How to do better keyword research and avoid seo growth stagnation

Seeking Advice
1

When I started in SEO, I mainly followed competitor strategies and relied on paid tools for keyword research. This approach worked well for a while, but after some time, growth plateaued. My client wanted to know why we weren’t growing further, and I realized the issue: relying too much on competitors and not focusing on unique keyword opportunities.

I found that paid tools often rely on historical data and miss low-search-volume or niche keywords that are highly relevant. These can be crucial, especially for local businesses or niche industries. I adjusted my process to include:

  1. Advanced Search Operators: Using operators like quotation marks for exact matches, site: for specific domains, and intitle: for keywords in titles helped me uncover new ideas.
  2. Related Searches: Checking the related search section in SERPs gave me unique variations of keywords.
  3. Google Keyword Planner: Although designed for ads, it provides insights into commonly searched terms.

After gathering keywords, I cross-checked them using two paid tools, like SEMrush and Keyword Finder, to ensure accuracy. This process helped me identify untapped keywords and optimize pages for better traffic and conversions. Instead of making bulk changes, I optimized one page at a time, which led to consistent growth.

If you rely solely on competitors, your website’s growth might stagnate. By taking the time to do detailed keyword research, you can set unique milestones for your site and achieve better long-term results.

2

For beginners like me, Google Keyword Planner has been really helpful.

3

This is a very helpful post. I read through all of it.

4

MysteryMaverick said:
This is a very helpful post. I read through all of it.

I appreciate that, thank you!

5

This is a great guide.

6

Don said:
This is a great guide.

Thank you for the kind words.

7

Search operators are useful for finding specific information, but how do they fit into a broader SEO strategy? They don’t provide data at scale or show search volume. Also, keep in mind that Keyword Planner’s search volumes can sometimes be inflated to encourage ad spend, so use it carefully.