Keyword research

What it means

Keyword research is the process of finding out which words, phrases and questions people type into search engines when looking for a company's products or services. For each keyword you establish search volume, competition, cost per click and search intent.

The result is a list of topics ranked by potential and mapped to pages on the site. Short generic terms have high volume and fierce competition; longer specific phrases, the so-called long tail, have lower volume but a better chance of converting.

Research underpins SEO, content strategy and PPC campaigns. Without it a company writes texts nobody searches for or pays for clicks from people who do not intend to buy.

How it works in practice

For an accounting firm, research shows that people search not only for „accounting Bratislava“ but also for specific questions, such as the tax return deadline, how to calculate contributions or what a VAT control statement is. Articles and a glossary answer such questions.

Data sources include search engine tools, SEO tools, autocomplete, customer questions and the site's current positions in Search Console. Looking at the actual results also shows what type of page succeeds for a query.

Keywords are grouped into topics, and each topic is assigned one main page. Related queries are covered in the same text or in subpages connected by internal links.

What to watch out for

If several pages target the same keyword, cannibalisation occurs and none ranks well. Mapping keywords to pages prevents it.

Volume is not everything. A high-volume term with the wrong intent, such as students' informational searches, brings visits without enquiries. Decisions should follow what potential customers are looking for.