Keyword research is the process of understanding what users search for and shaping your content accordingly. But the current approach is less about “finding high-volume words” and more about “capturing the right intent”.
Why “intent” not “keyword”?
The same word can be searched with different intents. Is someone searching “accounting software” looking for a definition, making a comparison, or wanting to buy? The right content is shaped by this intent, not by volume. For detail, see the what is search intent article.
Step-by-step research
- Define seed topics. List your business’s main topics (products, services, problems).
- Collect questions. Extract real questions from search suggestions, “People Also Ask” boxes and customer questions.
- Group by intent. Separate into informational (what/how), comparison (X or Y), and transactional (buy, price) intents.
- Prioritize by business value. Favor low-volume but purchase-near questions over high-volume but irrelevant words.
- Assess competition. Some topics are dominated by strong brands; it’s easier to stand out in niche, deep topics.
An extra layer for AI search
Alongside classic keywords, you should now also consider the natural-language questions asked of AI. Decision queries like “which is the best X” and “alternative to Y” are valuable for both SEO and GEO.
Common mistakes
- Looking only at volume and ignoring intent.
- Missing topic coherence by focusing on individual words.
- Targeting traffic with no business value.
Summary
Current keyword research is not hunting words but capturing the right intent and questions that carry business value. This is a core step of SEO management. If you’d like to map the right questions for your industry together, let’s start with the analysis.