?
Answer: To find low-competition, high-traffic keywords:
- Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and Ubersuggest
- Look for long-tail keywords (e.g., “best shoes for running in rain” instead of “running shoes”)
- Check the keyword difficulty (KD) score—aim for keywords with low competition but decent search volume
- Analyze competitors’ ranking keywords and find gaps you can target
3. What’s the difference between short-tail and long-tail keywords?
Answer:
- Short-tail keywords (e.g., “marketing”) are broad, high competition, and have high search volume but low conversion rates.
- Long-tail keywords (e.g., “best digital marketing strategies for small businesses”) are specific, lower in competition, and often lead to higher conversions because they match user intent more closely.
For businesses looking for better rankings and leads, long-tail keywords are more effective.
4. Where should I place keywords on my website for SEO?
Answer: To maximize SEO impact, place keywords in:
- Title Tags & Meta Descriptions
- Headings (H1, H2, H3)
- URL Slug (e.g., yoursite.com/best-seo-tools)
- First 100 words of your blog post
- Image Alt Text
- Anchor texts (internal linking to other pages on your site)
Avoid keyword stuffing—focus on natural placement within valuable content.
5. How often should I update my keyword strategy?
Answer:
SEO is constantly evolving, so it’s essential to update your keyword strategy at least every 3-6 months. Monitor keyword performance using tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush and update old content with fresh keywords and new information to maintain rankings.
