Keyword research method to boost your website’s SEO rankings

Keyword research often gets talked about like it’s some complicated beast. But really, it’s just knowing what your ideal clients are looking for.

When you understand the words and phrases they’re typing into Google, other search engines, and now even AI tools like ChatGPT, you can optimise your message so they have the best chance of finding you.

By considering your SEO and keywords before you write a single word, you’ll avoid your message gathering digital dust and make every page work harder for you.

As an SEO website copywriter, creating simple but impactful keyword strategies is a big part of my job. And today, I’m going to show you exactly how you can do it too – in just 3 simple steps, and without paying for expensive tools.

Important information about keyword research

A ‘keyword’ doesn’t always mean a single word; it can also be a key phrase consisting of two, three, or more words. For example, ‘digital marketing strategy’ is a key phrase.

But instead of splitting hairs, in this blog post, I’m only using ‘keywords’ to make things simpler. 

Focus keywords vs. semantic keywords

For each page of your website, you should have two types of keywords:

1. Focus keyword = the main phrase you want that page or blog post to rank for
2. Semantic keywords = closely related words or phrases that search engines associate with the same intent

For example, if your focus keyword is ‘life coach for women’, your semantic keywords could be: ‘coaching for female entrepreneurs’, ‘confidence coaching for women’ or ‘women’s life coaching services’.

Recommended free keyword research tools 

In this guide, I’ll be asking you to find out different information, much of which you can gather using these free keyword research tools:

• Ahrefs Free Keyword Generator: Start by typing in phrases related to your main service offering to see the search volume, difficulty, and related ideas. 
• AnswerThePublic: Great for finding out queries and questions people have about a topic. Answers are displayed in a nice visual format. Get 3 free searches a day. 
• AlsoAsked: Similar to AnswerThePublic, find out questions people ask. Get 3 free searches a day. 

Key keyword research metrics – what to look for

When you sign up for these tools, they’ll tell you a bunch of information that can be hard to distinguish. As an overview, here’s what to look for (and what it means): 

• Search volume: The average monthly searches for that keyword. 
• Intent: Whether people are looking to buy (Commercial), learn something (Informational), or navigate a website (Navigational). 
• Keyword difficulty: Often shown as KD percentage, this is a guide to how competitive the keyword is. The higher the number, the more competition (and therefore it will be harder to rank for). 
• Cost per click: Usually shown as CPC, this is data relating to how much you’d expect to pay per click if you ran ads for that keyword. Ignore this one for now. 

You might see other variations, depending on the tool you use, but focus on the first 3 for now. 

Ideally, for website copy like service pages, you want a keyword that has a relatively high volume, low competition, and has a commercial intent. 

For other online content, you’ll likely be going after informational phrases. 

Below, I’m showing an insight into the paid-for version of SEMrush for the keyword ‘website copywriter’. 

Based on the results, I’d choose to focus my service page on ‘website copywriting service’ and also use ‘website copywriter’ and similar variations. 

This might seem obvious, which it usually is, but double-checking you’re using a common phrase for your service is useful – or else you could call yourself something no one is looking for. 

Step 1: Choose your focus and semantic keywords

Think about what your ideal client would actually type into Google when looking for your service.

You can start your research in Google (or another search engine/AI tool), and then use a keyword research tool to see which phrases are the most popular. 

Just like my example above, look at the results and decide where to focus your efforts – choosing your focus keyword and identifying at least one semantic keyword. 

Tip: Be specific enough that you attract the right audience, not just more traffic. “Life coach” is broad. “Life coach for women in business” is specific.

Step 2: Write website copy for humans 

Yes, this is a guide on how to optimise your website copy for search, but this is arguably the most important aspect. For years, Google has prioritised rankings for Helpful Content, and as the phrase goes, ‘There’s no point polishing a turd 💩’ 

No amount of ‘SEO-ing’ your website copy will be useful if your copy isn’t useful, engaging, and shows your personality. 

Ask yourself…

• Would my ideal client actually enjoy reading this?
• Does it answer the questions they’d have before getting in touch?
• Is it written in language they’d use and understand?
• Does it sound like me (and not a generic template)?
• Am I giving them a clear next step to take?
• Does it sound like something I’d say in conversation?
• Am I speaking directly to my ideal client (using ‘you’ more than ‘I’)?
• Have I avoided jargon my audience wouldn’t understand?

If you can tick all of these, you’re in a good place. If not, it’s time for a refresh.

When your copy connects with real people, answers their needs, and feels authentic, it will naturally work harder for both conversions and SEO.

Need more help in this area? Check out this blog post: How to write SEO web copy and get found by potential clients

Step 3: Strategically place your keywords in your website copy

Once you’ve found your keywords, you need to include them in your website copy. 

Although there aren’t any hard-and-fast rules, and Google/AI search is constantly adapting, here are some good practices for optimising your copy effectively for SEO:

1. H1 tag: This is the main heading on your page – include the focus keyword here to signal the primary topic of the page.
2. H2 and H3 tags: Include the focus keyword in at least one subheading (H2). Using it in two or three is even better if it fits naturally.
3. Body copy: Use the focus keyword at least a couple of times throughout the text. Aim for a natural integration.
4. SEO title: This is the title displayed in search results. It’s crucial for both SEO and encouraging clicks.
5. URL: Optimise the end of the URL slug for your page (the bit after your main website address), e.g. https://meghandowns.co.uk/website-copywriting/ is optimised for website copywriting.
6. Anchor text: If possible, include the focus keyword in the anchor text used for links that direct you to other pages. 
7. Image alt text: Use the focus keyword in the alt description of at least one image to enhance accessibility and SEO.

Avoid keyword stuffing

It’s tempting to cram your keywords everywhere, but keyword stuffing doesn’t work. It not only negatively impacts your ranking potential, but it also makes your copy harder to read.

Google is smart enough to understand context, so focus on:

• Writing for your ideal client first
• Using natural language
• Keeping your tone and personality intact

If your copy feels forced or awkward, it’s time to edit. Focus on readability and clarity for your users, above all else. 

Need help getting started? Download my free home page website copy template, which includes SEO prompts. It’ll help you know what to say, where to say it, and how to optimise your message for ideal clients.

Bringing it all together in SEO-friendly website copy that converts

A well-written, SEO-friendly service page balances two things:

1. Clarity and connection for the reader (so they want to work with you)
   
2. Strategic keyword placement (so they can actually find you)

Get both right, and your service page becomes your best salesperson, working for you 24/7.

Need help getting your service page found and converting visitors into clients? I’m your gal. I specialise in writing SEO website copy for service-based businesses.

If you’d rather skip the research and writing, I can create a service page that sounds like you, ranks well, and gets the right people saying ‘yes’.

Contact me to get the ball rolling.