When you’re building a business online, keywords are the architectural blueprint that guides your way. These aren’t just terms or phrases – they’re the very essence of your connection to your audience.
How do you find the right ones? What makes a keyword ‘good’? These questions keep most business owners up at night.
This article will dive into seven comprehensive tips to help you discover the ideal keywords for your business. You’ll understand what to look for, why it matters, when to act, where to focus, and how to choose. With these tools, you’ll be equipped for real success.
Why The Right Keywords Drive Your Success
The online world is crowded. Really crowded. Standing out requires more than a lucky break or hoping for the best.
The right keywords are your beacon, guiding potential customers straight to your doorstep. But this goes way beyond rankings or traffic numbers on a dashboard. We’re talking about connection, relevance, and actual growth that impacts your bottom line.
Think about it like this – selecting the wrong keywords can lead you down expensive dead ends. You spend months optimizing for terms that bring the wrong people. But choosing the right ones? That can be completely transformative for your business.
1. Search Volume Tells You What People Actually Want
Search volume tells you how many times a specific keyword has been queried over time. Understanding this is like tuning into a frequency where your audience actually speaks.
Here’s where most people get it wrong. They think bigger numbers always mean better opportunities.
High Search Volume, Low Competition creates the sweet spot where many are asking questions, but few businesses are providing good answers. Most SEO tools will use the term “Keyword Difficulty” to give you a score of how competitive specific keywords are. This score becomes your compass for finding realistic opportunities.
High Search Volume, High Competition means the room is crowded and your voice might get completely drowned out. You’re fighting companies with massive budgets and years of authority. Sometimes that fight isn’t worth it.
But here’s what search volume really represents – it’s not just a number on your screen. It’s a pulse on what people actually want. What problems keep them searching late at night. What solutions they desperately need.
The key lies in finding those areas where your voice can be heard loud and clear. Where you can actually make an impact instead of getting lost in the noise.
The Keyword Sweet Spot: Volume vs Competition
Find opportunities where high demand meets low competition
Strategy Recommendation
Start with 60% Easy Wins + 30% Sweet Spot + 10% Competitive keywords for balanced growth
2. Brand Relevance Must Align with Your Identity
What does your brand stand for? What specific problems do you solve? What makes you different from everyone else in your space?
Your keywords must be a direct reflection of these fundamental questions. This might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many businesses chase shiny keyword opportunities that have nothing to do with what they actually offer.
Let’s say you’re selling fitness equipment. A keyword related to fast food might drive tons of traffic to your site, but will it convert those visitors into paying customers? Will those people care about your dumbbells and resistance bands? The answer is almost always no.
Brand relevance isn’t about chasing impressive traffic numbers to show your boss. It’s about building a community of people who genuinely believe in what you offer. People who stick around, engage with your content, and eventually become loyal customers.
This approach takes longer to show results, but the results actually matter.
Brand Relevance Decision Tree
Follow this path to evaluate if a keyword fits your brand
Pro Tip
When in doubt, ask: “Would someone finding this content be disappointed they landed on our website instead of a competitor’s?”
3. Search Intent Puts You in Your Customer’s Shoes
Why is someone searching for a particular term? What are they hoping to find when they hit enter? What problem are they trying to solve right now?
Search intent is like taking a journey into the mind of your audience. It’s about understanding the motivation behind the search, not just the words they typed.
If you’re a travel agency and someone searches for ‘summer vacation,’ what do they actually want? Are they looking for complete package deals? Do they want destination inspiration? Are they searching for travel tips and advice? Maybe they need help with planning and logistics?
Each of these intentions requires completely different content to satisfy the searcher. When you understand this dimension, you can tailor your content in a way that feels almost personalized. Like you’re reading their mind and providing exactly what they were looking for.
This is where the magic happens. When your content perfectly matches search intent, people stay longer, engage more, and trust you faster.
Decode Search Intent: What People Really Want
Match your content to the real motivation behind every search
Quick Identification Trick
Ask yourself: “If I searched this, would I want information, comparison, or to buy something right now?”
4. Conversion-Rich Content Guides the Path Forward
Keywords should not just attract random visitors to pad your analytics reports. They should guide the right people toward meaningful action on your site.
Ask yourself – are you looking for email sign-ups? Direct sales? Free trial subscriptions? Content downloads? The answer should drive your keyword strategy.
Your keywords should act like signposts leading people down a specific path. But you need to know where that path leads before you can guide anyone there.
Think about the customer journey. Someone searching “best project management software” is in a different mindset than someone searching “Asana vs Monday.com pricing.” The first person is exploring options. The second is ready to make a decision.
Which stage of the buying process do your current keywords target? Are you missing opportunities to capture people at different stages? These questions help you build a more complete keyword strategy that guides people from awareness all the way to purchase.
5. Competitiveness Helps You Choose Your Battles Wisely
Some keywords are complete battlegrounds where only the mightiest companies can survive. We’re talking about terms that require massive budgets, thousands of high-quality backlinks, and years of consistent effort to rank.
Competitiveness is your reality check. It helps you assess where you can realistically stand out given your current resources and timeline.
If a keyword requires thousands of backlinks to crack the first page, is it really the right fit for your six-month marketing plan? Do you have the budget to compete with companies spending six figures monthly on content and link building?
This isn’t about being pessimistic or limiting your ambitions. It’s about being strategic with your time and money.
Finding the balance between ambition and what’s actually practical can lead to real success without completely draining your resources. Win the battles you can win first, then use those victories to fuel bigger campaigns later.
Sometimes the best opportunities hide in keywords that bigger companies ignore because they’re “too small” for their goals.
Keyword Competition Levels: Choose Your Battle
Use this guide to assess where your keywords fall and plan your strategy accordingly
6. Gap Targets Let You Explore Uncharted Territory
What are your competitors completely missing? What questions are your potential customers asking that nobody seems to answer well? What problems exist in your industry that everyone just accepts as “the way things are”?
Gap targets are about finding those unique spaces where you can be the primary voice. Where you can establish authority before the competition even realizes the opportunity exists.
Maybe it’s a specific product feature that everyone has but nobody talks about. Maybe it’s a local angle that national companies overlook. Maybe it’s a unique insight from your years of experience that others simply don’t have.
Gap targeting requires innovation and creativity in your keyword selection. It means looking at what everyone else is doing and finding the spaces they’ve left empty.
This approach often leads to the most valuable traffic because you’re not competing with dozens of other businesses for attention. You’re providing something genuinely unique and helpful.
What unique perspective can only your business provide? That’s where your gap opportunities live.
7. Keyword Type Balance Creates a Diverse Strategy
Not all keywords are created equal, and they shouldn’t all work the same way in your strategy.
Seed keywords might be broad and generic – terms like “marketing” or “project management.” These cast wide nets but often attract people who aren’t ready to buy anything yet.
Long-tail keywords can be incredibly specific and targeted – phrases like “best email marketing software for real estate agents” or “how to track project deadlines in remote teams.” These attract fewer people but usually people who know exactly what they want.
A robust keyword strategy embraces both approaches and everything in between. It’s like having a conversation that naturally ranges from general topics to detailed insights, making sure that every type of audience member feels included and valued.
Think about the different stages of your customer’s journey. Early-stage prospects need different content than people ready to purchase. Your keyword strategy should reflect this reality by targeting people at every stage of the process.
Some keywords build awareness. Others drive consideration. Some push people toward final decisions. You need all three types working together to create a complete marketing system.
Your Complete Keyword Portfolio Strategy
Balance different keyword types for maximum impact across the customer journey
Smart Approach
Create one piece of comprehensive content that targets one medium-tail keyword and naturally includes 3-5 related long-tail variations
Conclusion
Choosing the right keywords is not a solitary act that you do once and forget about. It’s a symphony of different elements working in harmony to attract, engage, and convert the right people for your business.
From understanding the competitive landscape to aligning perfectly with your brand identity, creating content that actually converts visitors into customers, and exploring new opportunities that your competitors haven’t found yet – each part plays a significant role in your overall success.
Follow these seven comprehensive criteria, and the intimidating task of keyword selection becomes a well-guided journey. A process full of opportunities for real growth that impacts your business in measurable ways.
The businesses that succeed online don’t just pick keywords randomly or chase whatever seems popular. They build thoughtful strategies that connect the right people with the right solutions at the right time.
What keywords are you currently targeting? How do they measure against these seven criteria? Sometimes the most valuable exercise is auditing what you’re already doing before chasing new opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions About Keyword Selection
Get answers to the most common questions about choosing the right keywords for your business
How many keywords should I target for my website?
Start with 20-50 keywords for a small business website, focusing on 2-3 primary keywords and 15-20 supporting long-tail variations. Large businesses can target 100+ keywords across different pages. Quality matters more than quantity – it’s better to rank well for 20 relevant keywords than poorly for 200. Build your list gradually and expand as your content strategy develops.
What tools do I need for keyword research?
Start with free tools like Google Keyword Planner, Google Search Console, and Answer The Public. For deeper insights, consider paid tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, or KWFinder. Don’t overlook manual research – check competitor websites, Google autocomplete, and “People Also Ask” sections. The best keyword research combines multiple data sources for complete insights.
Should I target high-volume keywords or low-competition ones?
Balance both in your strategy. Start with low-competition, long-tail keywords to build authority and get quick wins. Use these results to gradually target higher-volume terms. A good mix is 60% low-competition keywords, 30% medium-competition, and 10% high-competition aspirational keywords. This approach builds sustainable organic growth over time.
How do I know if a keyword is too competitive for my website?
Check the top 10 search results – if they’re all major brands with high domain authority, strong backlink profiles, and comprehensive content, it’s likely too competitive. Use keyword difficulty scores from SEO tools as a guide: 0-30 is low competition, 31-60 is moderate, 61+ is high competition. Also consider your website’s age, authority, and resources available for content creation.
What’s the difference between short-tail and long-tail keywords?
Short-tail keywords are 1-2 words with high search volume but intense competition and vague intent (like “marketing”). Long-tail keywords are 3+ words with lower volume but specific intent and easier ranking opportunities (like “email marketing for restaurants”). Long-tail keywords typically convert better because they match specific user needs and face less competition.
How often should I update my keyword strategy?
Review your keyword performance monthly and update your strategy quarterly. Search trends, competition, and user behavior change regularly. Check which keywords are gaining or losing traction, identify new opportunities based on your content performance, and adjust based on business goals. Major updates should happen 2-4 times per year, with minor adjustments ongoing.
Can I target multiple keywords on one page?
Yes, target one primary keyword and 3-5 related secondary keywords per page. These should be semantically related and serve similar search intent. Avoid keyword stuffing – focus on creating comprehensive content that naturally incorporates variations. Modern SEO rewards topical authority over exact keyword matching, so related terms actually strengthen your rankings.
What’s search intent and why does it matter?
Search intent is the reason behind someone’s search query. There are four types: informational (seeking knowledge), navigational (finding specific sites), commercial (comparing options), and transactional (ready to buy). Matching your content to search intent is crucial – Google ranks pages that satisfy user intent, not just those with exact keyword matches. Always ask: “What does someone want when they search this?”
Should I focus on local keywords or national ones?
This depends on your business model. Local businesses should prioritize local keywords (“dentist Chicago”) as they’re easier to rank for and drive qualified traffic. National businesses can target both – use local keywords to build authority in specific markets, then expand to national terms. Local keywords often have higher conversion rates because they indicate immediate purchase intent.
How do I find keywords my competitors are missing?
Use competitor analysis tools to see their keyword rankings, then look for gaps in their content. Check industry forums, Reddit discussions, and customer support tickets for questions they’re not addressing. Analyze their top pages and identify subtopics they haven’t covered. Also examine your unique value propositions – what specific problems do you solve that others don’t?
What’s keyword cannibalization and how do I avoid it?
Keyword cannibalization happens when multiple pages compete for the same keyword, confusing search engines about which page to rank. Avoid it by mapping one primary keyword per page, using keyword variations rather than exact duplicates, and consolidating similar content. If you have cannibalization issues, either merge pages or differentiate them with unique angles and keyword focuses.
How long does it take to rank for new keywords?
Ranking timelines vary by competition level and website authority. Low-competition long-tail keywords might rank in 1-3 months, medium-competition terms take 3-6 months, and high-competition keywords can require 6-12+ months. New websites need longer than established ones. Focus on creating quality content consistently rather than expecting immediate results – SEO is a long-term investment.
Should I target branded keywords or focus on generic terms?
Target both strategically. Branded keywords (including your company name) are easier to rank for and protect your brand presence. Generic terms drive discovery and new customer acquisition but face more competition. Start with branded terms and brand + service combinations, then gradually expand to generic industry terms as your authority grows. Branded keywords also typically have higher conversion rates.
