How To Do Keyword Research For Conversion-Driven SEO

SEO has evolved, but keyword research remains fundamental to organic traffic. On Google, people search for information or a solution to a problem they face. They do so by typing a specific phrase into the search engine.

Keyword research aims to find out the phrases that your audience searches for, with the purpose of creating SEO content for them. 

So, if you’re a marketer, founder, or business owner who struggles to get search traffic, you need to make sure you’re getting your keyword strategy right.

I’m Kenny Lee, an SEO writer who dabbles in affiliate marketing. I’ve been creating SEO blogs since 2016, including those for my personal websites. Below is an ultra-niche site I built in 2019 with a targeted keyword strategy. 

In this guide, I’ll explain the steps I use, which still remain relevant today. 

Why is keyword research important? 

The short answer is — to help your audience find you. 

But for me, SEO is a powerful revenue-generating channel that compounds over time, if done correctly.

Let’s look at some numbers to get a better picture.

Google is still the dominant search engine on the internet, and it handles 14.6 billion searches every day.

According to Think with Google, 15% of daily searches originate from totally new keywords. 

These numbers mean that people are constantly searching for information, solutions, or products on Google. For them to find your website, you need to target the right keywords.

Some keywords are super competitive, and they’re dominated by large brands. If you insist on targeting high-competition keywords, it might take years before you can rank for them, especially if your website is new. 

On the other hand, some keywords have almost no competition, but they also have very little or no traffic. Targeting these keywords may help you rank, but they won’t drive organic traffic.

So, you’ll need to strike a balance between traffic and competition, because that’s where the shortest path to SEO-driven revenue lies. 

Keyword research tools to help you out 

Keyword research can be laborious, especially if you want to find those that bigger brands don’t dominate. However, you can cut the time you take with keyword research tools.

Below are tools I’ve tried. 

1. Google Keyword Planner

If you use Google Ads or have a Google account, Google Keyword Planner is a great place to start. You can see search volume ranges, competition level, and get keyword suggestions based on your topic or site. However, Google Ads won’t give you exact numbers (unless you’re running ads). Still, it’s a decent tool for picking up keyword trends.

2. Ubersuggest 

Ubersuggest is Neil Patel’s keyword and traffic research tool. Like most keyword tools, it shows keyword volume, keyword difficulty, paid difficulty, and even related keyword ideas and content topics. It also provides a basic overview of who is ranking and why, which is useful for seeing your potential for appearing on page one.

3. Ahrefs Keyword Explorer

If you’re willing to pay, Ahrefs Keyword Explorer is one of the best tools there is. Keyword difficulty, clicks, potential traffic, and site growth are among this tool’s most comprehensive insights. It shows you competitors’ keyword rankings and their backlink profiles, which is helpful for knowing how to outrank them.

Understanding search intent in keyword research

Before we move forward, there’s an SEO buzzword that every marketer and business owner needs to know — search intent.

Search intent describes what the audience wants when they enter a keyword in a search engine. Knowing the search intent a keyword conveys helps you create content that gives the audience what they want.

Generally, search intent falls into these categories.

• Informational – The audience wants general information about a specific topic.  (e.g., “email marketing”)
• Navigational – People who know what they’re looking for and want to be directed to the exact webpage. (e.g., “Mailchimp”)
• Commercial – Searches from potential customers who might buy in the near future (e.g., “best email marketing software”)
• Transactional – keywords people type in when they want to buy a product/service now. (e.g. ‘Mailchimp sign up”)

 Keywords with commercial and transactional intent attract audiences who are more likely to make a purchase. So, make sure to find and include them in your SEO strategy. 

Keyword research strategy to increase your conversion

Keyword research helps you find the right balance between competition and traffic potential, so you can rank faster and attract the right audience. Below are the steps to get started.

1. Start with a broad topic

Think of a broad topic related to your business. The topic acts as the seed keyword. The idea of finding seed keywords is not to rank for them because they are ultra-competitive, but to expand into lower-competitive search phrases.

For example, if you run a startup offering digital marketing services, ‘email marketing’ is a seed keyword. However, it’s super hard to rank, according to Ahrefs Keyword Explorer. 

Other seed keywords relevant to a marketing agency are

• SEO 
• PPC
• Inbound marketing
• Social media marketing
• Lead generation

And more.

As you brainstorm, you’ll get many broad keyword ideas, but I’ll suggest sticking with one that contributes the most to your revenue and expanding it further. 

2. Find long tail keywords

Long-tail keywords are phrases that contain at least 3 or more keywords. But more importantly, they are more targeted and less competitive.  

Unless you’re a brand with global presence, it might take years before you rank for a seed keyword. For most businesses, they stand a better chance with long-tail keywords. 

So, how do you find long-tail keywords, particularly those that will contribute to your revenue? 

Step into your audience’s shoes and think about possible phrases they’ll search when they want to explore email marketing.

One way to do that is to use Google AutoComplete. Open Google.com and type the seed keyword in the search box. As you do so, notice how Google shows other phrases that people also search. 

In addition, you can also add modifiers like “best”, “free”, or “top” before the seed keyword to get more long tail keyword ideas.

As I’m a huge advocate of pain-point SEO, I usually focus on the problems that customers face. So, I’ll find long tail keywords like these:

• effective email marketing tips
• how to start email marketing
• best email marketing software

After getting a list of long-tail keywords, you’ll need to check if they are worth acting on, which brings us to the next step.

3. Consider keyword difficulty and potential traffic

Long tail keywords are generally less competitive, but there are exceptions. So, it’s wise to know what or who you’re up against before creating content for the particular keywords.

For example, “best email marketing software” is a long-tail keyword, but it’s still extremely difficult to rank. On Google, the search engine result page (SERP) is dominated by brands like Zapier, PCMag, Mailchimp, and GetResponse. 

Now, the question is, should you target ‘best email marketing software’? More importantly, is it worth the time, money, and effort spent?  

Rather than relying on guesswork, it’s better to support your decision with data. If you use Ahrefs or other keyword research tools, you can explore the keyword’s SEO difficulty, potential traffic, and other metrics.

A quick check shows that about 2,000 searches are made per month using the keyword. But the stark reality is that it’s extremely competitive, just like ‘email marketing’ 

Still, don’t give up yet.

If you further expand on “best email marketing software”, you might find a less competitive keyword.

For example, “best email marketing software for large business” is less competitive. While the SERP still shows names like PCMag, Forbes, and Mailchimp, you can find lesser-known websites like RankFirms.

If RankFirms, a listing directory,  can rank for the long tail keyword without acquiring backlinks for the particular blog, there’s a chance that smaller websites can do the same in a reasonably short period, too. 

4. Find supporting keywords

So far, what you’ve learned is to find a primary keyword, which you later create SEO content on. 

To increase the chances of ranking, it helps to find supporting or secondary keywords that further provide context to your content.

Now, the purpose of finding secondary keywords isn’t to stuff them into the content you publish. Rather, these keywords help you understand other concerns that you can address.

For example, if customers search for ‘best email marketing software’, they might want to know which tool is the most popular before signing up.  

Again, don’t leave keyword search to guesswork. Instead, turn to Google or keyword research tools. 

One quick way to find secondary keywords is to look at the People Also Ask section on Google. 

Then, list down a few of the questions and answer them in your content. 

5. Create keyword clusters

Keyword clusters are a group of keywords related to a specific topic. Instead of publishing content sporadically, you gain topical authority when you publish articles that relate to each other. 

With stronger topical authority, you can shorten the time it takes to rank your content for one or more of those keywords. That’s because Google now perceives your website as the go-to source for specific information. 

A good way to create keyword clusters is to find keywords that support the customer’s journey.

Let’s take a look at a keyword cluster for “email marketing”

In your SEO content strategy, you can have multiple keyword clusters for different topics or services you offer. 

6. Prioritize keywords 

Chances are, you’ll get dozens of keywords with decent search volume and competitiveness.

The question is – which keywords should you prioritize when creating content?

And there’s no easy answer.

Businesses implement SEO for various reasons; some want more brand visibility. Others are keen on outranking competitors for specific terms.

That said, if you want to improve leads, conversion, and revenue, your bucket of keywords should contain commercial and transactional phrases or those that address specific pain points.

For example, if you’re offering your own email automation software, keywords like “how to automate emails’ are great for turning visitors into sign-ups.

Meanwhile, keywords like “Mailchimp alternatives” and “best email marketing software” allow you to directly mention your product and convert visitors into leads.

7. Analyze your competitors 

In SEO, it helps to know what your competitors are doing, or have done. And this includes keyword strategy. Getting competitive insights, especially on which keywords your competitors are ranking for, helps you to fine-tune your SEO strategy. 

To do this, you’ll need an SEO tool like Ahrefs, which tracks and consolidates SEO metrics.  

Let’s say you want to check who you are competing with for ‘email marketing’. With Ahrefs, you can get a list of webpages that top Google’s SERP, along with metrics like Domain Rating and number of backlinks. 

These metrics give you a general idea of how much effort you’ll need to put into off-page SEO, such as digital PR and backlink acquisition, to rank on Google’s first page.

Besides analyzing direct competitors for a particular keyword, you can also find content opportunities by knowing what other keywords your competitor is ranking. 

For example, Mailchimp offers email automation, but it also ranks for many keywords related to “make money online”.

From the report, we know that Mailchimp targets people who seek ways to make a living online and has created a comprehensive blog on that subject.  

As you analyze more competitors, you will have a better idea of which keywords you should prioritize in your content strategy. 

Final Thoughts : Understand Intent—Not Just Keywords

I know that this guide is about keyword research. But when you look at what I’ve shared, it’s more about identifying and fulfilling the customer’s search intent. Google’s eventual aim is to give users the most relevant content that helps them solve their problems. And keyword research is a tactic that helps businesses bridge the gap. 

Need help with your SEO keyword strategy? Drop us a message now. 

FAQ

How do I generate SEO keywords?

Consider topics that your audience might be interested in when searching for a solution. Then, use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs to generate related keyword ideas. Analyze the keywords you found, and choose long tail keywords to stand a better chance of ranking. 

How to do free SEO keyword research?

Keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest and AnswerThePublic offer free or limited research features. You can also visit forums like Quora and Reddit to get keyword ideas from real conversations. 

How to find effective keywords for SEO?

Compare the traffic volume and competitiveness of the keywords you found. Ideally, you’ll want to strike a balance between both metrics. Also, analyze the search intent for those keywords. If you want to create content that drives conversion, include transactional and commercial keywords in your keyword list.