Keyword Research Services
Our keyword research services show you the exact words your customers type into Google, how hard each one is to compete for, and which page on your site should target it.
What's included
- A seed list built from your services, locations and the way your customers describe their problems
- Search volume for each keyword, so you know which terms are searched and which are not
- Keyword difficulty scores that show how competitive each term is
- Search intent labels: whether the searcher wants to hire, compare, learn or find a location
- Local keyword variants with your city, neighborhoods and 'near me' phrasing where relevant
- Topic clusters grouping related keywords that one page can cover together
- A page map assigning each keyword group to an existing page or a page you should create
- Question keywords you can answer in FAQs or blog posts
Who it's for
Keyword research is for any business that wants its website to match how customers actually search, rather than how the business describes itself internally. It helps most when:
- Your pages use trade language your customers don't. An HVAC company's page says "ductless mini-split installation" while homeowners search "AC for one room" or "wall air conditioner". A law firm writes "attorney" when people in its city search "lawyer" more often.
- You're planning new pages and want to know which services and locations deserve their own page before you pay anyone to write them.
- You're getting traffic that doesn't turn into calls. Often the site ranks for informational terms, like "how to fix a leaking faucet", while the "faucet repair near me" searches go to competitors.
- You serve several towns and need to know which ones have enough searches to justify a separate page.
- You're about to launch a site and want the structure built around real demand from the start.
Keyword research sits at the start of almost every SEO project, and the on-page SEO that follows depends on getting it right.
How we do it
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1. Talk about your business first
Before touching any tool, we ask what you sell, where you work, which jobs are most profitable and what customers say when they call. A pool company that makes most of its money on weekly service contracts needs different keywords from one that mostly builds new pools.
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2. Build the full keyword list
Using those answers as seeds, we run keyword research tools that expand each seed into the related terms people search: variations, synonyms, questions, locations and longer phrases. For a single service this often turns a handful of ideas into hundreds of candidates. We then remove terms that don't fit your business, your area or your services.
Keyword research - 3
3. Analyze the shortlist in depth
The remaining terms go through detailed keyword analysis, which gives search volume, difficulty and the pages currently ranking for each one. We read the actual results for the important terms. If Google shows a map pack, directories and service pages, the keyword has local buying intent. If it shows guides and videos, people are still researching, and a service page will struggle there.
Detailed keyword analysis - 4
4. Group keywords into topics
Topic clustering groups related keywords that one page can reasonably cover. "Water heater repair", "hot water heater not working" and "water heater repair cost" usually belong on one page, while "tankless water heater installation" needs its own. This step prevents thin duplicate pages and keeps each page focused.
Topic clustering - 5
5. Map every cluster to a page
Each topic is assigned to an existing URL or marked as a new page to create. Where two existing pages overlap, we recommend which one should own the topic and what should happen to the other: merge it, redirect it or refocus it on a different term. Informational topics are marked as blog or FAQ candidates rather than forced onto service pages.
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6. Prioritize
We sort the map by a mix of intent, volume, difficulty and how close you already are to ranking. The result is a short list of what to work on first, not a spreadsheet of hundreds of equal-looking rows.
Why intent matters more than volume
It is tempting to sort a keyword list by search volume and chase the biggest numbers. For a small business that usually leads somewhere unhelpful.
Take a garage door company. "Garage door" is searched constantly, but the people typing it might want pictures, a product to buy at a hardware store, a definition, or a repair. The page Google shows for it is likely to be a big retailer. "Garage door spring repair" is searched far less, yet almost everyone typing it has a broken door and wants someone to fix it soon. That second term is the one that fills a schedule.
This is why every keyword in our research carries an intent label. We group terms into those where the searcher wants to hire someone, those where they are comparing options or prices, those where they want to learn, and those where they are looking for a specific business. Service pages go after the first two. Blog posts and FAQs handle the learning questions, which also build trust with people who will hire later.
The result is a list that reflects your revenue, not just the size of the numbers.
What you receive
Keyword research is delivered once, at the start of your project, as:
- A keyword spreadsheet with volume, difficulty, intent and the target page for every term
- A topic map showing how keywords group into pages
- A page plan listing existing pages to refocus and new pages worth creating, in priority order
- A question list for FAQs and future blog posts
- A short summary explaining the main opportunities in plain English
If you order a package, the pages we optimize use this research directly. You keep the files either way, and they are written so that a copywriter, a web designer or your own team can pick them up and use them without needing us to explain the columns. Many owners also find the question list useful beyond the website, for example when training staff who answer the phone.
Pricing
This is covered by our Standard one-time SEO package at $199.
Every one-time package starts with keyword research: 10 keywords with Basic, 20 with Standard and 50 with Premium, and the pages that follow are optimized around them. Standard suits most single-location businesses with a handful of core services.
Basic
$99 one time
- Competitor analysis
- Research on 10 keywords
- 10 pages optimized
- Image optimization
- 10 business directory listings
- Report of every listing
Standard
$199 one time
- Competitor analysis
- Research on 20 keywords
- 20 pages optimized
- Image optimization
- 20 business directory listings
- Google Business Profile optimization
- Schema markup
- Report of every listing
Premium
$399 one time
- Competitor analysis
- Research on 50 keywords
- 50+ pages optimized
- Image optimization
- 40 business directory listings
- Google Business Profile optimization
- Schema markup
- 2 guest articles on relevant websites
- Report of every listing and link
Every listing and link is on a real, trusted site. No spam links. You get a report showing each one.
Directory listings include Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp, Foursquare and directories for your industry.
Frequently asked questions
Something else? Call (866) 571-4320.
Can't I just use a free keyword tool myself?
You can, and free tools are a reasonable place to start. What they rarely give you is the judgment: which terms have buying intent, which ones are realistic for a small site, and how to split them across pages without two pages competing. SEO keyword research services are mostly about those decisions, not the raw list.
How is local SEO keyword research different?
Local SEO keyword research focuses on terms tied to a place, whether the searcher types the city or not. Someone searching 'emergency plumber' on their phone sees local results either way. We look at city and neighborhood modifiers, 'near me' searches and how Google treats each term in your area, then map them to your service and location pages.
Why should I target keywords with low search volume?
Because a low-volume term with clear intent can be worth far more than a popular vague one. 'Commercial roof coating contractor' might be searched rarely, but almost everyone searching it wants to hire someone. These terms are also usually easier to compete for, which makes them good early targets for a small site.
What does keyword difficulty mean?
It is an estimate of how hard it is to rank on the first page for a term, mostly based on the strength of the sites already there. It is a guide, not a verdict. A high-difficulty term can still be worth targeting over time, but we help you balance it with terms you have a realistic chance at sooner.
What happens if two of my pages target the same keyword?
They can end up competing with each other, and Google may show neither one well. This is common on sites that grew over time. The page map in our research gives each keyword group one home, and flags existing pages that overlap so they can be merged or refocused.
Will you research keywords in Spanish or other languages?
Tell us about it in the free review. Whether we can take on research in another language depends on the language and the market, so we confirm that with you before any work starts rather than promise it up front.
How often should keyword research be updated?
Search behavior changes gradually, so a full rework is rarely needed more than once a year for a stable business. It is worth revisiting sooner if you add services, move into new areas or notice new kinds of questions from customers. Our monthly plans track your keywords continuously, which shows when a refresh is due.
Find the searches that bring you customers
Tell us about your business in a short chat. We review your website and contact you within one business day, with no obligation.