How to Do Keyword Research for Your Blog (2025 Beginner’s Guide)

By /

Welcome Back, Blogger — You’ve Done So Much Already!

If you’ve followed along with our blog launch journey so far, you’ve:

  •  Customized your website using Hostinger, Astra, and Elementor

  •  Set up your Home, About, and Contact pages

  •  Designed a beautiful logo using free AI tools

  •  Created a consistent visual style and branding using Canva

  •  Prepared to publish your first blog post

But before we hit that “Publish” button… there’s one critical step that separates guesswork from smart strategy:

*Keyword research*

This step ensures your content is discoverable, valuable, and aligned with what your ideal audience is already searching for on Google. If you want to attract readers organically, keyword research is where it begins.

Let’s go deep — beginner-style — into this essential blogging skill and set you up for SEO success in 2025.

What You’ll Learn in This Beginner’s Guide

This post will show you how to:

  • Understand keywords and SEO in plain English

  • Use free and paid tools for research (with screenshots + walkthroughs)

  • Find easy-to-rank keywords based on your niche

  • Build a content plan around keywords (and track it!)

  • Write blog posts that rank without keyword stuffing

  • And yes… do it all step-by-step without overwhelm

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to choose smart keywords — and you’ll be ready to write content that gets found!

PART 1: Keyword Research 101 — Let’s Get Clear

1. What Is Keyword Research?

Keyword research is the process of finding out what your ideal readers are typing into Google — and creating content that answers those searches.

Keywords are:

  • The exact words or phrases people use when searching online

  • Clues that reveal what your audience wants to learn, fix, or buy

  • The foundation of every successful SEO strategy

  • Example: If someone types “how to write a blog post,” that’s a keyword. If 10,000 people are searching for it each month — and your post is optimized for it — you could attract thousands of readers, for free.

2. How SEO Works (Simple, Not Scary)

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is how you help Google understand:

  • What your blog post is about

  • Who it’s for

  • Why it deserves to show up in search results

You don’t need to be an expert to use SEO — you just need to:

  • Choose the right keyword

  • Use it naturally in your content

  • Create helpful content that answers the searcher’s intent

3. Types of Keywords You Need to Know

Type Example Best Use
Informational “how to start a blog” Tutorials, guides
Navigational “Canva login” Brand-specific searches
Transactional “best AI tools for bloggers” Affiliate/product posts
Commercial “MailerLite review” Monetized content

4. Short-Tail vs. Long-Tail Keywords

Type Example Difficulty Search Volume
Short-Tail “blogging” 🔴 High 🔥 Very high
Long-Tail “how to start a blog in Malaysia 2025” 🟢 Easier 🔥 Lower but more targeted

PART 2: Tools You Can Use (Free + Paid)

5. Free Tools for Beginners (That Actually Work)

Tool What It Does Link
Google Search + Autocomplete See what people are typing google.com
Ubersuggest (Free Plan) Keyword volume + ideas neilpatel.com/ubersuggest
AnswerThePublic Visual keyword mapping answerthepublic.com
Google Trends See what’s trending now trends.google.com

6. Paid Tools Worth Considering Later

Tool Best For Trial Available?
LowFruits.io Finding low competition keywords ✅ Free credits
KeySearch All-in-one beginner SEO tool ✅ $1 trial
Ahrefs / SEMrush Advanced SEO + backlink data ❌ (Expensive)

7. Using Google Autocomplete + Related Searches

Try typing: how to start a blog in 2025 _

And Google suggests:

  • how to start a blog in 2025 and make money

  • how to start a blog in 2025 for free

  • how to start a blog in Malaysia 2025

Write these down — they’re long-tail keywords based on real searches!

8. How to Use Ubersuggest (Free Version)

  1. Go to Ubersuggest

  2. Enter a topic (e.g. “AI blogging”)

  3. Click “Keyword Ideas”

  4. Sort by:

    • Volume (how many people search)

    • SD = SEO Difficulty (keep it under 35 if you’re a beginner)

    • Cost Per Click (optional)

9. How to Use LowFruits.io (My Favorite)

  1. Sign up for a free account (includes credits)

  2. Enter a keyword (e.g. “lead magnet ideas”)

  3. It finds easy-to-rank keywords based on real weak results

  4. Color codes your chances of ranking (green = go!)

10. How to Use Google Keyword Planner

  1. Create a free Google Ads account

  2. Go to Tools > Keyword Planner

  3. Click “Discover New Keywords”

  4. Analyze keyword volume, competition, and trends
    Best used for broad topic validation

PART 3: Real-World Keyword Research — From Idea to Post

11. Brainstorm Content Ideas from Your Niche

Use questions like:

  • What problems does my audience face?

  • What are they trying to learn or fix?

  • What tools are they comparing?

12. Turn Broad Ideas into Specific Phrases

Broad Topic Long-Tail Keyword
Blogging “how to write a blog post in 2025”
Email marketing “best free email tools for beginners Malaysia”
AI tools “can I use ChatGPT to write blog posts?”

13. Spotting Low Competition Keywords

Look for:

  • Low SEO difficulty (SD under 35 in Ubersuggest or LowFruits)

  • Search volume between 100–1,000/month

  • Titles that don’t match the keyword exactly (a good sign!)

14. Check Volume, Difficulty & Intent

Choose keywords that are:

  • Relevant to your niche

  • Actually searched (volume > 100)

  • Not super competitive

  • Aligned with what your content delivers

15. Find Related or Secondary Keywords

In Ubersuggest, click a keyword and scroll to:

  • Related Keywords

  • Questions

  • Comparisons

These are great for H2/H3 subheadings!

16. Real Example: Keyword Research for This Post

I started with:

  • “keyword research for beginners”

  • Found “keyword research for blog posts”

  • Then “how to do keyword research for your blog in 2025”
    ✔️ Long-tail
    ✔️ Low competition
    ✔️ Specific + timely
    ✔️ Helpful for my audience (you!)

PART 4: Organize Your Keyword Strategy

17. Create a Keyword List (Google Sheets Template)

Column examples:

  • Keyword

  • Search Volume

  • Difficulty

  • Intent

  • Target Post Title

  • Scheduled Date

18. Create Content Clusters

Example:

  • Main Pillar Post: “How to Start a Blog in 2025”

    • Sub-posts:

      • “How to Choose a Blog Niche”

      • “Best Free Blog Tools”

      • “Blog SEO Tips for Beginners”

This helps with internal linking + ranking!

19. Use Pillar Content to Rank Big

Choose 1–3 high-impact pillar topics in your niche.
Then write 5–10 supporting blog posts that link back to that main guide.

Example: My 10,000-word post on writing long-form content is a pillar.

20. My Color-Coded Keyword Tracker

  • 🟢 Published

  • 🔵 Scheduled

  • 🟡 In Draft

  • 🔴 Idea Only

I use this to plan 1 month of posts in advance — and balance my topics!

PART 5: Use Keywords Naturally in Your Posts

21. Keyword Placement Checklist

  •  Page Title

  •  URL Slug

  •  H1 and H2 headings

  •  First 100 words

  •  Meta Description

  •  Image Alt Text

  •  Last paragraph / CTA

22. Writing Blog Titles That Rank

Instead of:
❌ “My Thoughts on Blogging”

Try:
 “How to Start a Blog in 2025 (Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide)”

Use the exact keyword but make it human-friendly + click-worthy!

23. Write Great Meta Descriptions

Short preview text shown in search results.

Include keyword
Add curiosity or benefit
Keep under 160 characters

“Learn how to do keyword research for your blog in 2025 — even if you’re brand new. Step-by-step, tools included!”

24. Use Headings for SEO and Skimming

Break content with clear H2 and H3 subheads.

Each heading = new opportunity to include secondary keywords naturally

25. My Blog Post SEO Layout

Section Purpose
Title Includes primary keyword
Intro Hooks reader + mentions keyword
H2s Organize content, include related keywords
Images Use alt text with keywords
CTA Internal links + lead magnet + next step

PART 6: Beginner-Friendly Advanced Tips

26. Target Featured Snippets

Answer questions in a single sentence or paragraph under a heading.
Keep it around 40–60 words. Google loves this format!

27. Using AI Tools (Carefully)

You can use ChatGPT to:

  • Brainstorm content ideas

  • Generate variations of keyword phrases

  • Outline blog posts based on SEO structure

But: Always fact-check + rewrite in your voice!

28. Avoid Keyword Cannibalization

Don’t write 5 blog posts targeting the same keyword — it confuses Google.

Instead:

  • One post per keyword

  • Link between related posts to build authority

29. Update Old Posts with Better Keywords

  • Recheck search volume/difficulty

  • Improve title + meta description

  • Add new subheadings with secondary keywords

  • Update content and re-publish!

30. Track Rankings with Google Search Console

Go to:
Performance > Search Results
See:

  • What keywords you’re ranking for

  • Which pages are getting clicks

  • Where you’re showing up on Google

Track. Learn. Improve.

BONUS: My Real Keyword Research Workflow

Here’s how I do it for every blog post:

  1. Start with a topic idea

  2. Use LowFruits or Ubersuggest to find long-tail keywords

  3. Check search volume + competition

  4. Plug best keyword into:

    • Title

    • URL

    • Headings

  5. Build out blog post using my 10,000-word planner

  6. Add internal links

  7. Track in Google Sheets + GSC

  8. Repurpose content into social + video later!

You Did It! You Now Know How to Find the Right Keywords

Keyword research doesn’t have to feel scary, technical, or overwhelming. It’s just about listening to what your audience is already asking — and showing up with helpful answers.

Start simple. Use free tools. Keep practicing. And soon, you’ll be writing posts that actually get found.

Next Up: How to Write a 10,000-Word Blog Post (Using ChatGPT!)

Now that you’ve done your keyword research, it’s time to create content that ranks, helps, and converts.

In the next post, I’ll walk you through how to plan, structure, and write a full 10,000-word blog post using ChatGPT — even if you’ve never written more than 500 words before.

Let’s go bigger, bolder, and smarter.

Related Posts

Scroll to Top