You can do solid keyword research without paid software by combining four free inputs: your own Search Console data, Google Trends, Google’s autocomplete suggestions and a read of competitor pages. The aim is not a giant list. It is a short, organised set of phrases that match what your customers actually type.
Free tools will not give you reliable monthly search volumes. What they give you is direction, vocabulary and evidence, which is usually enough for a small business.
Step 1: write down what you sell in customers’ words
List your products or services, then the problems they solve, the questions customers ask and the terms they use. Google’s SEO starter guide points out that people familiar with a topic often search differently from newcomers, giving the example of “charcuterie” versus “cheese board”. Capture both expert and beginner wording. Your enquiry emails, call notes and reviews are good sources.
Step 2: mine Search Console (if the site exists)
The Performance report shows clicks, impressions, click-through rate and average position, and lets you group data by query, page, country, device and date. Look for:
- Queries with many impressions but a low click-through rate: the page appears but the title or snippet is not compelling.
- Queries where your average position is low on page one or on page two: candidates for improving the existing page.
- Queries you did not expect: a clue to what the audience wants from you.
If your site is new, there will be little data. Move to the next steps.
Step 3: use autocomplete and related searches
Type a seed phrase into Google and note the suggestions, then scroll to the related searches at the bottom of results. Both are signals of how people phrase things. Record them as ideas, not as proof of volume.
Step 4: check relative interest with Google Trends
Google Trends shows relative search interest scaled from 0 to 100, not absolute counts. Use it to compare two phrasings, spot seasonality or compare regions. Google also warns that low-volume terms may show as zero, small fluctuations can be noise, and the data is not a scientific poll. Treat it as one input.
Step 5: read the top results
Search each priority phrase and look at who ranks and what type of page it is. This tells you what searchers expect: a how-to guide, a product page, a comparison or a local listing. The next article, on search intent types, shows how to classify them. If every result is a shop page and you only have an essay, you are a poor match for that query.
Step 6: organise in a simple sheet
| Phrase | Intent | Source | Target page | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (customer wording) | Informational, commercial or transactional | Search Console, Trends, autocomplete | Existing or planned page | High, medium or low |
Rules for the sheet:
- One primary phrase per page, plus a few close variations.
- If two pages target the same phrase, merge or differentiate them.
- Mark phrases with no suitable page as content gaps.
Step 7: write naturally
Google says repeating the same keywords is tiring for readers and counts as keyword stuffing, and that Google’s systems can connect a page to queries even when exact words are absent. It also notes the meta keywords tag is not used. Write clearly, vary wording naturally and make titles and descriptions accurate.
Prioritising
Rank candidates using questions you can answer without a tool:
- Is this phrase close to something we sell or can help with?
- Is the intent one our page can satisfy?
- Can we offer something at least as useful as the current top results?
- Does it support a business goal in your digital marketing strategy?
Limits and trade-offs
- Free methods give no precise volume or difficulty scores. Paid tools estimate these, but they are estimates too.
- New sites may need several weeks before results show. Google’s guidance suggests waiting a few weeks before judging.
- Keywords are inputs, not guarantees. Understanding how search engines crawl, index and rank keeps expectations realistic.
Where Radiance Impact fits
Radiance Impact’s Growth and Marketing division works on search visibility, SEO and strategy. If you would like help turning research into a content plan, see Growth or contact us.
Sources
- SEO starter guide, Google Search Central
- Performance report (Search), Search Console Help
- Get started with Google Trends, Google Trends Help
