How to Choose the Best Keywords for SEO: An Ultimate Guide to Ranking Higher

Most websites don’t fail because their content is bad. Their failure stems from their incorrect keyword targeting. You can write long, well-researched articles, follow every SEO “rule,” and still never appear on the first page of Google if your keywords don’t match what people are actually searching for. 

In this guide, we will explain what SEO keywords really are and why choosing the right ones directly affects your rankings. You’ll learn how to research keywords properly, evaluate their value, difficulty, and search intent, and organize them into a clear strategy for your blog or website. 

What Are SEO Keywords?

SEO keywords are the words or phrases that people use to search for information on search engines. These keywords serve as a link between what users search for and the content on your website. So, if you have a pet-related blog, you might want to use keywords like “how to care for cats” or “best dog food” to ensure that people searching for those topics find your posts.

In other words, SEO keywords allow search engines to understand your content. Google uses keywords to determine the topic of a page and then shows that page to users who are looking for similar topics. So, if you know what words people search for, you can write articles that are easier to find.

Read More: What Are SEO Keywords and How to Find Them for Better Results

Why Does Determining the Right Keywords Matter?

Choosing the right keywords significantly impacts your website’s ranking on Google. If you target the wrong keywords, such as keywords that are too general or irrelevant to your content, your website will lose out to larger websites.

The right keywords help Google determine whether your content is relevant and worthy of display. The more relevant your keywords are to your article’s content, the more likely your article is to rise to the first page of Google and attract more visitors.

How to Choose the Best Keywords for SEO

In this section, we will walk through a step-by-step approach to choosing the best keywords for SEO. You’ll learn how to use keyword research tools to find real search data, evaluate keyword value and relevance, measure difficulty and search volume, and identify quick wins from keywords you already rank for. We’ll also cover how to organize keyword ideas, leverage long-tail and related keywords, and finalize a focused keyword list that helps each article rank more effectively on Google.

1. Use A Keyword Research Tool

The first step in choosing keywords is to use a keyword research tool. This tool helps us find out what words people frequently type into Google. Examples of free tools include Google Trends, Keyword Surfer, and Google Keyword Planner.

With these tools, you can see keyword ideas, the number of searches per month, and related topics. This means you’re not just guessing but relying on data.

For example, if you type “keyword research,” the tool can suggest other keywords like “keyword research tools,” “how to research keywords,” or “SEO keyword examples.” From here, you’ll have a wide selection of keywords for your article.

2. Identify the Value of the Keywords

Not all keywords are worth using, even if they seem to be highly searched. Keyword value refers to how important the keyword is to your website or business goals. If a keyword has no relevance to what you offer, the traffic it generates will be useless.

For example, let’s say you have a website about SEO tools and you write an article with the keyword “free chat apps.” Even though that keyword is highly searched for, the visitors who visit aren’t your target audience. They don’t need SEO, so they’ll likely leave your website immediately.

High-value keywords are those that align with your audience’s needs and are directly related to your product, service, or main topic. The more relevant the keyword, the more likely visitors are to take action, such as reading more, registering, or purchasing.

3. Determine Keyword Difficulty Level

Keyword difficulty is a measure of how difficult a keyword is to rank on Google. Imagine Google as a running race. If you’re just starting out, it’s certainly difficult to beat the professional runners. The same goes for keywords already dominated by large websites.

If you choose a keyword with a high difficulty level, your article will have to compete with websites with numerous backlinks, long-form articles, and a strong reputation. For small or new websites, this is very difficult and often results in articles never ranking.

A smarter strategy is to choose keywords with low to medium difficulty, especially long-tail keywords. These types of keywords are more realistic to win and can serve as stepping stones to bigger keywords in the future.

4. Discover the Keyword Search Volume

Search volume indicates how many times a keyword is typed into Google each month. A keyword with zero search volume means almost no one is searching for that topic, so it’s pointless to write an article about it.

However, high search volume doesn’t always mean good. Keywords with high volume usually have very stiff competition. New websites will almost certainly struggle to reach the first page.

The ideal is to find keywords with sufficient volume but still reasonable to rank for. Furthermore, don’t focus solely on one keyword. Many articles can rank for dozens of keywords simultaneously, thus maintaining significant total traffic.

5. Revisit the Keywords You Already Rank

Many people focus on finding new keywords but forget that their website is already ranking for some of them. This is actually the easiest opportunity to increase traffic.

With Google Search Console, you can see which keywords are already bringing your website to Google, even if it’s still on page 2 or 3. These keywords only need a little optimization to move them to the first page.

Optimizing keywords that are already ranking yields results much faster than starting from scratch. Usually, this is enough to add content to the article, clarify the title, or adjust the keywords within the content.

6. List Down Keyword Ideas

After conducting keyword research using various tools (Google, Google Trends, Keyword Surfer, etc.), you’ll likely have a ton of keyword ideas. The problem is, if these keywords are just stored in your head or in a browser tab, you’ll be confused when you’re ready to write an article.

Therefore, all keyword ideas should be recorded and collected in one place. Think of it like a study list before an exam. A neat study list makes studying easier. You can use Google Sheets, Excel, or even regular notes, as long as they’re structured.

In this keyword list, don’t just write the keywords themselves. Ideally, you should also include:

• keyword topic,
• estimated search volume,
• difficulty level,
• and the purpose of the keyword.

That way, when you’re ready to write an article, you won’t be guessing. You’ll know which keywords to write about first and which ones to tackle later.

7. Consider Using Long-Tail Keywords

Many SEO beginners want to immediately target short keywords like “SEO,” “marketing,” or “online business.” The problem is, these keywords are already dominated by large websites and are very difficult to beat.

This is where long-tail keywords become a key weapon. Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific, and have a clearer meaning. For example, instead of “SEO,” it should be “how to learn SEO for beginners without paying.”

Although there are fewer searchers, people searching for long-tail keywords are usually more serious. They have a real problem and are looking for a solution. Therefore, long-tail keywords often generate higher-quality visitors and are easier to convert (e.g., into loyal readers or buyers).

Read More: What Is Long Tail Keyword? The Ultimate Guide How to Use It

8. Collect Related Keywords

A good article doesn’t just target one keyword. Google is smart now. It wants to see whether an article truly covers a topic thoroughly or just sticks to a single keyword.

Related keywords are other keywords that are on the same topic and related to each other. For example, if your main keyword is “keyword research tools,” then related keywords could be:

• “free keyword research tools”
• “SEO keyword tools”
• “keyword research software”

By including related keywords naturally in your article, Google will see that your content is comprehensive and relevant. As a result, one article can appear for multiple searches, not just one.

9. Finalize the Keyword List

Once all the keywords have been collected, it’s time to refine them. This is a crucial part, as many people fail here. They try to target all keywords at once, but this results in unfocused content.

Every article should have:

• 1 main keyword (the main focus of the article)
• Several supporting keywords (related and long-tail)

The main keyword determines the title, main topic, and direction of the article. Supporting keywords help the article appear more complete in Google’s eyes. With this structure, your article will be easier to understand for both search engines and human readers.

These finalized keywords will form the foundation of the content. A strong foundation will make the article much more effective.

Benefits of Ranking Higher on Google’s Search Result Page

Last but not least, we will explain the real benefits of ranking higher on Google’s search results page. You’ll learn how higher rankings increase visibility and brand awareness, build credibility and trust with visitors, improve engagement metrics, reduce reliance on paid advertising, and generate a higher return on investment (ROI). 

Increase Visibility

A high Google ranking makes your website more visible to people, even before they click on it. When someone searches for something on Google, they typically only look at the first page of results. If your website appears there, your name will appear repeatedly when people search for the same topic.

This increases your website’s visibility, even if they don’t always click on it immediately. The more frequently your website appears, the greater the chance that people will remember it and ultimately visit it. This is called visibility, and it’s the first step before generating traffic and sales.

Increase Credibility and Visitors’ Trust

Many people subconsciously perceive websites that appear at the top of Google as more trustworthy and expert. They think, “If Google places this website at the top, it must have good content.”

Therefore, a high ranking can immediately increase visitors’ trust, even before they read the content. Websites that frequently appear on the first page also appear more professional than those hidden in the back pages. This trust is crucial, as people will only read, register, or purchase from websites they perceive as trustworthy.

Increase in Engagements

When the keywords you use match what people are searching for, visitors will feel your content is relevant to their needs. As a result, they’ll read the article longer, scroll down, and perhaps visit other pages on your website.

This is called engagement, and Google pays attention to it. If many visitors stay on your website, Google considers your content high-quality and worthy of maintaining a high ranking. Conversely, if the keywords are wrong and visitors immediately leave, your rankings could drop.

Inexpensive Advertising

SEO is one of the most cost-effective promotional methods. Unlike paid advertising, which stops once the money runs out, SEO articles can generate long-term traffic at no additional cost. Once you rank on Google, your article can continue to be visited for months or even years. This makes SEO ideal for small businesses or new websites that don’t have a large advertising budget but want to consistently attract visitors.

Higher Return on Investment (ROI)

Return on Investment (ROI) refers to how much profit you get compared to the effort or expense you put in. SEO typically has a high ROI because the primary investment is time and strategy, not advertising dollars.

By selecting the right keywords and creating quality content, a single article can attract thousands of visitors at no additional cost. Compared to paid advertising, which requires ongoing funding, SEO offers far more stable and sustainable long-term returns.

Conclusion

Choosing the right keywords and successfully ranking high on Google isn’t a quick fix but rather the result of a sound strategy. Keywords help Google understand the content of your website, while high rankings help your website be seen, trusted, and visited by more people. Without the right keywords, even the best content may never be discovered.

With thorough keyword research, realistic keyword selection, and content that truly addresses user needs, SEO will be a powerful tool for website or business growth. Remember, SEO isn’t about tricking Google but about helping Google find the best content for users. With consistency and patience, results will come.