How to do SEO keyword search

SEO keyword research starts with understanding your client's business, target audience, and competitive landscape. Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, or Google Search Console to identify what terms people actually search for related to their products or services. Begin by brainstorming seed keywords—broad terms relevant to the business—then plug those into your research tool to see search volume, difficulty scores, and related variations. This gives you a baseline of opportunity. Look at what competitors rank for by entering their domains into your tool and reviewing their keyword profiles. This reveals gaps where your client could compete or opportunities they're missing entirely. Pay attention to search intent, not just volume. A keyword with 500 monthly searches that matches what someone is actually looking for beats one with 5,000 searches where people want something different.

Dig deeper by analyzing the search results page for your target keywords. Look at which pages rank, their content length, their structure, and what they're optimizing for. This tells you what Google currently considers the best answer to that query. If you're seeing news articles or shopping results for a keyword your client wants to target, they may need a different keyword strategy. Use modifiers like location, product type, or intent words (how to, best, near me) to find long-tail opportunities with lower competition. These often convert better anyway since they're more specific.

Create a keyword spreadsheet that includes the keyword itself, monthly search volume, keyword difficulty, search intent, and notes about whether it aligns with your client's business goals. Prioritize keywords that have decent search volume (at least 100+ monthly searches for local services, higher for national), manageable difficulty scores relative to your client's domain authority, and clear commercial or informational intent matching what the client offers. Don't chase high-volume keywords that don't fit your client's actual business. Focus on keywords that will actually drive qualified traffic and conversions. Revisit your keyword research quarterly since search behavior shifts, new opportunities emerge, and your client's ranking positions change.