How to Do Keyword Research for Blogging in 2024: The Definitive Guide
Keyword research is one of the most important things you can do to grow your blog traffic and authority. By identifying the words and phrases your target audience is searching for, you can create content that ranks well in search engines and drives qualified leads to your site.
However, effective keyword research involves much more than simply choosing words that get a lot of searches. It‘s about aligning your content with the needs and intent of searchers, and covering topics comprehensively to establish your blog as an authority.
In this in-depth guide, you‘ll learn a step-by-step approach to finding and analyzing the best keywords for your blog in 2024. While the fundamentals of keyword research remain the same, I‘ll share the latest tools, tips and strategies you need to know to stay ahead of the curve.
Let‘s dive in!
What Are Keywords and Why Do They Matter for Blogging?
Put simply, keywords are the words and phrases that people type (or speak) into search engines like Google. They provide a direct window into what your potential readers are looking for online.
By conducting keyword research to identify relevant, high-opportunity terms, you can shape your blog‘s content strategy to:
- Target topics your audience cares about
- Drive more search engine traffic to your posts
- Get your content in front of people at the right stage of the buyer‘s journey
- Rank for valuable featured snippet placements
- Inform your blog‘s overall sitemap and architecture
When done right, targeting the right keywords makes your content more discoverable and positions your blog as a go-to resource in your niche. This leads to more backlinks, shares, and ultimately more leads and revenue for your business.
Types of Keywords for Blogs
Not all keywords are created equal. Generally, keywords can be classified along two dimensions:
- Length: Short-tail vs long-tail keywords
- Intent: Informational, navigational, transactional and commercial investigation keywords
Short-tail vs Long-tail Keywords
- Short-tail keywords are short, broad terms, usually 1-2 words long (e.g. "blogging tips"). They have high search volume but are very competitive.
- Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases, usually 3+ words long (e.g. "blogging tips for beginners"). They have lower search volume individually but are less competitive and can add up to a lot of traffic.
Informational, Navigational, Transactional, Commercial Investigation Keywords
- Informational keywords indicate the searcher is looking for information or an answer to a question (e.g. "what is SEO")
- Navigational keywords indicate the searcher wants to go to a specific website or page (e.g. "Blogging Wizard")
- Transactional keywords show the searcher is ready to make a purchase (e.g. "buy domain")
- Commercial investigation keywords indicate the searcher is considering a purchase and looking for information to make a decision (e.g. "best web hosting")
For blogging, you‘ll mostly want to target informational keywords with your posts, while mixing in some commercial investigation keywords to attract buyers. The odd navigational keyword can also be useful for branded searches.
Long-tail, informational keywords should make up the bulk of a blog‘s target keywords. These have lower competition while still providing value to both readers and your business. Targeting them comprehensively through a topic cluster approach is very effective.
The 4-Step Keyword Research Process for Blogging
Now that you understand the types of keywords, here‘s my 4-step process for finding the best ones for your blog:
- Brainstorm Seed Keywords
The first step is to brainstorm a list of broad "seed keywords" relevant to your blog. These will be the starting point that you expand on in the next steps.
To find seed keyword ideas, ask yourself:
- What topics do I want to cover on my blog?
- What products/services am I ultimately trying to sell?
- What words would my target customer use to describe my offering?
- What questions do my readers frequently ask?
Places to look for seed keyword inspiration include:
- Your website and product/service names
- Words/phrases used in existing content and customer communications
- Social media discussions in your niche
- Competitor websites and blogs
- Industry forums, groups and Q&A sites
- Customer surveys and interviews
- Chatbot and helpdesk data
At this stage, aim for an initial list of 5-10 seed keywords. These should be 1-3 word phrases related to your blog‘s overall topics and business goals. Don‘t worry about search volume or difficulty yet.
- Expand Seed Keywords Using Research Tools
With your seed list in hand, the next step is to expand on each one to find more specific, relevant long-tail variations. This is where keyword research tools come in.
Some of the best free and paid tools for expanding keywords in 2024 include:
- Google Keyword Planner, Search Console and "People Also Ask" results
- AlsoAsked.com
- Keywordtool.io
- Answer the Public
- Ahrefs Keyword Explorer
- Semrush Keyword Magic Tool
- KWFinder
Using these tools, enter your seed keywords one-by-one. Go through the related keyword and question suggestions looking for phrases that would make good, comprehensive blog posts targeting your audience. Aim to build a list of 20-50 keyword ideas per seed keyword.
When considering keywords to add to your list, think about:
- Relevance to your seed topic and business
- Natural-sounding phrases your audience would actually type in
- Specific questions and subtopics you could cover in a post
- Similarity and whether keywords could be grouped together
Export your expanded keyword lists to a master spreadsheet where you can track and analyze them together.
- Analyze Keywords for Search Volume, Difficulty and Intent
With an expanded list of keyword ideas, it‘s time to prioritize the best opportunities. This means analyzing the relative value and difficulty of each keyword.
The three main factors to look at are:
-
Average monthly search volume: How many people search for this keyword each month? Higher volume means more traffic potential. You can get search volumes from any of the tools mentioned above.
-
Keyword difficulty (KD): How hard would it be to rank on the first page for this keyword? Look for keywords with low-medium difficulty scores to start.
-
Searcher intent: What kind of content are people looking for when they search this keyword? Look at current top ranking pages to infer intent. Make sure it matches the kind of post you want to create.
In general, the best keyword opportunities will have relatively high search volume (100+ searches per month), low competition, and informational intent that you can match with a comprehensive blog post.
Some other factors to consider when prioritizing keywords:
- Business value – How well does the keyword relate to your products/services? Would it attract qualified leads?
- Existing SERP features – Are there featured snippets you could target? More on this later.
- Seasonality – Does the keyword fluctuate in popularity throughout the year? When would be the best time to publish?
Use conditional formatting in your keyword spreadsheet to highlight the best opportunities based on your criteria. Not every keyword needs to be perfect – choose a mix of low-hanging fruit and more ambitious targets.
- Map Keywords to Blog Topics & Clusters
Finally, it‘s time to turn your chosen keywords into an actionable blogging plan. The best way to approach this is by grouping related keywords together into overarching topic clusters.
Topic clusters help you establish authority in an area by covering it comprehensively across multiple posts. This signals to Google that your blog is a destination for that topic.
To create topic clusters from your list of keywords:
- Identify 3-5 broad topics you want to cover based on your seed keywords
- Sort all keywords into groups based on which topic bucket they fall into
- Within each group, look for 5-10 keyword subgroups that could form individual blog posts
- Choose 1-2 main target keywords for each post that are similar
- Use the remaining keywords in each group as secondary/related keywords to cover within the post
For example, if one of your topic clusters was "Email Marketing", post ideas within it could be:
-
Post 1: How to Build an Email List (Main KW: "how to build an email list", Secondary KWs: "email list building tips", "lead magnet ideas")
-
Post 2: Best Email Marketing Software (Main KW: "best email marketing software", Secondary KWs: "convertkit vs mailchimp", "email marketing tools")
-
Post 3: How to Increase Email Open Rates (Main KW: "how to increase open rates", Secondary KWs: "best time to send emails", "email subject line tips")
Organizing your keywords like this provides a roadmap for creating SEO-friendly blog content that covers topics in-depth. Each post will be well-optimized for search while also providing a comprehensive resource for readers.
Advanced Tip: Optimize for Featured Snippets
One of the best ways to get more traffic from your target keywords is to rank for Google featured snippets. These are the summary boxes that appear at the top of certain search results.
To optimize your posts for featured snippets in 2024:
- Look for keywords that trigger informational snippets, such as how-to guides, definitions, and best/top lists
- Structure your content in a snippet-friendly way, with clear headings, summaries, steps and lists
- Directly answer the keyword question within the first paragraph
- Aim for concise, quality answers and definitions 40-50 words long
Ranking for snippets increases your chances of stealing traffic from higher ranking pages. It‘s a great way to boost your search visibility, especially while you build long-term authority.
Tracking Keywords & Making Ongoing Optimizations
Keyword research isn‘t a one-time activity. As you publish content, it‘s important to track how well you rank for your target keywords and look for opportunities to improve.
Some rank tracking tools to consider are:
- Google Search Console
- Ahrefs Rank Tracker
- SEMrush Position Tracking
- AccuRanker
In addition to target keywords, use these tools to identify other keywords your posts are ranking for. Look for opportunities to better optimize for them through small tweaks to your content, or plan new posts to target them more directly.
It‘s also worth monitoring the keywords your competitors are ranking for. By conducting a keyword gap analysis, you can find keywords they‘re targeting that you‘re not and identify low-hanging fruit opportunities.
Finally, keep an eye on your keyword data over time and adjust your strategy based on the results. Double down on topics that are performing well and bringing in engaged traffic.
Conclusion
Keyword research is essential for growing your blog traffic through SEO in 2024 and beyond. By targeting the right mix of keywords across your posts, you can attract more qualified readers and establish topical authority in the eyes of search engines.
Remember, the goal of keyword research isn‘t just to rank for individual terms, but to comprehensively cover topics that matter to your audience and business. Focus on quality over quantity, and organize your keywords into topics to create an effective content strategy.
By following the 4-step approach outlined in this guide and keeping an eye on your data, you‘ll be well on your way to dominating the search results in your niche. Happy blogging!
