SEO guide
Keyword research: find what your buyers search.
Find the Google SEO keywords your buyers type, judge what they want, and turn them into pages. The same questions now also go to AI assistants.
Short answer
What is keyword research?
Keyword research in SEO is finding the words and questions your buyers type into search engines, then judging intent, demand and fit. The results decide which pages you build. It now also covers the questions they ask AI assistants.
In brief
Five things to know first.
Start with buyers, not tools
List what your customers ask and say. Tools then size and sort those ideas; they do not replace them.
Intent beats volume
A search with fewer queries that matches your offer is worth more than a big one that does not.
One page per need
Group similar terms and give each group a page that answers it fully.
Content matters most
Google says compelling, useful content will likely influence your presence in results more than any other tip in its guide.
Buyers also ask AI
Your buyers also ask AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini. Map those prompts too.
What it is
Finding the words your buyers use.
In SEO, a keyword is a word or phrase a person types into a search box. Researching keywords means collecting those phrases and choosing the ones that fit your business.
It feeds your site: which pages to write, what to put in titles and headings, and which topics to skip.
Find
Collect the words and questions your buyers use.
Judge
Check intent, demand and who already answers well.
Group
Cluster similar searches so one page covers each need.
Build
Plan pages, titles and headings around the chosen terms.
How it works
Three things decide a keyword, not one.
Most guides stress volume. Volume is only a size estimate. A good keyword also matches what the searcher wants and what you can credibly offer.
Google Keyword Planner is one place to research keywords for Search campaigns, and it can sort ideas into categories.
| What it asks | How to check it | |
|---|---|---|
| Intent | What does the searcher want to do? | Search it and read the top results |
| Demand | How many people search it? | Check Keyword Planner and Trends |
| Fit | Can you answer it better than others? | Compare your page with the ranking ones |
How to do it
How to do keyword research, step by step.
Follow the steps in order. Keep the list small enough that you can act on it.
List your topics
Write the products, problems and questions your customers raise, in their own words.Expand each topic
Use Keyword Planner to turn each topic into keyword ideas, then filter and group them.Read the results page
Search each phrase in Google. Note what ranks, what format wins and what the page answers.Judge intent and demand
Keep terms that match your offer. Use Google Trends to compare how interest moves over time.Group into pages
Cluster close variants. Give each cluster one page with one clear purpose.Write and measure
Use the main phrase in the title and headings, then check results in Search Console after a few weeks.
Want the buyer questions mapped for you?
We map the prompts your buyers use in ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini, and show where you are absent.
Intent
Read intent before you pick a keyword.
Two phrases can look alike and want different things. Search the phrase and read the top results. The type of page that ranks is a clue to what searchers expect.
Match that format. A how-to phrase wants a guide; a comparison phrase wants a table.
| Intent | Example search | Page that fits |
|---|---|---|
| Learn | what is schema markup | Guide or explainer |
| Compare | best keyword tools | Comparison page |
| Do | how to find keywords | Step-by-step how-to |
| Buy or hire | seo agency near me | Service or location page |
Tools
Use Google's tools and know their limits.
Google Trends gives access to a largely unfiltered sample of real search requests. It normalizes data to a 0 to 100 scale, so it shows relative interest, not exact counts.
Google says Trends is not a scientific poll and should be one data point among others before you draw conclusions.
Keyword Planner
Researches keywords for Search campaigns and groups ideas into categories.
Google Trends
Compares relative interest between terms, by place and time.
Search Console
Helps you monitor how your site performs on Google Search, once pages are live.
The results page
Search a phrase and read what already ranks for it.
Turn it into pages
Turn keywords into pages that earn traffic.
Google says a good title is unique to the page, clear and concise, and accurately describes the contents. Put your main phrase where it reads naturally in the title and headings.
Do not stuff terms. Write for the person first; the phrase follows from answering the question well.
| Do | Avoid | |
|---|---|---|
| Titles | Unique, clear, describes the page | Repeating the same phrase on many pages |
| Coverage | One page per grouped need | A new page for every tiny variant |
| Writing | Answer the question fully, in plain words | Cramming phrases into every sentence |
| Upkeep | Update or remove outdated pages | Leaving old content untouched |
Not sure which searches to target first?
The free audit runs 50 buyer prompts and is reviewed live with you. It shows the gaps worth closing first.
AI search
Buyers now ask AI the same questions.
Assistants return one answer with a few sources, not ten links. A keyword list cannot show whether you appear in those answers.
LLMReach maps the buyer prompts your audience uses in ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini, then tracks citations against a baseline.
| Keywords | Prompts | |
|---|---|---|
| Unit | A short phrase typed into a search box | A full question asked to an assistant |
| Result | A ranked list of links | One answer with a few sources |
| You measure | Rankings, clicks, traffic | Mentions and citations across prompts |
| Gap to find | Pages that do not rank | Questions where you are not named |
FAQ
Common questions, answered.
What is SEO keyword research?
An SEO keyword is a word or phrase a person types into a search engine. Researching keywords means collecting those phrases, judging intent, demand and fit, and choosing the ones that deserve a page of their own.
How do you do website keyword research?
For a website, start with your customers' topics and questions in their own words. Expand them with Keyword Planner, read the results pages for intent, group close terms, and plan one page for each group.
How to do keyword research on Google?
On Google, search a phrase and read the results. Compare interest between terms in Google Trends. Use Keyword Planner for ideas, then check Search Console for the searches your site already gets.
What does Google Keyword Planner do?
Google Keyword Planner helps you research keywords for Search campaigns. It also lets you filter keyword ideas and view how they fit into categories related to your brand. It is built for ads but useful for ideas.
How does Google Trends help find keywords?
Google Trends compares relative search interest between terms across places and time. It scales results from 0 to 100, so it shows direction, not exact counts. Google says to treat it as one data point among others.
Is search volume the most important number?
Search volume is not the most important number. It estimates demand but says nothing about intent or fit. A phrase with fewer searches that matches your offer and that you can answer well often beats a popular, vague one.
How long does SEO keyword optimization take to work?
Changes from keyword work can take weeks to show. Google advises waiting a few weeks to assess whether your work had beneficial effects in search results. Check Search Console for impressions and clicks on the pages you built.
Do keywords still matter with AI assistants?
Keywords still show which topics buyers care about, and buyers ask assistants about the same topics. LLMReach maps the buyer prompts your audience uses in ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini, then tracks citations against a baseline.
Free AI Audit
See which buyer questions you are missing.
You leave knowing where the gap is, what is causing it, and which changes would matter first, whether we work together or not.
What to expect
Audit
Before the call, we run your buyers' questions through ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini.
Map
On the call, we show you where competitors are cited and you are not, and what's causing it.
Decide
An honest read on whether the Citation Stack fits. If it doesn't, you'll hear it on the call.
Don't see a time that works? Email Karim directly: contact@llmreach.ai