Keyword research finds the searches and questions your customers use, then works out which ones your business can realistically win and which page should win each one. Done properly, it stops you writing content nobody searches for, chasing terms you’ll never rank for, and building pages that compete with each other.
A keyword list that ignores what you actually sell is a research exercise, not a plan.
What keyword research is
Keyword research is the process of identifying the words, phrases and questions people use when they search for what your business offers, and deciding which are worth targeting. It weighs how often each is searched, what the searcher actually wants, how hard it would be to rank, and whether the search leads towards an enquiry or sale. The output maps each worthwhile search to one page.
For a small business, the most valuable part is prioritisation. There are always more searches than there’s time or budget to chase, so the research has to be honest about which ones are winnable.
Who it’s for
Keyword research is worth doing if:
- you’re planning new pages, a new site or a content programme
- you’re publishing content but can’t tell whether anyone searches for the topics
- you rank for your business name but not for what you do
- you run Google Ads and want to know which searches SEO could take over
- you want to show up in AI answers for the questions customers ask
What’s included
| Area | What’s researched |
|---|---|
| Search demand | How often searches are made in the UK, and how that changes through the year |
| Intent | Whether each search is informational, commercial, transactional or navigational, and what page type fits it |
| Difficulty and competition | Who ranks now, whether they’re national brands, marketplaces or businesses your size |
| Questions | The questions people ask in Google and People Also Ask boxes, and how they’d phrase them to an AI assistant |
| SERP features | Whether AI Overviews, local results, shopping results or videos appear, which changes the value of ranking |
| Your current visibility | What you already rank for in Search Console, including searches just off page one |
| Paid search data | Where your Google Ads account shows searches that convert, and where organic pages don’t yet appear |
| Page mapping | Which existing or new page should target each search, so pages don’t compete |
Where the data comes from
Search volumes and difficulty come from tools such as Semrush and Ahrefs, which estimate demand rather than reporting Google’s exact figures. Your own Google Search Console and Google Ads data sit alongside them, because they show real searches that already reach your site or your ads. Live search results are checked for the most important searches, to see what actually ranks and whether an AI Overview is taking the click.
Where you run Google Ads, Search Intelligence joins your search term data with Search Console. On condoms.uk, that approach showed thousands of paid searches, many combining a brand with a product attribute, where the site had no organic presence at all. That’s a list of proven, converting searches that content and product pages could target.
How it runs
- Understand the business: products, services, customers, locations and priorities
- Build the long list from tools, Search Console, Google Ads, questions and competitor rankings
- Clean and group it into topics and intent
- Assess difficulty and value, checking live results for the searches that matter most
- Map each priority search to a page, flagging gaps and overlaps
- Deliver the keyword map with recommendations and a short walkthrough
What you get
- A keyword map spreadsheet with every priority search, its volume, intent, difficulty, SERP features and target page
- Topic clusters showing how searches group and which page leads each cluster
- Gaps and overlaps: searches with no page, and pages competing for the same search
- Quick wins: searches where you already rank just off page one
- Recommendations for new pages, improvements to existing ones, and where Google Ads should keep bidding
Sample output
SEARCH: garage door seal for uneven floor INTENT: Commercial, product research CURRENT: Ranks 11 with a general product page SERP: AI Overview shown, cites two product guides TARGET PAGE: New buying guide section on the threshold seals collection page, answering the uneven floor question directly PRIORITY: High: close to page one, clear buying intent
The example above is illustrative.
Limitations
Search volumes from third-party tools are estimates, useful for comparing searches rather than forecasting exact traffic. Low-volume searches are often underreported, and many valuable searches show little or no volume at all. That’s why Search Console and Google Ads data carry so much weight in the research.
What keyword research won’t solve
A keyword map shows where to aim. It doesn’t write the content or fix the technical issues that stop pages ranking. Most clients follow it with a content strategy or an SEO strategy and 12-month plan.
Talk to the person doing the work
There is no account manager here and no team to be handed to. If you get in touch, it is me who reads it, me who looks at your site, and me who does the work if we go ahead.
Get in touch, or start with a free assessment.
Engagement and price
There are no list prices here, and that is deliberate. What a piece of work costs depends on the state of the site, how much of it there is and what you actually need, none of which I know before looking at it.
So it starts with a free analysis. I look at your site, your Search Console and who you are really competing with, then come back with what I would do first and what it would cost to do. No obligation attached, and if the honest answer is that you do not need me yet, I will say so.
How the work gets done
Research runs through Search Intelligence and my research tools, and every recommendation is reviewed by me. This service is part of SEO services. For the do-it-yourself version, how to find keywords a small business can actually rank for walks through the process, and how to build a content plan from search data covers the next step.
FAQ
What is keyword research?
Keyword research is finding the words and questions people use when they search for what your business offers, then working out which are worth targeting. It weighs how often each is searched, what the searcher wants, how hard it is to rank and whether the search leads towards a sale or enquiry.
Which keywords can a small business realistically rank for?
Usually specific ones rather than broad head terms. Longer searches, questions, local searches and product or service details tend to have less competition and clearer intent. Looking at who ranks now matters: if page one is full of national brands and marketplaces, a more specific version of the search is often the better target.
Can Google Ads data help with keyword research?
Yes, and it’s one of the most useful sources a business already has. Google Ads search term reports show the exact searches that led to clicks and conversions. Comparing them with Search Console shows which valuable searches your organic pages don’t reach yet, and which ones SEO could take over.
Do keywords still matter with AI search?
The idea of matching exact keywords matters less, but understanding what people search and ask matters more than ever. AI search answers questions, so keyword research now includes the conversational prompts people give AI assistants, and the questions behind each search that a page needs to answer clearly.
Find the searches worth winning
Get in touch about your market, or start with a free assessment.