Keyword research is understanding what your ideal customers search for and how you can create content that helps them. You do not need expensive tools or complex spreadsheets to start.

Three types of keywords

Informational – People learning. Examples: “how to choose a domain name”, “what is managed hosting”. Use for hub content and guides.

Commercial – People comparing. Examples: “WordPress vs Shopify”, “best hosting for small business”. Use for comparison content and service support.

Transactional – People ready to act. Examples: “web designer Stratford”, “Shopify developer UK”. Use for service pages and landing pages.

Simple method

1. Start with what your customers ask

Write down common questions, phrases, and confusions. Map them to your hubs and service pages. These are high-value topics.

2. Use free search tools

  • Google Autocomplete: type a topic and see suggestions
  • People Also Ask: real questions from real users
  • Related Searches: at the bottom of Google results

3. Look at competitors

Search for your service. Look at their service pages, blog topics, and FAQs. Spot gaps. Do not copy; improve.

4. Validate with tools (optional)

Google Keyword Planner, AnswerThePublic, Ahrefs Free Keyword Generator, and Search Console (what you already rank for) give extra direction. Do not obsess over exact volumes.

Search intent

Match content to intent. “Web design inspiration” is browsing; “hire web designer Stratford” is buying. A mismatch leads to poor performance. See Search intent.

Topic clusters

Group keywords by theme. Your hubs (domains, hosting, technical SEO, content, growth) are topic clusters. One page = one topic. One hub = one theme. Pages naturally rank for many related keywords when written clearly.

Dos and don’ts

Do: use natural language, answer real questions, group topics logically, use headings, link to related guides. Don’t: stuff keywords, write for robots, target irrelevant phrases, use misleading titles.

For next steps, see Search intent, On-page SEO, and Content strategy.

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