How to find the right keywords – the first step to better SEO

Keywords are the foundation of effective search engine optimization. They act as the bridge between what people search for and the content you offer. But choosing the right keywords is not just about finding popular phrases - it's about understanding your target audience and your industry. Here is a step-by-step guide to finding the keywords that help your business stand out.

Understand the basics

Choosing the right keywords starts with understanding their role in SEO.

What are keywords?

• Keywords are search terms
  The words and phrases people type into search engines to find information, products, or services.
• Keywords connect needs and solutions
  Your chosen keywords should reflect what your audience is looking for and match what you offer.

Analyze your target audience

To find the right keywords you must understand who you are targeting.

Identify your target audience

• Who are they
  Create buyer personas to get a clearer picture of your audience's needs, interests, and behaviours.
• What problems do they want to solve
  Focus on which questions or challenges your product or service can solve.

Explore their search behavior

• Analyze customer questions
  What do your customers ask during meetings, via email, or on social media?
• Use keyword tools
  Tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest can provide insights into which terms your audience uses.

Do a keyword analysis

Keyword analysis is the process of identifying which search terms are most relevant and useful for your strategy.

Start broad and narrow down

• Brainstorm topics
  Write down broad topics that are relevant to your business, such as "digital marketing" or "SEO strategies".
• List specific keywords
  Break down the broad topics into long-tail keywords such as "best SEO tools for small businesses" or "how to rank on Google in Sweden".

Evaluate keywords

• Search volume
  How many people search for the keyword each month?
• Competition level
  How difficult is it to rank for the keyword?
• Commercial value
  Is the search phrase linked to purchase intent?

Explore competitors

• See what your competitors rank for
  Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to analyze their keywords.
• Identify gaps
  Are there important terms they miss that you can capitalize on?

Create a keyword strategy

Finding keywords is only the beginning – now you need a strategy to use them effectively.

Categorize your keywords

• Primary keywords
  The main search terms that define your business.
• Secondary keywords
  Related search terms that support and reinforce your primary keywords.

Use keywords strategically

• Content
  Use your keywords naturally in articles, blogs and web pages.
• Titles and meta descriptions
  Make sure your keywords appear in titles, meta descriptions and headings.
• Internal links
  Anchor links with relevant keywords strengthen your site's SEO.

Monitor and optimize

Keywords are not static – they evolve together with your industry and your customers' needs.

Track your results

• Analyze the traffic
  Which keywords drive traffic to your website?
• Measure conversions
  Which keywords lead to sales or inquiries?

Adapt and improve

• Add new keywords
  Continue identifying new relevant search terms through regular analysis.
• Update content
  Make sure old articles and pages are optimized for current keywords.

Finally - write naturally and credibly

Finding the right keywords is an important foundation for your content strategy – but it's only half the job. It's not enough to stuff keywords onto the page in the hope of climbing the search results. The content needs to feel natural, relevant and credible to the reader.

Content should be written for people, not just for algorithms. When you use keywords, do so in a way that integrates seamlessly into the context and actually helps the reader understand what you offer. That builds trust and creates a better experience – which in turn is rewarded by search engines.

Read more in our article "Write for people AND search engines" where you can find concrete writing tips to succeed with the ultimate keyword balance 

Summary

Finding the right keywords for your industry is a combination of understanding your target audience, analyzing search behaviors and using the right tools. By creating a strategy built on relevance, value and data-driven insights, you can ensure your content not only ranks highly in search engines but also engages and converts your visitors.

Need help identifying the right keywords or building an effective SEO strategy that also attracts users? Get in touch with us – we have the tools and expertise to take your search engine optimization to the next level.

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