Free SEO Keyword Research Checklist

Define Your Goals

Determine the purpose of your keyword research

Identify Your Target Audience

Understand who your ideal audience is and their needs

Brainstorm Seed Keywords

Generate a list of broad keywords related to your niche

Use Keyword Research Tools

Utilize tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to discover relevant keywords

Analyze Competitor Keywords

Identify keywords your competitors are ranking for

Evaluate Keyword Relevance

Assess the relevance of keywords to your content and audience

Consider Search Intent

Determine the user intent behind each keyword

Analyze Keyword Difficulty

Evaluate the competitiveness of keywords using tools like Moz or SEMrush

Prioritize Keywords

Rank keywords based on relevance, search volume, and competition

Long-Tail Keyword Research

Identify long-tail keywords for more specific targeting

Consider Local Keywords

Include location-based keywords if relevant to your business

Optimize for Semantic Keywords

Identify related terms and phrases to improve content relevance

Analyze Search Trends

Monitor keyword trends and seasonality using Google Trends or similar tools

Refine and Expand Keyword List

Continuously update and expand your list of targeted keywords based on performance and new opportunities

Document Your Strategy

Record your chosen keywords and their respective strategies for implementation

Monitor and Adjust

Regularly monitor keyword performance and make adjustments as needed