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SEOL

    Finding keyword ideas

    Start from your customers and your own data, not from a tool. Build a list of the words people really use, from short head terms to specific long-tail questions.

    Time
    20 min
    Level
    beginner
    Reviewed
    5 November 2026

    After this lesson you can

    • Write a seed list from the business, its customers and its offers.
    • Expand it with free sources such as Search Console, autocomplete and Keyword Planner.
    • Explain the difference between head terms and long-tail keywords, and why both matter.

    Keyword research answers one question: what do the people you want to reach type into a search engine? Your job is to find their words, then decide which pages should answer them.

    Step 1: seed keywords from the business

    Before opening any tool, write down:

    • What you sell or offer, in the customer's words, not internal product names.
    • The problems customers have before they find you. For example, "laptop does not turn on" comes before "laptop repair".
    • Questions customers ask by email, phone or in reviews.
    • Locations, if you serve a specific area.

    These 5 to 10 phrases are your seed keywords.

    Step 2: expand with free sources

    SourceWhat it gives youWatch out for
    Search Console queriesWords people already use to find you, with real impressions and clicksVery rare queries are omitted for privacy. New sites have little data
    AutocompleteReal phrasing, because predictions reflect real searchesInfluenced by location, language, trends and your own history. Use a private window
    People also ask and related searchesQuestions and neighbouring topicsChanges often, so record the date
    Keyword PlannerIdeas and volume estimates for a chosen locationBuilt for advertisers. Volumes are rounded and include close variants
    Google TrendsSeasonality and relative interestRelative scale (0 to 100), and low-volume terms show as zero
    Competitor pagesTopics and wording they coverCopy the topics, never the text

    Head terms and the long tail

    A head term is short and broad, such as "laptop repair". A long-tail keyword is specific, such as "macbook air battery replacement price šiauliai".

    Head termsLong-tail keywords
    Searches per keywordHighLow, often too low for tools to measure
    IntentOften unclear or mixedUsually clear
    CompetitionStrongUsually weaker
    ConversionLower on averageOften higher

    Google says that about 15% of searches it sees every day are new, which means they have never been searched before. No tool lists them. You can only reach them by writing clearly and completely about a topic.

    Keep the list honest

    Remove keywords that are popular but irrelevant. A computer repair shop does not benefit from ranking for "how to build a gaming PC" unless it also sells parts or builds. Relevance always beats volume, which the next lesson explains.

    Practice

    Read the lesson, pass the quiz and do the exercise to complete it.

    Knowledge check

    5 questions. Get at least 4 right to pass.

    1. 1. Where do autocomplete predictions come from?
    2. 2. Why does Search Console not show every query that brought you impressions?
    3. 3. What is a long-tail keyword?
    4. 4. An expert and a beginner search for the same thing with different words. What does Google advise?
    5. 5. What should the first source of keyword ideas be?

    Exercise: Build a list of 40 keyword ideas

    Write 5 to 10 seed keywords from your site's offers and customer questions. Expand them with at least four sources (Search Console queries, autocomplete, People also ask, Keyword Planner or Google Trends, competitor pages, customer emails or reviews). Put at least 40 unique ideas into your Workspace project's keyword map, and import your Search Console queries if the site has data.

    Deliverable: A keyword map in the Workspace with at least 40 keywords, and a note listing which sources you used.

    Check your work honestly against each point
    Write up your work and meet every point to finish.

    Sources

    Checked against these sources on 5 November 2026. Next review by 5 May 2027.

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