If you are reading this post about how to choose the best SEO keyword, it’s likely that you’ve started your SEO journey and are ready to rank on page one of Google. For that, we say congratulations! Tackling the world of organic SEO is a journey. Our goal is to help you break through the technical jargon to actually understand how a well-optimized website can impact your bottom line.
So let’s walk through a question Abbey gets fairly often: How do you find a good keyword?
What are SEO Keywords?
Let’s start with the basics. What are SEO keywords?
It’s a word or phrase carefully selected when writing online content such a,:
- Website copy
- Product descriptions
- Blog posts
A keyword helps people who are searching for that content find YOU.
Think of it like this: When you turn to Google with a question or a topic, you are typing keywords into that search bar. In turn, Google is selecting articles that will serve you with accurate, high quality content that also includes those keywords.
Long Tail vs. Short Tail Keywords
There are two types of keywords to consider: long tail and short tail keywords.
A short tail keyword is typically one or two words that are searched often and drive tons of traffic. Therefore these keywords are highly competitive to rank for.
Examples:
- Candle
- Therapist
- Copywriter
You never know what kind of search results you’ll get for terms that broad. Do you want a DIY candle recipe, candle making class, to purchase a candle? We don’t know because the short-tail keyword is so generic.
Long tail keywords are searched less often, but tend to drive a higher conversion rate amongst a specific niche or industry. Because of that, we are always recommending our clients focus on industry-specific, long tail keywords.
Examples:
- Best non-toxic candles
- Licensed trauma therapist in Minnesota
- Email marketing copywriter for travel agent
Much more specific!
Tools to Get Started with SEO Keyword Research
So, how do you even start gathering SEO keywords, let alone figuring out how to choose the best SEO keyword?
Lucky for you, we put together this great resource called 4 Free Ways to Find SEO Keywords. It breaks down some ways to find SEO keywords along with implementation strategies.
First, we want to share one of our favorite tool recommendations: Ubersuggest. You can use it for free but the paid plan is extremely affordable with their lifetime membership model.
Critics like to say it’s ‘not good enough’ compared to Ahrefs or Semrush, but we disagree. It works perfectly for keyword and competitor research.
Sometimes you just need the basics. People who are doing keyword research every day might want to invest in Semrush or Ahrefs but if you aren’t, Ubersuggest works great.
How to do SEO Keyword Research
Now let’s talk about the exact things Abbey does to find keywords when she’s working with a new client or choosing a new piece of content to write.
Open up a blank word document, spreadsheet, or start a new board in Asana. Start by writing down a few words that describe your brand, product, service, or content you share.
Next, take those keywords and type them into Google or Pinterest and see what comes up.
- Does this content feel relevant to your business?
- Should you also rank amongst them?
If the answer is yes, you are on the right track!
Find similar websites or pieces of content that rank on page one and two for the keywords you searched. Abbey analyzes those domains in Ubersuggest.
This is her favorite strategy if she already has a topic or an idea in mind; it’s like a backdoor detective way to find the keywords that actually work.
At this point, she’s just grabbing all the keywords she likes and is adding them to a list. No judgment or deep analyzing… just click-happy adding.
Then, we suggest you optimize your keywords even more by leveraging some of our favorite SEO keyword resource tools.
You are now one step closer to finding that perfect SEO keyword.
So, let’s jump into what factors you should look for when selecting that final keyword for your content.
5 factors in how to choose the best SEO keyword
You are deep into those keyword resources, now what? What metrics should you be looking for when determining how to choose the best SEO keyword?
Here are a few key metrics we look at.
1. High Monthly Search Volume
Understanding how often a keyword is searched each month is an important factor when choosing an SEO keyword. The right number can vary by industry. For most small businesses and entrepreneurs, you’ll want to consider keywords with volumes in the hundreds to thousands.
Choosing a keyword that has a 200,000 monthly search volume means the competition will be fierce unless you can match the traffic of those websites on page one. On the opposite hand, a keyword with a volume of only 10 means that no one is looking for this content.
You should maybe reconsider what you are writing about and find related keywords that people are actually searching for.
Search volume is important, but it isn’t everything. More on this in a minute!
2. Low Competition
Who else is ranking for this keyword? When Target, Amazon, and Nike are on page one, the chances of your website outranking them is very low.
Some keyword resources let you see the domain authority of those websites that rank on page one – Ubersuggest is one of them. It may be smart to consider choosing a keyword where your domain authority also matches those on page one.
This is also where you want to consider paid search. When you type this search term into Google, do paid ads pop up? If so, that means this term is so competitive that businesses are paying to appear on page one.
Paid ads actually don’t worry us because 70-80% of people ignore paid search results, choosing to only click on organic search results. But it does mean that there are less organic rankings on page one, meaning you need to rank very high to appear here.
Which is why we need to consider this as a factor when determining how to choose the best SEO keyword.
3. Context Relevance
Don’t choose just any old keyword. Focus on content and topics that you are an expert on. When Google crawls your website, it’s filing you in a very specific spot on the internet.
Writing content on topics that you specialize in will reaffirm your authority with Google. You’ll find that when you do this, Google will begin to categorize your website with similar content.
4. Content Quality
Finally, take a look at those articles that are ranking on page one. And ask yourself these questions:
- Can you provide better content than what is shown here?
- Can you provide a different viewpoint or bring something unique to the topic?
If the answer is yes, then start writing! If not, reconsider what you have to share. The last thing you want to do is copy an article and put it on your website.
5. Review Your Analytics
Don’t forget to pop into Google Analytics, one of our favorite Google tools for entrepreneurs. We often start here to find content that is most popular amongst our audience. This is how we make sure to create content our audience will enjoy and share.
Follow this path to find out what your high performing content is:
Behavior → Site Content → All Pages → Sort by highest / lowest page views
What you should know about SEO keywords in 2025
We need to address the elephant in the room… do keywords still matter in 2025 now that AI seems to be taking over everything?
The short answer? Yes, 100%.
They might look and act a little different today, but keywords are still the language that both search engines and AI tools use to understand your content. Whether it’s Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, or even Pinterest, they all rely on those same keyword cues to figure out who you are, what you do, and who you serve.
Here’s what’s changed (and what hasn’t):
1. Keywords are longer and more conversational.
Thanks to ChatGPT, voice search, and AI Overviews, people are typing (and talking) like they speak. Think: “best natural candles made in Minnesota” instead of just “candles.” Searches are more long-form and question-based than they were before.
2. Search volume isn’t everything.
When you know your audience and how they talk, you can create content that connects — even if the keyword doesn’t have massive (or any!) volume.
Pro tip: Mix it up! Try targeting a niche, low-volume keyword one week and a higher-volume one the next. Always to focus on balance.
3. Repetition doesn’t equal results.
You don’t need to use the same keyword ten times anymore (hallelujah 🙌). What matters is context — using related phrases, natural language, and covering your topic thoroughly. Google cares more about the value you provide than the number of times a keyword is used.
4. It’s not just about one keyword anymore.
Your post might rank for five (or more!) related keywords, phrases, or even full questions that can be indexed and drive traffic — and that’s a good thing.
5. Know your audience better than ever.
Ask open-ended questions. Listen to how they describe their struggles. Then use their language in your content. It will make them feel like you truly understand their challenges.
That is how to choose the best SEO keyword when creating online content for your small business!
Even though this podcast episode originally aired in 2024, it’s more relevant than ever. Because the foundation of SEO hasn’t changed — it’s still about knowing your audience and using the right words to reach them.
Are you ready to take your SEO to the next level this year? Download our completely free resource with four things you can do TODAY to start implementing an SEO strategy. Or check out our do it yourself course to learn how to take these strategies and optimize your website and blog today!
Not sure if a blog is right for you? Help us convince you on why every business needs a blog.
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Abbey Oslin and Courtney Petersen are Minnesota-based marketing experts with over 20+ years of combined experience working with big brands. They are educators and co-founders of Duo Collective; a boutique organic marketing agency specializing in SEO, branding, and custom websites for women-led small businesses and creative entrepreneurs.
Ready to grow your visibility and become unforgettable? Learn more or work with our team here.
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