Keywords are the words your customers actually type into Google, not the ones you use inside your business. You find them in four places: what customers tell you, what Search Console shows, what Google suggests as you type, and how much people search, from Keyword Planner and Google Trends. Then you turn the list into a plan for your pages.
Start with your customers' words, not with tools
Google says it plainly in its SEO guide: think about the words someone would search for to find your page. It also gives a good example: experts and newcomers say the same thing in different words.
That gap shows up everywhere. You sell "uPVC window systems," the customer searches for "double glazed windows." You do "interior fit-out work," they search for "apartment renovation." You offer "dental services," they type "dentist open Saturday."
The best research is already in your hands: emails, WhatsApp messages, phone notes and reviews. Write down exactly how people describe their problem, typos and shorthand included. The phrases that come up with several people go to the top of the list.
What Google shows you as you type
Type the start of a phrase into Google and look at the suggestions. Google says autocomplete predictions are based on real searches made on Google, and they take into account the language, where you're searching from, and what's trending.
Try variations: "apartment renovation" followed by a letter, by "cost," by "how long," by your city's name. Every suggestion is a question someone has asked. Note the ones that match what you do.
Search Console: what people who find you already search for
If you have a website, Google Search Console is the most honest source, because it shows the real searches your site appeared for. The Performance report has four metrics: clicks, impressions, click-through rate and average position, and you can group them by query, page, country or device. By default you see the last three months.
Two things are worth looking for there:
- phrases with lots of impressions and few clicks: Google shows you, but your title or description isn't convincing;
- phrases where you appear on page two: usually a page that covers the topic better can move them up.
Search volume: Keyword Planner and Google Trends
Keyword Planner is the Google Ads tool that estimates how many searches a phrase gets per month and suggests related ideas. You need a Google Ads account with billing details filled in. Phrases with very low search volume get no estimates, and in local niches that happens a lot.
Google Trends doesn't give absolute numbers. It shows interest on a scale from 0 to 100, relative to all searches in that place and time period. It's good for two questions: when in the year interest in what you sell goes up, and which of two phrasings people use more.
| Tool | What you learn | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Customer messages | their exact words | you don't know how many search the same way |
| Autocomplete | real questions, in your area | no volumes |
| Search Console | searches you already show up for | only if you have a site and traffic |
| Keyword Planner | monthly search estimates | needs an Ads account, low volumes missing |
| Google Trends | seasonality and comparisons | relative scale, not search counts |
From a list to pages
A list does nothing if it stays in a spreadsheet. Group the phrases by what the person wants to find out or do, not by the words:
- What they want to buy or fix: "apartment renovation," "bathroom renovation." Each important service gets its own page.
- What they ask beforehand: "how long does a bathroom renovation take," "what permits do I need for a renovation." These make good blog posts or FAQ entries.
- Where and when: the city, the neighborhood, "open Sunday." These belong on your contact page and your Google Business Profile.
Then write each page for people, with the main phrase in the title and the first paragraph, and the variations used naturally in the text. Don't repeat the keyword in every sentence: Google says keyword stuffing is against its spam policies. The meta "keywords" tag won't help either; Google Search doesn't use it.
How often to redo the list
Every few months, go back to Search Console: new phrases show up, some pages climb, others don't. Add what's missing and fix the titles that get impressions but no clicks. It's an hour of work, not a project.
If you'd like someone to handle the research and the page plan, see our marketing services.
Sources
- SEO Starter Guide, Google Search Centralthinking about the words users search for, keyword stuffing against spam policies, meta keywords tag not used
- How Google autocomplete predictions work, Google Search Helppredictions based on real searches, language, location and trending topics
- Performance report (Search results), Search Console Helpthe four metrics, grouping by query and page, three months by default
- Use Keyword Planner, Google Ads Helpmonthly search estimates, Ads account with billing details, no estimates for very low volumes
- FAQ about Google Trends data, Google Trends Helpthe 0 to 100 scale relative to place and time
Checked: surse Xenia Pușcașu · editare Nora Vlăsceanu · SEO Mihnea Tăbăcaru