If you're new to SEO, keyword research is the best place to start. Not because it's the most complex part of SEO — but because everything else depends on it.
Write 50 articles without keyword research and you might get 100 visits a month. Write 10 articles with solid keyword research and you could get 10,000.
This guide explains keyword research from scratch — no jargon, no assumptions. By the end you'll know exactly how to find keywords, what to look for, and how to choose the ones worth writing about.
What is a keyword?
A keyword (or search query) is any word or phrase someone types into Google when they're looking for something.
Examples:
- •
"how to make sourdough bread"— informational keyword - •
"best running shoes for flat feet"— commercial keyword - •
"buy Nike Air Max"— transactional keyword - •
"Amazon login"— navigational keyword
When you create a webpage, you're trying to match what you write with what people search for. Keyword research is how you figure out what people are actually searching for — and whether you have a realistic chance of showing up.
Why keyword research matters for beginners
Without keyword research, you're guessing. With it, you're making data-driven decisions.
Keyword research helps you answer:
- •Is anyone searching for this topic?
- •How many people search for it each month?
- •How hard is it to rank on page 1?
- •What does the searcher actually want from this page?
These four questions are the foundation of every successful content strategy.
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The 5 key keyword metrics (explained simply)
Before you start finding keywords, you need to understand what you're looking at.
1. Search Volume
How many times per month people search for that keyword globally (or in your target country).
- •High volume (10,000+/month): lots of potential traffic but usually very competitive
- •Medium volume (500–9,999/month): good balance of traffic and competition
- •Low volume (10–499/month): easier to rank, less traffic — but many low-volume keywords together add up
For beginners: aim for 100–2,000 searches/month to start.
2. Keyword Difficulty (KD)
A score from 0 to 100 that estimates how hard it is to rank on page 1 for that keyword. Based on how strong the pages currently ranking are.
- •KD 0–25: low competition — great for new sites
- •KD 26–50: medium competition — possible with good content
- •KD 51+: hard — typically needs domain authority and backlinks
For beginners: stick to KD under 25–30 while your site is new.
3. Search Intent
What does the user want when they type this keyword?
- •Informational: wants to learn ("how to do X", "what is X")
- •Commercial: comparing options before buying ("best X for Y", "X vs Z")
- •Transactional: ready to buy ("buy X", "X price", "X discount")
- •Navigational: looking for a specific website ("Gmail login", "Spotify app")
Match your content type to the intent. An informational keyword needs a guide. A transactional keyword needs a product page.
4. CPC (Cost Per Click)
How much advertisers pay for a click on this keyword in Google Ads. High CPC (e.g. $5+) signals that the keyword has real commercial value — businesses are paying to reach people who search it.
5. Trend
Is this keyword growing, stable or declining? Check Google Trends before writing. A keyword with 500 searches/month but growing fast is more valuable than one with 2,000 searches/month but declining.
Finding keywords: 4 beginner methods
Method 1: Google Autocomplete
Type your topic into Google's search bar but don't press Enter. Google suggests the most popular searches in real time.
Example: type "how to grow tomatoes" and you'll see suggestions like:
- •"how to grow tomatoes in pots"
- •"how to grow tomatoes from seed"
- •"how to grow tomatoes faster"
These are all real keywords with real search volume. Write them down.
Bonus trick: type your keyword followed by each letter of the alphabet (A, B, C...) to uncover even more suggestions.
Method 2: People Also Ask
Search any keyword on Google. Look for the "People Also Ask" section — usually after the first few results.
These are real questions people ask Google. Each one is a potential article topic, often with lower competition than the main keyword.
Method 3: Related Searches
Scroll to the bottom of any Google search page. You'll see "Related searches" — 8 more keywords connected to your original search.
Repeat the process for each one. You'll quickly build a list of 50+ keyword ideas.
Method 4: Use a keyword research tool
The methods above find keywords. A tool like Serpvox tells you how good they are — volume, KD, intent, trend and SERP data in one place.
Free plan: 3 keyword analyses per day. No credit card required.
Analyse your first keyword free →
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Search volume · KD · SERP · Trends — Free plan, no card needed
How to choose the right keywords as a beginner
Not all keywords are worth targeting. Here's how to filter for the best opportunities:
The sweet spot for beginners
Look for keywords that meet ALL of these criteria:
✅ Volume: 100–2,000 searches/month
✅ KD: under 25–30
✅ Intent: matches what you can write (informational or commercial)
✅ Trend: stable or growing
✅ SERP check: page 1 doesn't have Wikipedia, Amazon or huge authority sites dominating
When you find a keyword with all five, write the best possible article on that topic.
Why low-volume keywords are underrated
A beginner mistake is chasing high-volume keywords (10,000+/month) because they seem more valuable.
The problem: every experienced SEO is targeting those keywords. You'll be competing against sites with thousands of backlinks and years of authority.
A keyword with 200 searches/month might only send 20–40 visitors/day if you rank #1 — but if you have 50 of those articles, that's 1,000–2,000 visitors/day. This is the long-tail strategy, and it's how most new sites grow.
Step-by-step: your first keyword research session
Here's exactly how to do keyword research for the first time, in 30 minutes:
Minutes 0–5: Pick 3–5 seed keywords What is your site about? List 3–5 broad topics. For a cooking blog: "pasta recipes", "meal prep", "baking bread".
Minutes 5–15: Expand with Google Autocomplete Type each seed keyword into Google and note 5–10 suggestions per keyword. You now have 25–50 candidate keywords.
Minutes 15–25: Check volume, KD and intent Use Serpvox's free plan to analyse the most promising 5–8 keywords. Filter for:
- •Volume: 100–2,000
- •KD: under 30
- •Intent: informational or commercial (matches what you can write)
Minutes 25–30: Check the SERP manually Google the top 3 keywords that passed the filter. Look at page 1 — is it dominated by huge sites, or are there small blogs ranking?
By the end, you should have 2–3 keywords you're confident you can rank for. Write those articles first.
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Common beginner mistakes
Targeting only high-volume keywords Almost always too competitive for new sites. Build your authority with lower-volume keywords first.
Ignoring search intent If the keyword is informational ("how to do X") but you write a sales page, Google won't rank you. Match the content type to the intent.
Picking keywords based on gut feeling Your instinct about what "sounds popular" is often wrong. Always check actual search volume before writing.
Writing one article and giving up Keyword research is cumulative. One article rarely changes a site's trajectory. A library of 30–50 well-researched articles does.
Never checking the competition KD alone doesn't tell the whole story. Always look at who is actually ranking and ask: "Can I write something better than this?"
Frequently asked questions
How many keywords should I target per article? Focus on one primary keyword per article, plus 3–5 related terms that appear naturally in the content. Don't try to optimise one article for 20 keywords — it dilutes focus and confuses Google.
How long does it take to rank for a new keyword? For low-KD keywords (under 20), a new site can see results in 2–4 months with good content. For medium-KD (30–50), 4–12 months depending on your domain authority and backlinks.
Do I need to pay for keyword research tools? Not to get started. Google Autocomplete, People Also Ask and Serpvox's free plan (3 searches/day) give you everything you need as a beginner. Upgrade to a paid plan when you're publishing consistently and need more searches.
What's the difference between a keyword and a topic? A keyword is a specific search query ("how to make sourdough bread"). A topic is broader ("sourdough bread"). One topic can have dozens of keywords. Do keyword research to find which specific keywords within a topic are worth targeting.
Conclusion
Keyword research isn't complicated — but it does require discipline. The fundamentals are simple:
- •Find keywords people actually search for
- •Check that you can realistically rank for them (KD + SERP analysis)
- •Match your content to what the searcher wants (intent)
- •Create the best article on that topic
Do this consistently for 6–12 months and almost any new site will start seeing meaningful organic traffic.
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Read also: Keyword research complete guide · How to check keyword difficulty free · Long-tail keywords guide