If you have a website, a blog, or an online shop, you probably want one thing: more people to visit it. But how do they find you? Most people use Google to search for what they need. If you want to appear on the first page of those search results, you need to use the right words.
In the world of digital marketing, these words are called “Keywords.” The process of finding the best words to use is called Keyword Research. Many experts say you need to pay hundreds of dollars for expensive tools to do this. But in 2026, that is simply not true. You can find high-quality, high-traffic words for $0. This guide to keyword research will show you exactly how to do it step-by-step.
What is Keyword Research?
Imagine you are looking for a recipe for chocolate cake. You might type “easy chocolate cake” or “best chocolate cake recipe” into Google. Those phrases are keywords.
Keyword research is about discovering what your customers are actually typing into the search bar. If you write about “Cocoa Flavored Dessert” but everyone else is searching for “Chocolate Cake,” no one will ever find your website.
Step 1: Brainstorm Your “Seed” Keywords
Before you use any tools, you need to use your brain. Think about your business or blog. What are the 5 to 10 main topics you talk about? These are called “Seed Keywords.”
Example: If you run a pet store, your seed keywords might be:
- Dog food
- Cat toys
- Bird cages
- Pet grooming tips
Write these down in a simple notebook or a Google Sheet.
Step 2: Use Google’s Hidden Free Tools
Google itself is the best guide to keyword research tool because it has all the data. Here’s how to use it for free in three easy steps:
A. Google Autocomplete
Go to Google and start typing your seed keyword (e.g., “dog food”). Do not press Enter yet. Look at the list of suggestions that drop down. These are real things that people are searching for right now.
- New Keyword Ideas: “dog food for sensitive stomachs,” “dog food delivery,” “best dog food for puppies.”
B. “People Also Ask” (PAA)
After you search for a keyword, scroll down a bit. You will see a box that says “People Also Ask.” These are perfect questions to answer in your blog posts. Every time you click one, more questions appear!
C. Related Searches
Scroll all the way to the bottom of the Google page. You will see a list of 8 to 10 “Related Searches.” These are excellent variations of your main keyword.
Step 3: Find “Long-Tail” Keywords with AnswerThePublic
In 2026, short keywords like “Shoes” are too hard to rank for because big companies like Nike already own them. You want to find Long-Tail Keywords. These are longer phrases (3+ words) that are more specific.
Tool to use: AnswerThePublic (Free version). Type in your seed keyword, and this tool will create a “cloud” of questions people are asking using “Who, What, Where, Why, and How.”
- Instead of “Shoes,” you might find: “How to clean white leather shoes at home.”
Specific phrases like this are much easier for a small website to rank for.
Step 4: Check the “Search Volume” with Google Keyword Planner
Now you have a big list of words, but you need to know: Is anyone actually searching for them?
Tool to use: Google Keyword Planner. This is a free tool inside Google Ads. You have to create an account, but you don’t have to spend any money.
- Select “Discover new keywords.”
- Type in your list.
- Look at the “Average Monthly Searches.”
Try to find words that have at least 100 to 1,000 searches. If a word has 0 searches, don’t waste your time writing about it!
Step 5: Analyze the Competition (The “Manual” Check)
The last part of our guide to keyword research is checking how hard it will be to win.
Head to Google, punch in your target keyword, and scrutinize the top 10 rankings:
- Green Light: You see small blogs, forums (like Reddit or Quora), or old-looking websites. This means you can win!
- Red Light: You see huge websites like Wikipedia, Amazon, or The New York Times. It will be very hard to beat them.
Step 6: Organize Your Keywords by “Intent”
Not all keywords are the same. In 2026, Google cares about “Search Intent”—why is the person searching?
- Informational: They want to learn. (e.g., “how to train a dog”)
- Transactional: They want to buy. (e.g., “buy leather dog collar”)
Make sure your content matches the intent. If someone wants to buy a collar, don’t write a 2,000-word history of collars! Just show them the product.
Putting Your Keywords to Work
Once you have your perfect keyword, use it naturally in your content:
- In the Title: Put it near the beginning.
- In the First Paragraph: Tell the reader (and Google) what the page is about.
- In the Headings (H2/H3): Use variations of the keyword.
- In the Image Alt-Text: Describe your photos using the keyword.
Important Note: Never “stuff” keywords. If your sentence sounds like a robot wrote it (e.g., “We have best dog food dog food for sale dog food cheap”), Google will punish you. Write for humans first!
Conclusion
Keyword research is the foundation of a successful website. Without it, you are just shouting into a dark room. But as you have seen in this guide to keyword research, you don’t need a big budget to find the “gold” hidden in search data.
By using Google Autocomplete, AnswerThePublic, and the Keyword Planner, you can build a list of words that will bring thousands of visitors to your site.
The best part? You can start right now. Open a new Google tab, type in your business name, and see what the world is asking. Your journey to the first page of Google starts with just one word!
