Keyword research can seem a little overwhelming at first, but with the right approach and tools, it’s actually quite straightforward. In this blueprint, I’ll walk you through a simple, highly-effective process using Mangools – one of the most beginner-friendly and cheap SEO tools out there (at least in my opinion). By the end, you’ll have a clear plan for finding the best keywords to optimize your blog posts or website in general and drive more organic traffic.
Let’s jump into it!
How to do keyword research for blogging?
Alright. Here is the step by step guide on how to do keyword research for blogging.
Step 1: Understand Why Keyword Research is Important
Before we dive into the technical steps, it’s crucial to understand why keyword research matters. The right keywords can make or break your blog’s visibility on search engines like Google.
Here’s why keyword research is important:
- Target the Right Audience: It helps you understand what your audience is searching for.
- Drive Organic Traffic: Properly optimized keywords increase your chances of ranking higher in search engine results.
- Content Planning: It gives you ideas for future blog posts that are relevant to what people are already searching for.
Summary: Without keyword research, even the best content may never be found. The goal here is to discover the keywords that are easy to rank for but still have enough search volume to bring meaningful traffic.
Step 2: Set Up Mangools and Explore the Dashboard
1. Sign Up for Mangools
If you’re new to Mangools, head to their website (here you go!) and sign up for an account. Once you’ve logged in, you’ll be greeted by the Mangools dashboard, which gives you access to several tools:
- KWFinder – for keyword research
- SERPChecker – to analyze search engine results pages
- SERPWatcher – for tracking keyword rankings
- LinkMiner – for backlink analysis
- SiteProfiler – for website SEO analysis
For now, we’ll focus on the KWFinder, as it’s the primary tool for finding the best keywords for your blog.
2. Open KWFinder
From the Mangools dashboard (or from the main navigation tab “SEO tools”), click on KWFinder. This is the tool that will help you generate and analyze keywords based on the topic you’re writing about.
Step 3: Generate a List of Keyword Ideas
1. Enter a Seed Keyword
A seed keyword is the basic term that relates to your blog’s topic. Let’s say you’re writing a blog post about „vegan recipes.“ Simply type “vegan recipes” into the KWFinder search bar and hit “Find keywords” or enter.
2. Analyze the Results
KWFinder will generate a list of related keywords. Alongside each keyword, you’ll see important metrics, including:
- Search Volume: This shows how many people are searching for that keyword each month. Higher search volume means more potential traffic.
- Keyword Difficulty (KD): This indicates how hard it is to rank on the first page of Google for that keyword. The lower the number, the easier it is to rank.
- Trend: A graph showing whether the search volume for that keyword is rising or falling over time.
3. Explore Related Keywords
KWFinder will also provide suggestions for related keywords. These are variations or closely related terms that people are also searching for. Click on the “Autocomplete” tab for this. This is super helpful if you want to target more specific terms, known as long-tail keywords (e.g., “easy vegan recipes for beginners” or “vegan recipes beans”).
Step 4: Evaluate Keywords – How to Pick the Best Ones
Once you’ve got a list of potential keywords, it’s time to narrow them down. Here’s how to choose the best ones:
1. Look at Search Volume
Keywords with a monthly search volume between 1,000-10,000 are ideal for most blogs. They strike a balance between being popular enough to bring traffic but not so competitive that you can’t rank for them.
2. Check Keyword Difficulty (KD)
Ideally, you want to target keywords with a KD below 30 (the lower, the better). These are more attainable and won’t require a ton of authority or backlinks to rank well for. KWFinder color-codes this for you: green means easy, yellow means medium, and red means difficult.
3. Use Long-Tail Keywords
If you’re just starting out or want to target a more niche audience, long-tail keywords are a great way to go. These are longer, more specific phrases (like „best vegan breakfast recipes“ or “vegan recipes beans”). They tend to have lower search volumes but much less competition, making them easier to rank for.
4. Consider the Trend
Look at the trend graph next to each keyword. If a keyword’s popularity is increasing, it’s a good one to target. Avoid keywords with a consistently declining trend – these might not drive traffic in the future.
+60% increase? Sounds like a topic we should keep in mind!
Step 5: Analyze the Competition with SERPChecker
Now that you’ve got a few potential keywords in mind, it’s time to see who your competition is.
1. Open SERPChecker
Enter your main keyword into SERPChecker (which you can find back in the Mangools dashboard or from the main navigation tab “SEO tools”).
This tool will show you the current Google search results for that keyword, along with detailed metrics for each ranking page.
Just put one of your keywords there and click “Analyze SERP” (SERP = Search Engine Result Page) or enter.
2. Evaluate Competitors
Here’s what to look for:
- Link Profile Strength (LPS): A metric to show how strong the page’s receiving links are.
- Domain Authority (DA): A metric that shows how strong a website is in terms of SEO. The higher the DA, the harder it is to outrank that site. Look for competitors with a DA similar to yours.
- Page Authority (PA): This shows how authoritative the specific page ranking for that keyword is.
- Links: A site with more backlinks is typically harder to beat in the rankings, but if they have very few, that’s a good opportunity for you.
Tactical Tip: Look for opportunities to rank on pages 4-10 of the results. These sites are on the first page but might not have unbeatable authority, so you have a chance to outperform them.
Here we have two URLs with a green Link Profile Strength (LPS). Or in other words: We can also rank here!
Step 6: Organize Your Keywords into a Content Strategy
Once you’ve selected your primary keywords, it’s time to build them into a content strategy.
1. Group Keywords by Topic
You’ll likely end up with several keywords that are related to a specific theme. For example, under the topic “vegan recipes,” you might find:
- Easy vegan recipes
- Quick vegan meals
- Vegan recipes for beginners
- Vegan recipes beans
These are all closely related, and you can write multiple blog posts around them, building authority in this niche. This is the start of your topical map.
2. Create a Content Plan
Here’s an example of how you can organize your keywords into a content plan:
- Main Topic: Vegan Recipes
- Subtopic 1: Easy Vegan Recipes
- Article: “10 Easy Vegan Recipes for Beginners”
- Article: “5 Quick Vegan Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes”
- Subtopic 2: Vegan Meal Prep
- Article: “How to Meal Prep Vegan Dinners for a Week”
- Subtopic 3: Vegan Ingredients
- Article: “10 Must-Have Ingredients for Vegan Cooking”
- Subtopic 1: Easy Vegan Recipes
With this approach, you’re not just targeting a single keyword but creating a cluster of content around a broader topic (in our example “Vegan Recipes”), which helps you rank better across multiple related searches.
Step 7: Track Your Progress with SERPWatcher
After publishing your blog posts, you’ll want to keep an eye on how they’re performing in search results. This is where SERPWatcher comes in (which you can find back in the Mangools dashboard or from the main navigation tab “SEO tools”).
1. Set Up Keyword Tracking
Input your keywords into SERPWatcher, and Mangools will track your rankings over time. This tool provides insights into:
- Position Changes: Are your keywords moving up or down the rankings?
- Estimated Traffic: How much traffic each keyword is driving to your site.
- Performance Index: This is a metric that combines ranking positions and search volume to give you a score of how well you’re doing overall.
2. Adjust and Optimize
If you notice certain keywords performing better than expected, consider updating your content to further optimize for those terms. Alternatively, if your rankings are slipping, it may be time to build more backlinks or improve your content quality.
Step 8: Additional Pro Tips for Successful Keyword Research
1. Don’t Ignore User Intent
Think about the search intent behind each keyword. Are users looking for information (informational intent), or are they ready to buy something (transactional intent)? Align your blog content with the intent of the searcher.
For blogs, you usually want to serve the informational intent, for online stores usually the transactional intent. Bonus tip: To find out which keyword serves which intent, simply enter the keyword into Google and see what is already ranking there: blogs or stores?
2. Optimize for Featured Snippets
Featured snippets are short answers that appear at the top of Google’s search results. Targeting “how-to” queries or question-based keywords can give you a shot at earning this coveted position.
3. Leverage Keyword Variations
Instead of stuffing your blog post with one keyword, sprinkle in variations throughout your content. For example, if your keyword is “easy vegan recipes,” include terms like “quick vegan meals” or “vegan recipes for beginners.”
In addition to the tool, always rely on your gut feeling and your own experience. If in doubt, this will also set you apart from the competition. Now have fun and good luck with your keyword research!