How to Choose Your SEO Keywords
Choosing your SEO keywords means identifying the exact terms your potential customers actually type into Google to find a service like yours, then prioritizing the ones that combine sufficient search volume with accessible competition. This research comes before any content writing, since it determines the vocabulary to use on each page.
The mistake of starting from industry jargon
Most businesses write their content using the vocabulary they use internally, among professionals in their field. That vocabulary doesn't always match what customers actually use, since they don't share the same technical expertise and phrase their searches with simpler or different words.
A lawyer who talks about "employment law" internally also needs to anticipate searches like "unfair dismissal what to do" or "settlement agreement lawyer" — concrete phrasings tied to a situation the person is actually experiencing, rather than an abstract legal category. This vocabulary gap explains a good portion of well-built but poorly visible websites.
Understanding the intent behind a search
Every search reflects a specific intent: looking for information, comparing options, or taking action right away. "How to unclog a toilet" reflects informational intent, where the person is first looking for a solution they can try themselves. "Emergency plumber Boston" reflects immediate-action intent, where the person wants to reach someone quickly.
Confusing these intents leads to targeting the wrong type of content for a given keyword: offering a commercial page for an informational search, or the reverse, sharply reduces the chances of ranking well, since Google specifically tries to match the type of result to the detected intent.
Long-tail keywords, often more accessible
Generic, highly searched keywords ("lawyer Boston", "plumber") are also the most contested, dominated by established players with years of history and significant resources. Longer, more specific keywords, known as long-tail ("lawyer specializing in economic dismissal downtown Boston"), are searched less often individually but are much easier to rank for, and match a clearer intent, which translates into a better conversion rate.
For a small business just starting its SEO work, focusing initial efforts on several relevant long-tail keywords generally produces faster results than aiming straight for the most general, most competitive terms.
Where to find the keywords people actually search
Google's search bar autocomplete suggestions, triggered as you start typing a query related to your business, reveal the most common phrasings tied to that beginning of a search. The "People also ask" section that appears in Google results also gives a direct glimpse into the real questions people have on a topic.
The questions customers ask every day, by phone, in-store, or by email, are a valuable and free source: they reflect the actual vocabulary used even before any online search, and can often be turned directly into target keywords.
Prioritizing keywords by real potential
Not all identified keywords carry the same value. The table below summarizes the criteria to cross-reference in order to prioritize content work.
| Criterion | Keyword to prioritize | Keyword to postpone |
|---|---|---|
| Search volume | Sufficient to justify the effort | Too low or too uncertain |
| Competition | Accessible for a business just starting out | Dominated by large established players |
| Intent | Clear and aligned with the offer | Ambiguous or unrelated to the business |
| Business relevance | Matches a service actually offered | Related topic with no direct link to the offer |
The main keyword versus close variants
A page shouldn't target a single isolated term but rather a main keyword together with closely related variants on the same topic, which Google naturally associates thanks to its understanding of language. A page about "custom showcase website design" can therefore naturally also cover "professional showcase site" or "business presentation website" without needing a separate page for every minor variant.
This approach avoids two common pitfalls: creating too many near-identical pages targeting minor variants of the same keyword, which dilutes authority across several competing pages, or, conversely, concentrating all of a site's content on a single, overly generic term while leaving out variants that actually represent real search volume.
Matching keywords to the type of page
A commercial service page and an informational blog article don't target the same types of keywords, even on a related topic. The service page targets action-intent searches ("plumber Boston", "bathroom renovation quote"), while the blog article captures broader informational searches ("how to choose a plumber", "average cost of a bathroom renovation").
This distinction avoids having your own pages compete against each other for the same keyword (cannibalization), a common problem when several pages on a site unintentionally target the same term without a clear split of the intents each one covers.
Regularly reviewing your keyword list
Searches evolve over time: new phrasings, new needs, competitors appearing on terms that were previously uncontested. A keyword list left unchanged since the site's creation, without review, eventually stops reflecting the actual searches of potential customers, especially if the business itself has evolved since then.
Reviewing this list once or twice a year, based on actual search data gathered through Google's tools (Search Console in particular, which shows the terms that actually brought visitors to the site), makes it possible to adjust existing content and identify new opportunities before competitors claim them.
Steps to build your keyword list
- List the services or products offered using customer vocabulary, not internal jargon.
- Explore Google's suggestions and the frequently asked questions related to each service.
- Identify long-tail phrasings tied to a clear action intent.
- Cross-reference search volume, competition, and relevance to prioritize a narrow list.
- Assign a main keyword to each existing or planned page.
- Review this list every six to twelve months as searches evolve.
What to remember
- Keywords should start from customers' actual vocabulary, not internal industry jargon.
- Understanding the intent behind a search avoids offering the wrong type of content.
- Long-tail keywords are often more accessible and convert better than generic ones.
- Google's suggestions and everyday customer questions are free, reliable sources.
- Each page should focus on one main keyword, not a scattered list.
- The results of good keyword targeting take several months to stabilize.
Conclusion
Choosing your SEO keywords doesn't require a sophisticated tool at the start, but rather careful attention to your customers' actual vocabulary and an honest prioritization between potential and accessibility. This groundwork determines the effectiveness of all the content written afterward. VeryAppi's website plan structures every page around a main keyword from the design stage onward.
Frequently asked questions
›Should you target the most searched keywords first?
Not necessarily. The most searched keywords are also the most competitive, often dominated by large, established players. More specific, lower-volume keywords (long-tail) are usually more accessible and convert better because they match a clearer intent.
›How many keywords should you target per page?
A page should focus on one main keyword and a few closely related variants on the same topic, not a list of unrelated keywords. Trying to target too many different subjects on a single page dilutes its relevance for each of them.
›Are free tools enough to find keywords?
For a small local business, Google's search suggestions, the related search bar, and the questions people actually ask are often enough to identify the main relevant keywords, with no need for a paid tool.
›Should you change your keywords if results are slow to come?
Not before several months of regular content and sound technical practices have been applied. Changing keywords too soon prevents Google from building a stable association between the site and those terms, which resets the work from scratch.