Keyword research basics for SMEs

Keyword research is the systematic search for the terms your target audience actually uses, and mapping those terms to the right pages on your website. Without expensive tools, Google Suggest, your own Search Console data and a look at competitors get you surprisingly far.

Understanding search intent

Not every search means the same thing. Behind "what is SEO" sits the wish for an explanation, behind "SEO agency Zurich" the intent to find a provider, and behind "SEO consulting cost" a comparison before a decision. Four basic types are usually distinguished: informational (clarifying a question), navigational (finding a specific page or brand), commercial (comparing options) and transactional (completing an action such as a purchase or an enquiry). A page aimed at the wrong intent, such as a sales page for a purely informational question, rarely ranks well, no matter how well it is written otherwise.

Finding keywords without buying expensive tools

Three sources give you enough material to start.

Google Suggest and "People also ask": Type a core term into Google search and note the automatic suggestions as well as the questions in the "People also ask" box. Both show how real users phrase things, not how a company talks internally about its offer.

Your own Search Console: Under "Performance" you see which terms your website already collects impressions for, often phrasings you would never have thought of yourself. A term with many impressions but a poor position is an opportunity: your page is already being found, just not served well enough.

Competitor pages: Look at which topics and questions competitors cover on their pages, especially in headings and FAQ sections. This does not replace your own research, but it quickly shows which questions count as relevant in your industry. An existing SEO audit often already points to topics that are missing or poorly served.

Prioritising: intent and difficulty

Not every term you find deserves its own page. A sensible way to prioritise is to ask two questions: does the intent behind the term match what you offer, and how strong is the existing competition for it? A term with high relevance and few serious competitors is the best starting point. A fiercely contested term that established players have fought over for years is usually only worth it once your own website has built up some authority.

Mapping keywords to the right pages

Every page should serve one search intent clearly. Two pages aimed at the same intent, say a service page and an article both targeting "SEO consulting cost", compete with each other instead of complementing one another. So decide before writing which page answers which question: a commercial service page for people comparing options and ready to enquire, an informational article for people who want to understand first. What that distinction can look like in practice is shown by comparing SEO consulting in Zurich with the article What does SEO consulting cost?: same topic, different intent.

If a website wants to be found locally, another layer comes into play, described in the article on local SEO. And if you want to systematically close the gaps you find, the framework for that is in the article What does an SEO consultant do?