How to Find Keywords for Your Business

Finding the right keywords is the difference between creating content that drives business results and content that nobody searches for. This guide walks you through the complete keyword discovery process — from initial brainstorming through tool-based research to building your final keyword list.

Step 1 — Business Brainstorming

Before opening any tool, start with what you know about your business and customers.

List Your Core Offerings

Write down every service or product you offer:

• What do you sell?
• What problems do you solve?
• What industries do you serve?
• What are your key differentiators?

Example for an SEO agency:

• SEO services, local SEO, technical SEO audit, content marketing, link building, Google Ads management, website redesign, ecommerce SEO

Think Like Your Customer

Ask yourself: what would a potential customer search before finding you?

• What questions do they have before buying?
• What problems are they trying to solve?
• What terms do they use (not your industry jargon)?
• What alternatives are they considering?

Example customer questions:

• "How much does SEO cost?"
• "Do I need a new website?"
• "Is SEO worth it for a small business?"
• "How to rank on Google in South Africa"

List Your Competitors

Identify 5–10 competitors. Their websites are a keyword goldmine because they have already done some of this research for you.

Document Everything

Create a spreadsheet with columns: Keyword, Source, Volume, Difficulty, Intent, Priority, Assigned Page. This becomes your keyword master list.

Step 2 — Google Autocomplete & SERP Mining

Google itself is one of the best free keyword research tools. Here is how to extract keyword ideas directly from Google.

Google Autocomplete

Type your seed keywords into Google and note the autocomplete suggestions. These represent real queries that people frequently search:

• Type "web design" → Google suggests "web design south africa," "web design cost," "web design templates," etc.
• Type "how to" + your topic → reveals question-based long-tail keywords
• Type your keyword + each letter of the alphabet → "web design a…" "web design b…" etc. (the "alphabet soup" technique)

"People Also Ask" (PAA)

The PAA box in search results shows related questions. Each question you click reveals more questions, creating an expanding pool of keyword ideas.

These are particularly valuable because:

• They represent real user questions
• Ranking for PAA provides additional SERP visibility
• They often map perfectly to FAQ sections and H2 headings

"Related Searches"

At the bottom of every Google results page, you will find "Related searches." These are semantically connected queries that expand your keyword universe.

Google Trends

Use Google Trends to:

• Compare keyword popularity over time
• Identify seasonal patterns
• Discover rising search terms in your niche
• Compare which variation of a keyword is more popular ("web design" vs "website design")

Set the region to "South Africa" for localised data.

Step 3 — Google Search Console (Existing Keywords)

If your website is already live, Google Search Console reveals which keywords Google already associates with your site.

Navigate to Performance → Search Results → Queries to see:

• Keywords your site appears for (even if not ranking well)
• Impressions and clicks for each keyword
• Average position for each keyword

This data reveals:

• Quick wins — keywords where you rank on page 2–3. Optimising these pages can push them to page 1 with less effort than targeting brand-new keywords.
• Unexpected keywords — terms you rank for that you did not intentionally target. These reveal content gaps and opportunities.
• High-impression, low-click keywords — terms where you appear but users are not clicking. Your title tag or meta description may need improvement.

Step 4 — Keyword Research Tools

Dedicated keyword research tools expand your list dramatically and provide critical metrics.

Free Tools

Google Keyword Planner — originally built for Google Ads, it provides keyword suggestions and volume ranges. You need a Google Ads account (but do not need to run ads). Limitations: shows volume ranges, not precise numbers.

Ubersuggest (freemium) — provides keyword suggestions, volume estimates, difficulty scores, and content ideas. Limited free searches per day.

AnswerThePublic (freemium) — visualises question-based keywords around your seed terms. Excellent for content ideation.

KeywordTool.io (freemium) — generates long-tail keyword suggestions from Google Autocomplete. Free version shows keywords without volume data.

Paid Tools

Ahrefs — industry-leading keyword explorer with accurate difficulty scores, click data, SERP analysis, and "Also rank for" reports. Starting price: $99/month.

Semrush — comprehensive keyword database with competitor analysis, keyword magic tool, and position tracking. Starting price: $129/month.

Moz Pro — keyword explorer with proprietary difficulty and opportunity scores. Starting price: $99/month.

Which Tool to Use?

For most South African businesses:

• Just starting out: Google Keyword Planner + Google Search Console + Ubersuggest (all free)
• Serious about SEO: Ahrefs or Semrush (choose one; both are excellent)
• Agency-level: Ahrefs + Semrush together for comprehensive coverage

For tool comparisons, see: Free vs Paid Keyword Research Tools.

Step 5 — Competitor Keyword Research

Your competitors have already invested in discovering keywords. Borrow their research.

How to Find Competitor Keywords

Using Ahrefs or Semrush:

1. Enter a competitor's domain
2. View their "Organic Keywords" report
3. Filter by position (focus on their page 1–3 rankings)
4. Sort by traffic to see their highest-value keywords
5. Export and add relevant keywords to your master list

Content Gap Analysis

A content gap analysis shows keywords your competitors rank for that you do not:

1. Enter your domain and 2–3 competitors
2. Run a content gap report
3. Filter for keywords where all competitors rank but you do not
4. These represent untapped opportunities

What to Look For

• Keywords with moderate volume where competitor content is weak (you can create something better)
• Topics your competitors cover that you have not addressed
• Long-tail variations your competitors rank for through comprehensive content
• Local keywords your competitors rank for that you are missing

For the complete strategy, see: Competitor Keyword Analysis.

Step 6 — Filter & Evaluate

With hundreds or thousands of keyword candidates, you need to filter ruthlessly.

The VISA Filter

Evaluate every keyword against four criteria:

• V — Volume: Is there enough monthly search volume to justify the effort?
• I — Intent: Does the search intent match the content you can create?
• S — Score (Difficulty): Can you realistically rank for this keyword given your current authority?
• A — Alignment: Does this keyword align with your business goals and services?

A keyword must pass all four criteria to make your final list.

Minimum Viable Metrics

For South African businesses:

Metric	Minimum Threshold
Monthly volume	20+ (SA-specific search)
Keyword difficulty	Below your DR + 15
Intent match	Content type matches SERP pattern
Business relevance	Directly or indirectly supports your services

Remove These Keywords

• Zero-volume keywords with no clear intent signal
• Keywords with difficulty far above your capability
• Keywords where your business has no relevant content to offer
• Keywords already well-covered by another page on your site (cannibalisation risk)
• Keywords dominated by major e-commerce or news sites where you cannot compete

Step 7 — Group Into Topic Clusters

Related keywords should be grouped into clusters. Each cluster maps to a single page.

How to Cluster Keywords

1. Sort your keyword list by topic similarity
2. Identify the primary keyword for each cluster (highest volume + most representative)
3. Group secondary and long-tail keywords under the primary
4. Each cluster becomes a page on your site

Example cluster:

Type	Keyword	Volume
Primary	keyword research	2,400
Secondary	what is keyword research	1,000
Secondary	how to do keyword research	800
Long-tail	keyword research for beginners	200
Long-tail	keyword research step by step guide	100
Question	how to find keywords for seo	300

All of these are served by a single comprehensive page.

For the mapping process, see: Keyword Mapping.

Step 8 — Prioritise & Build Your Calendar

Rank your keyword clusters by priority:

Priority 1 — Quick Wins

Keywords where you already rank on page 2–3. Optimise existing pages for immediate gains.

Priority 2 — High-Value Commercial

Keywords with clear buyer intent and achievable difficulty. These drive revenue.

Priority 3 — Authority Builders

Informational keywords that build topical expertise. These support your commercial pages.

Priority 4 — Long-Term Targets

High-difficulty aspirational keywords. Build toward these as your authority grows.

Create a content calendar that works through priorities in order, producing 2–4 pieces per month minimum.

Common Keyword Finding Mistakes

Only using one tool. Each tool has different data sources. Use at least two for comprehensive coverage.

Ignoring your own search data. Google Search Console shows real keywords people search before finding you. Do not overlook this free, first-party data.

Targeting only high-volume terms. Long-tail keywords collectively drive more traffic and convert better.

Not checking the SERP. Always search your target keyword manually and check what currently ranks. If the top 10 results are all from massive authority sites, reconsider.

Doing keyword research once and never again. Search trends change. Revisit your research quarterly.

Key Takeaways

• Keyword discovery starts with business brainstorming and customer empathy, then scales with tools.
• Google itself (autocomplete, PAA, related searches) is a powerful free keyword source.
• Google Search Console reveals keywords you already rank for — these are your quickest wins.
• Competitor keyword analysis reveals gaps and opportunities you would otherwise miss.
• Filter keywords by volume, intent, difficulty, and business alignment.
• Group keywords into clusters, map to pages, and prioritise by potential impact.

Quick Keyword Discovery Checklist

• Brainstorm seed keywords from your services, products, and customer questions
• Mine Google Autocomplete, PAA, and Related Searches for each seed keyword
• Check Google Search Console for existing keyword opportunities
• Use at least one keyword research tool for volume and difficulty data
• Analyse 3–5 competitors to find their ranking keywords
• Run a content gap analysis to discover keywords you are missing
• Filter all candidates by volume, difficulty, intent, and business relevance
• Group related keywords into topic clusters
• Assign each cluster to a specific page
• Prioritise quick wins and high-value commercial terms

Tools & Resources (Coming Soon)

• Keyword Difficulty Checker (Coming soon)
• Content Gap Analyzer (Coming soon)
• Keyword Clustering Tool (Coming soon)

Related SEO Documentation

• What Is Keyword Research?
• Competitor Keyword Analysis
• Keyword Mapping
• Search Volume & Keyword Difficulty
• Long-Tail Keywords
• Free vs Paid Keyword Research Tools