Key takeaways
- Keyword research shows what your customers are really searching for.
- Combine broad and specific (long-tail) keywords.
- Choose words with purchase intent for your most important pages.
- Use the words found in titles, texts and meta-data.
Start keyword research with the words customers use for your products and the questions they ask about them. Separate searches for information from searches made with a purchase in mind. Map each important topic to a suitable page so products, categories and articles each have a clear role.
What is keyword research (and why it works)
A keyword is simply the combination of words someone types into Google: “leather backpack”, “gift for coffee lover”, “black dress wedding”. Keyword research is making a list of those words for your products so you know which page to target and what. It is the basis for all SEO for your webshop: you can only reach the top if you know where you want to reach the top.
Two types of keywords: purchase or information
The most important distinction: what does someone want with that search query?
- Purchase intention — “buy women's watch”, “brown leather backpack”. This person wants to order. This is what you aim for with your product and category pages.
- Information — “which watch suits me”, “how do I clean leather”. This person is orientating himself. This is what you aim for with your blog, and you refer to your products. See blogging for your webshop.
Both are valuable, but for different pages. If you confuse them, you attract the wrong visitors to the wrong page.
Here's how to find keywords — for free
You don't need expensive software to get started. Five free resources:
- Google autocomplete — record suggestions as ideas, not measured proof of search volume. Check whether intent fits and later validate with your own Search Console data or a keyword tool.
- “People also ask” — the drop-down box in the search results with related questions. Gold for blog topics.
- Related searches — at the bottom of the search results page are suggestions from Google.
- Your competitors — see what words they use in their titles and headlines. Use them for inspiration rather than copying.
- Your own customers — the words they use in emails and questions are exactly the words they are looking for.
Write down everything you come across in a simple list. You will then work on that.
Choose specific terms that fit your offer
Start with a product group you know. List “leather backpack”, “backpack for 15-inch laptop” and “leather backpack care”, for example. Review the results and what your offer genuinely answers. Specific terms are not automatically easier; prioritise using available search data and customer questions.
Group related search questions on a suitable page
Group related keywords with the same intent on one useful page. Create a separate page only where it answers a meaningfully different question or product task:
- a category page for broad sales words (“leather backpacks”);
- a product page for specific purchase words (“brown leather backpack”); see product page SEO;
- a blog article for information questions (“how do I maintain a leather bag”).
Avoid near-identical pages that merely swap a keyword. Choose a main topic for each coherent intent; one page can answer several relevant search variants. Assess overlap using content and search data, not shared words alone.
From keyword to text
Once you have determined your keyword per page, then of course include it in your title, your headlines, your text and your meta description — as it should be in a normal sentence, not pasted ten times in a row. You can read how to make your title and description strong in Google in write meta title and description.
Common mistakes
- Choosing a broad term without checking relevance, existing results and competition.
- Combining different search questions without checking whether one page answers both well.
- Creating near-identical pages for closely related search variations.
- Repeating the keyword excessively instead of processing it naturally.
- Guess what customers are looking for instead of checking it in Google.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need paid tools for keyword research?
No. With Google's autocomplete, “people also ask” and related searches, you can go a long way as a starter. Paid tools are useful if you want to grow more seriously.
What is the difference between commercial and informational keywords?
Buying words (“… buy”, “black dress wedding”) come from people who want to order; that is what you aim for with product and category pages. Information words (“how…”, “which…”) come from people who are orientating themselves; that's what you're aiming for with your blog.
Should I target general or specific words?
Choose terms for which you have a suitable product or a better-supported answer. Review existing pages and results before creating more. Combine closely related questions; give a different buying task its own place when that helps visitors.
How many keywords do I need?
Start with one clear topic for each important page and collect related search variations. The number of terms is not a target; the page should fully answer the relevant customer question.
How do I know if a keyword is worth pursuing?
Check whether intent matches your offer, which results already exist and whether you can answer the question usefully. Autocomplete alone does not show volume or sales potential; use search data where available.
Get started
Research search questions around an important product. Group questions with the same intent and assign them to a suitable existing or new page. Check overlap before publishing. Use customer language naturally in titles and copy, then review search data. See also: SEO for your webshop
