Keyword research in 2026: here's how to do it

Introduction

What is your customer’s problem, and what is the potential of your solution? Keyword research answers these questions. It can serve as the foundation for your website structure, content strategy, or for scaling up your Google Ads campaigns. Yet the importance of keyword research is often underestimated. Many business owners create content from their own perspective, rather than based on their target audience’s search behavior. The result? Well-intentioned pages that never get found. With smart keyword research, you get inside your customers’ heads: you discover which terms they use, what they’re looking for, and where they are in their customer journey. Whether you run a blog, an online store, or offer a service—knowing what people are searching for gives you the edge.

What is keyword research?

Keyword research is the process of identifying the words and phrases people use in search engines like Google to find information, products, or services. The goal is to gain insight into your target audience’s search behavior so you can create content that’s easier to find and aligns with their intent.

Why conduct a keyword research study?

By conducting keyword research, you gain insight into the search queries your target audience uses in search engines and their approximate monthly search volume. Additionally, we can see what advertisers are paying per click in Google Ads, which is a good indication of how far along the searcher is in their decision-making process.

• You focus on what people are actually looking for, not what you think they are looking for.
• You’ll save time and effort by creating content that has a good chance of ranking well.
• You’ll discover new opportunities, niches, or topics with little competition.

You can then use this information for the following purposes:

• Create targeted content that answers the questions of your potential customers. This will help you rank organically (SEO).
• Make the content on your website better align with the stage of the buying process that the potential customer is in.
• Advertise on Google and Dutch Microsoft Ads Agency using these search terms so you’ll be immediately visible.

How do you do keyword research?

Conducting keyword research can be broadly broken down into 5 phases:

1. Gathering Ideas – What would your target audience type in to find your offering? Start with your own website (Google Search Console) and your competitors’ websites.
2. Find keywords - Use tools such as Google' s keyword planner or Ahrefs to discover how often they are searched for and related terms.
3. Determining Intent – Understanding what someone really wants to find behind a search term.
4. Selection – Choose keywords based on relevance, competition, and feasibility.
5. Grouping – Organize keywords into themes to build content strategies.

The search intent of your ideal visitor

Analyzing search intent is all about understanding the reason behind a search query: what exactly is the user trying to achieve? There are roughly four types of intent:

1. Informational (someone is looking for information, such as “how does solar energy work?”),
2. Navigational (someone is searching for a specific website, such as “Bol.com login”)
3. Commercial (someone comparing options, such as “best noise-canceling headphones”)
4. Transactional (someone is about to do or buy something, such as “buy Nike Air Max size 42”).

By taking a close look at the SERP (search results page), you can often deduce the search intent. Is the page full of buying guides, product pages, or comparison sites? Then the intent is likely commercial or transactional. If, on the other hand, the results consist of blogs, explanatory videos, or Wikipedia pages, the intent is more likely to be informational. By tailoring your content to the dominant intent behind a keyword, you increase your chances of better rankings and conversions. Tools like Ahrefs provide their own estimate of what they believe the search intent of a keyword to be.

Types of Keywords: Short-tail, Long-tail, Branded

Keywords can be broadly divided into three main categories: short-tail, long-tail, and branded keywords.

1. Short-tail keywords consist of one or two general terms with high search volume, such as “laptop” or “insurance,” but are often extremely competitive and vague in terms of intent.
2. Long-tail keywords are more specific and usually consist of three or more words, such as "best laptop for video editing 2026." These have less search volume, but often convert better because they show clear intent.
3. Then there are branded keywords, which use the name of a brand or company, such as "IKEA closet" or "Booking.com deals" - ideal if you want to be found at the brand level. In addition, you can also group keywords based on intent: informational ("how does it work"), transactional ("buy"), navigational ("contact page [company]") or commercially inquisitive ("best vs cheapest").

By clearly distinguishing between these types of search terms, you can create more targeted content that aligns with the stage your target audience is in.

Examples short tail and long tail

Keyword Research Tools

1. Google Keyword Planner

• Free tool from Google (via an Ads account)
• Provides search volumes, competition, and bid data
• Especially useful for basic keywords and paid campaigns

2. Ahrefs Keywords Explorer

• Powerful paid tool with comprehensive data
• Provides keyword difficulty, click potential, SERP analysis, and trends
• Ideal for in-depth SEO research

3. SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool.

• The World’s Largest Keyword Database
• Categorizes keywords by intent
• Includes search queries, semantic variations, and competitive analysis

4. Ubersuggest

• Freemium tool by Neil Patel
• Shows search volume, SEO score, backlinks, and content ideas
• User-friendly for beginners

5. AnswerThePublic

• Visualizes the questions and phrases people type related to a topic
• Great for content ideas and long-tail keywords
• Free for limited use, premium for intensive use

6. Google Trends

• Shows search interest over time and by region
• Perfect for seasonal content or trending topics
• Combine with Keyword Planner for up-to-date search intent

7. Keywordtool.io

• Generates hundreds of keyword ideas based on Google Autocomplete
• Also works for YouTube, Amazon, Instagram, and more
• Freemium model, with limited data in the free version

Clustering and Structuring Data

After collecting keywords, it’s essential to cluster and structure them logically so that it’s not just a list of a huge number of keywords, but a document you can use on an ongoing basis.

Clustering means grouping keywords by theme or topic—for example, grouping all terms related to “sustainable water bottles” together, and all variations of “BPA-free water bottles” into a separate group. Within each cluster, you select one main keyword (the so-called “pillar”) and combine it with supporting keywords (subtopics or “supporting content”). This approach forms the basis for a content strategy or campaign structure.

Common Mistakes in Keyword Research

• Focusing solely on search volume →High numbers may seem appealing, but they say nothing about intent or conversion.
• Ignoring search intent →Using an informational keyword on a sales page results in low relevance and poor performance.
• Keyword stuffing→Using keywords unnaturally often harms both readability and your ranking.
• Don’t use clustering →Disjointed, unrelated content pages lead to overlap and internal competition.
• Targeting too broadly →General keywords are often too competitive, especially for smaller websites.
• Ignoring long-tail keywords →Low search volumes are underestimated, even though these keywords are often much more targeted and conversion-oriented.
• Use outdated data→Search behavior changes rapidly; keyword data from years ago can be misleading.
• Just using tools without analyzing the SERP →Tools provide data, but you can only see the real intent by looking at what ranks in Google.
• Targeting competitors’ branded keywords without a strategy → Without authority or relevance, you’ll lose the battle—or worse: you’ll be penalized.
• Don’t link any action to the research → Collecting keywords without turning them into concrete content = a waste of effort.

Conclusion

A good keyword research is not a one-time task, but the foundation of your online marketing strategy that constantly evolves with your target audience, market and competition. It provides direction, prevents waste of time and resources, and lays the foundation for content that is truly found and read. Whether you are just starting out or have been at it for years: if you speak the language of your target audience, you win the trust and the click.

Would you like to have a comprehensive keyword research done by experienced SEO professionals? Then contact us with no obligation.