How to Do Keyword Research for Free — Complete Step-by-Step Guide (2026)
You want your website to show up on Google. You have heard that keywords are important. But when you actually sit down to figure out which keywords to target — you have no idea where to start.
Should you target "digital marketing" or "digital marketing agency in Jaipur"? Should you go for keywords with millions of searches or ones with only a few hundred? How do you know if a keyword is too competitive for your website to rank for?
These are the exact questions keyword research answers. And the good news is — you do not need to spend a single rupee on expensive tools to do it properly. Some of the best keyword research tools in the world are completely free.
In this complete step-by-step guide you will learn exactly what keyword research is, why it matters, how to find the right keywords for your website, and how to use them strategically — using only free tools.
What is Keyword Research and Why Does it Matter?
Keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing the exact words and phrases that people type into Google when searching for information, products, or services related to your business.
It matters because every piece of content you publish — every blog post, every service page, every product description — needs to be built around the specific words your audience actually uses when searching. If you write about topics that nobody is searching for, your content will never be found. If you target keywords that are so competitive that established websites dominate them, your content will never rank.
Good keyword research tells you three things for every keyword:
Search volume — how many people search for this keyword every month. A keyword with zero search volume means nobody is looking for it. A keyword with millions of searches means massive competition.
Competition level — how difficult it is to rank for this keyword. Determined by how many other websites are targeting it and how strong those websites are.
Search intent — what the person actually wants when they type this keyword. Someone searching "what is SEO" wants information. Someone searching "hire SEO agency Jaipur" wants to buy a service. Understanding intent determines what type of content you need to create.
The goal of keyword research is to find keywords that have enough search volume to be worth targeting, low enough competition that you can realistically rank for them, and match the intent behind the content you want to create.
Step 1 — Start With Seed Keywords
A seed keyword is a broad, general term that describes your business or content topic. It is the starting point for your research — not the final keyword you will target.
For example:
- A web design agency might start with seed keywords like "web design", "website development", "WordPress website"
- A digital marketing agency might start with "digital marketing", "SEO services", "social media marketing"
- A restaurant might start with "restaurant Jaipur", "food delivery", "dining"
Write down 10–15 seed keywords for your business. These are just the foundation. The real value comes in the next steps when you expand these seeds into specific, targetable keywords.
Step 2 — Use Google's Free Tools
Google Search Autocomplete
This is the most underused free keyword research tool available — and it is built directly into Google.
Go to Google and start typing one of your seed keywords. Before you finish typing, Google will show you a dropdown list of suggested searches. These suggestions are based on what real people are actually searching for right now. Every suggestion is a potential keyword.
For example, typing "digital marketing" might show suggestions like:
- digital marketing course in India
- digital marketing agency for small business
- digital marketing kya hai
- digital marketing salary India 2026
Each of these is a real keyword with real search volume.
After you finish your search, scroll to the very bottom of the results page. You will find a section called "Related searches" — 8 more keyword ideas based on what people search after searching your original term. These are gold.
Also look at the "People also ask" section in the middle of search results. Every question there is a keyword opportunity — and answering these questions in your content is exactly what Google rewards with high rankings.
Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner is Google's official free keyword research tool — built for advertisers but invaluable for SEO. It shows you exact search volumes, competition levels, and related keyword ideas for any keyword you enter.
How to access it:
- Go to ads.google.com
- Create a free Google Ads account (you do not need to run any ads)
- Go to Tools → Keyword Planner
- Click "Discover new keywords"
- Enter your seed keywords and your target location (India or a specific city)
What you will see:
- Average monthly searches for each keyword
- Competition level (Low, Medium, High)
- Related keyword suggestions you had not thought of
Focus on keywords with monthly search volumes between 100 and 10,000 and Low to Medium competition. These are your sweet spot — enough people searching to be worth targeting, low enough competition to actually rank for.
Google Search Console
If your website is already live and you have Google Search Console set up — this is the most valuable free keyword tool available for your specific website.
Go to Search Console → Performance → Search results. Here you can see every keyword your website is already appearing for in Google — even if you are not on page 1. Look for keywords where your average position is between 8 and 20. These are keywords where you are already somewhat relevant — a bit more optimization could push you onto page 1.
This is called low-hanging fruit — keywords where you are close to ranking and just need to optimize your existing content a little more.
Step 3 — Use Free Third-Party Tools
Ubersuggest (Free Version)
Neil Patel's Ubersuggest has a free version that gives you keyword ideas, search volumes, SEO difficulty scores, and content ideas. Enter any keyword and it shows you hundreds of related keywords with data.
The SEO difficulty score (SD) is particularly useful. Keywords with an SD under 40 are generally achievable for websites with moderate authority. Keywords with SD above 60 are highly competitive and difficult to rank for without significant authority.
How to use it: Go to app.neilpatel.com/ubersuggest, enter your seed keyword, and explore the keyword ideas section. Filter by SD under 40 and search volume above 100 to find achievable targets.
Answer The Public
Answer The Public visualizes all the questions people ask around any keyword. It organizes them into who, what, where, when, why, how, and comparison questions — giving you a comprehensive map of everything people want to know about your topic.
Go to answerthepublic.com and enter your seed keyword. You will see a visual map of dozens of question-based keywords. Each question is a potential blog post topic — and question-based content tends to rank extremely well because Google's "People also ask" feature directly rewards it.
Keywords Everywhere (Free Chrome Extension)
Keywords Everywhere is a free Chrome browser extension that shows keyword data directly inside Google search results. When you search anything on Google, it shows the search volume, competition, and related keywords right on the page — without you needing to open a separate tool.
Install it from the Chrome Web Store, search anything on Google, and you will see keyword data appear automatically alongside your search results.
Step 4 — Analyze Search Intent for Every Keyword
Finding keywords with good search volume and low competition is only half the work. Before targeting any keyword, you need to understand search intent — what the person actually wants when they search for it.
There are four types of search intent:
Informational intent — the person wants to learn something. Keywords like "what is SEO", "how does Google Ads work", "why is my website slow." These keywords are best targeted with blog posts and guides.
Navigational intent — the person is looking for a specific website or brand. Keywords like "Verexa Solution website" or "Google Ads login." These are usually branded keywords — not worth targeting unless it is your own brand.
Commercial intent — the person is researching before making a purchase decision. Keywords like "best web design agencies in Jaipur", "WordPress vs Wix comparison", "digital marketing agency reviews." These are best targeted with comparison posts, reviews, and detailed guides.
Transactional intent — the person is ready to buy or hire right now. Keywords like "hire web designer Jaipur", "buy WordPress theme India", "digital marketing agency contact." These are best targeted with service pages and landing pages with clear calls to action.
How to identify intent for any keyword: Simply search it on Google and look at what types of pages are already ranking on page 1. If page 1 is full of blog posts — Google wants informational content. If page 1 is full of service pages and landing pages — Google wants transactional content. Always match your content type to what is already ranking.
Step 5 — Build a Keyword List and Prioritize
By now you should have a long list of potential keywords from your research. The next step is to organize and prioritize them.
Create a simple spreadsheet with these columns:
- Keyword
- Monthly search volume
- Competition level
- Search intent
- Content type needed (blog post, service page, landing page)
- Priority (high, medium, low)
Assign priority based on these criteria:
High priority — keywords with clear commercial or transactional intent that directly relate to your services, with moderate search volume and low to medium competition. These bring you the most relevant traffic that converts into customers.
Medium priority — informational keywords with good search volume that allow you to demonstrate expertise and build authority. These bring traffic and trust but may convert less directly.
Low priority — keywords with very low search volume or very high competition. Either not worth targeting yet or worth revisiting once your website authority grows.
Step 6 — Map Keywords to Your Website Pages
Every page on your website should target one primary keyword and two to three secondary keywords. This is called keyword mapping and it prevents keyword cannibalization — where multiple pages on your website compete with each other for the same keyword.
A simple keyword map for a digital marketing agency website might look like:
Homepage → "digital marketing agency Jaipur" Services page → "digital marketing services India" SEO service page → "SEO services Jaipur" Web design service page → "web design agency Jaipur" Blog post 1 → "how much does a website cost in India" Blog post 2 → "what is SEO for beginners" Blog post 3 → "how to set up Google My Business"
Each page targets a different keyword. No two pages compete with each other. Every keyword has a home on your website.
Step 7 — Use Your Keywords Correctly in Your Content
Finding keywords is step one. Using them correctly in your content is step two. Here is how to do it:
Include your primary keyword in your page title — ideally near the beginning. "How to Do Keyword Research for Free — Complete Guide" works better than "Complete Guide to Doing Keyword Research for Free."
Include it in your first paragraph — Google reads the beginning of your content carefully. Mention your primary keyword naturally within the first 100 words.
Use it in your headings — include your keyword and related keywords naturally in your H2 and H3 headings throughout the content.
Use it in your meta description — write a compelling 155-character description that includes your keyword and encourages people to click.
Use it naturally throughout the content — aim for your primary keyword to appear roughly once every 200–300 words. Do not stuff it — write naturally and let it appear where it makes sense.
Include related keywords — Google understands synonyms and related terms. Using variations like "keyword analysis," "search term research," and "finding keywords" throughout a post about keyword research tells Google your content is comprehensive.
Common Keyword Research Mistakes to Avoid
Targeting only high-volume keywords: A keyword with 100,000 monthly searches that you have zero chance of ranking for is worthless. A keyword with 500 monthly searches that you rank number 1 for brings you real traffic every month.
Ignoring long-tail keywords: Long-tail keywords — phrases of 4 or more words — typically have lower search volume but much higher conversion rates because they are more specific. "affordable web design agency for small business in Jaipur" has far less competition than "web design" and the person searching it is far more ready to hire someone.
Not updating keyword research regularly: Search trends change. New keywords emerge. Old keywords decline. Review and update your keyword strategy every 3–6 months.
Targeting keywords with no commercial relevance: Getting traffic from keywords that have nothing to do with your business does not help you. A web design agency ranking for "funny cat videos" gets traffic but no clients. Every keyword you target should be relevant to what your business offers.
Forgetting about your existing content: Before creating new content for a keyword — check if you already have a page or post that could be optimized for it. Often improving existing content ranks faster than creating something new.
Real Example — How Keyword Research Transformed a Blog
A digital marketing consultant in Pune had been blogging for 8 months with almost no traffic. She was writing about topics she found interesting — but not topics people were actually searching for.
She spent one afternoon doing proper keyword research using Google Keyword Planner and Ubersuggest. She discovered that "digital marketing salary in India" had 40,000 monthly searches and medium competition — something she had never thought to write about. "How to start freelancing in digital marketing India" had 8,000 monthly searches and low competition. "Best digital marketing courses in India free" had 22,000 monthly searches and medium competition.
She wrote detailed, helpful posts targeting each of these keywords. Within 3 months all three posts were ranking on page 1. Her monthly blog traffic went from 200 visitors to 8,400 visitors. She started getting 15–20 consulting inquiry emails per month directly from her blog.
The content was not dramatically better than what she had written before. The difference was that it was built around keywords people were actually searching for.
Your Keyword Research Action Plan
This week — spend 2 hours doing keyword research for your business:
Day 1: Write down 15 seed keywords for your business. Use Google Autocomplete and Related Searches to expand each one into 5–10 specific keyword ideas. You should have 75–150 keyword ideas.
Day 2: Run your best keyword ideas through Google Keyword Planner. Note search volumes and competition levels. Eliminate keywords with zero search volume or extremely high competition.
Day 3: Identify the search intent for your top 20 remaining keywords. Classify each as informational, commercial, or transactional.
Day 4: Build your keyword map — assign one primary keyword to your homepage, each service page, and plan your next 10 blog posts around your best informational keywords.
Day 5: Write and publish your first piece of content targeting your highest priority keyword.
Want a Professional Keyword Strategy for Your Business?
At Verexa Solution, we provide complete keyword research and SEO strategy services — identifying the exact keywords your target customers are searching for, mapping them to your website pages, and building a content plan that brings consistent organic traffic month after month.
📞 Contact us for a free SEO consultation 🌐 [https://verexasolutions.blogspot.com/] 📱 WhatsApp: +91 9252827334 📧 verexasolutions@gmail.com
Written by Verexa Solution — IT Agency based in Tonk, Rajasthan, helping businesses grow online through web development, SEO, and digital marketing.
