keyword research for SEO
What is Keyword Research
Keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing the search terms (keywords) that people type into search engines like Google. It can be done using tools like Ubersuggest, Google keyword planner, SEMrush etc.
These keywords help you understand:
- What topics your audience is looking for
- How competitive those topics are
- What content you should create to rank higher
- How to optimize your website to get more organic traffic
How to do Keyword Research
1. Go to Ubersuggest and Enter a Seed Keyword
Step:
Open Ubersuggest → In the search bar, type a broad keyword related to your niche.
Visit https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/
Example:
Suppose you run a fitness blog.
Enter: “home workout”
Result:
Ubersuggest shows the search volume, SEO difficulty, paid difficulty, and cost-per-click (CPC).
2. Analyze Keyword Overview
Ubersuggest gives you a bird’s-eye view of the keyword:
- Search Volume (How many people search monthly?)
- SEO Difficulty (SD) (How hard to rank?)
- Paid Difficulty (PD)
- CPC (Cost per click)
- Trend Graph (Is interest increasing or declining?)
Example Output:
- Search volume: 60,500
- SEO difficulty: 32 (easy–medium)
- CPC: $0.48
- Trend: Increasing
How to use this:
If SD is low to medium and search volume is good, it’s a keyword worth targeting.
3. Explore Keyword Ideas (The Most Important Part)
Click “Keyword Ideas” in the left sidebar.
Ubersuggest will show:
- Suggested keywords
- Related keywords
- Questions
- Prepositions
- Comparisons
Example Suggestions for “home workout”:
| Keyword | Volume | SD |
| home workout for beginners | 22,000 | 25 |
| home workout without equipment | 14,000 | 18 |
| 10-minute home workout | 4,400 | 12 |
How to use this:
You can create specific content like:
- “Home Workout for Beginners: Complete 30-Day Plan”
- “10-Minute Home Workout Without Equipment”
Long-tail keywords (3+ words) usually have lower competition and higher intent.
4. Filter Keywords for Easier Opportunities
Use Ubersuggest’s filters to narrow down your best options:
Suggested Filter Settings
- SEO Difficulty: 0–35
- Search Volume: 200+
- Word Count: 3+ (optional for long-tails)
Example Filtered Result:
- “10 minute home workout for beginners” (SD 14, Volume 1,600)
- “home workout plan without equipment” (SD 21, Volume 2,400)
These are easier to rank for and highly specific—perfect for blog posts or YouTube videos.
5. Check SERP Analysis (Important for Competition)
Click on any keyword → Scroll to SERP Analysis.
Here you can see:
- Top 10 ranking pages
- Their estimated traffic
- Number of backlinks
- Domain authority (DA)
Example for “home workout without equipment”:
| URL | DA | Backlinks | Estimated Traffic |
| Healthline.com | 89 | 2,100 | 18,000 |
| BlogXYZ.com | 32 | 25 | 1,400 |
What this tells you:
If lower-authority websites are ranking, you have a good chance too.
6. Analyze Competitor Keywords
You can enter any competitor URL and find keywords they rank for.
Step:
Sidebar → Traffic Analyzer → Keywords
Example:
Enter competitor: “verywellfit.com”
You’ll get:
- Top ranking pages
- Estimated traffic
- Keywords they rank for
Sample result:
- Keyword: “at-home workouts for women”
- Volume: 9,900
- SD: 21
Now you know what content topics are already sending traffic to your competitors.
7. Save Keywords to Lists
As you find promising keywords, click “Add to List”.
You might organize lists like:
🔹 “Easy-to-Rank Keywords”
🔹 “High-Volume Keywords”
🔹 “Blog Content Ideas”
This helps you build a content plan.
8. Turn Keywords into Content Ideas
Based on your research, you can plan articles targeting each long-tail keyword.
Example content plan from earlier keywords:
- Beginner Home Workout Plan (No Equipment Needed)
- 10-Minute Home Workout for Busy Professionals
- Home Workout for Weight Loss: 20 Effective Exercises
- Home Workout Schedule for Women (Weekly Plan)