Guide · Search
Keyword Research for Beginners: A Step by Step Method
Keyword research starts with one question: what words do your customers type into Google? This guide gives you a five step method to find those words, sort them and choose the ones worth a page, using only free tools from Google.
What keyword research is and why it helps
Keyword research is the work of finding the words people type into Google when they look for what you sell. You then pick the phrases that fit your business and write pages that answer them.
It saves guesswork. Many owners name their services in the words they use at work. Customers often search in plainer words. A bakery might say "artisan viennoiserie" while its buyers search "croissant delivery". Keyword research shows you that gap before you spend money on a page or an ad.
You do not need to pay for anything to start. Google offers three free tools that cover most of a beginner's needs: Keyword Planner, Search Console and Google Trends. This guide shows how to use them in five steps.
Sources: Google Ads Help, Use Keyword Planner; Google Search Console Help, About Search Console
Step 1: List your seed phrases
Start with a blank sheet. Write down 10 to 20 short phrases that describe what you sell and who you sell to. These are your seed phrases.
Good places to find them:
- The words customers use in emails, chats and phone calls.
- The names of your products and services.
- The problems you solve, written the way a worried customer would say them.
- The page titles of two or three competitors.
Keep each phrase short. Two to four words is enough. Add your place if you serve one area, such as "accountant Singapore".
Step 2: Expand the list with Keyword Planner
Keyword Planner is a free tool inside Google Ads. Google says you can use it to discover new keywords related to your business and see estimates of the searches they receive. It also shows the average cost for an ad to show on a keyword.
There is one catch. To open it, your Google Ads account must be in expert mode, and you must finish account setup by entering billing details and creating a campaign. Google notes that you can pause your campaigns if you are not ready to spend money.
Once inside, click Discover new keywords. You can type your seed phrases, or enter a website and let Google suggest keywords from that site. Then read the monthly search estimates. Treat them as rough guides, not exact counts.
Copy the best ideas into your sheet. Add three columns: the phrase, the monthly searches and a note on whether a customer who types it is ready to buy.
Sources: Google Ads Help, Use Keyword Planner
Step 3: Check what your own site already earns
If you already have a website, Search Console may hold the best data you will find. Google describes it as a free service. It shows how often your site appears in Google Search, which search queries show your site, and how often people click.
Open the report on search queries and look for phrases where your site shows up but few people click. Those are quick wins. A better title or a fuller page can turn a view into a visit.
You need a Google account and a verified site to use it. It is a web tool, so there is nothing to install.
Step 4: Check demand over time with Google Trends
Google Trends shows how interest in a phrase changes over time. Google says it gives access to a sample of real search requests, and that its non-realtime data goes back as far as 2004.
The numbers are not search counts. Google divides each data point by the total searches for that place and time, then scales the result from 0 to 100. A phrase at 100 is at its peak for the chosen place and dates. Use Trends to compare two phrases side by side, or to see if a topic peaks in certain months.
Example: if you sell air conditioner servicing, you may see interest rise before the hot months. That tells you when to publish and when to promote.
Step 5: Group the phrases and pick your targets
Now sort the sheet. Phrases that mean the same thing go in one group. "Website design cost" and "how much does a website cost" belong together, because one page can answer both.
Give each group one page. Then pick targets with this simple table.
Question Good sign Warning sign Does it fit what you sell? A buyer would want your service The phrase draws curious readers only Is there steady demand? Searches each month in Keyword Planner Near zero searches Is the intent clear? Words like "price", "near me", "best", "book" Words like "what is" with no link to a sale Can you win? Results are small sites and thin pages Results are all large brands Search the phrase on Google yourself. Look at the first page. If the results match the page you plan to write, you have the right target. If they show something else, the phrase may mean something different from what you thought.
Beginners should start with longer, specific phrases. They have fewer searches, but there are fewer pages competing for them, and the people who type them know what they want.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Chasing the biggest number. A phrase with 100 searches that fits your service beats a phrase with 10,000 that does not.
- Stuffing one phrase into a page again and again. Write for the reader, and use the phrase where it fits.
- Putting two different needs on one page. Give each group its own page.
- Treating estimates as fact. Keyword Planner and Trends give guides, not exact counts.
- Doing it once. Search habits shift, so review your list every few months.
Keyword research is a skill you can learn in an afternoon. Do the five steps for one service first, publish one page, and then check Search Console a few weeks later to see what happened.
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