How To Do Keyword Research for Blog Posts

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on “Keyword Research for Blog Posts“! If you’re a blogger seeking to enhance your blog’s visibility and attract a larger audience, you’ve landed in the perfect spot.

Keyword research is a vital step in crafting successful blog posts. It involves finding the right words and phrases that people are searching for online. By understanding what your audience is looking for, you can create content that resonates with them and drives more traffic to your blog.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of keyword research step by step. From identifying relevant keywords to analyzing their competitiveness and integrating them into your content effectively, we’ll cover everything you need to know to elevate your blog’s performance.

Whether you’re new to blogging or a seasoned veteran, mastering keyword research can significantly impact the success of your blog.

So, let’s dive into the world of keyword research for blog posts and unlock the potential to reach a wider audience and achieve your blogging goals!

Keyword Research For Blog Posts

Most bloggers are always seeking to write articles, but they don’t know where to start. Their initial step is to find relevant keywords for the topic they want to cover in their blog.

Before you start writing, take the time to conduct thorough keyword research. This involves identifying relevant keywords that are related to your blog topic.

You must consider these steps in your keyword research process, which are:

Find Relevant Keywords with the Help of a Seed Keyword

To find more relevant keywords, first pick a seed keyword like “SEO” or “Search Engine Optimization,” etc. These are just example seed keywords to show you, but you need to pick those seed keywords that are relevant to your blog content that you need to cover in the form of an article.

There are different options to find keyword ideas; let me share them with you in detail.

Getting Search Ideas with the help of Google Search Engine

After picking the seed keyword, you need to go to the Google search engine and paste that seed keyword. You will find more search phrases and relevant terms associated with your seed keyword.

Here’s one thing to remember:

• Your seed keyword is typically a short-tail keyword consisting of 1 or 2 words, or occasionally 3, depending on the context. However, if your blog website is new, you can’t use that short-tail keyword in your content because it has a high traffic volume, making it difficult to compete with established websites.
• In this scenario, you need to consider only long-tail keywords because they have lower competition, making it easier for you to rank.

Consider People May Ask Questions

When you search any keyword related to your content, you can also see the “People May Ask” section on a Google search page. 

As you can see in the screenshot, these questions are suggested by Google, and most people are searching for them, which is why Google shows them in a “People Also Ask” section. Remember, these are long-tail keywords that Google displays in the form of questions.

By default, only four questions are visible, but when you open any random question from a list, you can view additional questions as well.

But also note one thing, Google only displays the answers to those questions concisely, as you can see in the screenshot. If you write descriptive content for these questions, you may have a chance to rank because you can write a detailed problem-solving response to that question in your article.

Leverage Related Searches Related To Your Seed Keywords

When you search for your ‘Seed Keyword’ and dive into the Google search page view, you can easily find this section called ‘Related Searches‘; it appears after the ‘People Also Ask‘ section.

Related search phrases also carry long-tail keywords, and you can consider writing about them.

Use Google Keyword Planner To Get Keyword Ideas

The Keyword Planner is a helpful tool that’s included in Google Ads. It’s there because it’s part of the whole Google Ads package.

This tool is mostly used for creating ads. It gives you lots of details about something called Pay-per-click (PPC).

There are two methods in Google Keyword Planner to get Keyword Ideas.

First Method: Write and Enter Your Seed Keyword to Get Keyword Ideas

When you’re on the Google Ads dashboard, simply navigate to Tools and then select “Keyword Planner,” and click on “Discover new keywords“.

Type your seed keyword and select the desired location to view your data accordingly.

Thus, you will get a lot of keyword ideas by simply using Google Keyword Planner.

And remember, you simply need to collect keyword ideas from there. There’s no need to focus on other columns such as Average Monthly Searches, Three-Month Change, and Competition, as they primarily display advertising data.

Your main goal is to create content for a blog, so just choose those keywords for which you believe you can create better content. 

You can easily download these keywords in a .csv file extension or Google Sheets, but it depends on where you want to save this data and rearrange it in a well-mannered way.

Second Method: Getting Keywords From Your Competitors

In Google Keyword Planner, you can find a tab called ‘Start with a website,’ where you simply need to input the web address of your competitor, choose your desired location, select the entire site data, and click on ‘Get results‘.

Note: We recommend you choose “Entire site data” instead of “Only this page” because you’re seeking detailed keyword ideas at the beginning of your blog to gather keywords from your competitor. You won’t select just for this page; you’ll select the entire website. Additionally, this choice depends on your specific requirements or scenarios.

Thus, you will get a lot of keyword ideas from your competitors.

So, you can utilize this option for competitor keyword research and gather better content ideas from your competitors.

Try Paid SEO Tools for Keyword Research And Discover Ideas

As we discover the Google keyword planner option, there is one setback that is month search volume is regarding PPC not about organic search point of view.

For this, you need to utilize paid SEO tools for Keyword Research which comes with various features like:

1. Organic Monthly Search Volume
2. Search Difficulty (SD) Metric. In some tools, it is read as Keyword Difficulty.
3. Paid Difficulty Metric
4. Cost-Per-Click (CPC Metric)

Here is a list of paid SEO tools for Keyword Research for Blog posts that you can use:

1. Ahref
2. Semrush
3. Ubersuggest
4. KWFinder
5. WriterZen

Monthly Search Volume Recommendation for Bloggers

When it comes to choosing keywords for your blog posts, one important factor to consider is the monthly search volume. This metric indicates how many times a particular keyword is searched for on search engines like Google each month.

It’s recommended for bloggers to focus on keywords with a moderate monthly search volume. These keywords typically have enough search volume to attract organic traffic to your blog but are not overly competitive.

Targeting long-tail keywords with specific phrases can also be beneficial as they tend to have lower search volume but higher conversion rates.

Using tools like Google Keyword Planner or the paid SEO tools mentioned above can help you identify keywords with the right monthly search volume for your blog posts.

Remember, it’s not just about the numbers, but also about the relevance to your content and audience.

We recommend selecting keywords with a search volume under 10 to 300. Nowadays, competition is high, and many competitors are also focusing on low-volume keywords.

So, start small at the beginning; don’t choose keywords with volumes exceeding 300.

This advice comes from our experience, which we are sharing with you.

Selecting Keywords Based On Appropriate Search Difficulty

Keyword research for blog posts may seem like a very easy process—just enter a seed keyword, get relevant long search terms, and start writing. However, my answer is: No.

Why no? In the first phase, you learn how to discover keywords related to your topic, but we don’t learn how to finalize them. Are those keywords okay? Can we rank them easily? My answer is no. You can’t rank easily if you don’t follow the right laws of SEO.

The process is straightforward: when you select a specific keyword, such as “SEO,” you need to check its Keyword Difficulty (KD) using paid tools.

Additionally, you can check it for free using Ahrefs Free Keyword Difficulty Checker.

What is Keyword Difficulty?

Keyword Difficulty (KD) or Search Difficulty (SD) is indeed a metric offered by many SEO keyword research tools. It is typically represented numerically on a scale of 1 to 100, indicating the level of difficulty in ranking for a specific keyword.

A higher KD score indicates higher competition and difficulty in ranking, while a lower score suggests less competition and potentially easier ranking opportunities.

Recommended Criteria to Determine Which Keyword Difficulty Scale Suits You

Here’s a breakdown of which types of keywords to pick based on different KD scales:

Low KD Scale (0-30)

• Long-Tail Keywords: These are specific phrases that typically have lower search volume but also lower competition. Long-tail keywords are ideal for niche topics and targeting highly relevant audiences.
• Low-Competition Keywords: Look for keywords with minimal competition but still have decent search volume. These keywords offer an opportunity to rank quickly and gain traction in your niche.

Medium KD Scale (31-60)

• Moderately Competitive Keywords: Keywords in this range have moderate competition levels. They may require some effort to rank for but can still be attainable with strategic optimization.
• Combination of Short and Long-Tail Keywords: Target a mix of short and long-tail keywords to diversify your keyword strategy. Short-tail keywords may have higher search volume but also higher competition, while long-tail keywords offer a balance of relevance and attainability.

High KD Scale (61-100)

• High-Volume, High-Competition Keywords: These keywords have significant search volume but also intense competition. While ranking for these keywords can be challenging, they offer the potential for substantial traffic if successful.
• Brand-Specific Keywords: Consider targeting keywords related to your brand or products/services. While these keywords may have high competition, they are essential for establishing brand authority and driving targeted traffic.

Now, remember, if your blog is new, consider targeting keywords with a low KD Scale (0 – 30).

If your blog already has some good traffic and domain authority, you can opt for keywords in the Medium KD Scale (31-60).

For well-established websites generating revenue consistently, targeting keywords with a High KD Scale is feasible, especially if your website meets the criteria for High Domain Authority.

In the screenshots, I used Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest tool. You can use Ahrefs or SEMrush; it totally depends on which tool you prefer.

Identify User Intent For Any Specific Keyword

After identifying the keyword or search difficulty, your next step is to determine the user search intent for any specific keyword.

What is User Intent?

User intent is what someone wants when they search online. It’s like the reason behind their search.

To understand user intent, determine how many competitors are covering that keyword as a topic and from which point of view they are approaching it in their content, which Google ranks them for at the top.

For example, let’s say you picked the keyword “Facebook strategy for business growth” from your list. Now, check what your competitors are doing. Are they only talking about strategies, like “Top 10 Facebook Strategies to Grow Your Business“? Or do they cover more than just strategies, maybe sharing real stories or detailed analyses?

Always check the content of the top 10 competitors before finalizing the concepts you need to cover in your own content. You should cover the points that competitors have already covered and also introduce new ideas or concepts that competitors haven’t addressed. This can contribute to the creation of high-quality content.

After this, if a user searches for a topic or keyword that you have already covered in your blog, your article will appear at the top of the results if you have successfully understood searcher intent and implemented effective content creation.

Check Competitors’ Domain Authorities Before Finalize Your Keywords

This is the last phase of Keyword Research for Blog Posts, which involves checking the Domain Authorities of your respective competitors who have already written content on that keyword.

What is Domain Authority?

Domain Authority is a metric which is introduced by Moz. DA is basically a score which is starting from 0 to 100.

To measure Domain Authority, utilize these chrome extensions:

• MozBar
• Ubersuggest

Once you successfully install any one of these extensions, simply go to the Google search engine, type in any keyword, and check your competitors’ websites. You will then see the Domain Authority (DA) counter feature.

Ubersuggest Extension Overview

Firstly, you need to enable this extension, and then you will be able to view the Domain Authority for each site. However, please remember that after the top 10 or 15 results, it may not show you DA scores due to pricing packages.

You can also try MozBar, but due to account restrictions in certain countries, we can’t show you the results of that extension. However, the tool functions similarly to Ubersuggest.

Challenges in Ranking Against High-Authority Websites

Domain authority matters a lot after checking the KD of any particular keyword. You need to check how many competitors have a domain authority of 70 to 100.

If this trend continues in the top 10 to 15 search results, you may need to consider leaving that keyword aside.

High-authority websites have already covered that topic, and you may face significant challenges in ranking among the top 10 results.

Finding Chances in Mixed Search Results

If the search results appear random—for instance, if the top three spots are occupied by big websites with high domain authority (DA), but smaller websites with lower DA show up in the fourth or sixth spots—you might have an opportunity to target that keyword.

Just remember, lower DA websites typically have domain authorities between 10 and 30, sometimes even up to 40, 50, or 60, which is considered medium range.

Another bonus point is that if you find any website like Quora, Medium, Pinterest, or Instagram ranking well for a particular keyword, it’s worth considering targeting that keyword.

These websites host a variety of niche content, and Instagram serves as a social media hub.

Even a social media post can appear in search engine results, so there’s a possibility for your blogging website to rank for that keyword as well.

In this scenario, you don’t necessarily need to check the domain authority (DA) of these websites; if you see them ranking, there’s a good chance that you can also rank easily.

Prepare the Final List of Keywords That You Will Work On

Lastly, prepare a final potential keyword list that you compiled after this comprehensive process.

Google Sheets is one of the best tools for this purpose. You can use Google Sheets to collaborate with your team or specific members, instead of using .csv Excel format.

Ensure each column header has the right value like “Keyword Phrases“, “Keyword Search Volume”, “KD” etc.

This final list of keyword ideas should be created after completing keyword research.

You start by discovering keyword ideas and then checking search volume and Keyword Difficulty (KD). Next, you assess their topic search intent and the domain authorities of competitor websites.

High-Quality Content Recommendations: If You’re Ready to Work on Any Specific Keyword

Now that you have your final list of potential keywords, it’s time to start creating high-quality content around them.

Here are some recommendations for crafting blog posts that will rank well in search engines:

1. Meta Descriptions: Ensure your meta descriptions are optimized with the target keyword and are enticing enough to encourage users to click on your link.
2. Type of Content: Consider the type of content that performs well for your target keywords. Is it long-form articles, listicles, how-to guides, or case studies? Customize your content format accordingly.
3. Relevant Keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords throughout your blog post to improve its visibility in search results and provide value to readers.
4. Internal Links: Use internal links strategically within your content to guide users to other relevant pages on your website and improve user experience.
5. External Links: Include external links to high-quality websites that provide additional value or credibility to your blog post.
6. Optimize Images: Use descriptive file names and alt text for images in your blog post to improve SEO and accessibility.
7. Mobile-Friendly Design: Ensure your blog post is optimized for mobile devices to accommodate the increasing number of users accessing content on smartphones and tablets.
8. Engaging Headlines: Craft attention-grabbing headlines that include your target keyword and entice readers to click through to your blog post.
9. Monitor Performance: Track the performance of your blog posts using tools like Google Analytics to analyze organic traffic, bounce rates, and click-through rates. Use this data to refine your keyword research strategy and improve the overall SEO of your blog.

Remember, keyword research is an ongoing process, so continue to monitor trends and adjust your strategy accordingly.

By following these tips and recommendations, you’ll be well on your way to creating high-quality blog posts that rank well in search engines and attract targeted traffic to your website.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, conducting keyword research for blog is essential for driving traffic to your website and improving your search engine rankings.

Take the time to research and choose the right keywords for your blog posts, and incorporate them naturally into your content for the best results.

With strategic keyword research, you can effectively reach your target audience and boost the success of your blog.

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