How to do keyword research.
Keyword research is finding the exact words customers type when they need you — then building pages around the ones worth winning. You don't need paid tools to start. Here's the simple version: where the words come from, which ones matter, and what to do with them.
Every page on your website is a bet on a search. Keyword research is how you stop guessing which bets to make. It sounds technical, but it comes down to one skill: knowing exactly what your customers type when they need you. Here's how to do keyword research the simple way — free first, paid tools only when they earn it.
The short answer
Keyword research is finding the words customers actually use, then deciding which ones deserve a page. That's the whole job. Everything else — the tools, the numbers, the reports — exists to answer three questions: what do people type, how many of them are ready to hire, and can you realistically win that search? Get those three right and every other part of your SEO gets easier.
Buyer words vs browser words
The most important skill in keyword research is telling these two apart. "How to fix a leaky faucet" is a browser. They want a video and a free afternoon. "Emergency plumber near me" is a buyer. They have water on the floor and a credit card in reach. Both searches mention plumbing — only one pays for the service call.
For a local service business, buyer words usually contain a service plus a place or urgency: "Newport Beach car accident attorney," "same-day AC repair," "DUI lawyer open now." Longer and more specific is usually better — fewer searches, but the people typing them are ready. Those longer searches are what the industry calls long-tail keywords, and they're where small businesses win.
Start with what customers already say
You have keyword sources no tool can match, and they're free:
- Your phone. Listen to how customers describe their problem when they call. They say "my AC is blowing hot air" — not "HVAC repair services." Those same words are what they typed into Google right before they called you. Keep a list for one week and you'll have a better keyword list than most tools can give you.
- Google autocomplete. Type your service and city slowly and watch what Google suggests. Those suggestions are real searches, ranked by popularity.
- The "People Also Ask" box. Search your main service and open every question. Each one is a page or FAQ waiting to be written.
- Search Console. If your site has been live a while, Google will show you the exact searches you already show up for — including ones you never targeted.
- Your competitors' pages. Look at what the top-ranking company in your area has pages for. That's their keyword research, done for you.
What makes a keyword worth chasing
Run every keyword through three checks. Intent: is the person ready to hire, or just reading? Enough volume: it doesn't need thousands of searches — for a local business, thirty ready-to-buy searches a month is a real number. Winnable: if the whole first page is giant national brands, pick a more specific version of the same search. "Personal injury lawyer" is dominated by the biggest advertisers in the country; "motorcycle accident lawyer in your city" is a search you can actually win.
The test that keeps you honest: for every keyword, ask "if I ranked #1 for this tomorrow, would my phone ring?" If the answer is no, it doesn't matter how big the number next to it is.
Turn keywords into pages
A keyword list does nothing by itself. Each keyword group becomes a page: one main topic per page, built around one main search and its close variations. Every service gets a page. Every city you serve gets a page. The specific questions customers ask become articles and FAQs. This is the exact work on-page SEO is made of — and it's the same list your marketing strategy should be built on.
Free tools vs paid tools
Start free: autocomplete, People Also Ask, Search Console, your Google Business Profile's search data, and your own call notes. That covers most of what a local business needs. Paid tools like Ahrefs and Semrush are real — we use them daily — but what they add is precision: exact volumes, difficulty scores, and a full view of competitor keywords. That precision matters when you're managing hundreds of keywords across many pages. It's not where you start; it's what you graduate into.
Keyword research never really ends
The list you build today is a starting point, not a finished product. Every month, Search Console shows new searches you're almost winning — page two rankings a small push could move to page one. Seasons shift what people search. AI search keeps changing how questions get asked. So the list gets refined every month: new pages for new searches, updates where you're close, cuts where a bet didn't pay. The businesses that treat keyword research as a monthly habit quietly pull away from the ones that did it once.
Not sure which keywords your business should target? We'll find them with you — call us at (949) 416-0274 or start a live chat. Or if you'd rather have the research done for you, get started now.
FAQs
What is keyword research?
Keyword research is finding the exact words and questions your customers type into Google or ask an AI when they need what you do — then deciding which ones are worth building pages around. It is the foundation under SEO, content, and ads.
Do I need paid tools for keyword research?
Not to start. Google autocomplete, the People Also Ask box, Google Search Console, and your own phone calls cover most of what a local business needs. Paid tools like Ahrefs or Semrush earn their cost later, when you want exact numbers and competitor data.
What are long-tail keywords?
Longer, more specific searches — "emergency slab leak repair in Corona" instead of "plumber." Fewer people type them, but the ones who do are usually ready to hire, and the competition for them is much smaller.
How many keywords should one page target?
One main topic per page, plus its close variations. A page about water heater replacement can also cover "water heater installation cost" — but it should not also try to be your drain cleaning page. When in doubt, split it.
How often should I redo keyword research?
Check it monthly, not once. Search Console shows the searches where you almost rank — those are your cheapest wins. Customer language changes, seasons change, and AI search keeps shifting how people ask.
