![\"Download](\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/53\/447dd5f8-1426-4fb6-af75-b6e55bb759a2.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nI\u2019m breaking it all down for you in this post, where you\u2019ll learn what keyword research is, why it\u2019s important, how to conduct research for your SEO strategy, and how to choose the right keywords for your website.<\/p>\n
Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Keyword research isn\u2019t just about finding words with high search volume \u2014 it\u2019s about finding the right words. Keyword research helps you find your SEO sweet spot \u2014 the overlap of keywords that aren\u2019t too<\/em> hard to rank for and keywords that you can confidently produce excellent content on.<\/p>\n You can also learn what your audience is actually<\/em> searching for so you can create content that matches those terms.<\/p>\n I talked to HubSpot Growth Manager Amal Kalepp<\/a>, who says that keyword research \u201cdetermines who your competitors are and which area of the search landscape you can rank for. Doing keyword research and understanding where your blog or website sweet spot is \u2014 that\u2019s what gives you rankability.\u201d<\/p>\n Insights from actual search terms can inform your content strategy as well as your larger marketing strategy.<\/p>\n Your Purranormal Detective Agency may have the best ghost-detecting kittens in the business, but if nobody\u2019s searching for \u201ccat paranormal detective\u201d (they aren\u2019t; I checked), you aren\u2019t going to have much luck \u2014 or traffic \u2014 if you base your content strategy on that keyword.<\/p>\n People use keywords to find solutions when conducting research online, so if your content successfully gets in front of your audience, you stand to gain more traffic.<\/p>\n Therefore, you should be targeting those searches with content that features those keywords in a meaningful way.<\/p>\n Additionally, the inbound methodology<\/a> focuses less on creating content around what we want to tell people. Instead, we should be creating content around what people want to discover.<\/p>\n In other words, our audience is coming to us for helpful content that provides the answers they\u2019re looking for. And it all begins with keyword research.<\/p>\n SEO can feel like a long game\u2026 because it is. Quick wins happen, but the biggest shifts often take time. The most important rule? You\u2019ve got to do your keyword research the right way.<\/em> Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n Effective keyword research helps you spot current marketing trends<\/a> and understand what people actually<\/em> care about right now. No more guessing about what to focus on \u2014 you can use data to center your content on relevant topics and keywords.<\/p>\n When you align your content to the best-fitting keywords, you\u2019ll rank higher in search engine results<\/a>, see lower bounce rates, and gain more leads and conversions.<\/p>\n Not all traffic is the right traffic. But, by focusing your SEO research on what your audience wants, your content is more likely to meet your users\u2019 needs. With the simple shift of adding a strong call-to-action<\/a>, they\u2019ll make a buyer journey<\/a> leap from the awareness stage to the point of purchase.<\/p>\n By researching keywords for their popularity, search volume, and general intent, you can tackle the questions that most people in your audience want answers to.<\/p>\n For instance, the Purranormal Detective Agency would do better to produce excellent content on the broader topic of paranormal investigators, which has a monthly search volume (MSV) of 800.<\/p>\n \u201cSearch intent\u201d is something I frequently hear about from HubSpot SEOs. That\u2019s because the reason<\/em> a user types in a particular keyword matters \u2014 a lot.<\/p>\n Our content has to solve users\u2019 problems. If you found your way to this article via the search term \u201cSEO keyword strategy,\u201d we have to anticipate your questions on this topic. And then answer them.<\/p>\n SEO is evolving<\/a> at breakneck speed, but keyword research remains foundational to search intent. It tells you what topics people care about and how popular those topics actually are among your audience.<\/p>\n The operative term here is \u201ctopics,\u201d plural. By researching keywords with a high volume of monthly searches, you can identify and sort your content into topics or buckets that you\u2019ll use to create content.<\/p>\n Then, you can use these topics to dictate which keywords you look for and target.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Keyword research can feel complex \u2014 so let\u2019s change that by breaking it into its three primary elements.<\/p>\n Google ranks content for relevance.<\/p>\n This is where the concept of search intent comes in. Your content will only rank for a keyword if it meets the searchers\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n In addition, your content must be the best resource for the query \u2014 Google won\u2019t rank your content as highly if it doesn\u2019t provide better value than its competitors.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re starting an SEO business specializing in small businesses, you might assume that \u201cSEO tips for small businesses\u201d would be the most relevant keyword. But take a look at the Ahrefs keyword research dashboard:<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cSEO tips for small businesses\u201d has an MSV of 300 and a high keyword difficulty. Its parent topic, \u201csmall business SEO,\u201d has an MSV of 2,500 and a very high keyword difficulty.<\/p>\n Google gives more weight to sources it deems authoritative. So, how do you become an authoritative source? Start by enriching your site with helpful, informative content and promoting that content to earn social signals and backlinks.<\/p>\n Both HubSpot.com and the HubSpot Blog<\/a> are well-established sites, and we work hard to make sure we provide the content our readers are searching for. As a result, the root domain and subdomain have very high domain authority:<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n If you\u2019re not seen as authoritative in the space, or if a keyword\u2019s SERPs are loaded with heavy sources you can\u2019t compete with (like Forbes or The Mayo Clinic), you have a lower chance of ranking.<\/p>\n You might rank on the first page for a specific keyword, but if no one ever searches for it, you won\u2019t see any traffic. It\u2019s like setting up a shop in a ghost town.<\/p>\n Volume is measured by MSV (monthly search volume), which means the number of times the keyword is searched per month across all audiences.<\/p>\n Compare Ahrefs\u2019 results for \u201ccat detective agency\u201d versus \u201cparanormal investigator\u201d:<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Even though kitten detectives are your business\u2019s differentiating factor, absolutely not a single soul is trying to locate a cat who can sniff out their resident poltergeist.<\/p>\n \u201cParanormal investigators\u201d isn\u2019t a wildly<\/em> popular search term, but as you might guess, this keyword gets significantly more volume than \u201ccat detective agency,\u201d so it\u2019s a much better keyword to try to rank for.<\/p>\n Kalepp says that one of the common mistakes people make is assuming that a higher MSV is better. \u201c\u2018Instagram marketing\u2019 might seem like the best choice to rank for because it has millions of searches,\u201d she says. \u201cBut it makes it much more difficult to rank for that.<\/p>\n \u201cYou might have better luck with something like \u2018Instagram marketing for small businesses\u2019 \u2014 and then that can be your niche.\u201d<\/p>\n She says that you could get \u201ca lot more traffic ranking for a keyword that has a lower MSV and lower competition\u201d than one with a high MSV.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n I\u2019m going to lay out a keyword research process you can follow to help you come up with a list of terms you should be targeting.<\/p>\n That way, you\u2019ll be able to establish and execute a strong keyword strategy that helps you get found for the search terms you care about.<\/p>\n Before you do anything else, spend some time thinking about the topics you want to rank and come up with 5-10 different topic buckets.<\/p>\n Next, drill down a bit further to help come up with some specific keywords later in the process.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a regular blogger, these are probably the topics you blog about most frequently. Or perhaps they\u2019re the topics that come up the most in sales conversations.<\/p>\n Not sure where to start? Think about what you want to be known for. Or, you can also put yourself in the shoes of your buyer personas<\/a> and think about what they want to know.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n HubSpot, for example, might have general topic buckets like:<\/p>\n The number in parentheses is the MSV, according to Ahrefs.<\/p>\n That data allows you to gauge how important these topics are to your audience and how many different sub-topics you need to create content on to be successful with that keyword.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n To learn more about these sub-topics, we move on to step two.<\/p>\n Now that you have a few topic buckets you want to focus on, it\u2019s time to identify some keywords.<\/p>\n I want you to think about keyword phrases you want to rank for in the SERPs (search engine results pages) because your target customer is probably conducting searches for those specific terms.<\/p>\n For instance, if I took that last topic bucket for an inbound marketing software company \u2014 \u201cmarketing automation\u201d \u2014 I\u2019d brainstorm some keyword phrases I think people would type in related to that topic.<\/p>\n Those might include:<\/p>\n The point of this exercise isn\u2019t to come up with your final list of keyword phrases. Instead, it\u2019s all about brain-dumping phrases you think potential customers might use to search for content related to that particular topic bucket.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll narrow the lists down later so you don\u2019t have something too unwieldy.<\/p>\n Keep in mind \u2014 Google is encrypting more keywords every day, so another smart way to generate keyword ideas is to determine which keywords already bring users to your website.<\/p>\n To do this, you\u2019ll need website analytics software like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, or HubSpot\u2019s Sources report, which are available in the Traffic Analytics tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n Get started with HubSpot\u2019s free Traffic Analytics Tool.<\/a><\/p>\n Drill down into your website\u2019s traffic sources and sift through your organic search traffic bucket to identify the keywords people use to arrive at your site.<\/p>\n Repeat this exercise for each of your topic buckets.<\/p>\n Having trouble brainstorming with relevant search terms? You can always head on over to your customer-facing colleagues in sales or service. Ask them what types of questions they\u2019re fielding.<\/p>\n Those are my favorite <\/em>starting points for keyword research. In addition to creating great SEO-optimized content, this step allows you to create helpful resources to share with customers and to use in marketing campaigns.<\/p>\n At HubSpot, we use the Search Insights Report, a template designed to help you bucket your keywords into topic clusters, analyze MSV, and inform your editorial calendar and strategy.<\/p>\n Download the Template<\/a><\/p>\n User intent is one of the most important factors in your ability to rank well on search engines like Google.<\/p>\n That means it\u2019s vital that your web page addresses the problem<\/em> a searcher wants to solve rather than simply including the keyword<\/em> the searcher used.<\/p>\n So, how does this affect your keyword research?<\/p>\n It\u2019s tempting to take keywords at face value, but they can have many different meanings.<\/p>\n And because the intent behind a search is so important to your ranking potential, you need to be extra careful about how you interpret the keywords you target.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you\u2019re researching the keyword \u201chow to start a blog\u201d for an article you want to create. \u201cBlog\u201d can mean a blog post or the blog website itself, and the searcher\u2019s intent behind that keyword will influence the direction of your article.<\/p>\n Does the searcher want to learn how to start an individual blog post<\/a>? Or do they want to know how to launch a website domain for a new blog?<\/p>\n If your content strategy only targets people interested in the latter, you\u2019ll need to determine the keyword\u2019s intent before using it.<\/p>\n To verify a user\u2019s intent, it\u2019s a good idea to simply enter this keyword into a search engine yourself and see what types of results come up.<\/p>\n I did a quick search for \u201chow to start a blog,\u201d and it looks like most users are searching for info on how to start a website with a blog, not an individual blog post:<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Make sure the type of content Google is displaying relates to your intention for the keyword.<\/p>\n This is a creative step you may have already thought of when doing keyword research. If not, it\u2019s a great way to fill out those lists.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re struggling to think of more keywords people might be searching about a specific topic, take a look at the related search terms that appear when you plug a keyword into Google.<\/p>\n I searched Google for \u201cAI search grader<\/a>,\u201d a new free product from HubSpot. At the bottom of the first page, I can see that users are also searching specifically for an AI search engine.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n These keywords can spark ideas for other keywords you may want to take into consideration.<\/p>\n Want a bonus? Type in some of those related search terms and look at their related search terms. Looking at the related search terms for \u201cAI search grader free,\u201d I can see that people are also searching for more information on generative search engines.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Keyword research and SEO tools<\/a> can help you brainstorm more keyword ideas based on exact-match keywords and phrase-match keywords based on the ideas you\u2019ve generated up to this point. And with AI-enabled tools at your fingertips<\/a>, SEO research is more accessible than ever.<\/p>\n Here are a few popular options to try:<\/p>\n 1. <\/span>Ahrefs Webmaster Tools<\/a> \u2014 One of the most highly regarded SEO tools out there, and it offers a free basic level.<\/p>\n 2.<\/span> SE Ranking<\/a> \u2014 A comprehensive SEO research tool with lots of valuable data.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n 3.<\/span> SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool<\/a> \u2014 One of the most comprehensive SEO companies on the market with a valuable SEO research tool.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n 4. <\/span>Ubersuggest<\/a> \u2014 Featuring up to three free searches a day and AI-enabled recommendations.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n 5. <\/span>Free Keyword Research Tool<\/a> – RyRob\u2019s easy-to-use keyword research tool provides keyword and keyword cluster topics.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n 6.<\/span> Google Keyword Planner<\/a> \u2014 Google\u2019s free tools allow you to search for keyword ideas based on the keyword or your website.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n 7.<\/span> Keywords Everywhere<\/a> \u2014 A low-cost option that sits on top of your website searches and provides valuable SEO information.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n 8.<\/span> KeywordTool.io<\/a> \u2014 Uses Google autocomplete to identify new keyword ideas.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n 9.<\/span> KWFinder<\/a> \u2014 A free, easy-to-use SEO research tool that helps you find top keywords.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n 10.<\/span> SearchVolume.io<\/a> \u2014 Helpful for finding monthly search volume to help prioritize specific keywords.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n 11. <\/span>Rank Tracker<\/a> \u2014 A solid tool for monitoring SERP data by ranking relevant keywords, identifying keyword gaps, and autocompleting phrases on different search engine tools.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Once you have an idea of the keywords that you want to rank for, now it\u2019s time to refine your list based on the best ones for your strategy. Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n In Google\u2019s Keyword Planner, you can get search volume and traffic estimates for keywords you\u2019re considering. Then, take the information you learn from Keyword Planner and use Google Trends to fill in some blanks.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Use the Keyword Planner to flag any terms on your list that aren\u2019t a good fit. However, before you remove them completely, there may be other reasons to consider low-volume keywords.<\/p>\n Have a look at trend history and projections in Google Trends to see if there\u2019s any seasonality to the phrase. Google Trends can help you determine which terms are trending upward and are worthy of your focus.<\/p>\n That is, prioritize keywords that you have a chance of ranking for based on your website\u2019s authority.<\/p>\n Large companies typically go after high search volume keywords, and since these brands are well established already, Google typically rewards them with authority over many topics.<\/p>\n You can also consider keywords that have little competition. Keywords that don\u2019t already have multiple articles battling for the highest rank can afford you the spot by default \u2014 if there\u2019s no one else trying to claim it.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n You want to write content around what people want to discover, and checking MSV can help you do just that. Monthly search volume is the number of times a search query or keyword is entered into search engines each month.<\/p>\n Here are the results from Ahrefs on \u201cSEO keyword strategy,\u201d which has an MSV of 900:<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Tools like searchvolume.io or Google Trends can help you find the most searched keywords for related keyword clusters for free.<\/p>\n There are several SERP feature snippets that Google will highlight if used correctly. You can find them by searching for keywords and seeing the first result.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll summarize the more common snippet types here \u2014 you can read about all 33 of them on Google<\/a>.<\/p>\n Image packs are search results displayed as a horizontal row of images that appear in an organic position. If there\u2019s an image pack, you should write an image-heavy post to win placement in it.<\/p>\n For instance, here\u2019s the image pack for \u201ccat detective agency\u201d:<\/p>\n\n
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Why is keyword research important?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"seo](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-1-20250409-9310120.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"your](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-2-20250409-2488659.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nBenefits of Keyword Research<\/strong><\/h3>\n
You gain marketing trends insights.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
You see traffic growth.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Your customer acquisition game improves.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Keywords vs. Topics<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Elements of Keyword Research<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Relevance<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"ahrefs](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-3-20250409-7687477.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n2. Authority<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"domain](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-4-20250409-3836384.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"use](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-5-20250409-4026481.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n3. Volume<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"use](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-6-20250409-9064246.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"use](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-7-20250409-4610916.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nStep 1. Make a list of important, relevant topics based on what you know about your business.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"potential](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-8-20250409-1613916.webp\" "\\"\\"")
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![\"use](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-9-20250409-7577945.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nStep 2. Fill your topic buckets with keywords.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Featured Resource:<\/strong> Search Insights Report Template<\/a><\/h4>\n
![\"search](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-10-20250409-3446328.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nStep 3. Understand how intent affects keyword research and analyze accordingly.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"how](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-11-20250409-7964898.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nStep 4. Research related search terms.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"people](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-12-20250409-2431147.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"people](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-13-20250409-3094284.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nStep 5. Use keyword research tools to your advantage.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"ahrefs](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-14-20250409-6930911.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"se](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-15-20250409-5918921.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"semrush](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-16-20250409-7001187.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"ubersuggest](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-17-20250409-1372880.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"ryrob\u2019s](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-18-20250409-7632328.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"google\u2019s](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-19-20250409-4587299.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"keywords](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-20-20250409-972813.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"keywordtool.io](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-21-20250409-4712717.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"kwfinder](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-22-20250409-3477661.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"use](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-23-20250409-4358219.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"rank](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-24-20250409-8103989.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nStep 1. Use Google Keyword Planner to cut down your keyword list.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"google\u2019s](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-25-20250409-3815556.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nStep 2. Prioritize low-hanging fruit.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"low](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-26-20250409-2312713.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nStep 3. Check the monthly search volume (MSV) for keywords you\u2019ve chosen.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"screen](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-27-20250409-9924561.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nStep 4. Factor in SERP features as you choose keywords.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Image Packs<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"screen](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-28-20250409-5603259.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nAI Overviews<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"keyword](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-29-20250409-1776097.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"keyword](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-30-20250409-3374851.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"screen](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-research-31-20250409-7222444.webp\" "\\"\\"")
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<\/p>\n