What “Find Keywords” Really Means (and Why It Matters)
To find keywords is to identify the words and phrases people type into search engines when they’re looking for information, products, or services. These queries reveal intent—what your audience wants—and they guide how you structure your content, product pages, and even your site navigation.
When you choose the right keywords, you’re not just chasing traffic. You’re aligning with real demand, improving your chances of ranking, and attracting visitors who are more likely to read, subscribe, or buy.
The three types of search intent
- Informational: “how to find keywords for a blog,” “keyword research tips”
- Navigational: “Ahrefs keyword explorer,” “Google Search Console”
- Transactional/Commercial: “best keyword research tool,” “SEO services pricing”
A strong keyword strategy includes all three, with an emphasis that matches your goals (traffic, leads, sales, or authority).
Step 1: Start With Seed Keywords
Seed keywords are simple, broad terms that describe your topic. They’re the starting point for expanding into more specific phrases.
How to generate seed keywords quickly
- List your core offerings: products, services, and key categories.
- Write down common customer questions: from emails, chats, calls, or reviews.
- Check your site menus: category labels often reveal your core themes.
- Look at competitor navigation: headings and category pages can inspire new angles.
Example
If your site is about home coffee, seed keywords might be: “espresso,” “coffee grinder,” “pour over,” “French press,” “coffee beans.” From there, you expand into longer, more targeted searches.
Step 2: Use Free Places to Find Keyword Ideas
You can find a surprising number of keyword opportunities without paying for tools. The goal here is breadth—collect lots of variations before narrowing down.
Google Autocomplete and “People Also Ask”
Type a seed keyword into Google and note:
- Autocomplete suggestions (queries people search often)
- People Also Ask (common questions you can turn into headings or separate posts)
- Related searches at the bottom of results
These are excellent sources of long-tail keywords, which often have clearer intent and lower competition.
Google Trends
Use Google Trends to validate whether a topic is growing, seasonal, or declining. It’s also useful for comparing terms (e.g., “cold brew” vs. “iced coffee”) and finding regional differences.
Reddit, Quora, and niche forums
Community platforms are gold for keyword discovery because they show real phrasing. Look for:
- Repeated questions
- Beginner confusion points
- Product comparisons and “best of” discussions
Turn these into keyword phrases like “best coffee grinder for espresso under 100” or “why is my espresso sour.”
Step 3: Expand With Keyword Research Tools
Tools help you scale: they generate keyword variations and provide data like search volume and ranking difficulty. You don’t need every tool—one good option is usually enough.
Popular keyword tools (free and paid)
- Google Keyword Planner: free with a Google Ads account; good for ranges and discovery.
- Google Search Console: shows keywords you already rank for—often quick wins.
- Ahrefs / Semrush: strong databases, competitor research, difficulty scores, and SERP analysis.
- Ubersuggest / Keywords Everywhere: accessible options for ideas and basic metrics.
How to get better suggestions from tools
- Start with multiple seeds, not just one.
- Use filters like “questions,” “include,” and “exclude.”
- Export results into a spreadsheet to sort and group.
Step 4: Analyze Keyword Metrics (What to Prioritize)
Not all keywords are worth targeting. To choose wisely, evaluate each keyword using a few practical metrics.
Search volume
Volume estimates how many searches occur monthly. Higher volume can mean more traffic potential, but it often comes with higher competition. Many sites grow fastest by focusing on lower-volume long-tail keywords first, then moving up.
Keyword difficulty / competition
Difficulty scores vary by tool, but the idea is the same: how hard it may be to rank. Treat these as directional, not absolute. A keyword can be “hard” on paper but still achievable if your content is significantly more helpful than what’s currently ranking.
Intent fit
Ask: “If someone searches this, do they want what I offer?” A keyword can have great volume, but if it doesn’t match your audience or business model, it won’t convert.
SERP reality check
Before committing, search the keyword and review page one:
- Are the top results blog posts, product pages, videos, or tools?
- Do results favor big brands (or is there a mix of smaller sites)?
- Is Google showing a featured snippet, local pack, or shopping results?
This tells you what type of content Google believes best answers the query—and what you need to create to compete.
Step 5: Find Keywords Your Competitors Already Rank For
Competitor research is one of the fastest ways to uncover proven keywords. If another site similar to yours is ranking, those topics are likely viable.
How to do competitor keyword research
- Identify 3–5 competitors (direct business competitors or content competitors).
- Use a keyword tool to view their top pages and ranking keywords.
- Look for patterns: recurring topics, formats, and keyword themes.
Focus on “gap” opportunities
A keyword gap is where competitors rank but you don’t. Prioritize:
- Keywords with clear intent
- Topics closely tied to your products/services
- Queries where the current results are outdated or thin
Step 6: Group Keywords Into Topics (Avoid Keyword Cannibalization)
One of the biggest mistakes in keyword research is treating every keyword as a separate page. In reality, many keywords share the same intent and should be covered together.
Create keyword clusters
Group related terms into a cluster with one primary keyword and several secondary keywords. For example:
- Primary: “how to find keywords”
- Secondary: “keyword research for beginners,” “find long tail keywords,” “how to choose keywords for SEO”
This approach helps you build more comprehensive pages and reduces the risk of multiple pages competing for the same query (keyword cannibalization).
Map keywords to the buyer journey
- Top of funnel: definitions, how-to guides, comparisons
- Middle of funnel: best tools, templates, case studies
- Bottom of funnel: pricing, service pages, product pages, demos
Step 7: Choose Keywords You Can Actually Win
The best keyword isn’t always the most popular—it’s the one you can rank for and that supports your goals.
A simple prioritization checklist
- Relevance: directly matches your content or offering
- Intent: aligns with what the searcher wants
- Achievability: realistic difficulty based on your site’s authority
- Value: likely to drive leads, sales, or meaningful engagement
- Content fit: you can create the best page on the topic
Quick win tip: look for keywords you’re already ranking for
In Google Search Console, find queries where you rank in positions ~8–20. Often, updating the page, expanding coverage, improving internal links, and refining titles/meta can push you into the top results faster than starting from scratch.
Step 8: Turn Keywords Into Content That Ranks
Finding keywords is only half the job. The next step is publishing content that satisfies search intent better than existing results.
On-page basics to include
- Use the primary keyword naturally in the title, H1, and early in the introduction.
- Add related terms in H2/H3 headings where they fit.
- Answer “People Also Ask” questions to capture long-tail traffic.
- Include examples, steps, and visuals where helpful.
- Add internal links to related pages and a clear next step (newsletter, product, consultation).
Refresh and iterate
Keyword research isn’t a one-time task. Revisit your target terms monthly or quarterly. Update content as the SERP changes, new questions appear, or your business priorities shift.
Conclusion
To find keywords effectively, start with seed ideas, expand using free sources and tools, evaluate intent and competitiveness, then organize terms into topic clusters. When you pair smart keyword selection with genuinely helpful content, you’ll build sustainable search traffic that grows over time.
