How Keyword Research is Done? | Learn Through 5 Case Studies

Keyword research is one of the foundational steps in any successful SEO strategy. Whether you are building a new business or managing an established one, understanding how to find the right keywords is crucial for driving relevant traffic to your website. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how keyword research is done, using tools like Ahrefs and Google Trends, and applying different strategies for new and established businesses.

Five Cases Here:

Case 1 – For New Businesses

When you are starting a new business, keyword research can seem overwhelming. However, it’s a necessary step in setting up your digital marketing strategy. New businesses usually have the challenge of building their brand visibility from scratch. The goal here is to identify relevant keywords for your business that have the potential to attract your target audience. Here’s how you can approach keyword research for a new business.

For New Businesses

1. Prepare a Document with Seed Keywords and Negative Keywords for the Business
   Before diving into keyword research tools, it’s important to get organized. Start by preparing a document where you list down your seed keywords—these are the core terms related to your business. If you run an online bakery, your seed keywords might include “cakes,” “cupcakes,” “pastries,” and so on. Along with the seed keywords, list negative keywords—these are terms you don’t want to target, such as “free cakes,” if you don’t offer free services.
2. Go to Ahrefs and Navigate to the Keyword Explorer Section
   Ahrefs is a powerful tool for keyword research, and it has a dedicated Keyword Explorer section that helps you generate keyword ideas based on your seed keywords. Start by entering your seed keywords and let Ahrefs analyze them.
3. Use the Seed Keywords to Find Keywords for Each of the Service Pages You Have and for the Blogs Based on the Intent
   Once you have entered your seed keywords into Ahrefs, explore the results to discover relevant keywords for each page of your website, including service pages and blog topics. It’s important to match keywords to user intent: informational keywords for blog posts, navigational keywords for service pages, and transactional keywords for product pages. For example, “how to order cakes online” might be suitable for a blog post, while “buy cakes near me” could be ideal for a service page.
4. Check the Volume and Make Proper Keyword Clusters
   Volume tells you how many people are searching for a particular keyword. Focus on medium to high-volume keywords that are relevant to your business. After that, group your keywords into clusters. A keyword cluster is a group of related keywords that you can use across a variety of content types (service pages, blog posts, etc.). This helps you maintain consistency and rank for multiple related terms.
5. Find the All in Title
   The “All in Title” filter is a great way to see how competitive a keyword is. In Ahrefs, you can filter keywords that show up in the title of many pages. This will help you gauge if a keyword is worth targeting. If the competition is too high, you might want to refine your focus.
6. Find the KGR (Keyword Golden Ratio)
   The Keyword Golden Ratio (KGR) is a metric that helps you identify low-competition keywords with high potential. To calculate the KGR, divide the number of Google results with your keyword in the title by the monthly search volume. A KGR of less than 0.25 is considered a good indicator of a keyword that’s easy to rank for.
7. Keyword with Lowest KGR Will Become the Primary Keyword
   Once you’ve calculated the KGR, choose the keyword with the lowest ratio for your primary keyword. This keyword will be your target keyword for optimizing your content and starting to rank in search results.

Case 2 – For Established Businesses (Businesses that have Traffic in Thousands)

For established businesses with significant traffic, keyword research focuses on finding new opportunities to expand your reach. These businesses have likely already ranked for a variety of long-tail keywords, so the goal is to identify medium-tail and short-tail keywords that can help the business grow.

For Established Businesses

1. Prepare a Document with Seed Keywords and Negative Keywords for the Business
   Just like for new businesses, start by preparing a document with seed keywords and negative keywords. Even established businesses need to ensure they target the right audience by defining these terms clearly.
2. Go to Ahrefs and Navigate to Keyword Explorer Section
   Using Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer section, enter your seed keywords to find related keyword ideas. Established businesses may have a more advanced understanding of their audience, so they can focus more on refining their keyword strategy rather than starting from scratch.
3. Use the Seed Keywords to Find Medium-Tail Keywords for Each of the Service Pages (Only Not Ranking Ones)
   In this step, focus on finding medium-tail keywords—these are keywords that have a decent volume but not as much competition as short-tail keywords. Look for keywords related to your service pages, but only those that you are not yet ranking for. This helps you identify areas of growth. For instance, if your business offers custom cakes, and you rank for “birthday cakes,” you may want to target medium-tail keywords like “custom cakes for weddings” or “vegan wedding cakes.”
4. Check the Volume and Make the Proper Keyword Clusters
   Once you’ve identified these keywords, check their search volume and group them into keyword clusters. This will allow you to target several relevant keywords on each page or post while avoiding keyword cannibalization.

Case 3: Finding the Keywords for Trending Topics

When new topics arise, you want to ensure your website capitalizes on the fresh interest and traffic. Here’s how to find the best keywords for trending topics:

1. Go to Google Trends
   Google Trends is an excellent tool for tracking real-time interest in a particular topic. It helps you discover trending topics before they become mainstream.
2. Search Your Term and Set Your Market Right
   Once you access Google Trends, type in your topic or keyword. Set your target market (geographic location) to ensure the trends are relevant to your audience.
3. Scroll Down and Find More Related Keywords
   Google Trends will show you not only the main keyword but also related terms and queries that people are searching for. This can give you a fresh set of keyword ideas to incorporate into your content.
4. Use Those Keywords in Your Content
   Integrate the trending keywords into your blog posts, service pages, or news sections. By tapping into trending topics, you can drive new, relevant traffic to your website.

Case 4: When You Are Not Finding the Keywords

At times, you might not find relevant keywords using standard tools. If this happens, here’s an alternative method to find keywords:

1. Search Your Term on Google Search
   If you can’t find keywords in your tools, start with a Google search for your main keyword. This will help you identify keywords that are frequently used in organic search.
2. Find Your CompetitorsScroll through the search results and note the URLs of your competitors who are ranking for that keyword.
3. Copy the URLs of Your Competitors
   
   Once you have competitor URLs, copy them and paste them into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer.
4. Go to the Site Explorer Section of Ahrefs
   In Ahrefs, go to the Site Explorer and input the competitor’s URLs one by one.
5. Click on Keywords
   In the Site Explorer, click on the “Keywords” section to see which keywords the competitor’s website is ranking for.
6. Find the Relevant Keywords and Use Them
   
   Now, identify the relevant keywords from your competitors and incorporate them into your keyword strategy. This is an excellent way to identify untapped opportunities that your competitors are capitalizing on.

Case 5: When You Do Not Find Keywords at All?

Sometimes you might hit a wall with keyword research. Here’s a fallback method to gather keywords even when all else fails:

1. Go to Google
   Simply start by searching for your keyword on Google.
2. Search the Keyword in Google Search
   Enter your main term and take note of the related searches and suggestions Google offers.
3. Note Down the Related Keywords
   In the search results, scroll to the bottom to find related searches that Google suggests. These can be great keywords to target in your content.
4. Use the Keywords
   Now, incorporate these keywords into your content strategy, whether on service pages, blogs, or landing pages.

Keyword research is a vital part of SEO that can significantly impact your website’s visibility. By following the steps outlined above, businesses—whether new or established—can build a targeted, effective SEO strategy. Remember, consistency is key, and keeping up with trends, using the right tools, and analyzing your competitors will lead to sustained growth.

How Mohit’s SEO Training Can Help?

At Mohit’s SEO Training, we provide an exhaustive hands-on SEO course to make you job-ready. Rather than focusing on the theory, we ensure teaching you the practical applications of SEO.  Along with the Advanced SEO Training in Bangalore, we are an Organic SEO Consulting Company as well. If you are looking for a full proof SEO Strategy for your business, do contact us.

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FAQs

What is keyword research?
Keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing the terms and phrases people are searching for on search engines to find relevant content.

How long does keyword research take?
It can vary depending on the size of your website, but typically it takes a few hours to a few days.

Do I need to target high-traffic keywords?
While targeting high-traffic keywords is important, focusing on relevance and user intent is just as important for long-term SEO success.

Mohit Verma

I am an experienced professional with 9+ years of experience in Search Engine Optimization. I am on a mission to provide industry focused job oriented SEO so the students/mentees can get their dream SEO job and and start working from day 1.