Free Template + Mini Guide

This toolkit is designed to simplify your keyword research process and ensure you’re targeting the right audience with the right terms. No matter if you’re planning blog content, landing pages, or a full-scale SEO strategy.

Step 1: Gather Keyword Ideas

Start by brainstorming terms relevant to your product, service, or audience. Then validate those ideas using tools like:

SEMRush
Keywords Everywhere
Google Keyword Planner
Ubersuggest

Step 2: Fill Out the Spreadsheet

Use this included Google Sheet to track and organize keywords.

Step 3: Understand Keyword Types

Shorttail:

• 1–3 words
• Broad and high volume
• Ex: “cheesecake”, “streaming software”

Longtail:

• 3+ words
• Specific and intent-rich
• Ex: “how to make strawberry cheesecake”, “best video editing software for Twitch”

Primary Keywords:

• The main target keyword for your content
• Ex: “best simple cheesecake recipe”

Secondary Keywords:

• Related or supportive keywords to capture additional traffic
• Ex: “easy cheesecake recipe”, “no-bake cheesecake”, “cheesecake crust ideas”

Step 4: Define Keyword Intent

Be strategic by assigning search intent:

Navigational: The user wants to find a specific site or brand.
Instructional: They want to learn about a topic or process.
Commercial: They are shopping around and comparing.
Transactional: They are ready to buy.

Use the intent column to tailor your content strategy for every keyword.

Step 5: Research Competitors

Use SEMRush, Ahrefs, or simply Google searches to:

• Identify who ranks highest for your target keywords
• Analyze their headlines, meta descriptions, and content formats
• Take notes for inspiration or differentiation

Step 6: Map Keywords to Personas

Match your keywords to your audience segments.

Ask yourself:

• What are their goals?
• What pain points are they searching to solve?
• How specific do they get in their language?

This will help filter out keywords that don’t serve your actual customer.