Keyword research: A complete guide for businesses (How to do it)

Feeling a little lost in the SEO jungle? You know potential customers are out there on Google, but you're unsure exactly which words and phrases they use to find products or services like yours. Maybe you've tried a little, but feel like you're guessing in the dark? You're not alone. The good news is that there's a method for eliminating the guesswork. Thorough keyword research is the very foundation of becoming visible online, and fortunately, it's not as complicated or expensive as many people think.

In this complete guide, we'll hold your hand and show you, step by step, how to uncover the gold nuggets—the keywords your ideal customers use every day. We'll translate technical jargon into language you understand and show you how to use free tools to build a solid list of valuable keywords, all without breaking the budget. By the time you finish reading, you'll have a concrete plan for attracting more relevant traffic and more of the customers you truly want.

What Is Keyword Research (and Why Is It Critical for Your Business?)

Imagine running a physical store without having any idea what customers ask for when they come in. Keyword research is the process of learning your customers' digital language. It involves identifying the exact words and phrases (keywords) potential customers type into Google when looking for the solutions, products, or services you offer. This is the essence of what keyword research really is: building a bridge between what you offer and what your customers are actively searching for.

The goal isn't simply to drive more traffic to your website, but to attract the right traffic. Ranking for a broad term like «shoes» can bring thousands of visitors, but few of them are ready to buy. Ranking for «waterproof men's running shoes in Bergen», on the other hand, attracts a far more qualified customer. This precision is what makes good keyword research one of the most profitable investments you can make—it transforms organic search into a predictable source of leads and sales.

The Three Most Important Concepts You Need to Understand

To find the best keywords, you need to balance three key factors:

• Search volume: Shows how many times a specific keyword is searched for on average each month. High volume means greater traffic potential.
• Competition/difficulty: Measures how difficult it is to rank on the first page of Google for a keyword. High competition often means that large, established websites dominate.
• Search intent: Reveals why someone performs the search. Do they want to buy something (transactional), find information (informational), or navigate to a specific page (navigational)? why Different Types of Keywords: From Broad to Specific

Keywords are often divided into two main categories. Short keywords (

short-tail) such as «shoes» or «sofa» typically have high search volume and extremely high competition. They are broad and often have unclear search intent.Long keywords (

long-tail) such as «best dark gray velvet sofa bed» are much more specific. They have lower search volume, but competition is significantly lower and search intent is crystal clear. For small and medium-sized businesses, these long-tail keywords are worth their weight in gold. They allow you to compete in your own niche and attract customers who are much closer to making a purchase, resulting in a far higher return on investment.Before you open a single tool, you need to do the most important groundwork: understanding your own business and your customers. Successful

Steps 1–2: Preparation and Brainstorming—Lay a Solid Foundation

keyword research keyword research is built on deep insight into what you offer and which problems you solve. Forget advanced software for a while—start with pen and paper, or a simple document.

Put yourself in the customer's shoes. If you sell accounting services, the customer may not be searching for “cloud-based accounting”. They may be searching for “help with my tax return” or “how to start a sole proprietorship”. Identify the actual problems you solve, and use the language your customers use.

An invaluable tip is to talk to those who have direct contact with customers, such as the sales or customer service departments. They hear every day which questions are being asked and what challenges customers have. This insight is worth its weight in gold when finding relevant keywords.

Create your first list of keyword ideas

Use a simple spreadsheet to gather all your thoughts. At this stage, the goal is quantity over quality – get down as many ideas as possible. This is about understanding what the customer really is looking for, and this is where it becomes important to understand how to analyze search intent. Start with the following:

• Seed keywords: List your 5–10 most important services or products (e.g. “heat pump”, “home security system”, “vehicle roadworthiness test”).
• Synonyms and related terms: Think of alternative ways to describe what you offer (e.g. “website” vs. “homepage”, “auto repair shop” vs. “car repair”).
• Questions: Write down questions you often get from customers (e.g. “how much does a heat pump cost?”, “how do I change tires myself?”).

Analyze your competitors (without expensive tools)

You don't need expensive tools to gain valuable insights from your competitors. A quick manual check can reveal which keywords they prioritize and give you new ideas for your own list. This simple exercise is an essential part of any thorough keyword analysis.

Do the following:

1. Identify 3–5 of your biggest competitors.
2. Visit their websites and look at their service and product pages.
3. Pay attention to the words they use in page titles (the text in the browser tab) and in the main headings (H1/H2).
4. Write down words and phrases they use frequently, especially those you hadn't thought of yourself. Add them to your spreadsheet.

Step 3: Use Free Tools to Expand and Validate Your List

Now that you have a solid list of ideas from brainstorming, it's time to validate them with data and find even more hidden gems. You don't need to invest in expensive tools costing thousands of kroner each month to get started. The goal at this stage is to find search volume (how many people are searching) and get an indication of the level of competition. Remember to add all new findings and data to your spreadsheet.

Use Google's own built-in tools

Google itself is your first and best tool. It's free, immediately available, and gives you direct insight into what users are actually searching for in real time. Make use of these features:

• Google Autosuggest: Start typing a keyword in the search field. The suggestions that appear are popular and relevant searches people are making right now.
• “People also ask”: This box in the search results displays related questions. It's perfect for finding long-tail keywords and ideas for new content.
• Related searches: At the very bottom of the search results page, you'll find a list of search phrases closely related to your original search. This is a goldmine for finding synonyms and alternative formulations.

Popular free keyword research tools

To get concrete figures for search volume and competition, you can use dedicated tools. Tools such as Ahrefs Free Keyword Generator or Ubersuggest provide valuable insights at no cost. You can paste in your keywords and get estimates of monthly search volume and “Keyword Difficulty” (KD) – a score that estimates how difficult it is to rank for the term. There are many good keyword research tools that provide a solid data foundation for making good decisions. Remember that the figures are estimates, but they provide an excellent indication of which keywords you should prioritize first.

Use Google Keyword Planner (requires a Google Ads account)

Google's own Keyword Planner is a very powerful tool, and it's free to use even though it's part of the Google Ads platform. You only need to create a Google Ads account (you don't need to run ads to get access). Here, you can paste in your entire list of keywords to get search volume data directly from Google, or use the “Discover new keywords” feature to get suggestions based on a seed term or a website.

Step 4: Analysis and Prioritization—How to Choose the Right Keywords

You are probably now sitting with a long and perhaps overwhelming list of potential keywords. This is completely normal. The real value in a keyword research does not lie in collecting as many words as possible, but in choosing the right words. At this stage, we'll sort, analyze, and prioritize your list so that it becomes a powerful tool for your business.

Evaluate relevance, volume, and competition

The first and most important filter is relevance. Ask yourself: “If someone finds us through this keyword, will they find exactly what they are looking for?” A keyword such as “free website” may be tempting because of its high volume, but if you sell premium web solutions, it is irrelevant and will only attract the wrong audience.

The goal is to find “the sweet spot”: keywords with solid search volume and a level of competition you can realistically compete with. Don't overlook keywords with lower volume. A specific keyword such as “WordPress maintenance agreement for businesses” may have only 30 searches per month, but its relevance and purchase intent are extremely high among the few people searching for it.

Connect keywords to the customer journey and intent

Behind every search lies an intent. To choose the best keywords, you need to understand what the user wants to achieve. We generally divide intent into three main categories:

• Informational intent: The user is seeking knowledge. Example: “what is SEO”. These are perfect for blog posts and guides.
• Commercial intent: The user is considering various alternatives before making a purchase. Example: “best SEO plugin” or “compare CRM systems”. These are well suited to comparison articles and product overviews.
• Transactional intent: The user is ready to make a purchase. Example: “WordPress maintenance price” or “buy SEO services”. These keywords are pure gold and should be prioritized for your most important sales and service pages.

By connecting keywords to intent, you can create content that perfectly meets users where they are in their customer journey. A thorough keyword analysis gives you a prioritized action plan that guides which pages you should create or optimize. This strategic choice is crucial for achieving concrete results with your digital marketing.

Step 5: From Analysis to Action—Implementation on Your WordPress Website

You now have a list of valuable keywords. But a thorough keyword research is worthless if it is simply left in a drawer. This is where the magic happens – when data becomes tangible results. To turn the analysis into visibility on Google, you need to create a concrete plan and implement the findings directly on your WordPress website.

This is the step that ensures your investment in the analysis delivers a genuine return in the form of increased traffic and more customers.

Create a keyword map (Keyword Mapping)

A keyword map is a simple yet powerful plan that connects each prioritized keyword to one specific page on your website. This creates a logical structure and prevents your pages from competing with one another in the search results. A good rule of thumb is:

• Homepage: Target your most important broad keyword (e.g. “accountant Oslo”).
• Service pages: Use commercial and transactional keywords that show clear purchase intent (e.g. “help with annual accounts”).
• Blog posts: Answer informational keywords and questions (e.g. “which deductions apply to sole proprietorships”).

Practical on-page SEO in WordPress

With the keyword map ready, it is time to optimize each individual page. In WordPress, tools such as Yoast SEO or Rank Math make this work much easier. For each page you optimize, make sure the primary keyword is placed strategically in the most important elements:

• Page title (Title Tag): The most important signal to Google about what the page is about.
• Meta description: The short text displayed in the search results. A good description increases the click-through rate.
• H1 heading: The main heading on the page itself.

Use related keywords and synonyms naturally in the body text and subheadings (H2, H3) to give Google more context and depth.

Plan new content based on the findings

A good keyword research often uncovers a goldmine of content ideas. Have you found important questions your customers are asking that you have not yet answered? Create a list of blog post ideas that address these topics. Each new post is a new opportunity to rank, build your authority and attract relevant traffic over time.

Need help implementing SEO on your WordPress site and getting the most out of your analysis? Contact us at SolidWeb.

Turn your keyword research into lasting growth

You have now followed our complete guide and have a solid blueprint for success. From the initial brainstorming session to prioritising keywords based on data, you have learned the essential steps. Remember that thorough keyword research is not a one-off task, but the very foundation of all successful digital marketing. It is about continuously understanding your customers, choosing the right battles, and systematically implementing content that meets their needs and search intent.

Turning this insight into action can be challenging, but the reward is invaluable: a website that works for you 24/7 and attracts qualified customers. As specialists in WordPress and SEO for businesses, this is our core expertise. We help you all the way from analysis to concrete, measurable results. Let us ensure that your business is found by the right customers, so you can focus on what you do best.

Get a professional SEO review of your website. Contact us today!

Good luck with your work – your next customer is just a Google search away!

Frequently asked questions about keyword research

How often should I conduct keyword research?

Thorough keyword research should be conducted at least once a year. The market, competitors and search trends are constantly changing. For ongoing content production, you should carry out a smaller analysis for each new article or page you create. This ensures that your content is always relevant and targeted towards what your audience is actually searching for. Think of it as an ongoing process, not a one-off task.

How many keywords should I focus on per page?

Focus on one primary keyword per page. This gives the page a clear purpose for both users and search engines. In addition, you can include 3–5 closely related secondary keywords. These may be synonyms, long-tail keywords or related questions. For example, if the main keyword is «elbil lader hjemme», secondary keywords could be «pris installasjon elbillader» and «beste ladeboks til elbil».

What is the difference between keywords and topics?

A topic is a broad subject, such as «coffee». Keywords are the specific phrases people type into Google related to that topic, such as «how to make iced coffee», «best coffee beans» or «calories in a caffè latte». A good SEO strategy uses a collection of targeted keywords to build authority around an overarching topic. You cover one topic thoroughly by creating content for many related keywords.

Is it worth paying for an SEO tool as a beginner?

As a beginner, free tools such as Google Keyword Planner and the free features in tools such as Ubersuggest may be sufficient. However, if you are serious about SEO, paid tools such as Ahrefs or Semrush, often costing NOK 1,000–1,500 per month, provide much deeper insights into competition, search volume and related terms. It is an investment that can quickly pay off through better results, but it is not a requirement for getting started.

How do I measure whether my keyword research has been successful?

Successful keyword research is measured through concrete results. Use Google Search Console to track rankings, impressions and clicks for your selected keywords. In Google Analytics, look for an increase in organic traffic to the optimised pages. The ultimate goal is not just traffic, but relevant traffic that leads to conversions, such as sales or enquiries.

Can I rank for keywords that do not appear exactly in my text?

Yes, absolutely. Google understands semantics and synonyms. If you write a comprehensive article about «how to change a car tyre», you may also rank for «change wheels yourself» or «tyre-changing guide», even if you do not use those exact phrases. Google prioritises content that best answers the searcher’s intent, not just an exact match of words. Focus on covering your topic comprehensively and thoroughly.