What is Keyword Research?
Keyword research is the process of identifying the words and phrases that people use when searching for information, products, or services online. These keywords help shape your SEO and content strategies, guiding what topics to cover and which terms to optimise for.
The goal is to find keywords that align with your target audience’s interests and have the potential to drive relevant traffic to your website.
Why Keyword Research Matters
Keyword research is a core part of SEO because it connects your content with what your audience is actively looking for. It helps you:
- Understand your audience’s language and search behaviour
- Discover new content opportunities
- Identify high-potential search terms with low competition
- Prioritise keywords that support business goals
Choosing the right keywords can increase your chances of ranking in search results and attracting users who are more likely to engage, convert, or return.
Modern keyword research also considers factors like:
- Search volume
- Keyword difficulty
- Search intent
- Trends and seasonality
- Local or language-based differences
Example in Use
You run an online store selling reusable water bottles. Through keyword research, you find that “eco-friendly water bottle” and “best reusable bottle for gym” have good search volume and relatively low competition. You then create product and blog pages that include these keywords naturally to increase visibility in search.
Keyword research can be done using tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Ubersuggest.