To do SEO keyword research, list the questions your customers ask, expand them with Google's autocomplete and your own Search Console data, check what already ranks, then assign one keyword to one page. A spreadsheet and free tools are enough for a small site. Start with the searches you can plausibly win.
What is keyword research in SEO?
Keyword research is the process of finding the words and phrases people type into search engines and deciding which of them your pages should target. A keyword is just a search phrase, and it is often a full question. The output is a short list of topics, each tied to a page you will write or improve.
Google's SEO starter guide frames the job simply: think about the words people might type, and remember that someone new to a topic may search differently than an expert. Its own example is "cheese board" against "charcuterie". Your vocabulary is probably not your customer's.
Step 1: Start with your customers, not a tool
Open a blank spreadsheet and write down the questions people ask before they buy. Pull them from places that already exist:
- Sales call notes and support emails
- The questions prospects ask in the first conversation
- Reviews, forum threads and community posts in your niche
- The words customers use for your product, which may differ from your own
Aim for 20 to 40 raw phrases. Do not filter yet. This list matters more than any tool output because it reflects real demand from people you can actually serve.
Step 2: Expand the list with free sources
Take each phrase and see what else people search around it:
- Google autocomplete. Type the phrase and note the suggestions.
- People Also Ask. These boxes on the results page list related questions.
- Related searches at the bottom of the results.
- Search Console. If your site already has traffic, the Performance report lists the queries that led to your pages, with clicks, impressions and average position, as described in Google's help page. Queries where you have many impressions but a poor position are ready-made targets, because Google already associates you with them.
Google does not need you to guess every variation. The starter guide notes that its language matching can connect a page to many queries even when the exact words are not on it. That is a reason to write clearly about a topic instead of chasing each phrasing.
Step 3: Work out what the searcher wants
Before you judge a keyword, search it and read the first page of results. Ask what kind of page wins. A list of tutorials means the searcher wants to learn. A set of product pages means they want to buy. If your planned page is a different type than the results, you will struggle however good it is. Our guide to search intent shows how to read this.
Step 4: Judge whether you can win it
A paid tool gives volume and a difficulty score. If you have one, use it as a rough filter, not a verdict. If you do not, check the results by eye:
- Are the top results from large publishers or from small sites and forums?
- Are the best pages thin, outdated or off-topic for the question?
- Can you add something they lack: a clearer answer, a worked example, a current correction, or first-hand experience?
The third question decides it. A phrase with modest volume and weak existing answers is a better first target than a high-volume phrase owned by sites with years of authority.
Treat volume as a ranking of options, not a promise. Estimated search volume is a modeled average, and one page often ranks for many related phrases, so the number understates what a good page can collect. It also overstates it when the results page answers the question itself and few people click.
Step 5: Pick one keyword per page
For each shortlisted phrase, decide whether it needs its own page or belongs on one you already have. Two pages aiming at the same phrase compete with each other, which is the problem described in keyword cannibalization. Keep a simple table:
| Keyword | Intent | Page | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| how to read a robots.txt file | Learn | New post | To write |
| robots.txt examples | Learn | Same post | Covered |
| seo audit checklist | Learn | Existing guide | Refresh |
Group closely related phrases under one page and one primary keyword. Then link related pages together, the structure explained in topic clusters.
Step 6: Turn the keyword into a brief
Keyword research ends when a writer can act on it. Record the primary keyword, the question to answer in the first paragraph, the sub-questions that deserve headings, and the pages to link. The format is in how to write a content brief.
What mistakes make keyword research fail?
- Chasing volume. The biggest numbers belong to the hardest results. Start where you can compete.
- Repeating the phrase. Google's guide says excessive repetition tires readers and that keyword stuffing is against its spam policies. Use the words naturally.
- Ignoring who is searching. A keyword that attracts people who will never buy still costs you the time to write it.
- Writing only for search. Google's helpful content guidance lists warning signs, including publishing on many topics hoping some will rank and writing to a word count because you think Google prefers it.
- Never revisiting the list. Search behavior shifts, and your own Search Console data will show new openings every month.
How does keyword research change for AI search?
People ask ChatGPT and similar tools full questions, often longer and more specific than a typed search. That favors the habit this process already builds: write pages around real questions and answer them in the opening paragraph. The research itself does not change much, but the way you phrase headings and first paragraphs does. For the AI side, see how to optimize for AI search.
Nightcrop researches keywords as part of its daily page production, but nothing in this process requires it. The spreadsheet method above works with free tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I do keyword research for free?
Yes. Autocomplete, People Also Ask, related searches and Search Console cost nothing and cover most of what a small site needs. Paid tools add volume and difficulty estimates.
How many keywords should I target?
One primary keyword per page, plus a few close variations covered naturally. A site with ten solid pages has ten primary keywords, not hundreds.
How long does keyword research take?
A first pass for a small site usually takes an afternoon. After that, a monthly review of Search Console is enough to keep the list current.
What is a good keyword for a new site?
A specific question that matches what you sell, where the current results are thin, outdated or off-target. Specific beats popular for a site with little authority.
Do I need to put the keyword in the URL and title?
Put it in the title and the opening paragraph where it reads naturally. Google's guide says keywords in a URL path have little ranking effect beyond breadcrumbs.