Easy Guide to Do Keyword Research for SEO in 2025
"Learn how to master keyword research for SEO in 2025 with this step-by-step guide. Discover tools, metrics, and strategies to attract more traffic, rank higher, and drive conversions.
Keyword research remains an essential of effective SEO strategies, even as we enter the age of Google’s anti-AI content. Understanding the words your audience uses to search for information allows you to craft your content to meet their needs, get streaming traffic, and increase your visibility and authority in your niche. Here’s a step-by-step guide to conducting keyword research in 2025—the same methods SEO agencies use to ensure their SEO efforts are both up-to-date and effective.
Understand the Importance of Keyword Research
Keyword research involves identifying and analyzing the search words that people enter into search engines (i.e., Google). This process helps you understand what your ideal audience is searching for, allowing you to create content that meets their needs and help you rank high in search result. By focusing on relevant and realistic keywords with promising results, you can attract more qualified traffic to your website, leading to higher engagement and conversions. Below are some tips to find the gold-mine keywords.
Identify Relevant Topics
Start by brainstorming topics that are relevant to your business or product. Consider what your target audience is interested in and what problems they seek to solve. This will help you create a list of broad topics to guide your keyword research. For example, if you own a real estate SaaS product, your keywords should be relevant to the problems real estate agents or landlords might have - which will lead them to search for solutions on Google. Figure out what problems your product solves and your audience have, and get started with your seek keywords.
Generate Seed Keywords
For each topic, list potential seed keywords—basic terms related to the topic. These are the starting points for finding more specific long-tail keywords. For example, if your topic is "content marketing," seed keywords might include "content strategy," "blogging," or "SEO writing." But you might say “I already have a keyword now, why don’t I just use this?”. Short answer, there are far too many competitors for generic keywords like these. Your final goal is to find keywords that have high search volume and low difficulty, so you can rank easily in a relatively crowded space - we’ll talk more about keyword metrics below.
Utilize Advanced Keyword Research Tools
As a beginner, there are several complex tools that can assist in expanding your keyword list and providing valuable metrics, but one that is designed for beginners - so choose your tool wisely. Below are some of the most up-to-date tools:
- Ahrefs Keywords Explorer ($129/month): Offers detailed insights into keyword difficulty, search volume, and related terms.
- SEMrush ($139/month): Provides comprehensive data on keyword trends, competition, and even competitor analysis.
- Stevie AI [Beginner-friendly] ($15/month): Offer features that allows you to completely skip keyword research and offer you the most optimal keywords for your business, and generate SEO-friendly contents.
If you're a beginner, check out a demo of Stevie AI's Keyword Research feature:
Keyword Research By Stevie AI
Analyze Keyword Metrics
If you are using Stevie AI, you can skip the following steps as the “Keyword Research” feature takes care of the analysis part. But if you’re using any other tool, here are some metrics you’ll need to take a look at to pick the best keywords:
- Search Volume: The number of times a keyword is searched per month. Aim for keywords with high search volume to attract traffic.
- Keyword Difficulty: Assesses how challenging it is to rank for a keyword. Target keywords with lower difficulty for quicker results, especially for newer websites.
- Cost Per Click (CPC): Helpful for budgeting Google Ads campaigns. Even if you’re not running paid ads, a high CPC indicates commercial intent, suggesting the keyword attracts users ready to make purchasing decisions.
- Intent: The purpose behind a search. Keywords like “tutorial” or “guide” indicate informational intent, while transactional keywords like “buy” or “best price” signal purchase readiness.
Understand Search Intent
Grasping the intent behind a user’s search is crucial. Search intent can be categorized as:
- Informational: Seeking information (e.g., "how to start a blog").
- Navigational: Looking for a specific website (e.g., "Nike").
- Transactional: Ready to make a purchase (e.g., "Old Navy jeans").
- Commercial: Researching products (e.g., “best laptop under $1000”).
Aligning your content with the appropriate intent ensures it meets user expectations and improves engagement.
Prioritize Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords—phrases containing three or more words—are more specific and often less competitive than short-tail keywords. They may have lower search volumes but typically attract more qualified traffic, leading to higher conversion rates. For instance, "best running shoes in the snow" is more targeted than "running shoes." This specificity helps you start ranking in niche search results, avoiding direct competition with major brands.
Monitor and Update Your Keywords
SEO is an ongoing process. Regularly review your keyword performance and adjust your strategy based on analytics and changing trends. This ensures your content remains relevant and continues to attract and engage your target audience.
Run a “Domain Keyword List” task to check which keywords and content are performing well. Update underperforming content and repeat this process every few months.
By following these steps, you can develop a keyword strategy that drives consistent, free traffic with SEO.
