Guide
SEO keyword research: how to find, group and map keywords (and track the rankings)
Keyword research is where SEO starts. Done well it tells you what to write, what to fix and what to ignore. This guide covers the process, the tools, and how to turn a list of keywords into a page map and a rank tracking report.
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Key takeaways
6
steps: seed, expand, intent, map, prioritise, track
1
URL per keyword cluster
9,999
keywords mapped to build this site
Scroll for the full guide.
What keyword research is for
It answers three questions: what do my customers search for, how much demand is there, and what does Google show for it today? The output is not a list of 10,000 words but a map: each topic assigned to one page, with the primary phrase, the supporting phrases and the intent.
Step 1: seed keywords
List the products, services, problems and places your business covers, in the words a customer would use. Ask sales and support staff what people say on the phone. Look at Search Console for queries that already bring traffic.
Step 2: expand
Put the seeds into a keyword research tool to find related phrases, questions and modifiers (“near me”, “cost”, “best”, “vs”). Check competitors’ ranking keywords for gaps. See keyword research tools for the options, including free ones.
Step 3: understand intent
Search the phrase and look at what ranks. Informational intent (guides, questions) needs an article. Commercial intent (“services”, “agency”, “buy”) needs a service or product page. Local intent (“near me”, a town name) needs a location page and Google Business Profile. Matching the page type to the intent matters more than any other on-page factor.
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Step 4: group and map
Cluster phrases that mean the same thing — Google ranks the same page for them — and assign each cluster to one URL. This stops pages competing with each other (cannibalisation) and shows you which pages you still need to create. Our own site was rebuilt from a map of 9,999 UK SEO keywords using exactly this process.
Step 5: prioritise
Score each cluster on volume, commercial value and how realistic ranking is given who currently ranks. Start with pages that already rank on page two or three and clusters where competitors are weak.
Step 6: track rankings
Once pages are live, track the primary and supporting keywords in a rank tracker and report movements monthly alongside traffic and conversions. A keyword ranking report should show position, change, the ranking URL and the search volume, grouped by topic rather than as one long list. See rank tracking tools and our SEO reporting guide.
Long-tail keywords
Specific, lower-volume phrases (“seo for dentists in leeds”) are easier to rank for, convert better and add up. A page that targets one topic thoroughly will rank for dozens of long-tail variants without targeting each one separately.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How many keywords should a page target?
One primary topic and the cluster of phrases that mean the same thing — often 10 to 50 variants. Not one keyword per page and not unrelated keywords stuffed into one page.
What is keyword difficulty?
A tool-generated estimate of how hard a phrase is to rank for, usually based on the links pointing to current ranking pages. Useful as a rough guide; it does not account for relevance, so treat it with caution.
Is there a free keyword research tool?
Yes — Google Keyword Planner, Search Console, Google Trends and the free tiers of several commercial tools. See free SEO tools.
How often should I redo keyword research?
Refresh the map at least annually and whenever you add a service, location or product line.
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