Keyword research put me off for a long time. The guides I found were written for agencies with paid tools and big budgets. A small blog needs much less. This post is the simple version I use, with no special software required.
What a keyword really is
A keyword is the phrase a person types when they want something. That is all.
“Keyword research” means finding out which phrases people use, so I can write the post they hoped to find. It is not about stuffing words into a page. It is about matching my post to a real need. Picking the subject comes first, and I cover it in how I choose blog topics people search for.
Long phrases beat short ones
A short phrase like “blogging” is searched a lot. It is also covered by huge sites, and I cannot tell what the searcher wants.
A longer phrase like “how often should I post on my blog” is searched less. But the intent is clear, the competition is lighter and a small site has a fair chance. I aim for these longer phrases almost every time.
How I find phrases for free
I use three free sources.
Search suggestions. I start typing my subject and note what the search box offers. Those are common searches.
Related questions. The results page often shows a box of questions people also ask. Each one is a possible post.
My own site data. A free search console account shows the phrases that already bring people to my site. A phrase where I rank on page two is a good target for a better post.
Check the intent before writing
Before I commit to a phrase, I search it and look at the first page. This tells me what the searcher expects.
If the results are all step-by-step guides, I write a guide. If they are all product pages, a blog post will struggle, and I pick another phrase. I do not fight the results page. I learn from it.
One main phrase for each post
I choose one main phrase for a post and a few close variations. I use the main phrase in four places:
- The title.
- The first paragraph.
- One heading.
- The slug.
After that I write normally, in the structure I use for every post. If I cover the subject well, the variations appear without effort. Repeating the phrase in every paragraph only makes the post worse to read.
Do not chase numbers
Search volume is an estimate, and for long phrases the tools are often wrong. I treat a number as a hint, not a fact.
I would rather write a clear answer to a specific question than aim at a big number with a vague post. Useful posts tend to find readers.
What I would do first
Pick one subject you know well and type it into a search box. Write down five suggestions and five related questions. You now have ten real phrases, and at least three of them are posts you could write this month.