Let me be straight—when I started dabblin’ with SEO, I had zero idea what keywords really meant. I just figured “type what you think people Google,” right? Nah, it’s deeper than that. If you wanna pull in real traffic, keyword research is where it’s at. Not fancy, just necessary.
Anyway, here’s the lowdown on how I go about it. It ain’t perfect, but it works.
Step One: Get Some Seed Words Cookin’
What I always do first is just think of basic stuff people might punch into Google, y’know? Like, super simple. If my site’s about hiking gear or whatever, I start with “hiking boots,” “waterproof bags,” “camping food,” that kinda thing.
Sometimes I even ask myself, “What would I type if I knew nothin’?” Surprisingly, that helps a lot. You don’t need a whole thesis paper to start, just throw some words down and move.
Step Two: Tools or Nah?
Now, I use some tools—sometimes free, sometimes the fancy ones (when trials let me). Ubersuggest’s alright. Google’s Keyword Planner? Kinda clunky but still does the job. Ahrefs? If you got money to burn.
I type in my basic words and let it spit out a zillion suggestions. Most of it’s junk. But gold’s in there too if you’re patient and know what to squint at.
Look for stuff like:
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How many times folks search it monthly
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If it’s got tough competition
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Price per click (CPC)—if it’s high, it’s prob’ly valuable
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And what’s trending up, not down
If it’s too easy or sounds fake, skip it. You want stuff with intent. Real people askin’ real stuff.
Step Three: What’s the Point Behind the Search?
This part? Most skip it. I used to. Dumb mistake. Not every keyword means the same thing. “Buy hiking boots online” ain’t the same as “best boots for beginners.” One wants to shop. Other’s lookin’ to learn.
So yeah, understand search intent. Four kinds mainly:
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Info – learning stuff
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Transaction – wanna buy
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Navigational – trying to get to a site
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Comparison/Commercial – thinking before buying
Check what’s on page 1 of Google for the keyword you’re looking at. If it’s all how-to blogs, don’t try to rank your store page on it. You won’t win.
Step Four: Spy on the Big Dogs
Let’s be real—someone’s probably already ranking for the thing you want. That’s cool. Just peek at what they’re doing.
Go to Google. Type the keyword. Check top 10. Then ask:
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Is their site super authoritative?
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Is it loaded with backlinks?
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Is their content actually good? (Sometimes no!)
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Can I make somethin’ better? Funnier? Clearer?
If the top sites look unbeatable? Pivot. Try a longer version of the keyword. You’ll get there easier.
Step Five: Long-Tail or Go Home
Short stuff like “hiking boots” sounds juicy. But good luck ranking for it. The big guys own those. I like long-tail keywords—stuff like “cheap hiking boots for wet trails.”
Why? Less competition, more specific, and people searching that are way closer to buying something or doing something.
It might only get 90 searches a month. But guess what? That’s 90 people really interested. And if you hit it, you’ll be the only one they see.
Step Six: I Put It All in Buckets
Once I’ve got a pile of good keywords, I don’t just toss ‘em on pages willy-nilly. That’s chaos.
I put ‘em into groups:
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By topic (like “shoes,” “gear,” “tips”)
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Intent (buying, reading, comparing)
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How hard they are to rank for
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What feels most valuable
That makes writing easier later on. And helps plan content ahead. Like “Hey I can write three posts just on waterproof gear.” Boom, content plan.
Step Seven: Make That Content Work
Alright, this part’s where I try to be smart. I’ll write a blog, or update a page, and use the keyword like seasoning—not too much, just enough.
Where I put it:
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Title
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First few lines
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Headings (but not all of ‘em)
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Once or twice in the body
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URL if possible
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Meta description
But really, I try to sound human. If I can’t say it out loud without sounding like a robot? I don’t write it.
Step Eight: Keep an Eye on Things
You think you’re done after publishing? Nah. That’s where the real hustle begins. I check stuff in Search Console. I watch which keywords bring me clicks. I look at bounce rate and time on page.
Sometimes I gotta go back and fix stuff. Maybe I didn’t answer the question well. Or the keyword ain’t even ranking. I try again. It’s like a garden—you keep pulling weeds and watering.
One More Thing Before I Go
Keyword research ain’t magic. But it feels like it once you get it working. Traffic starts coming in. People stay. They read. Some even buy.
It’s part art, part science, part guesswork. But if you listen to what people are actually searching for, and you answer them better than the next guy, you’ll win. Maybe not overnight, but eventually.
Try it your way, learn the patterns, then break ‘em. That’s what I do.
Also, you can learn more about SEO Ranking here.