The Importance of Keyword Research & Keyword Research Tools

Keyword research has always been one of the most important parts of SEO; there’s no disputing that. 

But in 2025, search engines have redefined keyword research. It’s no longer about finding words people type into Google; it’s about understanding how your audience thinks, what they want, and the language they use at each stage of the buying journey.

If you’ve ever struggled with low traffic, low click-through rates, or content that doesn’t convert, there’s a good chance the issue isn’t your writing; it’s your keyword strategy.

This guide breaks everything down in simple, practical language. 

As you read, you’ll learn what keywords are, why keyword research is so important, how to find keywords, what tools to use, and how to turn those keywords into content that ranks and converts.

Let’s get right in.

What Are Keywords?

Keywords are the words and phrases people type into search engines when they’re looking for something. They are the bridge between what your audience wants and the content you create.

For example:

• Someone searching “best acne cleanser for oily skin” is looking for specific product recommendations

• Someone searching “what causes acne?” wants education

• Someone searching “buy acne cleanser near me” is ready to buy

Creating content without keywords is like trying to give a speech in a room where no one asked the question you’re answering. Each keyword represents a different stage of awareness. That means your content must adapt to what the user needs at that moment. Keyword research ensures alignment between what you publish and what people actually want.

What Is Search Intent?

Search intent is the purpose behind the keyword. It’s not enough to know what people type; you must understand why they typed it. 

There are four core types of search intent, and each one requires a different kind of content.

• Informational intent: This represents people looking to learn something. They want explanations, definitions, or step-by-step guides. Content that answers these questions clearly and simply tends to perform best

• Navigational intent: This occurs when someone wants a specific brand or website. These users already know where they want to go; they just use Google as a shortcut

• Commercial intent: This indicates that someone is comparing options before making a decision. They’re researching products or solutions, but haven’t chosen one yet. This is the ideal time to provide helpful, unbiased comparisons that position your brand as a trusted advisor

• Transactional intent: This represents people who are ready to buy. They don’t want information; they want the final step. At this buyer stage, strong product pages, landing pages, and optimized CTAs make the biggest impact.

Always keep in mind that even if a keyword checks all the boxes (good volume, low difficulty, substantial CTR), if the intent doesn’t match your content, it won’t convert. 

Types of Keywords

If you can recognize the purpose behind each type of keyword, you can build a strategic and targeted SEO plan instead of creating random content that doesn’t connect.

1. Short-Tail Keywords

Short-tail keywords are usually one to two words (as the name implies). They bring large search volumes but also large competition. Because they’re broad, they don’t reveal much about what the user wants.

Example:

• “Skincare”

• “Vitamins”

• “Marketing”

A user searching for “skincare” could be looking for acne treatments, anti-aging routines, or basic hygiene. This lack of clarity makes it harder to create content that fully satisfies the user’s intent. However, short-tail keywords are still useful for understanding broad interest, but if you own a new site, then you shouldn’t target them.

2. Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are more specific, detailed, and closer to actual user intent. They usually contain three or more words and focus on a narrower topic.

Example:

• “Best retinol serum for sensitive skin”

• “How to fix slow loading Shopify website”

• “Vegan protein powder for female weight loss”

These searches show the user’s clear intent. You know exactly what the user needs, which means your content can answer the question directly. 

3. Primary Keywords

A primary keyword is the main word or phrase you want a page to rank for. It is the core message of your content.

For instance, if your article is titled “How to Start Email Marketing,” your primary keyword is likely “email marketing for beginners” or simply “how to start email marketing.”

4. Secondary Keywords

Secondary keywords support the main topic. They’re phrases that improve your chances of ranking for multiple terms.

For the example given under primary keywords, your secondary keywords might be:

• “Email marketing steps”

• “How to grow an email list”

• “Email tools for beginners”

Secondary keywords help Google understand the depth of your content and give your page more ranking opportunities.

5. Geo-Targeted Keywords

These keywords include a location and are important for local SEO. Some examples of these types of keywords are:

• “Dentist in Toronto”

• “Best restaurant in Lagos”

• “Calgary hair stylist”

Geo-targeted keywords attract people looking for a nearby solution. If you run a service-based business, these are often your highest-value keywords.

6. Transactional Keywords

Transactional keywords show clear buying intent. These keywords are for users who are ready to make a purchase or take a specific action.

Some examples include:

• “Buy collagen powder online”

• “Shopify free trial”

• “SEO agency pricing”

Content for these keywords should lead directly to landing pages, product pages, or signup pages.

7. Informational Keywords

Informational keywords are those types that focus on curiosity or learning intent. These are for users who want answers. Some examples include:

• “What is magnesium glycinate?”

• “How to stop frizzy hair”

• “What is email marketing?”

Informational keywords attract top-of-funnel traffic, making them perfect for blogs, tutorials, and guides.

Why Keyword Research Is So Important for SEO

SEO has really changed in recent years. Search engines have become better at understanding context, user behavior, and the meaning behind searches. But despite all the algorithm updates, one thing will always be clear: keyword research is necessary for how search engines interpret your content.

Firstly, it gives you clarity. Without keyword research, you’ll be choosing topics based on intuition instead of data. Many businesses publish content that never ranks simply because they didn’t ask the question: “Is anyone actually searching for this?” Keyword research removes that blind spot and reveals what your audience truly cares about.

Secondly, it helps you outsmart your competitors. Some keywords are dominated by massive sites with huge authority. Others are wide-open opportunities where smaller brands can outrank bigger brands because the competition is low and the intent is clear. When you understand keyword difficulty, search volume, and competition, you will naturally stop chasing impossible targets and start focusing on the opportunities you can actually win.

Thirdly, keyword research helps you match content to search intent. If someone types “how to start email marketing,” they’re not looking for a software sign-up page. They’re looking for guidance. If you ignore that intent and push the wrong content, you will lose credibility. When your content matches both the keyword and the intention behind it, you build trust and authority.

Also, keyword research helps increase conversions. Someone searching “best iPhone tripod 2025” doesn’t want a general article about photography gear. They want a recommendation, a comparison, or a buying guide. When you align your content with these needs, you attract visitors who are already interested in buying, not just browsing.

How to Find Keywords

Finding keywords doesn’t require guessing or creativity. It requires a simple process: start broad, explore real searches, and then filter for opportunity.

Here’s a deeper explanation of the keyword research workflow:

1. Start with Seed Keywords

Seed keywords are just basic industry terms. Let’s assume you sell supplements, your seed keywords could be:

• Magnesium

• Vitamin C

• Collagen

• Joint pain relief

If you run a marketing agency, they could be:

• Email marketing

• PPC advertising

• Facebook ads

• SEO for ecommerce

These seeds help keyword tools understand what topics to explore.

2. Use Keyword Tools to Expand Your List

Once you have your seed list, add them into tools like:

• Ahrefs

• SEMrush

• Google Keyword Planner

• Ubersuggest

• KeywordTool.io

• AnswerThePublic

• AlsoAsked

These tools are important because they show you actual searches people perform, not guesses. For example, typing “magnesium” into a tool might generate:

• “Magnesium glycinate vs citrate”

• “Best magnesium for anxiety”

• “Magnesium overdose symptoms”

• “Magnesium for women over 50”

This reveals the questions people ask.

3. Analyze Keyword Difficulty (KD)

Keyword Difficulty (KD) shows how hard it is to rank for a keyword. If you’re a new or small site, start with lower KD terms, usually under 20.

For example, if “Collagen” has a KD of 70+, and “best collagen for joint pain beginners” has a KD of 8, you should choose the one with the lower KD. These slight differences in wording make a huge difference in ranking difficulty.

4. Study the SERP (Google the Keyword)

Before choosing a keyword, search it on Google yourself. Look at what ranks on page 1:

• Are they blogs?

• Videos?

• Product pages?

• Review sites?

This tells you what format Google prefers.

If page 1 is full of listicles, then you need to create a listicle. On the other hand, if page 1 is full of product pages, then you need a product page.

Where to Use Keywords on Your Page

Using keywords effectively means placing them where they help Google understand your content’s main topic. The most important places to use them are:

• Page title

• H1 heading

• First 100 words

• A few subheadings

• Image alt text
• Meta description

• URL slug

When adding keywords, keep in mind that natural usage is most important. Google can detect keyword stuffing and penalize websites that do it. So you should always focus on aiming for clarity, rather than repetition.

Understanding Keyword Metrics

Before choosing a keyword, you need to understand the data and metrics behind it. These metrics help you evaluate whether a keyword is worth targeting and what it will take to rank for it.

Examples of such metrics include:

Search Volume

This tells you how often people search for the keyword each month. A keyword with 30,000 monthly searches might seem attractive, but the competition might be too intense for a new website. 

On the other hand, a keyword with 300 monthly searches might be much easier to rank for and could still drive highly qualified traffic to a new website.

Keyword Difficulty (KD)

This measures how competitive a keyword is. It’s not enough to choose keywords people search for; you must select keywords you can realistically use. 

Many new websites waste months targeting high-volume terms that are dominated by giant sites. Keyword density helps avoid that mistake.

Cost Per Click (CPC)

This reveals how valuable a keyword is to advertisers. A keyword with a high CPC often has strong buying intent. 

While CPC is technically a paid search metric, it provides insight into how commercially valuable a keyword is and whether it is likely to convert.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

This tells you how often people click results for a keyword. Some keywords have lots of searches but terrible CTR because the search result page is cluttered with ads, maps, snippets, and answer boxes. If nobody clicks organic results, ranking won’t matter.

Wrapping Up

Keyword research is one of the most valuable skills you can develop in digital marketing. It helps you understand your audience, learn what they’re searching for, and create content that matches their intent at every stage of their journey. 

Search engines have become increasingly competitive, and clarity is one of the best ways to grow organically and stand out from those that remain invisible.

With strong keyword research, you’ll improve the way you plan content, structure your website, and communicate your value. When you understand how people search and why, everything else in your marketing becomes more effective.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. Can I use ChatGPT for keyword research?

Yes. ChatGPT is great for brainstorming ideas, finding related topics, and generating long-tail variations. But it can’t give real search volume or competition data, so you should still verify keywords using tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Keyword Planner.

2. Can I do keyword research without tools?

Yes, but it’s less accurate. You can use Google Autocomplete, People Also Ask, Reddit, YouTube, and real customer questions to find ideas. Tools simply make the process faster and more reliable.

3. What is the most important thing to look for when doing keyword research?

Search intent. This is what the user actually wants when they type the keyword. If your content doesn’t match intent, it will not rank or convert.

4. What are the three main factors that go into choosing a keyword?

Intent, keyword difficulty, and commercial value.

5. Why is keyword research important instead of just guessing what terms to target?

Guessing leads to content nobody is searching for. Keyword research shows real demand, so you create content that people want and can rank.

6. Are keywords still relevant in 2026?

Yes. Keywords still help search engines understand topics and intent, even though search is more conversational. What changed is how naturally they must be used.

7. What is a keyword strategy?

A keyword strategy is your plan for choosing, organizing, and targeting keywords across your content. It guides what you create, how you structure your pages, and how you build topical authority over time.