How to Do Keyword Research for Content Writing in 4 Easy Steps

This step-by-step guide will explain how to do keyword research for content marketing like a pro.

Keyword research for content writing is very important. According to Ahrefs, “68% of online experiences begin with a search engine.” This means a lot of online activity can be captured with the right keyword strategy and content.

Keywords are a key part of SEO (search engine optimization). They help Google understand and rank your content. Keywords also help users find the right web pages for their queries.

If you want to learn more about how content writing and keyword research work together, this guide will show you how to do keyword research for content marketing in four easy steps.

Content Writing Keyword Research in Four Easy Steps

Knowing how to do keyword research for content marketing (including blog posts, landing pages, white papers, infographics, social media content, podcasts, videos, and eBooks) is essential for your content strategy. You can achieve this in four steps.

Step 1: Identify Principal Content Topics

Your main content topics are the broad areas that your content strategy will focus on. These topics often form a pillar content strategy, allowing you to create more related content that supports a key focus area relevant to your company. This is a good starting point for keyword research for content writing.

If you’re having trouble identifying the right topics, explore different ways to generate content ideas. This helps narrow your search, find your niche, and understand what is important to your target audience. Your content should always focus on what your audience needs or wants, not just what you want to tell them.

You can also use Google’s search engine results page (SERP) for content ideas. Look at the ‘What People Searched For’ panel, Google’s suggested phrases, and the results for your broad topic search.

Top Tip: AnswerThePublic and Google Trends are great tools for getting real-time insights into what people are searching for.

Step 2: Keyword Discovery

Once you have your main topics, you can start keyword discovery. The Google Ads Keyword Planner is a widely used keyword tool, but don’t rely on just one source. Tools like Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool, Ahrefs Keyword Explorer, and Moz’s Keyword Explorer help you expand and refine your search. They provide data on keywords, such as average monthly searches, search intent, SEO difficulty, paid advertisement difficulty, and cost per click.

Key metrics to consider for keyword research are:

-Search Volume: This shows how many times people search for a keyword. If your brand is well-known and your site has strong SEO and traffic, you can target keywords with higher search volumes. If you’re building traffic, choose keywords with lower search volumes (like 10, 20, 30, or 40 searches per month) because they are less competitive.

- Keyword Difficulty: This measures how hard it is to rank for a keyword on the first page of Google. It’s measured on a scale of 0–100. The higher the number, the harder it is to rank. Tools measure keyword difficulty by looking at the top ten pages for the keyword and counting how many sites link to them. Other factors include the number of internal links, content length, and relevancy.

Use keyword variations and suggestions in your research and compile a spreadsheet of the terms from your search.

It’s good to have a mix of:

- Short tail keywords: Keywords or phrases with one to two words.

- Long tail keywords: Keywords or phrases with three words or more.

Look deeper into keywords that appear often and have high search volumes. Research more specific longtail keywords with lower difficulty scores, which may be easier to rank for.

Top Tip: Check what your competitors are doing. Which keywords are they ranking for? What content are they providing, and in what format? Think about how you can make your content better. Aim to make your content 10x better than your competitors. Useful, quality, well-targeted content will help you outrank competitors by giving your audience the best content available.

Step 3: Analyse Your Keywords

Review your full list of keywords and narrow it down to no more than 100. Start by eliminating the ones that are not relevant to your topic.

Make sure the keywords you select are highly relevant to your topic and can strengthen your website’s authority on that subject.

Top Tip: Research what SERP features these keywords pull up on Google and who is already ranking for them.

SERP features help you understand what content format people are looking for and the intention behind their query. Keyword intent can be informational, transactional, commercial, or navigational.

For blog keyword research, focus on keywords with informational intent. Examples include questions like “How do I structure a blog” or phrases like “content keyword research” and “SEO for beginners.”

SERP features can reveal the query’s intent. Many video results or image packs may suggest searchers want visual aids. If there is a featured snippet or a ‘people also asked’ panel, searchers may want quick, bite-sized answers.

Step 4: Pick Your Focus Keywords

Choose your final keywords based on the research from your shortlist. Look for keywords that are relevant to your site, have good search volume, low difficulty, and minimal competition.

It can be helpful to select primary and secondary keywords for your content.

A primary keyword best represents your content and can be included in your blog title, first paragraph, and throughout the blog (without keyword stuffing). This helps Google recognize your content’s relevance.

A secondary keyword supports your primary terms. These are still relevant but may have lower search volume and be more niche.

Now that you have your target keywords, write the best content you can! High-quality content for SEO should be user-focused, helpful, and provide what the user is searching for, with optimal keyword use supporting that goal.

The Importance of Keyword Research for Content Writing

Keyword research for content marketing helps improve your search visibility, E.E.A.T. (expertise, authority, trustworthiness), and user experience. Done right, it supports targeted content that answers readers’ questions and helps you get found by your audience.

Google ranks content based on E.A.T. Carefully selected keywords and quality content that answers search queries will help Google rank your content higher.

Google’s SERP features are aligned with searchers’ queries and the answers they seek. Optimizing your content with relevant keywords helps Google extract the most relevant information, potentially featuring it as a snippet or related question.

Keyword research also provides content inspiration, helping you produce engaging, high-quality content that can lead to better leads or more conversions. According to HubSpot, marketers who prioritize blogs are 13x more likely to see a positive return on investment.

Ocean Power team of digital marketers is experienced in content writing keyword research. We create quality, targeted content strategies for all types of businesses, increasing organic website traffic and achieving high returns on investment. Talk to our team today about improving your content strategy.

Learn how we increased organic search traffic by over 900% with an E.E.A.T-driven content strategy or visit our blog for more tips and advice, including the top benefits of digital marketing for your business.