Keyword Research &
Strategy — Target the
Right Keywords, Rank Faster
Ranking starts with targeting the right keywords. Not just high-volume terms — but the exact phrases your ideal customers type when they are ready to buy, book, or enquire. I research, cluster, and map every keyword to the right page — so every piece of content your site publishes has a purpose and a path to ranking.
Get Your Keyword Strategy
Book a free call or message me directly
Not Just a List of Keywords —
A Complete Ranking Blueprint
Most keyword research tools give you a spreadsheet of terms. What I deliver is a strategic keyword map — every term researched, clustered by page, labelled by intent, and paired with a content strategy that tells you exactly what to create and why.
Before touching any tool, I start with understanding your business, your audience, and their needs. Then I research to find the keywords that align with user intent — not just terms with high search volume that will never convert.
The deliverable is a spreadsheet and/or strategy document — organised by page, with search volume, keyword difficulty, intent label, and content recommendations for each cluster.
Seed Keyword Discovery
Starting from your business type, services, and target audience to build a complete seed list of core terms
Search Volume & Difficulty
Every keyword comes with monthly search volume, keyword difficulty score, and CPC data where relevant
Search Intent Labelling
Every keyword labelled by intent — commercial, informational, local, navigational — so content is built for the right stage of the buyer journey
Keyword Clustering
Keywords grouped into topic clusters and mapped to specific pages — no cannibalisation, every page has a clear purpose and target
Competitor Gap Analysis
Identifies keywords your competitors rank for that you don’t — revealing untapped traffic opportunities you’re currently missing
Content Strategy & Plan
A content strategy alongside the keyword map — what pages to build, what content to write, and how to structure it for maximum ranking potential
Targeting Keywords Without
Intent is Wasted Traffic
High search volume means nothing if the person searching isn’t your customer. A keyword like “what is a CRS score” attracts information seekers — not people ready to use a calculator or hire an immigration consultant.
Before any research begins, I map out what your target audience actually needs at each stage of their decision-making journey — then find the keywords that match those needs. This is what separates keyword research that drives enquiries from keyword research that just inflates your traffic numbers.
Every keyword in your strategy is labelled by intent so the content created for each page speaks to the right person at the right moment — and converts.
Sample Keyword Cluster
Page: /services/leak-repair/ — Plumbing Client
↑ Each keyword mapped to the right page. Intent labelled. Volume & difficulty included.
The 4 Intent Types Covered
Ready to Buy / Hire
Users actively looking for a service, product, or solution. Highest conversion potential — these are your money keywords.
“plumber near me”, “buy running shoes online”
Learning & Researching
Users seeking information before making a decision. Great for building topical authority and capturing early-funnel traffic.
“how does CRS scoring work”, “what causes slab leaks”
Location-Specific
Users looking for businesses, services, or information in a specific city or area. Critical for local businesses.
“roofing company conroe tx”, “dentist near me”
Looking for a Brand
Users searching for a specific website or brand. Important for branded keyword protection and reputation management.
“imdadullah seo”, “ahrefs login”
AI & Chatbot Search: Modern keyword research now accounts for long-form conversational queries — the questions people type into ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI overview. These “question keywords” are increasingly important for appearing in AI-generated answers and featured snippets.
The Research Process —
Step by Step
Keyword research without understanding the business first is guesswork. My process starts with your goals, your audience, and your current content — then builds outward from there.
The final deliverable is a structured spreadsheet and strategy document — organised by page, prioritised by opportunity, and ready to hand directly to a content writer or your SEO implementation workflow.
What the Deliverable Includes
Step 01
Understanding Your Business & Audience
Before any tool is opened, I ask about your services, your target customers, the markets you serve, and what you want to achieve. Keyword research built on business understanding produces results — keyword research done without it produces traffic that never converts.
Step 02
Existing Content & Coverage Audit
I review your existing site content — what keywords you already target, what’s missing, what’s cannibalising itself, and what’s ranking that could be improved. This tells me exactly how much work is needed and where to start.
Step 03
Keyword Discovery & Gap Analysis
Using Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz, and Keywords Everywhere — I find the keywords your audience searches for, discover what competitors rank for that you don’t, and identify the highest-opportunity gaps in your current keyword coverage.
Step 04
Clustering & Page Mapping
Every keyword is assigned to a specific page — grouped by topic and intent so each page targets a clear cluster without competing with other pages. No cannibalisation. Every page has a purpose. New pages are identified where gaps exist.
Step 05
Content Strategy Delivery
The final deliverable — a spreadsheet with all keyword data plus a content strategy document that outlines what pages to create, what to optimise, what content to write, and how to structure it all for maximum ranking potential and user value.
Choose Your
Research Package
Three tiers for different site sizes and needs. All packages include intent labelling, keyword clustering per page, and a content strategy alongside the keyword data.
Tier 01
Basic Research
For small sites, bloggers, or local businesses targeting one service or niche with a focused keyword set.
Starting from
$25
Custom quote based on scope
Tier 02
Standard Research
For local businesses, service sites, and niche sites wanting a thorough keyword map with competitor insight and a full content plan.
Starting from
$50
Custom quote based on scope
Tier 03
Advanced Research
For ecommerce stores, large sites, or businesses wanting the complete keyword strategy including AI search and chatbot queries.
Starting from
$100
Custom quote based on scope
Who Needs Keyword
Research & Strategy?
Any website that creates content, wants to rank, or is losing organic traffic to competitors who are targeting the right keywords.
Local Businesses
Understand exactly which “near me” and city-specific keywords your customers use — and which service pages to build to capture that traffic.
Bloggers & Content Sites
Stop guessing what to write. A keyword strategy gives every article a purpose, a target audience, and a real chance of ranking — before a word is written.
Ecommerce Stores
Map high-intent buyer keywords to the right product and category pages — so the people most likely to purchase can actually find your store.
Business & Service Sites
Target the terms your ideal clients search for — not generic industry terms that attract the wrong visitors or no visitors at all.
New Sites Before Launch
Build your site around the right keywords from day one — not after months of writing content that targets the wrong terms or misses the audience entirely.
Sites With Plateaued Traffic
If your organic traffic has stopped growing, a keyword gap analysis often reveals exactly what competitors are ranking for that you’re not covering yet.
Keyword Strategy
In Action
Case Study — Niche Site
CRSCalculate.com — Built Entirely Around a Keyword Map
The entire crscalculate.com site was built on a keyword strategy created before a single page was written. The research identified the full landscape of Canada immigration calculator terms — CRS score, BC PNP, SINP, FSW, Ontario, Manitoba and more — and mapped each to a dedicated page. That keyword map became the site architecture. The result: page-1 rankings in 3 months competing against Canadian government websites, with minimal off-page SEO.
Read the Full Case StudyCase Study — Local SEO
Buckner Blvd Plumbing — Keyword Gaps Became the Rebuild Blueprint
A keyword and competitor gap analysis revealed that Buckner Blvd Plumbing was missing dedicated service pages and location pages for 9 Dallas-area cities. Every gap identified in the keyword research became a page in the rebuilt site. 6,380 impressions in 28 days — before a single backlink was built — was the direct result of targeting the right keywords on the right pages.
Read the Full Case StudyCommon Questions
Answered
Honest answers to the questions clients most often ask about keyword research — including the ones about AI, chatbots, and whether you really need a professional to do this.
Still have a question? Message directly:
You can — but Google Autocomplete shows you what’s popular, not what’s achievable for your site or profitable for your business. Free tools miss competitor gaps, don’t cluster keywords by page, don’t label intent, and don’t give you a strategy. The result is a list of terms, not a plan. A keyword strategy gives you a roadmap that tells you exactly what to create, for whom, and why.
A keyword list is a collection of terms. A keyword strategy tells you which page each term belongs to, why it was chosen, what intent it serves, how hard it is to rank for, and what content to build around it. One is raw data. The other is a plan. I deliver the strategy — not just the list.
Yes — in the Advanced package. AI search tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity increasingly answer long-form, conversational questions. Optimising for these “question keywords” and featured snippets is a core part of modern keyword strategy. The Standard package covers traditional search; the Advanced package adds AI and chatbot query research.
Volume tells you how many people search for a term. Intent tells you why they’re searching. A keyword with 10,000 monthly searches but informational intent (“how to fix a leaky pipe”) will rarely convert into plumbing customers. A keyword with 200 monthly searches but commercial intent (“emergency plumber near me”) can generate real bookings. Intent is more important than volume for most businesses.
Keyword research itself is delivered in 2–7 days depending on the package. Ranking results depend on how quickly you implement the strategy and your site’s current authority. New sites targeting low-competition local keywords can see first-page rankings in weeks — as demonstrated by the Palm Coast and Conroe projects in the case studies. More competitive niches take longer.
Not always — but for existing sites, an audit first helps. Knowing what you already rank for, what’s cannibalising, and what technical issues exist makes the keyword strategy more accurate. For brand new sites, keyword research first makes sense. Not sure which order? Book a free call and I’ll advise based on your situation.
Stop Guessing Keywords —
Start Ranking with a Strategy
Book a free strategy call or message me directly. I’ll look at your site, your audience, and your goals — and recommend the right package to get you targeting the right keywords from day one.