How to Carry Out Keyword Research: The Complete Agency Guide

Keyword research forms the foundation of every successful digital marketing strategy. For businesses across Northern Ireland, Ireland, and the UK, understanding what potential customers search for is crucial in determining whether your website attracts qualified traffic or remains invisible in search results.

At ProfileTree, we’ve seen how strategic keyword research transforms business outcomes. Companies that invest time in understanding search behaviour don’t just rank higher—they attract visitors who convert into customers. Whether you’re running an eCommerce site, providing professional services, or building brand awareness, the keywords you target directly impact your return on investment.

The difference between effective keyword research and guesswork is the difference between spending £5,000 on content that generates qualified leads and paying the same amount on pages nobody finds. Search engines have become more sophisticated, but they still rely on understanding what your content offers and matching it to what people seek. Your job is to bridge that gap.

What Keywords Actually Mean for Your Business

Before diving into research methods, it’s worth understanding what we mean by keywords and why they matter beyond simple search engine rankings.

Defining Keywords in Modern SEO

A keyword represents the specific words or phrases someone types into Google, Bing, or other search engines when looking for information, products, or services. For your business, keywords act as signposts that guide potential customers to your website.

Think about your own behaviour online. When you need a web designer in Belfast, you might search “web design Belfast” or “website developers Northern Ireland.” These search terms reflect intent—what you want to accomplish and how urgently you need it.

Keywords fall into several categories based on length and specificity:

Short-tail keywords contain one or two words like “SEO” or “web design.” These attract high search volumes but face intense competition and often lack specific intent.

Long-tail keywords consist of three or more words, such as “SEO services for small businesses Belfast” or “WordPress web design Northern Ireland.” These phrases attract fewer searches but deliver more qualified traffic from individuals closer to making a decision.

Branded keywords include your company name or variations. Someone searching “ProfileTree digital marketing” already knows about your business.

Commercial intent keywords signal readiness to purchase or engage services, including terms like “hire,” “buy,” “price,” or “best.”

Why Keyword Research Drives Business Results

Proper keyword research delivers three critical benefits for your business:

Traffic Generation: By identifying what your target audience searches for, you create content that appears when they need it. This brings qualified visitors to your site without paying for advertising.

Competitive Advantage: Understanding keyword difficulty and search volume enables you to identify opportunities that your competitors may overlook. Rather than competing for oversaturated terms, you can target valuable phrases where you have a realistic chance of ranking.

Content Direction: Keywords inform your content strategy, helping you create material that answers fundamental questions and solves genuine problems your customers face.

“Too many businesses guess at what their customers want,” says Ciaran Connolly, Director at ProfileTree. “Keyword research removes the guesswork. It tells you exactly what problems people are trying to solve and gives you a roadmap for creating content that genuinely helps them.”

For a Belfast-based accounting firm, ranking for “tax planning Northern Ireland” might bring more valuable traffic than ranking for generic “accountant” terms. For a web design agency, targeting “WordPress website development for retailers” attracts better clients than chasing “cheap websites.

The keywords you choose shape your entire digital presence—from blog content to service pages, from meta descriptions to heading structures.

Eight Strategic Methods for Effective Keyword Research

Professional keyword research combines multiple approaches to build a complete picture of search opportunities. Each method reveals different insights about what your audience wants and how you can reach them.

Understanding Your Target Audience and Market Position

Effective keyword research starts with understanding who you’re trying to reach and what they actually need. This goes beyond demographic data to explore the problems, questions, and goals that drive search behaviour.

Analyse Your Existing Customer Base

Your current customers provide the most unambiguous indication of who you should target. Speak with them about how they found you, what they were looking for, and what language they use to describe your services.

When we work with clients on SEO strategy, we often discover they use entirely different terminology than their customers. A business might call itself “digital transformation consultants” while customers search for “help implementing AI in a small business.”

Document the specific phrases your customers use. How do they describe their pain points? What questions do they ask before making a purchase? These insights often reveal keyword opportunities that tools miss.

Study Your Competitors’ Keyword Strategies

Competitor analysis shows what’s working in your market. Visit the websites of businesses targeting the same audience. Look at their page titles, headings, and the terms they emphasise in their content.

Tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs allow you to see which keywords drive traffic to competitor sites. This reveals gaps in your own strategy and highlights terms worth pursuing.

Please pay particular attention to their blog content and service pages. What topics do they cover repeatedly? Which pages attract the most engagement? This indicates subjects that resonate with your shared audience.

However, don’t simply copy competitors. Look for the questions they’re not answering and the audiences they’re not serving. These represent your opportunities to differentiate.

Research Industry Forums and Communities

Online communities show the real language people use when discussing your industry. Subreddits, LinkedIn groups, industry forums, and Facebook communities all contain valuable insights into keywords.

Look for recurring questions, common complaints, and frequently discussed topics. The phrases people use in casual conversation often differ from formal industry terminology—and these casual phrases are usually what they search for.

For a video production company, you might discover that people ask, “How much does a company video cost?” rather than searching for “corporate videography pricing.

Developing Your Seed Keyword Foundation

Seed keywords form the starting point for broader research. These core terms directly relate to your business and generate related keyword ideas through research tools.

Create Your Initial Keyword List

Begin by listing 10-15 terms that describe what you offer. Think about:

• Your services (web design, SEO, video production, AI implementation)
• Your products
• Problems you solve
• Your location (Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK)
• Industry terminology
• Alternative names for what you do

For ProfileTree, seed keywords might include: digital marketing in Belfast, web design in Northern Ireland, SEO services, AI training, WordPress development, video production in Belfast, and content marketing.

Build Topic Clusters Around Core Themes

Group your seed keywords into broader topic clusters. Each cluster represents a central area of your business that deserves comprehensive content coverage.

For a digital agency, clusters might include:

Web Design & Development: website design, WordPress development, eCommerce sites, website maintenance, mobile-responsive design

SEO Services:local SEO, technical SEO, keyword research, link building, SEO audits

Content Marketing: blog writing, video production, social media content, content strategy

AI Solutions:AI training, AI implementation for SMEs, marketing automation, AI tools

Each cluster will generate dozens of related keywords as you expand your research. This structure also improves your site architecture, as you can create pillar content for each cluster supported by detailed blog posts.

Utilising Professional Keyword Research Tools

While understanding your audience provides direction, keyword research tools supply the data you need to make informed decisions. Several platforms offer distinct strengths, catering to different needs.

Google Keyword Planner

Google’s free tool provides search volume data directly from the source. It’s beneficial for understanding seasonal trends and getting accurate UK-specific search volumes.

Access Keyword Planner through a Google Ads account. Enter your seed keywords, and the tool returns related terms along with their monthly search volumes, competition levels, and suggested bid prices for paid advertising.

The competition metric in Keyword Planner refers to paid search competition, not organic SEO difficulty. High competition means that many advertisers bid on the term, which often indicates a high commercial value.

SEMrush and Ahrefs

These comprehensive platforms offer keyword research alongside competitor analysis, backlink data, and site auditing tools. Both provide keyword difficulty scores that estimate the difficulty of ranking for specific terms.

When analysing keywords with these tools, look beyond search volume. Examine:

• Keyword difficulty (aim for terms you can realistically rank for, given your domain authority)
• Cost-per-click data (indicates commercial value)
• SERP features (featured snippets, local packs, knowledge panels that might steal clicks)
• Related keywords and questions people also ask

SEMrush’s Keyword Magic Tool helps you expand from seed keywords to find variations, questions, and related terms. Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer provides similar functionality with detailed click data showing what percentage of searches result in clicks to websites.

Answerthepublic and QuestionDB

These tools specifically focus on question-based keywords. Enter a topic, and they generate lists of common questions people ask.

This proves invaluable for content planning. If you discover people frequently ask “how long does SEO take to work” or “what’s included in a website design package,” you know these topics deserve detailed blog posts.

Question-based content often ranks for featured snippets—those answer boxes that appear at the top of search results. Targeting these queries can help you capture valuable SERP real estate even if you don’t rank number one for all terms.

Ubersuggest and Keyword Surfer

Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest offers a budget-friendly alternative with solid keyword data. Keyword Surfer is a free Chrome extension that shows search volumes and related keywords directly in Google search results as you browse.

These tools are well-suited for quick research and validation, offering a cost-effective alternative to enterprise platforms.

Analysing Search Intent Behind Keywords

Understanding what people actually want when they search is more important than knowing how often they search. Google’s algorithm has become sophisticated at matching content to intent, so your content must align with what users expect to find.

Search intent falls into four main categories:

Informational Intent: The person wants to learn something or answer a question. Searches like “what is keyword research” or “how does SEO work” indicate informational intent.

Navigational Intent: The user wants to find a specific website or page. Branded searches, such as “ProfileTree blog” or “Facebook login,” indicate navigational intent.

Commercial Investigation: The person is researching options before making a decision. Searches including “best,” “top,” “review,” or “vs” indicate this intent—for example, “best web design agencies Belfast” or “WordPress vs Wix.”

Transactional Intent: The user is ready to take action—buy, hire, or contact. Terms including “hire,” “price,” “quote,” “buy,” or service names with location indicate transactional intent: “hire SEO consultant Belfast” or “video production services.”

To identify intent, search the keyword yourself and examine the results. If the top 10 results are all informational blog posts, Google has determined that users want information, not service pages. If the results show company websites and service pages, the intent is transactional.

Match your content type to the intent. Don’t create a service page targeting an informational keyword—it won’t rank. Similarly, avoid writing a blog post targeting a keyword that prompts people to hire someone immediately.

For a web design agency, “how to choose a website designer” is an informational topic (write a guide). In contrast, “website design Belfast price” is a transactional topic (create a service page with clear pricing information and contact forms).

Discovering Long-Tail Keyword Opportunities

Long-tail keywords—specific, longer phrases with lower search volumes—often provide the best opportunities for businesses. While they attract fewer searches individually, they face less competition and indicate more apparent intent.

Why Long-Tail Keywords Matter

A business targeting “web design” faces established agencies, freelancers, and major platforms competing for attention. The keyword difficulty makes ranking nearly impossible without significant authority and budget.

However, “WordPress website design for Northern Ireland restaurants” targets a specific niche with manageable competition. Someone searching this phrase knows precisely what they want and is likely ready to engage a specialist.

Long-tail keywords typically convert more effectively because they match specific user needs. Generic searchers are often just browsing, while specific searchers are actively solving problems.

Finding Long-Tail Opportunities

Use Google’s autocomplete feature by typing your seed keyword and letting Google suggest completions. These suggestions come from real searches, making them valuable long-tail ideas.

Check “People Also Ask” boxes in search results for related questions that expand on your topic. Each question represents a potential long-tail keyword.

Google’s “related searches” at the bottom of results pages show terms similar to what you searched. These often include longer, more specific variations.

Keyword research tools generate long-tail variations automatically. Look for terms with three or more words that specify aspects such as location, use case, problem, or desired outcome.

Identifying Keyword Difficulty and Competition

Not all keywords are equally achievable. Understanding difficulty helps you prioritise efforts in terms you can actually rank for, given your current domain authority.

Assessing Keyword Difficulty

Keyword difficulty scores (0-100) estimate how hard it would be to rank on the first page for a term. Most tools calculate this based on the authority of currently ranking pages.

As a general guide:

• 0-30: Low difficulty, achievable for newer sites
• 31-50: Medium difficulty, requires decent content and some authority
• 51-70: High difficulty, needs strong domain authority and excellent content
• 71-100: Very high difficulty, typically dominated by major brands

However, don’t dismiss high-difficulty keywords entirely. If they’re central to your business, create exceptional content anyway. Building comprehensive resources on essential topics helps establish topical authority even if they don’t rank immediately.

Analyse the SERP Manually

Difficulty scores provide guidance, but manual analysis reveals a more comprehensive picture. Search for the keyword and examine who ranks:

• Are they large brands with massive domain authority?
• Are they directly relevant to the search, or could you create more focused content?
• What type of content ranks (blog posts, service pages, videos)?
• How comprehensive is the existing content?
• Are there opportunities to create more comprehensive and detailed resources?

Look at the domain authority of ranking sites using tools like Moz or Ahrefs. If all ranking pages come from domains with authority scores above 70 and yours is 30, you face an uphill battle.

Leveraging Local SEO Keywords for UK Markets

For businesses serving specific geographic areas, local keywords provide targeted traffic from people in your service area. This is particularly valuable for agencies, retailers, and service providers operating in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and across the UK.

Incorporating Location into Keywords

Add geographic modifiers to your core service terms:

• Service + location: “web design Belfast,” “SEO consultant Northern Ireland”
• Location + service: “Belfast digital marketing agency,” “Northern Ireland video production”
• “Near me” variations: While you can’t directly target “near me,” optimising for local terms helps you appear in these results

Don’t limit yourself to city names. Include neighbourhoods, regions, and nearby areas that your customers might search:

• “Web design County Antrim”
• “Digital marketing agency Ulster”
• “SEO services near Belfast”

Optimising for Local Intent

Create location-specific content that addresses local concerns, regulations, and examples. A blog post about “SEO for Northern Ireland retailers” resonates more strongly than generic SEO advice because it acknowledges the specific context in which your audience operates.

Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile. This free tool helps you appear in local search results and Google Maps. Use local keywords in your business description and ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) is consistent across all online listings.

Encourage customers to leave reviews that mention your location and services. Reviews like “ProfileTree provided excellent web design services for our Belfast restaurant” reinforce local relevance.

Understanding Semantic Keywords and Topic Authority

Modern SEO extends beyond individual keywords to topic clusters and semantic relationships. Google’s algorithm understands concepts, entities, and how ideas relate to each other.

Building Topic Authority

Rather than creating isolated pages for individual keywords, develop comprehensive coverage of topics through interconnected content. This signals expertise and helps you rank for multiple related terms.

For example, a comprehensive approach to SEO content might include:

• A pillar page covering “SEO Services for UK Businesses” (broad overview)
• Supporting content on technical SEO, local SEO, keyword research, link building, and content optimisation
• Case studies showing SEO results for specific industries
• FAQs addressing common SEO questions
• Regular blog posts covering SEO news and updates

Link these pages together logically. The pillar page links to all supporting content, and supporting pages link back to the pillar and to each other where relevant.

Using LSI Keywords and Related Terms

Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) keywords are terms and phrases related to your primary keyword. Including these variations helps Google understand the context of your content and can help you rank for multiple terms.

For “keyword research,” related terms include: search volume, keyword difficulty, SEO strategy, search intent, long-tail keywords, competitor analysis, and keyword tools.

Don’t force these terms unnaturally. Write comprehensive content that naturally incorporates related concepts, and semantic keywords will appear organically.

From Research to Results: Implementing Your Keyword Strategy

Gathering keyword data is only the beginning. The value comes from applying these insights to your website structure, content creation, and ongoing optimisation efforts.

Mapping Keywords to Content Types

Different keywords require different content approaches. Match your keywords to appropriate page types based on search intent and user needs.

Service Pages

Target transactional keywords with clear commercial intent. These pages should provide specific information about what you offer, who it’s for, pricing (if appropriate), and clear calls to action.

For ProfileTree, service pages might target:

• “Web design services Belfast”
• “SEO consultant Northern Ireland”
• “AI training for businesses UK”
• “Video production agency Belfast”

These pages should be concise, focused, and action-oriented. Include testimonials, portfolio examples, and contact forms to encourage conversions.

Blog Content

Target informational and commercial investigation keywords through detailed blog posts. This content educates, builds trust, and gradually guides readers toward your services.

Blog posts might target:

• “How to improve website loading speed”
• “What to include in a web design brief”
• “SEO mistakes small businesses make”
• “Best practices for business video production”

Make blog content genuinely helpful. Solve problems, answer questions, and provide actionable advice. This builds authority and encourages sharing, as well as the creation of backlinks.

Pillar Pages

Create comprehensive guides that thoroughly cover a wide range of topics. These pages target competitive head terms while supporting content targets related to long-tail keywords.

A pillar page on “Complete Guide to SEO for UK Businesses” might be 5,000 words or more, covering strategy, technical aspects, local SEO, content, and links—with internal links to detailed blog posts that expand on each subtopic.

Organising Keywords by Priority and Difficulty

You can’t target every keyword at once—Prioritise based on business value, difficulty, and current resources.

Quick Win Keywords

Start with low-difficulty keywords directly relevant to your services. These terms have manageable competition and can deliver traffic relatively quickly as you build authority.

Look for:

• Long-tail keywords with search volumes of 10-100 per month
• Difficulty scores below 30
• Clear commercial or transactional intent
• Terms closely aligned with your services

Strategic Growth Keywords

Medium-difficulty terms represent your next tier. These require better content and some authority but are achievable within 6-12 months.

Target terms with:

• Search volumes of 100-1,000 per month
• Difficulty scores of 30-50
• Strong relevance to core services
• Opportunity to create genuinely better content than the current ranking pages

Long-Term Authority Keywords

High-competition head terms take time but establish topical authority. Create exceptional content for these terms even if they don’t rank immediately. As your site gains authority, you’ll gradually climb the rankings.

These include:

• Broad industry terms central to your business
• High search volume keywords (1,000+ per month)
• Difficulty scores above 50
• Terms your customers associate with your industry

Monitoring Performance and Adapting Strategy

Keyword research isn’t a one-time task. Regular monitoring helps you understand what’s working and where to adjust efforts.

Track Rankings and Traffic

Use Google Search Console to monitor which keywords bring traffic to your site. This free tool shows:

• Which queries does your site appear for
• Your average position for each query
• Click-through rates
• How does this change over time

Set up rank tracking for your target keywords using tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz. Check rankings monthly to spot trends and opportunities.

Analyse User Behaviour

Rankings matter, but conversions matter more. Use Google Analytics 4 to see:

• Which keywords drive the most conversions
• How users from different keywords behave on your site
• Where traffic drops off
• Which pages need improvement

If a keyword generates traffic but users immediately leave, the content may not align with their intent or expectations. Revisit and improve these pages.

Refresh and Expand Content

Update existing content regularly to maintain rankings and relevance. Add new information, current examples, and updated statistics. Google favours fresh, current content.

When a page ranks for multiple related keywords, consider expanding it to cover those topics more comprehensively. If you rank #8 for several terms, improving the content may push you to the top of page one for all of them.

Keyword Research in the Age of AI and Voice Search

Search behaviour continues to change as AI-powered search features and voice assistants become more common. Your keyword strategy must adapt to these shifts.

Preparing for AI-Generated Search Results

Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and similar features now provide AI-generated answers at the top of some search results. This changes how you approach keyword targeting.

Focus on Specific, Actionable Queries

AI excels at answering general questions but struggles with specific, context-dependent situations. Target keywords where personalised human expertise adds value:

• “How to implement AI in my Northern Ireland retail business”
• “Web design costs for Belfast restaurants”
• “SEO strategy for professional services UK”

These queries require a nuanced understanding that AI summaries can’t fully address.

Create Content That Demands Clicks

Develop resources so comprehensive that users need to visit your site even after reading an AI summary. This includes:

• Detailed case studies with specific metrics
• Step-by-step implementation guides with visual examples
• Interactive tools or calculators
• Downloadable templates and resources
• Expert commentary and original research

Establish Expertise and Authority

AI systems draw from existing content, favouring authoritative sources. Build your reputation through:

• Consistent, high-quality content production
• Original research and data
• Expert quotes and insights
• Links from reputable industry sources
• Active participation in industry discussions

Optimising for Voice and Conversational Search

Voice search queries tend to be longer and more conversational than typed searches. Someone might type “Belfast web designer” but ask their voice assistant “Who are the best web designers in Belfast?”

Target Question Keywords

Voice searches often take question form:

• “What does a website cost in Northern Ireland?”
• “How do I improve my business SEO?”
• “Where can I get AI training for my company?”

Create FAQ sections and blog content that directly answer these questions. Use the question as a heading and provide a clear, concise answer immediately below.

Write Conversationally

While maintaining professionalism, use natural language that mirrors how people speak. Voice assistants prefer content that sounds natural when read aloud.

Optimise for Featured Snippets

Voice assistants often pull answers from featured snippets—those boxed answers at the top of search results. To optimise for these:

• Answer questions clearly and concisely (40-60 words works well)
• Use bullet points or numbered lists where appropriate
• Include clear definitions for industry terms
• Structure content with descriptive headings

FAQs

Take Action: Implementing Your Keyword Research Strategy

Keyword research only creates value when applied consistently. The difference between businesses that succeed with SEO and those that don’t often comes down to systematic implementation rather than special knowledge.

Start with one priority keyword cluster aligned with your core services. Create comprehensive content targeting both the main keyword and related long-tail variations. Optimise existing pages using your research insights. Set up tracking to monitor performance.

At ProfileTree, we’ve seen how strategic keyword research transforms business outcomes for clients across Northern Ireland and the UK. From web design agencies attracting ideal clients to retail businesses ranking for local searches, the principles remain consistent: understand your audience, conduct thorough research, create exceptional content, and monitor results.

The search landscape continues to evolve with the advent of AI, voice search, and algorithm updates. However, the fundamentals remain: people search when they need help solving problems or finding services. Your job is to appear when they search and provide the expertise they’re looking for.

If you’re ready to develop a keyword strategy that drives measurable business growth, ProfileTree’s SEO specialists can help. We combine technical expertise with a deep understanding of the UK market to create strategies that drive traffic, generate leads, and increase revenue. Contact us to discuss how keyword research can transform your digital presence.