Introduction

How to do keyword research is a must-know when creating a website.

But why?

1. It helps secure free website visitors (organic traffic) from web traffic monoliths like Google.
   
   
2. You’ll know the topics your audience is actively seeking; no more guessing what they want.

Think of it like this:

Audience research helps you get deep inside your prospect’s mind (the subconscious).

Keyword research gives insight into what your audience has a burning desire for (the conscious).

By the end of this article, you’ll:

• Know what keyword research means in 2025 so you can stay ahead of the masses stuck in the past.
  
  
• Have a game plan for attracting organic visitors through keyword research (even if you are new to website building).
  
  
• Be able to use a leading keyword research tool to conquer organic search.

What Keyword Research is and Why it’s Crucial for Website Building in 2025?

Keyword research is more than just finding popular words; it’s about strategically deciding what content leads to search engine users finding your website.

Anyone can use a keyword research tool to determine the number of people searching for a word per month.

The hard part is narrowing down what keywords to select (The aim is to target one primary keyword per webpage).

Remember: Just because you target a particular keyword doesn’t mean you will rank strongly for it in various search engines.

Google, for instance, is dedicated to ensuring that the websites that rank highly on its search engine results page are of high quality and show expertise.

The competitive nature of search rankings is what makes keyword research so valuable.

It helps you narrow down the keywords that give you a good chance of ranking competitively.

Google provides a set of questions that it recommends evaluating your content against to determine it’s quality here.

These questions include:

1. Does the content provide original information, reporting, research, or analysis?
   
   
2. Is this content written or reviewed by an expert or enthusiast who knows the topic well?
   
   
3. Is the content produced well, or does it appear sloppy or hastily produced?

Read on to discover how to find keywords that give you a good chance of ranking on the first page of Google.

Meet Your Geek Sidekick: A Keyword Researcher’s Best Friend

Different keyword research software is abundant.

The one I will use to demonstrate how to find a keyword you can be competitive for is Ubersuggest.

It is one of the most inexpensive keyword research tools, making it particularly appealing to those just getting started with website optimisation.

Plans start at USD 29 monthly, but a 7-day free trial is available.

Step One: Select Keyword Ideas

• Once you have created an account, click on keyword ideas in the left column of the screen.

Step Two: Keyword Entry & Target Selection

• Enter a broad seed keyword related to your niche e.g. retirement planning.
  
• Select your target language and country.
  
• Click the “First Page Potential (FPP)” drop-down: Enter your website address.
  
• Click the “Search Volume” drop-down: Enter a minimum volume of 100 and a max volume of 5,000.
  
• Click the “SEO Difficulty (SD)” drop-down and enter a maximum of 20 (if your website is new).
  
• Click “Search”

Note that appearing on the first page may be out of reach if you have a brand-new website.

Step Three: Choosing a Keyword to Investigate

• Toggle between the four categories of keywords to find one that aligns with your business capabilities and a search intent that is conducive to you acquiring new business.
  
• Keep in mind search volume and SEO difficulty when selecting a keyword.

Step Four: Reviewing the Competition

• Go to Google and enter the chosen keyword, Ensuring you set Google to the location and language you are targeting.
  
• Review the 1st-page search results (Skip the results marked as “Ad” or “Sponsored”; only focus on the organic search results).
  
  Evaluate each result based on the following criteria:
  
  
• Is the exact keyword missing from the blue clickable title?
  
• Is the exact keyword (or close variation) missing from or poorly represented in the short description below the blue text?
  
• Is the URL linked not containing the keyword, or is it a string of numbers/unrelated words?
  
• Does the search result lead to a page failing to address the search intent directly?

If you find the answer is “yes” to two or more of these criteria consider the keyword a good target to aim for.