How to do Keyword Research for SEO - A Detailed Guide

The primary search of your target audience begins with ‘keywords’ or phrases on the search engines, so your search engine optimisation (SEO) journey should also begin with ‘keywords’.

Suppose you want your website/product/service to be discovered by your ultimate buyers online. 

In that case, you need to understand what keywords are and why they are so important, from website visibility to rankings, traffic to leads, conversions to returns. 

Keywords are the foundation bricks on which you can build your website. SEO fortress quickly, reach more eyeballs, and gain conversions for your paid activities online. 

Simply put, without ‘keywords’, your existence online has no value!

Why? For simple reasons like:

• Your website will never appear on search engine results pages

• Your products/services will never reach the actual audience segment

• Your website will see zero footprints 

• You will be lost in the Internet chaos

Let’s dive deep into the landscape of keyword research for SEO. 

What are SEO Keywords?

Keywords in SEO mean the common search terms or phrases used by potential customers to discover products/services online or find answers to their relevant search queries. 

Keywords are of different types: Broad, Phrase, and Exact.

What are they?

Do you know that keywords are also categorised into two different parts?

Yes, Search Intent (informational, navigational, commercial, transactional) and Length (short-tail, long-tail)

Here are the differences and examples for each:

There are other types of keywords used in research for SEO, such as:

Now that you have understood the basics of SEO Keywords, let’s explore the fun part of keyword researching. 

Wait! Search engines are no longer the same as they were before. 

They are dominated by AI technology and are heavily competed by Generative Search Engines. 

The question is - how are they impacting keywords? 

Let’s find out in the next section.

Did the Landscape of Keywords Change with AI?

The answer to this question is - YES!

Generative AI engines like AI Overviews, ChatGPT, or Perplexity AI have shifted the focus from simple keyword matching (an earlier keyword tactic) to the intent and context behind a search phrase/query. 

For instance, to appear on the answer briefs generated by AI Overviews, a more extensive, semantic approach to search and content is needed now. 

What is Keyword Research in SEO

As promised, keyword analysis for SEO is truly the fun part.

The entire process of identifying and analysing related phrases that your target audiences are commonly using to search for services like yours in Google/Bing and now (Gen AI platforms). 

Once you get such keywords, you spin your content around those keywords that are more likely to rank highly in search results.

The process mentioned above is the primary and mandatory step before you enter the depths of SEO strategy. 

Pro-Tip: Consider keyword research as the first step to planning your new blog post.

Keyword search in SEO is done strategically, ensuring your website gains the topmost visibility on related search results pages. 

It is not a one-time task, but a continuous journey.

The table below walks you through the steps, with smart tools to assist you in the same journey.

The Importance of Keyword Research in SEO

Detailed research on your keywords will tell you exactly what customers are looking for on the Internet that matches your offerings. 

When you spin your content around the selected keywords that match their search intent (needs, wants, and solutions for pain points), your content receives a boost from the search engine and attracts more eyeballs and valuable traffic.

These are the primary objectives of conducting keyword analysis for your website content.

The outcome is that your pages appear more frequently in the top 3 searches for every relevant keyword you used on the respective web pages. 

Following the March Core Updates (2025), Google has added more weight to content relevance.

The search engine giant quoted, “The most basic signal that information is relevant is when content contains the same keywords as your search query. For example, with web pages, if those keywords appear on the page, or if they appear in the headings or body of the text, the information might be more relevant.”

Key Takeaway: Keyword analysis is more important today because it can be truly head-scratching to figure out your audience's exact words when they are searching for services like yours.

How Relevant is Keyword Research in the Gen AI Era

As long as the Internet exists, keywords will never disappear! 

What really changed is the approach to keyword researching in the generative search engine era. 

Generative AI can assist you in the same way by identifying long-tail keywords, conducting predictive analysis to identify new trends in customer purchase behavior, and so on. 

What Gen AI can’t do is actually research for keywords like a Pro and analyse the best ones to target based on their volume, search intent, and difficulty rate.

Here’s why keyword research is still important in SEO during the AI era:

User Intent Insight

Gen AI understands user behavior, but human input is key for interpreting keyword search in SEO.

Strategic Targeting

AI creates content, but keyword research in SEO ensures it's aligned with specific search terms and needs.

SEO Optimisation

Keyword research and SEO together help structure content to rank higher in search results.

Trend Adaptation

AI spots trends fast, but SEO keyword analysis needs human input to stay relevant and ahead.

Content Planning

A solid SEO and keywords strategy guides content development that aligns with user needs and brand goals.

How to Find Keywords - Tips and Tricks

Advanced Keywords Research Tips for AI Overviews and LLMs

Courtesy of AI Overviews and LLMs, getting your content featured in their answer summaries has become more important. 

Your keyword research must go above and beyond to center user intent in every word/phrase shortlisted for your website content.

Here are a few advanced research tips to consider: 

How to Target Keywords for SEO

By now, you must have realised that keyword targeting is more than just handpicking a few terms and sprinkling them across your page.

It is part strategy and part content finesse, and with the right tools, it’s much easier than it sounds.

And there's a proper blueprint to follow, like the one mentioned below:

How to Track Keyword Rankings for Further Improvement

Here's a bonus cookie for your takeaway: Keyword research and targeting are not a one-way journey. You have to continuously track keyword rankings for improvement and identify new search trends to repeat the same process.

Leverage tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to do the heavy lifting for you and optimise your content accordingly.

The Final Takeaway

Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. With the right tools and a thoughtful approach, it becomes less about guesswork and more about creating content that truly resonates.