Creative Ways To Find New Keywords

Useful Places to Find New Keywords

There are plenty of keyword research tools available, but some of the most useful ideas can come from tools and data you may already have access to.

The aim is not simply to collect the biggest possible list of keywords. It is to identify searches that are genuinely relevant to your business and could help you improve an existing page or create useful new content.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is one of the best places to start because it shows the actual search queries that have already caused your website to appear in Google Search.

Within the Performance report, you can see:

• Clicks – how many times somebody clicked through to your website
• Impressions – how many times your website appeared in search results
• CTR – the percentage of impressions that resulted in a click
• Average position – the average position of your highest result for that query

This can uncover useful keyword opportunities because Google may already be showing your website for searches you have never deliberately targeted.

Using Interact Digital as an example, I could filter the Queries report for searches containing “Chorley” and see which local searches are already generating impressions.

This can tell us:

• What people are actually searching for
• Which searches Google already associates with our website
• Which pages are appearing for those searches
• Where there may be an opportunity to improve an existing page
• Where a new page or article may genuinely be useful

You can repeat the process using words closely related to your services, locations or products.

For Interact Digital, examples might include:

digital marketing, SEO, web design, Chorley, Lancashire, animation, Google Ads and PPC.

The most useful opportunities are often not completely new topics. You may find that a page is already receiving lots of impressions for a relevant search but very few clicks, or is appearing in a lower position than you would like.

That may be a better opportunity than creating another new blog post.

Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is part of Google Ads and can be useful for discovering related keywords and getting an idea of how frequently certain searches are made.

To use it, you need a Google Ads account with the account setup completed.

Within Keyword Planner, choose Discover new keywords and enter a product, service or website related to the subject you want to research.

Google can then provide:

• Related keyword ideas
• Estimated average monthly searches
• Advertiser competition
• Estimated advertising bid ranges

The advertising costs are primarily relevant to PPC campaigns, but they can still provide some useful commercial context around a search.

Be careful with the Competition column. A Low, Medium or High rating refers to the number of advertisers competing for that keyword within Google Ads. It does not tell you how difficult that keyword will be to rank for organically.

Keyword Planner is therefore best used as one source of ideas and search-volume information rather than as a complete SEO difficulty tool.

AnswerThePublic

AnswerThePublic can be useful when you want to discover the questions and longer searches people make around a subject.

Enter a keyword or topic and the tool groups related searches into areas such as questions, comparisons and other related phrases.

This is particularly useful when planning:

• FAQ sections
• Advice articles
• Service-page supporting content
• Long-tail keyword ideas

AnswerThePublic currently offers a limited number of free searches for registered users, with paid plans available for heavier use.

Google Search and Autocomplete

One of the simplest keyword research tools is the search engine itself.

When you begin typing into Google, Autocomplete displays predictions based partly on real searches that people have previously made.

These predictions can reveal different ways people describe a product, service or problem.

Autocomplete should not be treated as a list of the most popular keywords. Google also considers factors such as location, language, trending interest and previous searches when deciding what to display.

However, it can still be a very useful source of ideas when you want to understand the different ways people phrase a search.

You can also look at related searches and other questions shown within the search results for further inspiration.

Keywords Everywhere

Keywords Everywhere is a browser extension that can add keyword information directly into the websites and search tools you already use.

It currently works with Chrome, Firefox and Edge.

The free version provides a range of keyword and SEO features, while search volume, CPC, competition and trend data are available through its paid credit plans.

When using Google, the extension can display related searches, long-tail ideas and other keyword suggestions alongside the normal results.

These suggestions can then be investigated further to decide whether they are relevant enough to improve an existing page or justify creating new content.

Alternative Places to Find Keyword Ideas

Keyword research does not have to begin and end with specialist SEO tools.

Some of the best content ideas can come from places where people are already discussing a subject, asking questions or trying to solve problems.

These sources will not necessarily tell you how many people search for a particular phrase each month, but they can help you discover the language, questions and topics used by real people.

Once you find an interesting idea, you can investigate it further using tools such as Google Search Console or Keyword Planner before deciding whether it deserves a new page or article.

Reddit

Reddit contains communities discussing almost every subject imaginable.

That makes it particularly useful for discovering the questions, frustrations and terminology people use when talking naturally about a product, service or industry.

Rather than looking for individual words to add to a page, pay attention to recurring questions.

For example, if you provide digital marketing services, you might find people repeatedly asking questions such as:

• How much should a small business spend on Google Ads?
• Is SEO worth it for a local business?
• How long does SEO take to work?
• Should I use SEO or PPC?

If those questions are relevant to your customers, they could become useful FAQs, additions to existing service pages or subjects for more detailed articles.

The important thing is not to copy somebody else’s discussion. Use the conversation to understand what people genuinely want to know, then create your own useful answer based on your experience and knowledge.

Books and Industry Guides

Books can also be useful for understanding how a subject is divided into different topics.

Search Amazon, Google Books or another book retailer for respected books within your industry and look at the table of contents or available preview.

The chapter structure can reveal important subjects that you may not currently cover on your website.

For example, a digital marketing book might contain chapters covering:

• Search engine optimisation
• Content marketing
• Paid search
• Email marketing
• Social media advertising
• Analytics and measurement

That does not mean you should simply turn every chapter heading into a blog post. Instead, use them as prompts to identify subjects that are genuinely relevant to your customers and then research those topics further.

Wikipedia and Topic Pages

Wikipedia can be useful as a way of exploring the different subjects connected to a broad topic.

Search for your main subject and look at:

• The contents of the page
• Related subjects
• Linked terminology
• More specific topics within the wider subject

For example, a page about digital marketing may lead you towards related areas such as:

• Content marketing
• Online advertising
• Social media marketing
• Email marketing
• Search engine optimisation

Again, think of Wikipedia as a topic discovery tool rather than proof that a keyword is worth targeting.

If you discover a relevant subject, check whether your customers actually search for it, whether your website already covers it and whether creating or improving a page would provide something genuinely useful.

Turning Keyword Ideas Into Useful Content

Finding new keywords is only the first step.

The next question is whether that keyword or topic is genuinely relevant to your business and useful to the people you want to reach.

Before creating a new page or article, ask yourself:

• Does this topic relate directly to one of our products, services or customer problems?
• Do we already have a page that could be improved instead?
• Can we add something useful, practical or original?
• Does the search intent match the type of page we are planning to create?

Keyword research should help you make better content decisions rather than simply encourage you to publish more content.

If you are new to SEO and want to understand how keywords fit into the wider picture, read our guide to SEO basics for small businesses.

You may also find our guide to long-tail keyword research useful if you want to explore more specific searches and customer questions.

Need Help With Keyword Research?

If you are unsure which keywords are worth targeting, which existing pages should be improved or what new content could support your SEO strategy, we can help.

Contact Interact Digital on 01257 429217, use the form below or get in touch through our social media channels.