If you're a WordPress blogger looking to grow your audience, effective keyword research is your best friend. Keyword research is the process of finding out what terms people type into search engines so you can create content that ranks for those terms. Many bloggers skip this step and end up writing great posts that, unfortunately, nobody is searching for. This step-by-step guide will walk you through keyword research specifically tailored for WordPress bloggers.
Why Keyword Research Matters for Bloggers
Imagine spending hours writing a blog post, only to hear crickets after publishing. Often, the culprit is not the quality of your writing, but misalignment with search demand. By doing keyword research, you ensure there's an actual interested audience for the topic you're covering. Nearly 8 in 10 marketers say that keyword research is a top inbound marketing priority because it drives targeted traffic.
For bloggers, targeting the right keywords means you tap into existing streams of search traffic. Instead of guessing what people might want to read, you use data to understand what they're already looking for. Long-tail keywords make up about 70% of all search traffic and often have higher conversion rates. In short, keyword research lets you work smarter, not harder.
Step 1: Start with Seed Topics
Every good keyword research process starts with brainstorming "seed" topics related to your blog. Think of broad areas you write about or want to be known for. For example, if you run a food blog, seeds might be "easy recipes," "vegan cooking," "meal prep," etc.
Action: List 5-10 broad topics that are central to your blog. These aren't final keywords, just themes. They will form the basis for discovering specific keyword ideas.
Step 2: Expand with Keyword Research Tools
Now take those seed topics and plug them into keyword research tools to generate a list of keyword ideas. There are free and paid options:
- Google Keyword Planner: Free (requires Google Ads account). Enter a seed and it suggests related keywords along with search volume ranges.
- Ubersuggest or Keyword.io: Freemium tools that generate lots of variations and questions people ask.
- AnswerThePublic: Visual tool great for seeing questions people ask about a topic.
- Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz: Paid tools with robust keyword explorers that give volumes and difficulty scores.
Action: For each seed topic, gather a list of potential keywords. Aim for at least 10-20 per seed to start. Pay attention to search intent as you list them.
Step 3: Assess Keyword Metrics (Volume and Competition)
Now you have a bunch of keyword ideas, but not all are equal. Two primary metrics: search volume (how many searches per month) and keyword difficulty or competition (how hard it might be to rank on page 1).
- Search Volume: This tells you potential traffic. However, volume isn't everything – higher volume often means higher competition too.
- Competition (Difficulty): Tools often provide a score indicating how competitive the keyword is. As a newer blogger, you want to focus on lower difficulty terms.
Action: Identify sweet spot keywords: decent volume with low to medium competition. If your blog is new, try targeting long-tail keywords (3-5 words) with specific intent.
Step 4: Analyze Search Intent and SERP Features
Before finalizing your target keywords, do a quick check of what's currently ranking for those terms. Google each keyword in an incognito window to see the results. Understanding search intent is critical to success.
Note: What type of content ranks? Blog posts, videos, product pages? If you see mostly blog posts or "how-to" articles, that's a good sign you can rank with a blog post. Look for People Also Ask questions and Related Searches at the bottom for clues on common subtopics.
Step 5: Finalize Your Target Keyword List and Content Plan
By now you have data-driven insights on which keywords make sense for you. The next step is deciding which ones to actually create content for:
- Clustering: Sometimes multiple keywords are very similar or could be answered by the same piece of content. Cluster them and plan one comprehensive article.
- Prioritize: Which keywords should you tackle first? Consider quick wins: lower difficulty, content you feel confident creating.
- Use a Content Calendar: Map keywords to a content calendar to ensure you have a steady pipeline of SEO-focused topics.
Step 6: Create Content Optimized for Your Target Keywords
Keyword research doesn't stop at picking the terms – it informs how you create the content. Use our on-page SEO checklist to ensure proper optimization:
- Use the keyword in the title, URL, and early in the content
- Cover related subtopics within the post
- Write naturally – don't force the keyword phrase unnaturally
- Provide value that matches the intent
After drafting, use an SEO plugin or platform to check your optimization. Create detailed content briefs to guide your writing process. Following suggestions can be the difference between page 5 and page 1.
Step 7: Monitor Performance and Refine
After publishing content targeting your researched keywords, keep an eye on how they perform. Track:
- Rankings: Use Google Search Console or a rank tracking tool to see if you're moving up
- Traffic: Are those pages getting organic hits?
- Engagement: Check time on page or bounce rate
One huge advantage bloggers have is agility: you can update content anytime. If you notice you're getting impressions for a slightly different variation than you targeted, edit your content to address that.
Conclusion
Keyword research is the compass that guides your content strategy. For WordPress bloggers, mastering this skill means you'll write posts you know people are searching for, dramatically increasing the odds of getting consistent organic traffic. We went through brainstorming seeds, expanding with tools, evaluating volume and competition, understanding intent, and then using those insights to create optimized content.
Next time before you pen a post, take a pause and do a bit of keyword research. Your future self – enjoying a spike in blog traffic – will thank you!
