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SmartCrawl plugin reference (11 docs): - Overview, configuration, titles & meta, schema, sitemaps, social/OG, redirects, breadcrumbs, content analysis, hooks/filters, known issues SEO strategy playbook (6 docs): - Keyword research, per-page-type selection, on-page optimization, local SEO, technical SEO, content strategy Reusable templates (3): - Site audit checklist, keyword research worksheet, page optimization checklist Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
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Keyword Research
How to find the right keywords for any site, with an emphasis on free tools and methods applicable to small business WordPress sites.
Fundamentals
Primary vs Secondary Keywords
Primary keyword: The single most important search term a page should rank for. Every page gets exactly one. It should appear in the title tag, H1, URL slug, and first 100 words.
Secondary keywords: 3-5 closely related terms or synonyms that support the primary keyword. These go in H2/H3 headings, body content, and image alt text.
Google's NLP (BERT, MUM) understands synonyms and related concepts, so exact-match repetition is unnecessary — semantic relevance matters more.
Example for a motorcycle safety course in Alaska:
- Primary: "motorcycle safety course Anchorage"
- Secondary: "MSF basic rider course Alaska", "learn to ride motorcycle Anchorage", "motorcycle license training Alaska", "beginner motorcycle class near me"
Long-Tail vs Short-Tail
| Aspect | Short-tail (1-2 words) | Long-tail (3+ words) |
|---|---|---|
| Example | "motorcycle course" | "weekend motorcycle safety course Anchorage AK" |
| Search volume | High | Low |
| Competition | Very high | Low to moderate |
| Conversion rate | Low (vague intent) | High (specific intent) |
| Best for | Brand awareness, pillar pages | Service pages, blog posts, local pages |
For small business sites, long-tail keywords are the priority. You won't outrank national brands for "motorcycle course" but you can rank #1 for "motorcycle safety course Anchorage Alaska."
Search Intent Types
Google categorizes every query by intent. Matching intent is more important than keyword density or backlinks for ranking.
| Intent | Signals | Content Type | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Informational | "how to", "what is", "guide", questions | Blog posts, guides, FAQs | "how to prepare for a motorcycle safety course" |
| Navigational | Brand names, specific products | Homepage, branded pages | "Alaska Safe Riders" |
| Commercial | "best", "vs", "review", "top" | Comparison pages, service pages | "best motorcycle training courses in Alaska" |
| Transactional | "buy", "register", "near me", "price" | Service pages, registration, contact | "register motorcycle safety course Anchorage" |
Check the current SERP for your target keyword to see what Google considers the correct intent. If the top results are all blog posts, Google expects informational content — don't try to rank a service page there.
Keyword Difficulty vs Search Volume
For small/local business sites, ignore high-difficulty keywords at first.
| Combination | Strategy |
|---|---|
| Low difficulty + moderate volume | Best opportunities — quick wins |
| Low difficulty + low volume | Still valuable if commercial/transactional intent |
| High difficulty + high volume | Long-term goals only |
| High difficulty + low volume | Skip entirely |
Quick difficulty check without paid tools: Search your target keyword. If page 1 is dominated by Wikipedia, major publications, and government sites — too competitive. If you see other small businesses, local directories, and niche sites — achievable.
Free Research Tools
1. Google Search Console (Your Best Tool)
Shows exactly what queries people use to find (or almost find) your site.
Quick wins from Search Console:
- Performance > Queries > Sort by impressions: See what Google shows your site for. High impressions + low clicks = fix your title/description or create dedicated content.
- Position 8-20 keywords ("striking distance"): These are queries where you're on page 1-2 but not top 5. A small content improvement or better title tag can push these up.
- Pages report: See which pages rank for which queries. If one page ranks for many unrelated queries, split content into separate focused pages.
- Filter by query containing your location: Find local search opportunities.
2. Google Autocomplete / People Also Ask / Related Searches
Free and directly reflects what people search for.
- Autocomplete: Type your service in Google and note every suggestion. Use the "alphabet soup" method: type
[service] a,[service] b, etc. - People Also Ask (PAA): Click on PAA questions to expand — Google loads more each time. Each question is a potential blog post or FAQ entry.
- Related Searches: At the bottom of the SERP. Semantically related queries Google considers relevant.
Use incognito mode and set location to your target area for accurate local results.
3. Google Trends
- Compare seasonal patterns: When do people search for your services most?
- Compare keyword variations: "motorcycle safety course" vs "motorcycle riding course" vs "motorcycle training"
- Filter by region: National trends may not match Alaska or Nashville patterns
- Rising queries: Terms growing in popularity — early opportunities
4. Free Tool Tiers
| Tool | Free Limit | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Google Keyword Planner | Unlimited (with Google Ads account) | Volume ranges, related keywords |
| Ubersuggest | 3 searches/day | Volume, difficulty, suggestions |
| AnswerThePublic | 3 searches/day | Questions people ask about a topic |
| Keyword Surfer (Chrome ext.) | Unlimited | Volume in Google search results |
| AlsoAsked.com | 3 searches/day | PAA data visualization |
| Ahrefs Webmaster Tools | Unlimited (site owner) | What you currently rank for |
5. Competitor Analysis (No Paid Tools)
- Search your target keywords and study who ranks on page 1:
- Their title tags and meta descriptions
- Content structure and length
- Header tags (view source)
- What topics they cover that you don't
- Check competitor sitemaps:
competitor.com/sitemap.xmlreveals their full content strategy - Google
site:competitor.com [your service]to see their pages targeting similar keywords - Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker: Shows top backlinks for any URL
The Keyword Matrix
For local businesses, create a grid:
| Anchorage | Fairbanks | Wasilla | Eagle River | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| motorcycle course | Target | Target | Assess | Assess |
| rider training | Target | Assess | -- | -- |
| motorcycle license | Target | Target | Assess | -- |
Each intersection with "Target" gets its own page or section. "Assess" means check volume before investing.
Research Process
Step 1: Seed Keywords
List everything you think your customers might search for. Include:
- Service names
- Problem descriptions ("how to get motorcycle license")
- Location variations
- Competitor brand names (for comparison content)
Step 2: Expand with Tools
Run seed keywords through Google Autocomplete, PAA, Keyword Planner, and Ubersuggest. Note every relevant variation.
Step 3: Classify by Intent
Tag each keyword as informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional.
Step 4: Assess Difficulty
For each keyword, quick-check the SERP. Can you realistically compete?
Step 5: Prioritize
Use the Keyword Research Template to organize and prioritize.
Step 6: Map to Pages
Assign one primary keyword to each existing page. Create new pages for keywords that don't have a natural home.