You could follow the crowd and end up with way too much competition…or….you could check out these clever keyword research strategies that are easy to do and CRUCIAL if you want to find low-competition treasures. So let’s look at how to find popular keywords that are easy to rank’…
1. How do I Find Popular Keywords?
These are the keywords that people are searching for NOW. You can find these in Google’s ‘People Also Ask’ and ‘Related Searches’ when you search When you type a keyword into Google, the search engine will often display a list of ‘related questions’ that people have asked. These questions can be a great source of keyword ideas, as they represent what people are currently searching for online.
For example, you have a fitness blog, so you search for an exercise bike on Google with the words: ”Recumbent Exercise Bike”.
High-authority and high-competition websites pop up in the search that target these keywords.
As shown in the image below Walmart wins first place on Google search. But if you look at the words below the image these are the questions people are asking and you can research these further and delve deeper into the popular queries.
How about: What are the disadvantages of a recumbent exercise bike for beginners or What are the disadvantages of a recumbent exercise bike for seniors?
2. What are the Seed Keywords for your Blog?
Before we delve into the ‘how do I find popular keywords’ let’s look at the foundations of your keyword research first.
Seed keywords are the main ingredients for your Search Engine Optimization recipe. They’re the 1 or 2-word phrases that describe your content’s topic and act as the starting point to generate more specific, related keywords.
My main seed word for this blog is Niche Blogging. But other ones are affiliate marketing, keyword research, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and content creation.
You use these short-tail keywords to research and find low-competition long-tail keywords.
So, what are your seed keywords? These act as the foundation of your keyword research so you’ll find popular keywords that are easier to rank for.
3. Example of a Seed Keyword
On the Knocked-Up Fitness Blog for Pregnant Women, Fitness is a seed keyword.
They dive deeper into the issues women have with maintaining their health and fitness.
Not once do you see the word ‘fitness’. Rather you see precise advice. Here are some of their long-tail keyword Blog Posts:
- Pregnant? Try These 3 Pregnancy Safe Exercises for All Trimesters
- Getting Pregnant & Improving Fertility Part 2: Foods for Fertility
- Safe Exercises for Your Third Trimester
On their site, you see they discuss more specific issues under the fitness seed word: fertility, nutrition, safe exercises, personal trainers, and post-pregnancy.
- Caribbean Islands for Digital Nomads
- The Rise of the Experienced Marketer
- How to Add Value to a Blog Post – 10 Powerful Strategies
4. How to Find Popular Long-Tail Keywords
These are phrases with 4+ words and are low competition. The recumbent bike example above is 11 words long!
These are the queries and searches your audience is looking for TODAY.
They usually have lower search volumes but as you build out your content you’ll attract more people to your niche blog. Why? Because you’re answering their very specific questions.
Long-tail keywords are goldmines of highly specific search queries
- they help you connect with a highly targeted audience interested in exactly what you offer
- they make it easier to rank higher in search results
- they bring in more targeted traffic
- they offer more affordable pay-per-click advertising opportunities
I take my short-tail (1-2 word) seed keywords and do my research to find long-tail keywords.
Alphabet Soup Method
This method has been around a long time but it’s stood the test of time.
To find popular long-tail keywords, enter your keywords into the search engine then add the letter ‘a’ after and see what autofill pops up, then ‘b’, ‘c’, and on through the alphabet. You can also add these letters in the middle of your keywords to see what appears.
For example, for a blog about hiking
- I added Great Hiking Trails b
- Banff, Big Sur, Big Bear, by Las Vegas appeared
- You can then research these further
If you want to save time Jaaxy has an Alphabet Soup feature. You enter your seed keyword and it will generate a list of hundreds of long-tail keywords using the alphabet and numbers.
Ask the Questions
Another way to find long-tail keywords is to think of the questions: why, what, where, when, how, who, which.
When I add ‘Which hiking boots’ to Google, Autofill adds
- are really waterproof
- last the longest
- are best
- are best for wide feet
- are most waterproof
- to buy
Lots of ideas for your blog posts there! So, let’s look at more ways to find popular keywords…
5. How to Find Good Keywords?
Any word or phrase is a potential keyword. But are people searching for that keyword?
Here are some strategies to see what people are looking for, discussing, and need help with in your chosen niche.
a. Search Social Media and Forums
Look at forums and social media for the more specific questions people are asking within your niche.
Places to search include Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Quora, Reddit, YouTube, and TikTok.
For example, on Quora, I’ve asked ‘What are Keywords?’ I can see other longer-tail questions including ‘What are keywords and why are they important for SEO?’
On Jaaxy I see this great result with high search 1144 and low competition 28.
seo keyword ranking tool | 1144 | 195 | 28 | Great | 94 | Search |
So I can write a post ‘What are keywords and why are they important for SEO?’ and link to the post ‘SEO Keyword Ranking Tool’. The opportunities are endless!
b. Search the Competition
This is called Competitive Analysis. See what keywords the competition is ranking for and add more words to narrow the search and reduce the competition. You can use keyword tools, Google Autofill, and research the forums.
For example, ‘best paint for bathroom’ can be extended to
- best paint for bathroom ceilings
- best paint for bathroom cabinets without sanding
- best paint for bathroom tiles
c. When It’s Time to Move On!
When you do a search engine search for your keywords, if you see a lot of high-authority sites pop up, then move on and keep researching. These results are TOO competitive.
d. Search the Results
To find keywords that have low competition you want to see forums and social media pop up on the search engine results page. This means you have LESS competition.
For example, if you see Quora or Pinterest in the page 1 results, then you’ve got a good chance of ranking for these keywords.
e. Mine Your Own Content
This is an idea from Kyle at Wealthy Affiliate that he calls ‘site elaboration’. What you do is look through your published content and find new ideas for posts that you can write.
You can then take these ideas and do some keyword research. Remember though to give value to your audience. Ask yourself how can it help them.
For example, looking back at this post I could write new posts on Content Creation or Search Engine Optimization, once I’ve found the long-tail keywords people need help with.
6. Recommended Keyword Research Tools
Although we’ve seen how helpful Google is to our keyword search there’s still a place for keyword research tools.
These are software programs that help you to find and analyze seed keywords for more ideas and more specific niche keywords.
Popular keyword research tools I use include
- Jaaxy
- The Hoth Keyword Tool (free)
- Answer the Public (free but with limits)
- Google Keyword Planner
- Google Trends (free)
- Small SEO Tools (free)
- Answer Socrates (free)
They’re great for research and generating ideas. To use a keyword research tool, enter a seed keyword or phrase.
The tool will then generate a list of related keywords, along with data such as search volume, competition, and CPC (cost per click – for paid advertising).
Try the Jaaxy Research Tool
Summing Up the Strategies to Find Popular Keywords
- Use Google Autofill to find questions people are asking.
- Add your keyword to Google’s ‘People Also Ask’ and ‘Related Searches’.
- Refine your seed keyword to more targeted, specific long-tail keywords.
- Use the Alphabet Soup Technique
- Use Keyword Research Tools for ideas and to refine your search.
- See what people are discussing and asking for help on social media and forums.
- Check the competition and refine their keywords to find more long-tail, less competitive keywords.
- Find more post ideas and keywords from your own content.
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, I hope this gives you new approaches and tools to power up your keyword research efforts! These strategies can give you a treasure trove of popular keywords and content opportunities.
Let me know if you need more help and advice, I’m happy to help! Alisa 🙂
Image by WOKANDAPIX from Pixabay
