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Keyword research is simply figuring out the exact words and phrases people type into Google when looking for what your business offers. Get this right and every other SEO effort — content, titles, page structure — has something solid to build on.
1. Start with what you already know
Write down every way a customer might describe what you sell, in their own words rather than your industry jargon. A plumber might be searched for as "plumber," "pipe repair," or "burst pipe emergency" — all different intents worth targeting separately.
2. Use Google's autocomplete and related searches
Type your basic topic into Google and look at the autocomplete suggestions, then scroll to the bottom of the results page for "related searches" — both are free windows into what real people are searching right now.
3. Try Google Keyword Planner
Free with a Google Ads account (you don't need to actually run ads), Keyword Planner shows estimated monthly search volume and related keyword ideas for any seed term, filterable by location down to city or region level.
4. Add location modifiers
For a local business, phrases like "in Accra," "Ghana," "near me," or a specific suburb often matter more than the generic keyword alone — a search for "catering services Kumasi" has far clearer buying intent than "catering services" on its own.
5. Think about search intent
Separate keywords into informational ("how does mobile money work") and transactional ("buy mobile money POS machine Ghana") — a blog post suits the former, a product or service page suits the latter, and mixing them up wastes both.
6. Check who's already ranking
Search your target keyword and look at the top results — if they're all large national or international sites, that keyword may be hard to compete for; if you see other small local businesses ranking, it's a realistic target.
7. Group keywords by page, not by post
Rather than trying to rank one page for fifty different keywords, group closely related terms together and build one focused page per topic — this keeps content clear for readers and easier for Google to categorise correctly.
Key takeaway: Good keyword research isn't about finding the highest search volume — it's about finding the terms your actual customers use, with intent that matches what your page offers, and competition you can realistically outrank.