Keyword Research: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

You know you need to create content. 

But how do you determine what topics to write about? 

And how can you ensure that people will actually search for it?

The answer is mastering keyword research.

In this guide, you'll learn:

- What keyword research actually is (in simple terms).

- Why it matters for your content.

- How to do it step-by-step using free tools.

- The exact process I used to find keywords for this blog.

I just went through this process myself last week. 

I'm sharing with you what I learned.

Let's start with the basics.

What is Keyword Research?

Keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing the words and phrases people type into search engines.

Instead of guessing what your audience wants, you know exactly what they're searching for.

For example, I could write about "SEO techniques" (sounds good).
But if I check, "SEO for beginners" has 5,400 searches/month.
While "SEO techniques" only has 320 searches/month.

Keyword research told me what people actually want.

Good keyword research answers:

- What are people searching for?

- How many people search for it? (search volume)

- How hard is it to rank? (competition)

- What are they expecting to find? (search intent)

Why should you care?

Why Keyword Research Matters 

Keyword research is the difference between content that gets found and content that sits invisible on page 50 of Google.

3 Benefits you get with the research:

1. You write content people actually want:

Without research: "Top SEO strategies" (20 searches/month)

With research: "How to learn SEO for beginners" (880 searches/month)

2. You avoid wasting time:

I almost wrote about "search engine algorithms" (too technical, 90 searches/month).

Instead, I wrote about "how search engines work" (1,900 searches/month).

3. You can compete (even as a beginner):

Some keywords have low competition. You can rank for these even with a new blog.

This is exactly how I decide what to write for this blog.

So, how do you actually do keyword research?

I will show you my exact process.

How to Do Keyword Research (5 Steps)

I'll walk you through the same process I used last week to find keywords for this article.

All tools mentioned are free.

Step 1 - Brainstorm Seed Keywords (80 words)

Seed keywords are your starting topics, vague ideas related to your niche.

Grab a piece of paper and write down:

- Main topics you want to cover.

- Problems your audience has.

- Questions you had when starting.

For my SEO blog, my seeds were:

- SEO.

- keyword research.

- How to rank on Google.

This takes 5 minutes. Don't overthink it.

Now we expand these into actual keywords.

Step 2 - Use Google Suggest

Google autocomplete shows you what real people search for.

1. Go to Google.com

2. Type your seed keyword: "keyword research"

3. DON'T press Enter

4. Look at the suggestions that appear:

   - keyword research tools.

   - keyword research for seo.

   - keyword research tutorial.

   - keyword research free.

These are real searches people make. Write down 5-10 suggestions per seed keyword.

Try adding letters: "keyword research a", "keyword research b", you get more ideas.

Another goldmine.

Scroll to the bottom of search results → "Searches related to..."

Now you have 20-30 keyword ideas.

Which is the best?

Step 3 - Check Volume & Difficulty with Ubersuggest 

Ubersuggest shows you how many people search for each keyword and how hard it is to rank.

1. Go to neilpatel.com/ubersuggest 

2. Enter your keyword: "keyword research tools"

3. Select language: English, Country: United States

4. Click "Search"

- Search Volume: 12100 searches/month

- SEO Difficulty (SD): 92 (out of 100)

Volume:

- 0-100: too low (not worth it)

- 100-1,000: good for beginners 

- 1,000-10,000: great 

- 10,000+: high competition usually

Difficulty:

- 0-30: Easy (go for it!) 

- 31-50: Medium (doable) 

- 51-70: Hard (skip for now) 

- 71-100: Very hard (need authority) 

My sweet spot: 200-2,000 volume, SD under 40.

Click "Keyword Ideas"

You'll see 50+ related keywords with their data.

Filter by "Easy" to see only low-competition keywords.

Create a Google Sheet and write all the keywords you choose.

Numbers look good? One more check before deciding.

Step 4 - Analyze Search Intent

Search intent = what people expect to find when they search that keyword.

It is marked with letters: I-T-N-C

You can have perfect volume/difficulty, but if your content doesn't match intent, you won't rank.

1. Search your keyword on Google.

2. Look at the top 10 results.

3. What type of content ranks?

   - Articles/guides (informational [I]) 

   - Product pages (transactional [T])

   - Websites (Navigational [N])

   - Purchases (Commercial [C])

If the top 10 are all guides → write a guide.

If the top 10 are product pages → skip or create a product page.

"keyword research" → top results are tutorial articles.

Perfect! I can write that.

"buy keyword research tool" → top results are product pages.

Not good for a blog article.

Match the format and depth of what's already ranking.

Now you're ready to pick your keyword.

Step 5 - Pick Your Keyword

Choose a keyword that checks all boxes:

Volume: 200-2,000/month

Difficulty: Under 40

Intent: Matches your content type

Relevance: Fits your blog topic

I rank my keywords by priority:

Volume + Difficulty + Relevance to Your Blog = Priority.

1. High (write first)

2. Medium (write soon)

3. Low (save for later)

Once you pick your keyword, use it in:

- Title (H1).

- URL.

- First 100 words.

- Naturally, throughout the article.

Don't obsess over the "perfect" keyword. Once you think you have found a good keyword, use it. 

Test and learn.

Keyword Research Tools for Seo (I use for free)

You don't need expensive tools to start. 

The free tools I use:

1. Ubersuggest (my main tool)

- 3 free searches/day.

- Shows volume, difficulty, and ideas.

- Link: neilpatel.com/ubersuggest.

2. Google Keyword Planner

- Unlimited searches (need a Google Ads account, but free).

- Data straight from Google.

- Best for volume data.

- Link: ads.google.com/keyword-planner.

3. AnswerThePublic

- Shows the questions people ask.

- Great for article titles.

- 3 free searches/day.

- Link: answerthepublic.com.

4. Google Suggest

- Completely free, unlimited.

- Real autocomplete suggestions.

- Just write in the Google type bar.

My Routine

- Google Suggest for ideas (5 min)

- Ubersuggest to check volume/difficulty (5 min)

- Keyword Planner to confirm (2 min)

Total: 12 minutes per keyword research session.

Learn from my mistakes.

Common Keyword Research Mistakes (I Made These Too)

What I thought was good, but turned out to be the opposite:

Mistake 1: Choosing keywords that are too competitive:

I wanted to rank for "SEO" (SD: 85)

Instead: "SEO for beginners" (SD: 42)

Mistake 2: Ignoring search volume:

"Search engine crawling algorithms" (10 searches/month)

"How search engines work" (1,900/month)

Mistake 3: Not checking search intent:

I picked "best SEO tool" but the top results are all comparison pages

For blog articles, pick informational keywords (how to, what is, guide)

Mistake 4: Analysis paralysis

Spending 2 hours finding "perfect" keyword

15 minutes is enough. Pick one and start writing.

You'll get better with practice. Your first keywords won't be perfect. 

That's okay.

My First Keyword Research: A Case Study 

Let me show you exactly how I found keywords for this blog.

The Process:

Step 1: Brainstormed (5 min)

Seeds: SEO, learning SEO, keyword research, search engines

Step 2: Google Suggest (5 min)

Found 20 keyword ideas from autocomplete

Step 3: Ubersuggest (10 min)

Checked volume and difficulty for the top 10 keywords

Results:

'how to learn SEO' = 880 - 38 -  Use 

'what is keyword research' =1,600 - 35 -  Use

'SEO techniques' = 320 - 52 - Skip

'learn SEO' = 4,400 - 58 -  Too hard 

Step 4: Checked intent

Searched keywords on Google. Top results = tutorial articles. Perfect!

Step 5: Made content plan

10 articles planned from this one research session.

Total time: 20 minutes

That's it. Simple process, real results. 

You can do the same.

The article you're reading right now came from that keyword research session.

CONCLUSION

Keyword research doesn't have to be complicated:

1. Brainstorm seed keywords

2. Expand with Google Suggest

3. Check volume/difficulty with Ubersuggest

4. Verify search intent

5. Pick and write

Will you pick perfect keywords every time? No.

Will you get better with practice? Absolutely.

Start with one keyword. 

Do research. Write an article. 

See what happens.

What keyword are you researching for your next article? 

Drop it in the comments.

→ Read: How Web Search Engines Work (Explained Simply): [link]

→ Next: On-Page SEO Checklist for Beginners (coming soon): [link]

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Sources:

- Moz: 'What is keyword research': [link]