If you want your blog to rank higher on Google, attract readers, and grow traffic, you must learn how to do keyword research. Keywords are the backbone of SEO and content marketing. Without the right keywords, your blog may never reach the right audience.
In this guide, we will break down keyword research into simple steps. You’ll learn how to find the best keywords for your blog, how to analyze competition, and how to use those keywords properly in your blog posts.
Before you continue, you may also want to read my post on How to Configure Image in Blogger, because keywords and images work together for SEO success.
What is Keyword Research?
Keyword research is the process of finding the exact words and phrases people type into Google when searching for information.
For example:
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If someone types “how to start a blog”, that phrase is a keyword.
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If someone types “best fitness tips for beginners”, that’s also a keyword.
By doing keyword research, you discover:
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What people are searching for.
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How many people are searching for it.
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How hard it is to rank for that keyword.
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Which keywords bring traffic and conversions.
Why Keyword Research is Important
Keyword research is not just about traffic. It’s about finding the right audience for your content.
Here are 5 reasons why keyword research is important:
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Improves SEO ranking – Helps you target what people actually search.
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Drives targeted traffic – Visitors who come through keywords are interested in your topic.
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Boosts engagement – When your content matches user intent, readers stay longer.
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Content ideas – Keyword research gives you endless blog post topics.
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Monetization – Right keywords bring in traffic that can be monetized with ads or affiliate links.
Related: If you want to grow your blog faster, check my guide on Top 10 Digital Side Hustles You Can Start with Zero Budget. Blogging is one of them!
Step 1: Understand the Types of Keywords
Before starting keyword research, you need to understand different types of keywords.
Short-Tail Keywords
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Usually 1–2 words.
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High search volume, but very competitive.
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Example: “fitness tips”
Long-Tail Keywords
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Usually 3–5 words.
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Lower competition, but highly targeted.
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Example: “best fitness tips for beginners at home”
Pro Tip: Long-tail keywords are easier to rank for, especially for new bloggers.
Informational Keywords
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People use them to learn something.
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Example: “how to do keyword research”
Transactional Keywords
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People use them when they are ready to buy.
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Example: “best laptop for blogging under $500”
Navigational Keywords
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Used when searching for a specific brand or website.
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Example: “Blogger login page”
Step 2: Brainstorm Keyword Ideas
The first step in keyword research is brainstorming. Think about your niche and write down topics your audience cares about.
For example, if your blog is about health and fitness, some ideas could be:
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Home workouts
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Weight loss diets
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Healthy recipes
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Yoga for beginners
From these topics, you can create keyword lists.
Step 3: Use Keyword Research Tools
Once you have topic ideas, you need tools to find real keywords.
Here are some free and paid keyword research tools:
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Google Keyword Planner (free)
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Ubersuggest (free & paid)
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AnswerThePublic (free limited use)
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SEMrush (paid)
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Ahrefs (paid)
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Google Search Autocomplete (free)
Example: If you type “keyword research” into Google, it suggests:
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keyword research for beginners
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keyword research tools free
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keyword research SEO
These are all keywords you can target.
Step 4: Analyze Keyword Metrics
Not all keywords are equal. You need to check:
1. Search Volume
How many people search for this keyword each month?
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High volume = more traffic potential.
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Low volume = easier to rank but fewer visitors.
2. Keyword Difficulty (Competition)
How hard is it to rank? Tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush give a KD score.
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0–30 = easy
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30–60 = medium
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60+ = hard
3. CPC (Cost Per Click)
If you want to monetize with ads, CPC shows how much advertisers pay per click. Higher CPC = better for monetization.
4. User Intent
Always match content type with user intent:
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How-to keyword → Write a tutorial.
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Best/buy keyword → Write a product review.
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Near me keyword → Write local content.
Step 5: Find Low-Competition Keywords
For new bloggers, the secret is to target long-tail, low-competition keywords.
Example:
Difficult keyword: “weight loss” (millions of searches, very hard to rank).
Easy keyword: “weight loss tips for women after 30” (low competition, specific audience).
Step 6: Organize Keywords Into Clusters
Once you have a list of keywords, group them into clusters.
Example for a Tech Blog:
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Main Keyword: “Best laptops for students”
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Related Keywords:
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best laptop for online classes
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cheap laptops for students
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best student laptops under $500
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This way, you can write one pillar article and several supporting articles linking to each other.
Internal linking is very important. For example, in my article on How to Optimize Blog Images for SEO, I linked related posts to boost indexing.
Step 7: Use Keywords Naturally in Blog Posts
Once you have chosen your keywords, the next step is to use them properly.
Where to Place Keywords
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Post Title (H1)
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URL
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First 100 words of your article
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Headings (H2, H3)
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Image alt text
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Meta description
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Naturally inside the content
Don’t overuse keywords. This is called keyword stuffing, and Google may penalize your site.
Step 8: Track and Improve Your Keywords
Keyword research is not a one-time task. You must keep checking performance.
Use tools like:
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Google Search Console → To see which keywords your blog is ranking for.
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Google Analytics → To track traffic.
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Ubersuggest / Ahrefs → To monitor ranking improvements.
Pro Tip: If you see a blog post ranking on page 2, update it with more keywords, images, and internal links to push it to page 1.
Common Keyword Research Mistakes to Avoid
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Targeting only short-tail keywords → Too competitive.
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Ignoring user intent → Wrong content type = low ranking.
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Keyword stuffing → Bad for SEO.
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Not updating old posts → You miss ranking opportunities.
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Copying competitors blindly → Always find unique angles.
Example of Keyword Research in Action
Let’s say your niche is Blogging Tips.
You want to write about keyword research.
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Main keyword: how to do keyword research
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Related long-tail keywords:
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keyword research for beginners
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free keyword research tools
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keyword research for SEO blogging
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Supporting topics:
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how to find low competition keywords
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keyword clustering guide
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best free SEO tools for bloggers
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This gives you multiple posts that link to each other, creating a content hub that Google loves.
Conclusion
Keyword research is the foundation of blogging success. Without it, you may waste time writing articles nobody searches for. With it, you can attract targeted readers, boost your SEO rankings, and grow your blog traffic.
To recap:
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Understand different keyword types.
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Use free and paid tools for keyword ideas.
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Focus on long-tail, low-competition keywords.
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Analyze metrics: search volume, difficulty, CPC, intent.
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Use keywords naturally in titles, headings, and content.
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Keep tracking and updating your keywords regularly.
Next, you should read my complete tutorial on How to Use Images Effectively in Blog Posts, because combining keywords with optimized images gives your blog the best chance to rank higher.
