Keyword Analysis for SEO
Stop starting keyword analysis with a volume filter. I pick intent first, check the SERP, then assess difficulty — in that order.
Start here
- Classify every keyword by search intent before you look at volume.
- Open the live SERP and decide if your page can compete for a featured snippet or organic slot.
- Use keyword difficulty as a guide but verify by checking the domains ranking on page one.
- Re-analyse keywords whenever the SERP layout changes — intent can shift without volume changing.
Plain-English take
Keyword analysis is where you decide which terms deserve your time. Volume is the least useful number, yet most beginners start there. I look at [intent](/intent-seo/) first, then difficulty, then the SERP layout. If a query returns only ads and featured snippets, your organic page has no slot. That is the real analysis, not a spreadsheet of monthly searches. I once targeted a term with 2,000 searches per month only to find the front page was all Amazon and Wikipedia. My page never stood a chance. Now I start by classifying intent: is the searcher looking to buy, compare, or learn? That tells me what kind of page to write. Then I check the [keyword difficulty](/keyword-difficulty/) score, but I verify it by looking at the actual domains ranking. If they are all 90+ DR sites, I move on. Finally, I look for [long-tail variations](/long-tail-keywords/) that might have lower competition but equal intent. That is how I found a term that brought 300 visitors per month and converted at 5%. The volume was a tenth of the head term, but the value was higher. Keyword analysis is not about finding the biggest number; it is about finding the number that works for your site. The [SERP ranking](/serp-ranking/) of a query tells you what Google already thinks is relevant. Use that as your starting point, not a tool export.
When it actually matters
You need keyword analysis before you write a page, but also when your page stops ranking. I have seen a well-performing article drop 20 positions even though my on-page optimisation was fine. The cause was a SERP layout change: Google added a [People Also Ask](/serp/) block and a video carousel. The intent had not changed, but the competition for organic clicks had. That is when a re-analysis saved me. I looked at the query again, found that the [LSI keywords](/lsi-keywords/) I had used were now being served by other pages. I adjusted my content to target a more specific sub-topic and regained traffic within two weeks. Keyword analysis also matters when you are building a content cluster. If you do not group related terms properly, you risk cannibalisation — two pages competing for the same query. I now map each keyword to a single page and use the cluster model. When I expanded a service page, I analysed supporting terms and found that the secondary keyword had a much easier difficulty score. That became a separate page, and both ranked. I also evaluate whether a keyword matches my business goals. A query like 'how to fix a leaky tap' might have volume, but if I sell plumbing services, I need transactional intent. I weigh conversion potential against rankings potential. That decision rule comes from my keyword analysis. I check which queries already bring impressions but no clicks — those are low-hanging fruit. The lesson: do keyword analysis at the start and again every quarter if the SERP changes.
What I got wrong
I used to treat keyword analysis as a spreadsheet task. Export thousands of terms, sort by volume, pick the top ones. I ended up with a dozen pages that could not rank because the competition was too high or the intent was informational when I wrote a product page. The mistake was skipping the SERP check. Now I never select a keyword without looking at the live results. Another error: trusting keyword difficulty scores from tools as a single number. I now check the actual domains ranking — if they are all big brands, the difficulty is higher than the tool says. I also ignored intent for months, thinking any keyword with volume would bring traffic. It did, but the traffic bounced. Now I classify every term by intent before I decide the page type. The biggest change: I stopped doing keyword analysis in isolation. I now combine it with competitor gap analysis. I look at what terms competitors rank for that I do not, and I evaluate whether those have the right intent and SERP structure. One example: a competitor ranked for 'affordable SEO tools' with a listicle. I took the same keyword, analysed the SERP, saw that the top result was an outdated article, and wrote a better one. That brought 1,500 extra sessions per month. The insight was that keyword analysis should include a decision rule: if the top three results are weak (thin content, old, no images), the opportunity is real.
Next step
Quick answers
What is the difference between keyword research and keyword analysis?
Keyword research is the discovery phase — finding potential terms. Keyword analysis evaluates those terms to decide which are worth targeting. Research gives you a list; analysis prioritises it based on intent, difficulty, SERP layout, and business relevance. I do research first, then analysis before writing.
How do I measure keyword difficulty manually?
I look at the first 10 results in the SERP. If they are all big brand domains with high authority, the difficulty is high regardless of what a tool says. I also check the content quality: thin pages or old posts signal a lower barrier. No single metric replaces eyeballing the actual competitors.
Can keyword analysis help with existing content?
Yes. I re-analyse pages that have lost rankings. The intent or SERP layout may have shifted, and the original keyword may no longer be the best fit. I also use analysis to spot new long-tail variations that my page already partially covers, then optimise the heading and meta to capture them.
Sources
Primary documentation is linked directly. Anything commercial is marked nofollow.
- Ahrefs - Keyword Research — Backs up the prioritisation method of evaluating volume, difficulty and intent together.
- Semrush - Keyword Analysis — Supports the classification of search intent into informational, navigational, commercial and transactional.
- Google Search Central — Provides official guidance on how content relevance and SERP analysis relate to keyword selection.
- Google Keyword Planner Help — Explains the limitations of search volume data and how to interpret keyword planning metrics.
Notes from Callum Bennett.