Keyword Research and Strategy
Keyword research is the process of analysing the key phrases and words that people use when engaging in a query about products, services or information relating to a business.
In simple terms, it’s about understanding what your audience searches for and how often. From the analysis of this data, a keyword strategy can be created.
The Keyword Research Process
Brainstorming fundamental keywords- We start with broad topics that describe your business for example, a bakery’s fundamental keywords might be: cakes, wedding cakes, cupcakes and breakfast pastries.
Using keyword tools- To expand upon these fundamental keywords, tools can be used to analyse four main metrics that show the value of a certain keyword or phrase: search volume (how often people search), keyword difficulty (how hard it is to rank), CPC (cost per click in ads) and trends (how interest changes over time.)
Analysing search intent- Analysing search intent allows us to understand why users use a certain phrase or word. We look for: the top 10 Google results for that keyword, what medium of content ranks the highest (blog posts, product pages, tutorials?) and the type of query (navigational, informational, transactional?)
Assessing keyword difficulty- This is an extremely important strategy because it can allow us to identify gaps in the market, where search volume may be high but difficulty may be low. This combined with other factors such as the novelty of the website and current brand equity can help us to develop a keyword strategy and know which key phrases and words we should aim to rank highly for.
Keyword grouping- Keyword grouping is the process of organising your researched keywords into clusters (groups) of closely related terms based on shared intent or topic.
Competitor analysis- Competitor analysis of what words competitors rank highly for can identify high potential keywords this knowledge combined with search volume and trends can help identify keywords and phrases to target.
How can keyword research and strategy improve search engine rankings?
Improves Relevance (On-Page SEO)- When your page titles, headings, and content naturally use your target keywords, Google better understands what your page offers- improving relevance for that search.
Increases Click-Through Rate (CTR)- By matching keywords to what users actually search for, your page title and meta description will appear more relevant in search results, this drives more clicks.
Boosts topical authority- If your site consistently produces high-quality content around related keywords (a semantic cluster), Google sees you as an authority in that niche, ranking your content higher.
Enhances user experience- Matching content to keyword intent ensures users find exactly what they’re looking for, lowering bounce rates and increasing dwell time, both positive ranking signals.
Supports link building- Well-optimised content tends to attract backlinks naturally because it’s useful and ranks well, further boosting algorithm trust.
Improves Conversion Rates- Long-tail, intent-driven keywords attract more qualified leads who are closer to making a purchase (transactional or navigational query) , meaning better ROI from organic traffic.