If you want to create content online, write a blog, or start an e-commerce site, the first thing you need to learn is keyword research. Because the foundation of being visible on Google and other search engines is choosing the right keywords.
So, how do you choose the right keywords in 2025? What tools should you use? What should you pay attention to? I'll explain it step by step in this article.
Table of Contents
What Is Keyword Research?
Keyword research is the process of identifying the words, phrases, and questions your target audience searches for most on Google and other search engines.
Let me give you an example;
I am a blogger, and choosing a more specific and low-competition keyword like “How to make money with Pinterest 2025” instead of a broad word like “making money” will bring me faster and higher quality traffic.
Thus;
- Right keyword choice = The right target audience. ✅
- Wrong keyword choice = Wrong target audience or no audience at all. ❌
Before moving on to how keyword research is done, I will also give some information about keyword types, as they have different purposes depending on their use, so it will be useful for you to know which one will be useful to your business and to what extent.
Types of Keywords in SEO
1. Seed Keywords
It's the starting point. It usually consists of 1-2 words.
Ex: "SEO", "Hosting", "Blog post"
These words are not used directly, but serve as resources to generate other ideas.
2. Long-tail Keywords
These are search phrases of 3–5 words or longer. They are more specific and are sometimes called focus keywords.
Ex: "Best hosting in 2025", "How to start a blog"It has low competition but high conversion rates. It's the most critical keyword type for new websites.
3. LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) Keywords
These are words that have a semantic relationship with the main keyword.
Ex: In an article about "keyword research", I can use "search volume", "competitive analysis", "SEO compatibility"
Google uses these words to understand that the content is comprehensive.
4. Transactional Keywords
It indicates the user's purchase intent. More precisely, it's used to attract users with purchasing intent to the site.
Ex: "Hostinger discount code"
It is worth its weight in gold for affiliate marketing and e-commerce sites.
5. Informational Keywords
The user wants to get information.
Ex: "How to do keyword research", "What is SEO"
It is the most commonly used type for blog content.
6. Navigational Keywords
Ex: "Youtube SEO Guide Ahrefs"
Navigational keywords are useful in measuring brand awareness, they show high intend of users.
Stages of SEO Keyword Research
1. Identifying Seed Keywords
As I mentioned before, it is the starting point.
You find the most general words that represent your business, product or service.
Ex: “Hosting”, “SEO”, “Freelance work”, “Blog post”
Our goal is then to derive long-tail variations from these words.
2. Understanding the Search Intent of the Target Audience
- To get information
- To find a product or service
- To compare
- To purchase
- "Best Printer"→ Informational
- "X Brand Printers"→ Navigational
- "X vs Y Brand Printers"→ Commercial Investigation
- "Buy Printer"→ Transactional
Blog posts are generally aimed at informational purposes, but with the right content strategy, it is also possible to direct visitors to purchase.
Another important note: even if traffic comes to content that appeals to the wrong intent, there will be no conversion.
3. Short-tail and Long-tail Keywords
Short-tail: Single-word or general phrases like "SEO," "blog," "hosting." High volume but strong competition.
Long-tail: Specific searches like “SEO keyword research for beginners 2025.” Lower volume but higher conversion rates.
Long-tail keywords are the safest strategy for websites just starting out.
4. Competitor Analysis
It sounds a bit strange when you say competitors, but ultimately, websites that have content similar to what you produce on the internet are your competitors.
Knowing which keywords your competitor websites use to get traffic allows you to understand;
- The content that brings the most traffic
- Which words are ranked at the top?
- Topics we can write about = i.e. content gaps
5. Analyzing Keyword Metrics
Before selecting each word, the following criteria are considered:
- Search Volume: How many people are searching?
- Competition (Keyword Difficulty): How difficult is it to appear on the first page?
- CPC (Cost per Click): The price advertisers pay → shows commercial value.
- Trend: Popularity over time via Google Trends.
6. Keyword List and Prioritization
- All words are written in a table.
- The order of priority is determined:
- Low-competition long-tail keywords
- Medium competition but high conversion potential
- Navigational words for brand awareness
- This list is used to create a content calendar.
7. Embedding in Content
We've decided on our words, so what do we do now?
Finding the keyword(s) alone isn't enough, you need to use them correctly in your content. Now, we need to strategically place them in our blog posts;
- Title (H1) →Must appear in the title
- Subheadings (H2, H3) → Not only keywords but also similar meaningful expressions can be used.
- Be careful here! Using the keyword 4-5 times throughout the article is sufficient. Forced use is considered "keyword stuffing" and will be penalized by Google.
- URL → should be short, clear and contain keywords
- Meta description → The keyword must definitely be included in the search description, and let's not forget that the "meta description" should not be more than 150-160 words, otherwise only a part of it will appear in the search results.
- Image alt tags → Try to explain what is in the image as it is in the image alt tags.
Best Tools for Keyword Research (2025)
Now we come to how we will do this research and with what tools / applications!
There are countless tools available for this purpose, but I'll list the most well-known ones. Of course, a quick note: some of these tools can also be used for content in other languages, but if your content is in English, you'll get the most out of them.
Google Keyword Planner
- It can be used free of charge with a Google Ads account.
- Provides search volume, competition status and CPC (cost per click) information.
- It is especially ideal for beginners.
Ubersuggest
- The free version allows you to make several searches per day.
- It offers keyword ideas, competitive analysis, and backlink suggestions.
Ahrefs ve Semrush
- The most powerful SEO tools on the market.
- It allows you to see which keywords your competitors are using to get traffic.
- It is more suitable for agencies and professional marketers.
Answer The Public
- It lists the most frequently asked questions on Google.
- Ideal for generating content ideas such as “How to?”, “Why?”, “Best”.
Google Trends
- Shows the popularity of keywords over time.
- Very useful for seasonal content (e.g. “valentine’s day gift ideas”).
Google Search
- It is completely free.
- Suggestions automatically appear based on users' searches.
- After entering the search term, the other questions section automatically appears.
- You can also benefit from a section further down called other searches made by users.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How long does keyword research take?
👉 Finding suitable keywords for a simple blog post can take 15–20 minutes. However, professional SEO strategies can take hours.
2. What are the free tools for keyword research?
👉You can do basic research for free with Google search, Google Keyword Planner, Trends, and Answer the Public.3. How many keywords should I use in an article?
👉 1 main focus word + 2–3 supporting LSI words is ideal. Anything more carries the risk of spam.
4. Should I choose long-tail or short-tail?
👉 Long-tail is more effective for new blogs. Larger sites can work with both short-tail and long-tail.
5. Should I put keywords in the title?
👉 Yes, using the keyword in the title and URL provides a great advantage in terms of SEO.
Conclusion
Keyword research is still the most critical step for a successful SEO strategy in 2025.
- Generate ideas with seed words
- Write content with long-tail words
- Enrich content with LSI words
- Get conversions with transactional words
If you have different strategies you use, you can share them in the comments below so that other readers can benefit from them.
Thanks for reading this far 🙏