Catalog / SEO Keyword Research Cheatsheet
SEO Keyword Research Cheatsheet
A quick reference guide to effective keyword research for SEO, covering essential tools, techniques, and metrics to identify and target the most valuable keywords for your website.
Keyword Research Fundamentals
Understanding Keywords
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Head Keywords: Short, generic terms with high search volume and broad intent (e.g., ‘shoes’). |
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Body Keywords: More specific, two-to-three word phrases with decent search volume (e.g., ‘running shoes’). |
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Long-Tail Keywords: Highly specific, multi-word phrases with lower search volume but higher conversion rates (e.g., ‘best running shoes for marathon training’). |
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Informational Keywords: Used when seeking information or answers (e.g., ‘how to tie shoelaces’). |
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Navigational Keywords: Used to find a specific website or page (e.g., ‘Nike official website’). |
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Transactional Keywords: Used when intending to make a purchase (e.g., ‘buy running shoes online’). |
Key Metrics
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Search Volume |
The number of times a keyword is searched for in a given period (usually monthly). |
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Keyword Difficulty |
An estimate of how difficult it is to rank on the first page of search results for a given keyword. |
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Click-Through Rate (CTR) |
The percentage of searchers who click on a search result for a given keyword. |
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Cost Per Click (CPC) |
The average cost an advertiser pays for a click on an ad triggered by a specific keyword (used for paid search insights). |
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Search Intent |
The user’s goal when searching for a particular keyword (informational, navigational, transactional). |
Keyword Research Tools
Free Tools
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Google Keyword Planner: Provides keyword ideas and search volume data; requires a Google Ads account. |
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Google Trends: Shows the popularity of a keyword over time and identifies trending topics. |
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AnswerThePublic: Visualizes questions and phrases people search for around a specific keyword. |
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Ubersuggest: Offers keyword suggestions, search volume, and keyword difficulty scores (limited free usage). |
Paid Tools
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Ahrefs: Comprehensive SEO toolset, including keyword research, competitor analysis, and rank tracking. |
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SEMrush: Offers keyword research, site audits, and position tracking features. |
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Moz Keyword Explorer: Provides keyword suggestions, search volume, difficulty, and opportunity scores. |
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LongTailPro: Focuses on finding long-tail keywords with good ranking potential. |
Keyword Research Techniques
Brainstorming
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Start with your core business offerings and expand on related topics and subtopics. |
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Consider your target audience: What problems are they trying to solve? What questions do they have? |
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Think like your customers: What words would they use to find your products or services? |
Competitor Analysis
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Identify your main competitors and analyze their websites to see what keywords they’re targeting. |
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Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to see which keywords your competitors are ranking for and driving traffic. |
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Look for keyword gaps: Are there any keywords your competitors aren’t targeting that you could potentially rank for? |
Leveraging Search Suggestions
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Type a keyword into Google and see the suggestions that appear in the dropdown menu (Google Autocomplete). |
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Check the ‘People also ask’ box for related questions. |
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Examine the related searches at the bottom of the search results page. |
Applying Keywords
On-Page Optimization
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Title Tags: Include your primary keyword at the beginning of the title tag for each page. |
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Meta Descriptions: Write compelling meta descriptions that include relevant keywords to encourage clicks from the search results page. |
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Headings: Use keywords in your H1, H2, and H3 headings to structure your content and signal relevance to search engines. |
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Body Content: Naturally incorporate keywords into your body content, focusing on providing value to the reader. |
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Image Alt Text: Use descriptive alt text for your images that includes relevant keywords. |
Content Strategy
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Create high-quality, informative content that targets your chosen keywords and addresses your audience’s needs. |
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Develop a content calendar to ensure consistent content creation and publication. |
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Repurpose content into different formats (e.g., blog posts, infographics, videos) to reach a wider audience. |
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Optimize your content for featured snippets by answering common questions clearly and concisely. |