How We Do Keyword Research in Just 30 Minutes

Keyword research is one of the most critical steps in developing a successful SEO strategy. Time is of the essence, and being able to find high-value keywords quickly can make a huge difference in optimizing your content and gaining a competitive edge. In this article, we’ll walk you through how we do keyword research in just 30 minutes, step-by-step, using proven techniques that drive results.

1. Start with a Seed Keyword

The first step is identifying a seed keyword, which acts as the foundation for your keyword research. This is typically a broad term related to your industry or niche. You might already have an idea of what this keyword is, but if you’re unsure, you can look at your competitors' content or think about the core services or products you offer.

Once you have your seed keyword, we’ll enter it into one of our favorite keyword research tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Keyword Planner. This will give us a list of related keywords and valuable insights about search volume, competition, and CPC (cost per click).

Why It Matters:

The seed keyword is the entry point to discovering long-tail keywords and related terms that can help expand the reach of your content. Without this initial step, your keyword research will be directionless.

2. Analyze Search Volume and Competition

The next step is to evaluate the search volume and keyword difficulty of the keywords you’ve generated. It’s essential to strike a balance between high search volume and low competition. High-volume keywords will drive traffic, but if they’re too competitive, ranking for them will be challenging. On the other hand, low-competition keywords with minimal search volume might not provide enough traffic to make them worth your time.

In this step, we’ll carefully select keywords that meet the following criteria:

• Search volume: A monthly search volume of 100 to 10,000 searches (depending on the niche).
• Keyword difficulty: A difficulty score of 30 or below (on a scale from 1 to 100).

Using tools like Moz, Ahrefs, or Ubersuggest, we can quickly assess which keywords offer the best opportunity for ranking.

3. Identify Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific keyword phrases. While they may have lower search volume, they typically convert better because they target users who are further down the purchase funnel. Long-tail keywords usually contain 3-5 words and are more specific in intent.

We use keyword research tools to filter for long-tail keywords that align with our target audience. For example, if your seed keyword is “plumbing services,” a long-tail keyword might be “24/7 emergency plumbing services near me.”

Why Long-Tail Keywords Matter:

While long-tail keywords may not bring in as much traffic as high-volume keywords, they’re often easier to rank for and attract more qualified leads. Focusing on long-tail keywords can also increase the likelihood of capturing voice search queries, which often consist of full questions or phrases.

4. Analyze Competitor Keywords

Understanding what keywords your competitors are ranking for can provide valuable insights into gaps in your current keyword strategy. Using tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush, we can input competitor URLs to uncover the keywords they are targeting.

Steps We Take:

1. Identify top competitors in your industry.
2. Use tools to gather their keyword data.
3. Analyze which of their keywords have high search volume and low competition.
4. Determine if you can create better content around those keywords or target similar, less competitive terms.

Competitor analysis can also reveal content gaps—areas where your competitors haven’t fully optimized, giving you an opportunity to outperform them with high-quality, targeted content.

5. Leverage Google Autosuggest and Related Searches

Sometimes, the best keywords aren’t hidden behind advanced tools but are right in front of us. Google’s Autosuggest and Related Searches features offer a wealth of keyword ideas based on what real users are searching for. To use this method:

1. Type your seed keyword into the Google search bar.
2. Observe the auto-suggestions that pop up as you type.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the search results page to find Related Searches.

Pro Tip:

Google Autosuggest is particularly effective for discovering question-based queries or location-specific terms. This can be especially useful for local SEO or for targeting niche audiences.

6. Use Question-Based Keywords

People often search in the form of questions. These queries indicate a user’s intent to find a specific solution or answer. By targeting question-based keywords, you can position your content as the go-to resource for addressing common problems in your industry.

We recommend using tools like AnswerThePublic or the “People Also Ask” feature on Google to generate question-based keywords. For example, if your seed keyword is “SEO tools,” question-based long-tail keywords might include:

• “What are the best SEO tools for small businesses?”
• “How do SEO tools help improve rankings?”

Why This Matters:

Question-based keywords allow you to target users at various stages of the buying cycle. They also increase the chances of your content appearing in featured snippets, which can significantly boost your organic visibility.

7. Filter Keywords by User Intent

User intent, or search intent, refers to the reason behind a user’s search query. Understanding user intent allows us to tailor our content more effectively. There are four primary types of search intent:

• Informational: The user is looking for information (e.g., “How does keyword research work?”).
• Navigational: The user is looking for a specific website (e.g., “Google Keyword Planner”).
• Transactional: The user is looking to make a purchase (e.g., “buy SEO software”).
• Commercial: The user is considering a purchase and looking for comparisons (e.g., “best SEO tools for small businesses”).

By categorizing your target keywords based on these intents, you can create content that aligns with what users are really looking for. This increases engagement, reduces bounce rates, and improves the chances of converting traffic into leads or customers.

8. Prioritize Keywords and Plan Content

Once you’ve gathered a list of high-value keywords, the next step is to prioritize them based on your goals. Whether you’re focusing on blog posts, landing pages, or product descriptions, each piece of content should be optimized for specific target keywords.

Steps We Take:

1. Prioritize keywords by search volume and competition.
2. Create a content calendar to systematically target these keywords.
3. For each piece of content, incorporate the primary keyword in the title, meta description, headings, and throughout the body.

Conclusion

Effective keyword research doesn’t need to take hours. By following these eight steps, you can complete comprehensive keyword research in just 30 minutes. This process ensures that your content is optimized for both high-traffic keywords and long-tail terms, giving you the best chance of ranking high on search engines.