Finding the right keywords for SEO starts with understanding what your audience types into Google, then using free and paid tools to expand that list, check search volume, and prioritize based on difficulty and intent. The process is straightforward once you know the steps, and you can get meaningful results without spending a dime on software.
Start With Seed Keywords
Seed keywords are the handful of broad terms that describe your business, product, or topic. They’re the starting point you’ll plug into research tools to generate hundreds of more specific ideas. If you run a bakery, your seeds might be “birthday cakes,” “sourdough bread,” and “custom cupcakes.” If you write a personal finance blog, they might be “budgeting,” “credit cards,” and “student loans.”
Don’t overthink this step. You need maybe five to ten terms, and they should come from your own knowledge of what you offer and what your customers care about. Think about the words someone would type into Google if they needed what you provide but didn’t know your business existed. You can also use ChatGPT to brainstorm variations by pasting in your initial seeds and asking it to suggest ten related keyword ideas for each one.
Use Keyword Research Tools to Expand Your List
Once you have seed keywords, plug them into a research tool to get a much longer list of related terms, along with data on how often each one is searched and how competitive it is. Several solid options exist at no cost:
- Google Keyword Planner provides search volume estimates, seasonal trend data, and competitive intelligence. It’s built for advertisers but works perfectly for organic keyword research.
- Ahrefs Free Keyword Generator takes your seed keyword and returns related ideas with difficulty ratings (easy, medium, or hard) and rough monthly search volume.
- Answer the Public specializes in question-based queries, revealing long-tail keyword variations that reflect how people naturally phrase searches. This is especially useful for blog content and FAQ pages.
- SEMrush’s free version offers keyword discovery, basic site auditing, and competitor analysis.
When you enter a seed keyword like “sourdough bread,” these tools might return dozens of related phrases: “sourdough bread recipe no knead,” “how long does sourdough bread last,” “sourdough bread vs regular bread,” and so on. Each one is a potential page or piece of content you could create.
Understand the Key Metrics
Every keyword tool shows you a few core numbers. Knowing what they mean helps you decide which keywords are worth pursuing.
Search volume tells you roughly how many times per month people search for that term. Higher volume means more potential traffic, but it also usually means more competition. A keyword with 50 searches per month might sound small, but if it’s highly relevant and easy to rank for, it can still drive valuable visitors.
Keyword difficulty is a score estimating how hard it would be to rank on the first page for that term. Tools calculate this differently, but they all consider factors like how many strong websites already rank for it. A difficulty score is a useful starting filter, but it shouldn’t be your only consideration. No single number can capture the full complexity of how Google ranks pages, so always look at the actual search results before committing to a keyword.
Cost per click (CPC) shows how much advertisers pay for a click on ads for that keyword. Even if you’re focused on organic search, CPC is a useful proxy for commercial value. A keyword with a high CPC usually means the people searching it are closer to spending money.
Match Keywords to Search Intent
Search intent is the reason behind a query. Two keywords might look similar on the surface but represent completely different needs. If you create content that doesn’t match what the searcher actually wants, Google won’t rank it well regardless of how perfectly you optimize it.
There are four main types of intent:
- Informational: The searcher wants to learn something. Signal words include “how,” “what,” “why,” “tips,” and “guide.” Example: “how to bake sourdough bread.”
- Navigational: The searcher already knows where they want to go and is using Google as a shortcut. These queries contain brand names or specific site names, like “YouTube Studio” or “Ahrefs login.”
- Commercial: The searcher is researching before buying. Signal words include “best,” “top,” “compare,” “vs,” and “review.” Example: “best stand mixer for bread dough.”
- Transactional: The searcher is ready to act. Signal words include “buy,” “order,” “download,” “get,” and “subscribe.” Example: “buy KitchenAid mixer.”
The simplest way to check intent is to Google the keyword yourself and look at what’s already ranking. If the top results are all how-to guides, Google has determined the intent is informational, and you should create a how-to guide. If the results are product pages, the intent is transactional, and a blog post won’t cut it.
Spy on Your Competitors’ Keywords
One of the fastest ways to find keywords you’re missing is to look at what your competitors already rank for. This is called a content gap analysis, and it reveals terms your competitors get traffic from that you don’t have content for yet.
In a tool like Ahrefs or SEMrush, you enter your own domain and then add up to ten competitor domains. The tool compares the keyword profiles and shows you opportunities: keywords where your competitors rank but you don’t appear at all. These are gaps you can fill with new content.
You can also do this at the page level. If a competitor has a specific article that ranks well, enter that exact URL to see every keyword it ranks for. This often surfaces related terms you wouldn’t have thought of on your own.
Even without paid tools, you can do a manual version. Search your seed keywords, note which sites consistently appear on page one, then browse their blogs and product pages to see what topics they cover. Look at their page titles and headings for keyword clues.
Use Google Search Console for Keywords You Already Have
If your site is already live, Google Search Console is one of the most valuable (and completely free) keyword tools available. It shows you the exact search queries people use to find your site, how often your pages appear in results, and your average position for each query.
This data is gold for two reasons. First, you’ll find keywords you’re already ranking for on page two or three. These are low-hanging fruit: with some content improvement or better optimization, you might push them onto page one. Second, you’ll discover queries you didn’t expect, which can inspire entirely new content ideas.
Filter and Prioritize Your Final List
After running through tools, competitor analysis, and Search Console, you’ll likely have hundreds of keyword ideas. The goal now is to narrow that list to the ones worth creating content for. A few practical filters help:
- Relevance: Does this keyword match something you can genuinely help with? A high-volume keyword that doesn’t connect to your business won’t convert visitors into customers or loyal readers.
- Difficulty vs. your site’s authority: If your site is new or small, targeting keywords that only major publications rank for is a long shot. Focus on lower-difficulty terms where you can realistically reach page one.
- Intent alignment: Make sure you can create the type of content the keyword demands. If the search results show product comparison pages and you don’t sell anything, that keyword isn’t a fit.
- Business value: Prioritize keywords that attract people who might eventually buy, subscribe, or take whatever action matters to you. CPC is one indicator, but so is how closely the keyword maps to your core offering.
Group related keywords together. If “sourdough bread recipe,” “easy sourdough recipe,” and “beginner sourdough bread” all have the same intent, you don’t need three separate pages. One thorough article can target all of them. This avoids spreading your efforts too thin and prevents your own pages from competing against each other in search results.
Long-Tail Keywords Are Your Best Starting Point
Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases, typically three words or more. They get fewer searches individually but are easier to rank for and often convert better because the searcher knows exactly what they want. “Sourdough bread” is broad and brutally competitive. “Sourdough bread recipe without Dutch oven” is specific, easier to rank for, and tells you exactly what the reader needs.
Answer the Public is particularly good for finding these. It maps out questions, prepositions, and comparisons people search around your seed term. Google’s own autocomplete and “People also ask” boxes are free sources of long-tail ideas too. Type your seed keyword into Google, and before you hit enter, note the suggestions that appear. Scroll down in the results and look at the related searches at the bottom of the page. Each one is a real query people are typing in.
For newer sites especially, building a foundation of long-tail content helps you earn traffic and authority before going after broader, more competitive terms. As your site grows and Google trusts it more, you can layer in higher-difficulty keywords over time.