Imagine trying to sell a product, but no one’s asking for it. That’s exactly what happens when you skip keyword research in SEO.
You might be creating the best content out there, but if you’re not targeting the keywords your audience is actually using, you're just shouting into the void.
Here are 4 major reasons why keyword research is important if you want to increase traffic and turn those clicks into conversions.
What is Keyword Research
Keyword research is basically figuring out what words or phrases people type into search engines like Google when they’re looking for something you offer. The better you understand this, the more likely you are to show up in front of them when they hit search.
Think of it this way: if you run a coffee shop, people might search for “best coffee near me” or “local coffee shops open now” You wouldn’t want to optimise your site for “beverage stations”, right?
Keyword research ensures you’re using the exact language your potential customers are using.
Why Is Keyword Research Important?
Boosts Search Engine Rankings
When you target the right keywords, search engines like Google recognise that your content is relevant to what people are searching for and can increase your content's rankings.
Of course, there are other ranking factors involved, but this gives you a chance to compete.
During your keyword research, you need to be smart about some metrics that guide your choices.
Search Volume: More isn’t always better
A common mistake is to go after keywords with only high search volume. Sure, more searches mean more potential visitors, but those keywords are also more competitive. Everyone else is trying to rank for them too, which makes it harder to break through.
On the flip side, you could find hidden opportunities with lower search volume keywords. These are usually more specific and targeted (like long-tail keywords), which means less competition and more focused traffic.
For example, if you’re a new website, instead of targeting “best running shoes”, you might target “best running shoes for flat fleet.”
Your keyword data might show that fewer people search for it, but the ones who do are much more likely to engage with your content because it's exactly what they need.
Keyword Trends: Staying ahead
Another factor to consider is how a keyword’s popularity changes over time. Some keywords are seasonal or trend-based.
For example, “best holiday gifts” spikes towards and during winter holidays, while “gardening tips” may trend in the spring. Google Trends can help you spot these patterns, allowing you to optimise content when it’s most relevant.
Keyword Difficulty: Choosing Your Battles
Lastly, there’s keyword difficulty, a metric that tells you how hard it is to rank for a specific keyword. High-volume keywords are often paired with high difficulty, meaning top-ranking pages are from well-established sites. Competing for these spots can feel like an uphill battle, especially if your site is newer.
That’s why targeting lower-difficulty keywords can be a smarter approach. Even if fewer people search for them, you’re more likely to rank higher and attract the right audience without being buried under more authoritative websites.
Increases Conversions
When you focus on keywords that match your audience’s intent, you attract people who are already looking for what you offer.
You can easily segment your content to match your users at each stage of their buying journey, which increases the likelihood that they’ll engage with your content and eventually convert into customers.
What is Search Intent?
When people search for something online, they’re doing it for a reason. That reason, or search intent, can generally be broken down into three main categories:
Informational Intent: The user is looking for answers or information, such as “How to wear shoes that are too small ” or “What is SEO?”
Navigational Intent: The user is trying to find a specific website or brand. For instance, “Nike store near me” or “Facebook login.”
Transactional Intent: The user is ready to make a purchase or take an action. For example, “buy running shoes online” or “best laptops under $1,000.”
Let’s say you run an online store that sells running shoes. An informational keyword like “how to choose the right running shoes” may drive traffic, but many of those visitors are still in the research phase and not ready to buy just yet.
On the other hand, someone searching for “buy running shoes for flat feet” or “best deals on running shoes” is much closer to making a purchase.
Our SEO experts recommend targeting all of these keywords so your target audience doesn’t fall off at any stage of their buying journey.
Guides Your Content Strategy
Keyword research doesn’t just help you understand what your audience is searching for—it actively shapes your content strategy. Rather than creating content blindly, you’re basing your efforts on data, ensuring that what you produce aligns with audience needs.
One powerful content approach we use here at Mira Marketing is content clustering. This strategy involves creating a comprehensive pillar page around a broad topic and then building supporting content (cluster pages) around more specific, related subtopics.
For example, if your pillar page is about “running shoes,” your cluster content could cover topics like “best running shoes for flat feet” or “how to choose running shoes for beginners.”
By linking these cluster articles back to the pillar page, Search engines see that you’re covering the topic thoroughly, which can lead to better rankings for both the pillar and cluster pages. With keyword research guiding this strategy, you’re ensuring each piece of content is relevant and optimised for search.
Keeps You Competitive
Your competitors are definitely doing keyword research, and if you’re not, you’re already playing catch-up. Keyword research helps you find opportunities to outperform your competition. Using tools like Ahrefs or SEMRush makes this process a lot easier.
Here’s some basic tips to get started with a tool like Ahrefs:
Identify Your Competitors
Use Ahrefs’ “Site Explorer” to analyse competitor websites. Enter their domain, and you’ll instantly see which keywords they rank for, the traffic they’re getting, and which pages perform best.
If you are not sure who your competitors on search engines are, you can put your domain in the site explorer and go to the “organic competitors tab” the tool will show you a list of your top 5 competitors.
Look for Keyword Gaps
Once you have a list of competitor keywords, Ahrefs lets you run a Content Gap analysis. This feature shows keywords that your competitors rank for, but you don’t. These are your golden opportunities, terms you can target to either compete directly or rank for keywords they’ve missed.
Evaluate Keyword Metrics
For each keyword your competitors are ranking for, Ahrefs provides a Keyword Difficulty score. Focus on keywords with lower difficulty but high search volume, where you have a better chance to compete and rank higher.
Analyse Their Top Pages
You can also use Ahrefs to see which content pieces drive the most traffic to your competitors. It also lets you know if your competitor has made any changes to the page recently and what changes they have made.
From here, you can decide whether to create better versions of their top content or target less competitive keywords to gradually build authority.
Need Help With Your Keyword Research and SEO Strategy?
It’s obvious how important Keyword research is to a successful SEO strategy, but it’s never the easiest task if you're looking to outsmart the competition. Mira Marketing can help you develop SEO and Keyword strategies that get results. Get in touch with our SEO agency today.
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