"Keyword research" sounds like something that needs expensive software and a spreadsheet wizard. It doesn't. At its heart, it's just finding out the words your customers use when they're looking for what you sell, then making sure those words appear on the right pages of your website.

You can do a genuinely useful first round in an afternoon, with free tools. Here's how.

Step 1: Start with how customers talk

Forget how you describe your business for a moment. How do your customers describe what they want? The best sources are right in front of you: WhatsApp and phone enquiries ("Do you make website for boutique?"), questions at the counter or in sales meetings, reviews on your listings and on competitors', and anything people type into your website's search box.

Write it all down, including Hinglish and local phrasing. If that's how your customers search, that's how you should think.

Step 2: Let Google expand your list

Start typing a phrase into Google and note the autocomplete suggestions. Check the "People also ask" box and the related searches at the bottom of the results page. If your site is already live, Google Search Console shows the searches you're appearing for right now, which is often a goldmine. And Google Keyword Planner, free with a Google Ads account, gives rough search volume ranges.

Step 3: Work out what the searcher actually wants

Two searches on the same topic can want very different things.

"How to clean silver jewellery" is informational. They want an answer, so a blog post fits best. "Best Shopify developer in Jaipur" is commercial: they're comparing options, so a service page or comparison works. "Buy oxidised jhumka online" is transactional; that's a job for a product or collection page. And "website designer near me" is local, where your Google Business Profile matters most.

The easiest check is to search the phrase yourself and look at what ranks. If Google is showing blog posts, a product page will struggle to compete, and the other way round.

Step 4: Be realistic about competition

A new website isn't going to outrank national brands for "shoes" or "website design". That's fine. Look instead for longer, more specific phrases ("handmade leather sandals for women Jaipur"), phrases with a city or neighbourhood in them, question-style searches starting with how, what, which or "vs", and results pages where small sites, forums or weak pages are already ranking.

These long-tail phrases get fewer searches each, but the people searching them usually know exactly what they want. Together, they add up to a lot of well-qualified traffic.

Step 5: Give every keyword a home

Make a simple sheet with three columns: keyword, intent, and the page it belongs to. Two rules keep it clean. Each page gets one main keyword, plus close variations. And no two pages target the same keyword, or they'll end up competing with each other. If a keyword has no suitable page yet, you've just found a content gap.

Step 6: Put keywords where they count

Use the main phrase in the page's meta title and description, its H1 heading, the first paragraph, a subheading or two where it fits naturally, image alt text, and in the words you use when linking to that page from elsewhere on your site.

Then read it out loud. If a sentence sounds forced, rewrite it. You're writing for people first.

Step 7: Turn questions into blog posts

Your informational keywords become your content plan. Group related questions together and have each post link to the relevant product, collection or service page. We've written about how many posts you actually need.

Step 8: Look again every quarter

Every few months, check Search Console for new searches you're showing up for, pages stuck on page two and keywords that have slipped. Update your sheet and your content plan.

A worked example

Imagine a jewellery brand in Jaipur. Its keyword map might look like this:

• Collection page: "oxidised silver earrings"
• Product page: "oxidised jhumka with pearl drops"
• Blog post: "how to clean oxidised jewellery at home"
• Blog post: "oxidised vs sterling silver: what's the difference"
• Google Business Profile: "jewellery shop in Jaipur" (see our local SEO guide)

Two quick answers

Do I need paid tools? Not to begin with. Free tools cover most small business needs. Paid tools help with competitor research and bigger sites.

Is search volume the most important thing? No. A small keyword that matches exactly what you sell is often worth far more than a big, vague one.

Would you rather have a keyword plan built for you? It's part of our Monthly SEO package. Let's talk.