Keyword Research

• Early ideation phase when you need to validate if people are actively searching for solutions to the problem you want to solve
• Market sizing to understand the potential reach and demand for your product category
• Content strategy development to identify what topics and pain points resonate most with your target audience
• Competitive analysis to discover what keywords competitors are targeting and identify market gaps
• Product positioning to understand the language and terminology your target customers actually use
• Before launching marketing campaigns to ensure you're targeting terms people actually search for
• International expansion to validate demand in new geographic markets through localized keyword research

1. Define your core business concept - Write down 5-10 seed keywords that describe your product, service, or the problem you're solving. Include industry terms, competitor names, and problem-focused phrases.

2. Choose your research tools - Start with free tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest (free tier), or AnswerThePublic. For deeper insights, consider paid tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz Keyword Explorer.

3. Generate keyword variations - Input your seed keywords into your chosen tools to discover related terms, long-tail variations, and questions people are asking. Pay attention to auto-complete suggestions and 'People also ask' sections.

4. Analyze search volumes and trends - Document monthly search volumes for each keyword. Look for consistent volume over time rather than temporary spikes. Use Google Trends to understand seasonal patterns and geographic distribution.

5. Assess keyword difficulty and competition - Evaluate how difficult it would be to rank for each term. High-volume, low-competition keywords indicate market opportunities. Analyze what types of content currently rank for your target keywords.

6. Identify user intent patterns - Categorize keywords by intent: informational (learning about problems), commercial (comparing solutions), or transactional (ready to buy). This reveals where people are in their customer journey.

7. Document insights and validate assumptions - Create a spreadsheet with keywords, volumes, competition, and intent. Look for patterns that validate or contradict your assumptions about market demand and customer behavior.

8. Test top keywords - Create basic landing pages or content targeting your highest-potential keywords to test actual traffic and engagement, validating the research with real user behavior.

Pros

• Objective data - Provides quantitative insights based on actual user behavior rather than stated preferences
• Cost-effective - Many powerful keyword research tools offer free tiers or trials
• Reveals market size - Search volumes indicate potential audience size and demand levels
• Uncovers customer language - Shows exactly how your target audience describes their problems and needs
• Competitive intelligence - Identifies gaps in the market and successful competitor strategies

Cons

• Search-dependent - Only captures demand from people who search online; misses offline or non-search behavior
• Keyword volume accuracy - Search volume data from tools can be estimates rather than exact figures
• Intent interpretation - Requires skill to correctly interpret what search behavior actually means for your business
• Static snapshot - Represents current search patterns but may not predict future trends or emerging needs
• High competition keywords - Popular terms often have established competitors, making market entry challenging