Picking the wrong keywords is the fastest way to waste six months on SEO. A four-step process to find keywords with search volume and buying intent.
Many businesses pick keywords based on gut feeling — usually their own service name. The problem is customers rarely type it that way.
Step 1: List terms the way customers say them
You call it “comprehensive enterprise management solution,” customers type “sales management software.” The best source for how customers phrase things is your own inbox and message history. Read back through your last 50 inquiries and note the exact wording they used.
Step 2: Sort by search intent
Not every keyword leads to a sale. Split them into three groups:
- Learning: “what is seo” — someone just starting to research, not buying yet
- Comparing: “should i do seo myself or hire someone” — weighing options
- Ready to buy: “seo service pricing” — close to a decision
The third group has far fewer searches but converts far better. Small businesses should start here.
Step 3: Favor long-tail keywords
“Website design” has huge search volume and brutal competition — you'd be up against agencies that have been doing SEO for years. “Furniture store website design in Hanoi” gets far fewer searches, but you have a real shot, and whoever types that phrase is much closer to buying.
Step 4: Check where competitors currently rank
Search the keyword and look at the top ten results. If it's all major publications and marketplaces, pick a different keyword. If you see websites your own size, that keyword is worth pursuing.
Common mistakes
Targeting keywords that are too broad. Ranking 40th for a high-volume term brings zero traffic. Ranking 3rd for a smaller term does.
Ignoring location. For area-based services, adding a city or province name completely changes the competition level.
Targeting ten keywords on one page. A page should serve one topic. If you have several topics, split them into separate pages.
SMO Media builds keyword sets based on real search behavior as part of its website SEO service.
