1. List keywords before starting with SEO.
Consider the whole buying cycle which includes awareness, consideration, & decision stages. Look at wikis, forums, & directories while brainstorming alongside subject matter experts & customers. This best initiates research before SEOs expand upon it.
2. Research keywords that define your audience, not only describing product or service features & benefits.
Address not only what you offer but what industries, types of people, and locations you serve.
3. Use Google’s autocomplete feature by entering keywords into the search bar, prepending or appending letters & words.
This provides ideas to broaden your keyword theme. Also, explore related searches at the bottom of these results or the People Also Ask section near the top. This process works similarly not just on Google but other search engines too.
4. Analyze keywords from competitor domains through SEO tools like Google’s Keyword Planner, SEMrush, & Ahrefs. Research both named & organic competitors. Pay attention to content gaps, or when they address keywords that you don’t.
5. Leverage your own data to find new opportunities:
- Use Google’s Search Console keyword rankings to address queries you rank for but haven’t considered.
- View internal site search queries through Google Analytics.
- Use Bing & Google Ads keyword data, allowing you to be specific while focusing on what converts.