Keyword research: the step-by-step method to choose what to write

Keyword research serves to answer three questions: what people who could become your readers or customers are searching for, with which words they search for it, and which of these searches makes sense for you to target right now. It is not just a list of terms to insert into text: it is the foundation for deciding what content to produce and in what order.

Done well, it avoids two costly mistakes: writing articles that no one searches for and targeting searches that are too competitive for your current resources.

Before opening any tool, write down on a piece of paper:

• the products or services you offer and the problems they solve;
• the questions customers ask you most often, on calls, in chat, or via email;
• the objections you need to address before a decision is made;
• the words customers use to describe their problems, which are often different from your industry jargon.

This starting list (the "seed keywords") is invaluable because it stems from real interactions with your audience. Every item is an entry point from which to expand your research.

From each seed term, you can derive many variations. The most useful sources are:

• Google autocomplete suggestions in the search bar and related searches at the bottom of the page.
• People Also Ask questions: they reveal subtopics users want to explore further.
• Google Search Console, if the site is already live: it lists the queries you appear for, including those on page two that can be improved.
• Forums, online communities, and reviews: the spontaneous language of customers is a goldmine of real-world phrasing.
• Competitor content: titles, subheadings, and questions on pages that are already ranking well.
• Keyword research tools for volumes, trends, and variations.

At this stage, quantity matters: collect everything without discarding, as filtering happens later.

For each promising keyword, ask yourself what the searcher wants to achieve: to learn, to compare, to buy, or to navigate to a specific site? Search intent determines the format of the page and therefore your ability to rank. The most reliable way to identify intent is to look at the search results: what types of pages appear, with what titles, and with what special features. This topic is covered in depth in our guide to semantic SEO.

A practical rule: if the top results are all ultimate guides and you have a sales page, that keyword is not right for that page. You need informational content, or a different keyword altogether.

Metrics help guide decisions, but they must be interpreted with caution:

High search volume is not always a positive signal: it often hides vague search intent or massive competition. Long and specific searches (long-tail keywords) have lower volume but clearer intent and less competition: for a growing website, they are the best starting point.

This is the step that separates professional keyword research from mere guessing. For each candidate keyword, examine the top ten results and ask yourself:

• What types of websites appear: major portals, established brands, small blogs, or forums?
• How thorough and updated is the content?
• Are there SERP features (videos, maps, product carousels, featured snippets) taking up space?
• Can you do better? A more practical angle, fresher data, a clearer structure, or direct hands-on experience?

If top positions are dominated by authority sites with stellar content, that query is out of reach for now. If you see weak, outdated, or off-topic pages, there is room for you.

After gathering and evaluating dozens or hundreds of terms, group them. The grouping criterion is intent, not word similarity: "how to proof pizza dough", "pizza dough proofing time", and "how many hours to ferment pizza dough" ask the same thing and belong in the same piece of content. On the other hand, "best flour for pizza" and "how to make pizza" share words but have different intents, requiring separate pages.

A reliable test is to compare SERPs: if two keywords yield almost the exact same top results, Google considers them part of the same query intent.

The final output is a table with one row per piece of content:

• the target keyword and secondary keywords in the cluster;
• the search intent and format (guide, comparison, product page, FAQ);
• the role on the site, such as pillar page or supporting article within a topic cluster;
• the existing page to optimize or the new page to create;
• the priority level and scheduled date.

The golden rule is one primary search intent, one page. If two pages target the exact same keyword, they cannibalize each other; if a valid keyword lacks a dedicated page, you have found a topic to write about.

You cannot write everything at once. Order your content calendar by weighing three criteria:

1. Business value: how close the search intent brings the reader to a inquiry or purchase.
2. Demand: how many people search for it and how stable the interest is.
3. Ability to compete: how realistic it is to rank given your current authority and resources.

Start with high-value searches that face low or medium competition, and with content that strengthens an existing cluster. Leave fiercely competitive terms for later, once your site has established topical authority.

• Relying solely on search volume while ignoring intent and competition.
• Targeting terms that are too broad for a new or low-authority website.
• Creating a separate page for every keyword variation, leading to thin content and keyword cannibalization.
• Ignoring seasonality and publishing a seasonal topic right as peak interest is already ending.
• Never reviewing your keyword map: search behaviors shift, and live pages should be regularly re-evaluated using Search Console data.

Akendor integrates research directly into your editorial workflow. The keyword research tool suggests terms along with volume and difficulty metrics; SERP analysis shows current rankings and content gaps; topic clusters automatically group keywords into supporting articles linked to your pillar page. Article ideas stem from RSS feeds and your chosen keywords with a ready-made editorial angle. You can try everything for free, with no credit card required.