Search is a very powerful tool for marketers because it builds awareness and attracts visitors to your site. That is if done correctly.

You can write about certain niches like travel, food, weddings, golf, human resources, etc., and be good at it, but if you do not use the correct SEO strategies, nobody will find you.

This article will tackle keyword searches and how to choose them carefully so that you can slowly climb up the search engine rankings.

How to research key phrases

1. Check the popularity of the keyphrase  

Find out what the monthly search volume is for your targeted keywords. There is no point using them if no one is searching for those words. Search volume is a major consideration in keyphrase research. 

There will be more potential traffic if the demand is high for a certain key phrase. 

In SEO programs like MOZ and SEMrush, you may obtain an approximate value of monthly searches for any phrase. For instance, the report for the phrase “neuromarketing web design” looks like this.

2. Look up the phrases you want to use.

Find the possible phrase you want to use. The way SEO professionals do this is by moving back and forth between search engines and tools. That is how they choose from all the options available.  

If that is how the pros do it, then you should consider using the same method too. 

Just a word of caution, though. Your search results are always somewhat tailored to your preferences. To put it another way, your target audience might not see the same rankings you do. 

Here are three pointers to help you see more “normal” search results.

• Utilize the Google Ad Preview tool at www.google.com/adpreview.
• Use a browser that isn’t connected to any of Google’s services.
• Use incognito mode or private browsing.

While these tips will help you find more typical search results, you will still see search signals that are unique to your computer that will affect your search results.

Google also suggests related keywords that you can also use.

3. Assess the competition.

You have confirmed that the phrase is being searched for. Take a hard look at the phrase’s current popularity, then assess our chances of ranking. It is time to look at keyword complexity and competition.

This is one of the more difficult digital marketing skills to master. It is a difficult and imprecise science.

There are two reasons why a page ranks.

Relevance

Your page will not rank unless it is a comprehensive overview of the subject. It must use the keyword and associated terms thoroughly. It’s all about the quality of the material, its depth, and the use of keywords. In comparison to the other pages that rank for the phrase, you’ll need a suitably detailed page.

Authority

The search engine will not rank your page unless it is deemed reliable enough. Credibility is transferred to your website via links from other websites. The number and quality of links from other sites to your domain in general, and to your pages especially, determines authority.

Websites with a relatively high Domain Authority have a far better chance of ranking. The graph of authority is a curve, not a line. Sites with a higher DA can target significantly more competitive terms.

You will know if a key phrase is competitive if it has any of the following:

1. The phrase you used is in the links.

If the target key appears at the start of the link, the key likely appears at the start of the page title, indicating that the site’s administrators are familiar with SEO. Your keyphrase will very likely be more complicated, but not unattainable.

2. Plenty of advertisements

If there are several advertisements at the top and bottom of the page, it shows that others have already established that the keyphrase is relevant.

3. Well-known brands are highlighted.

It will be difficult if the top-ranking sites are well-known and popular. You won’t be able to outrank more popular websites unless you use a time machine. If the top three or five websites are reliable and trustworthy, they will have a lot of link popularity and hence powerful domains. You will not be able to compete unless you devote a significant amount of time and money.

In conclusion

When you begin a new SEO project, one of the first tasks you should complete is keyword research. This is the foundation for your on-page content optimization and new content production.

Now that you know how to search for keywords effectively, it is time to craft content that rocks!