Keyword research is the process of researching prominent search phrases that people input into search engines like Google and strategically using them in your content so that it ranks higher on a search engine results page (SERP). In search engine optimization, keyword research is a crucial step (SEO).

Choosing a topic for your content that is focused on a set of targeted keywords that you want your content to rank for is part of the keyword research process.

Keyword Research in the Past

Since 2005, SEOs have been conducting keyword research for algorithms. However, keyword research as a practice has progressed significantly since then. When it comes to ranking content, search engines now give preference to well-written content that is matched with the search intent. The frequency with which you use a term in your content (keyword density) is no longer the most essential aspect in search engine optimization. Keyword research strategies have evolved in response to ever-changing search engine algorithms, and they continue to do so.

Keyword research is usually done at the start of a campaign and can serve as a foundation for future projects, campaigns, or material. Keyword research can be used to assist you come up with ideas for a new piece of content you’re creating, decide how to label your product features, or optimize your website after it’s been published.

Of course, keyword research tactics vary from small business to large corporation, but we’ll look at a variety of best practices that can help you locate the correct terms for your audience at the right moment.

Your keyword journey is defined by the buyer’s journey.

Identifying your buyer personas and buyer’s journey to purchase is a smart business move that can help you identify which keywords to target for the content you’re planning to write. The buyer’s journey is critical for many departments within your company, not just marketing. If your sales team can determine where a prospect or potential customer is in the buyer’s journey, it will be easier for them to decide how to contact them.

Finding out what their demography, intent, and goals are can offer many various keyword ranges for your use because each user has their own unique journey. This is why creating a content map is critical. Your buyer personas and buyer’s journey stages are plotted on a map, and your content map will advise you which personas or buyer’s journey stages may require additional material.

Consider a B2C journey: a user seeking for racecar parts will search in a very different way than a user looking for racecar toys for their child. However, because they use similar phrases, it’s crucial to know your buyer personas so that the terms may be easily accessed by both parties.

Process of Finding SEO Keywords

After you’ve defined your personas, make a strategy for the keywords you presently rank for and those you wish to rank for.

The PIE approach is a simple structure to follow. It’s something we tell our customers about at the start of the onboarding process.

The acronym PIE stands for Protect, Improve, and Expand in this case. The Protect section is for keywords that you’ve already ranked for and wish to maintain. Brand names and keywords that are closely related to your product or service are quick examples of these. Conversions with these keywords are highly valued because they are typically late-stage.

The Improve section focuses on opportunity keywords that appear on the second to tenth pages of Google search results. These are excellent “low hanging fruit” keywords that can be improved in authority by making little changes to the pages.

Finally, Expand is for potential terms that perform well in PPC but have little organic awareness. These are terms that do not appear in Google’s top 10 results. They also contain additional campaign keywords to add to your toolkit.

By categorizing them in this way, you can prioritize your time depending on the gaps that this analysis reveals. You can then start brainstorming keywords.

Best Practices for Keyword Research

1. People Also Ask About & Related Searches
Here are some more ways Google sends us clues, in addition to learning how to do research with Google Keyword Planner.

Then there’s the search box itself. This gives you hints as to what keywords people are looking for that are closely related to your search. They’re also short-lived, as Google simply fills them in based on current patterns and search volumes.

These keywords are expanded upon under the “Searches Related to…” section. By clicking on them, you can get even more related terms, allowing you to create a keyword matrix, which we’ll go over later.

2. The Table of Contents on Wikipedia
Wikipedia contains a wealth of information on a variety of subjects. Its moderators perform an excellent job of keeping the posts fresh and current by adding new content and links. The table of contents on the side provides useful information on the various categories that have been covered in depth with keywords that are closely related to the subject matter.

By clicking through these, you might find new topics to track with your keywords.

3. Content Gap Analysis of Competitors
Google Keyword Planner provides a fantastic feature that allows you to submit a landing page and get a list of keywords that are relevant to it. If you have a specific topic in mind, you can look up the top competitors for that term and see what supplemental keywords they used to map that page.

In the case of racecar components, we entered the top-ranking URL and used Keyword Planner to get the keywords.

How to Use LSI to Create a Keyword Matrix

In terms of SEO, Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) is a fascinating issue. A typical keyword research plan will often include a list of keywords along with their volume and competitiveness, allowing an SEO to choose and choose based on those two factors. LSI offers an additional dimension by providing supplementary relevance from topically relevant keywords. The Google and Wikipedia examples explain how to make a great keyword matrix using readily available resources.

When building a keyword matrix, keep the following in mind:

1. When it comes to keywords, quality over quantity is the way to go.
You want to locate the sweet spot with keyword competition and search volume now that you have a fantastic keyword matrix. If the term is too broad, it will be diluted, and even if you rank for it, the searcher may not convert because they are looking for precise information. We’ve discovered that utilizing two to three word keywords yields the best results at Conductor.

Many websites have been penalized by Google Panda for employing low-volume keywords and producing hundreds of pages. Build ten well-optimized pages rather than 100 low-quality pages.

2. Don’t use single-word terms that are too broad.
Consider the last time you used Google to search for something with a single word keyword. Have you gotten the outcome you were hoping for? Single-word phrases are often too broad and competitive, and even if you rank, your traffic will not convert.

3. Stay away from long-tail keywords.
The more precise niche you are attempting to reach, the longer your keyword is. More than four keywords can help you specialize your content, but their popularity will slowly decline, resulting in lower search volume.

4. Locate the “sweet spot”
Only the in-between, which consists of two to three word sentences, remains. You should see amazing results if you supplement them with keywords from your LSI Keywords and design the page using article best practices.

TL;DR

You’re looking for a keyword in your sector that isn’t too particular or too popular that will drive traffic to your site and convert visitors into buyers.

It may appear difficult to conduct keyword research. But keep in mind that this study will serve as the bedrock for the rest of your content strategy. Your clients aren’t all the same. Create material for the appropriate audience and deliver it at the appropriate time.

Also Read: How To Do Keyword Research For SEO

USE THIS SITE FOR KEYWORD RESEARCH: 
http://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo/keyword-research
http://moz.com/tools/keyword-difficulty
http://keywordtool.io/
http://wordtracker.com
http://www.keywordspy.com
http://tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools/seobook
http://ubersuggest.org/

http://serpbook.com/serp/
http://www.spyfu.com/
http://termexplorer.com/Public
http://www.keyworddiscovery.com
http://www.marketsamurai.com
http://www.longtailpro.com
http://www.live-keyword-analysis.com
http://www.google.com/adwords
https://adwords.google.com/ko/KeywordPlanner
http://www.google.com/trends/
http://www.keywordeye.com

http://backlinko.com/keyword-research-tools
https://www.constant-content.com/blog/2014/03/how-to-select-top-keywords-for-seo/

https://moz.com/rand/google-suggest-has-wildcards-kw-planner-hides-data