The beginner’s guide to keyword research for small businesses

The beginner’s guide to keyword research for small businesses

keyword research doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. In this guide, I’ll walk you through a simple, step-by-step process designed for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small business owners.

Wouter van der Meij
Wouter van der Meij
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If you’re a small business owner trying to get more traffic from Google, keyword research is where it all begins. The right keywords can put your website in front of customers exactly when they’re searching for what you sell.

Keywords are simply the words or phrases people type into Google when they’re looking for something: Short tail keywords and long tail keywords

Write down common questions: What do people ask when they call or email you? Think like a customer: What words would they type if they didn’t know your business existed? Brainstorm topics: Products, services, locations, problems, benefits.

Use free tools to find keyword ideas Once you have a brainstorm list, it’s time to see how often people actually search for those phrases.

Understanding search intent will help you prioritize the right keywords: Informational: “How to fix a leaky faucet”, they want advice, not a plumber (yet). Commercial: “best plumber in Boston”, they are comparing options. Transactional: “book plumber online Boston”, they’re ready to hire someone now.

Before committing to a keyword, Google it. Look at the first page of results. Are you competing with massive sites (Home Depot, Yelp, Wikipedia)? Or smaller, local competitors similar to your business?

Group related keywords together (this is called keyword clustering). You can also use our keyword clustering tool.

When writing your page or post: Include the main keyword in: Page title First paragraph At least one subheading Meta description (what shows in search results) Use natural language. Don’t overuse the keyword, make sure you write like you’re talking to a real person.

Keyword research isn’t “set it and forget it.” You should monitor what’s working. Umbrellum: Track rankings in organic search.

Final tips for small businesses: Start small: Target a handful of long-tail keywords first. Focus locally: Use city, neighborhood, or service-area terms to capture nearby customers. Be consistent: Publish new content regularly. It signals to Google that your site is active.

If youre a small business owner trying to get more traffic from Google, keyword research is where it all begins. The right keywords can put your website in front of customers exactly when theyre searching for what you sell.

But heres the good news: keyword research doesnt have to be complicated or expensive. In this guide, Ill walk you through a simple, step-by-step process designed for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small business owners.

1. What keywords really are (and why they matter)

Keywords are simply the words or phrases people type into Google when theyre looking for something.

  • Short-tail keywords are broad, one- or two-word searches like plumber or coffee shop.

    • Pros: lots of traffic.

    • Cons: extremely competitive, hard to rank for as a small business.

  • Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases like emergency plumber near me or best coffee shop in Austin open late.

    • Pros: easier to rank, higher chance the searcher is ready to buy.

    • Cons: lower search volume, but higher quality traffic.

As a small business, focus on long-tail, buyer-intent keywords. Youd rather get 50 visits from people ready to buy than 5,000 visits from people just browsing.

2. Get inside your customers head

The best keyword research starts with your customers, not a keyword tool.

  • Write down common questions: What do people ask when they call or email you?

  • Think like a customer: What words would they type if they didnt know your business existed?

  • Brainstorm topics: Products, services, locations, problems, benefits.

Example:
If you run a bakery in Chicago, your brainstorm might look like this:

  • custom birthday cakes chicago

  • best gluten-free bakery near me

  • where to buy cupcakes for office party

You can also use:

  • Googles People Also Ask boxes: search for your product and see what related questions show up.

  • Umbrellum: we have some free keyword tools available.

  • Reddit, Quora or Facebook groups: look for how people talk about your industry in their own words.

3. Use free tools to find keyword ideas

Once you have a brainstorm list, its time to see how often people actually search for those phrases.

Here are a few beginner-friendly tools:

  • Google Keyword Planner (free with a Google Ads account)

    • Gives you search volume estimates and competition levels.

    • Great starting point for local business keywords.

  • Umbrellum

    • Simple interface, shows related keywords, search volume, and difficulty.

When looking at the data, aim for moderate search volume and low-to-medium competition. You want keywords that enough people search for, but that arent impossible to rank for.

4. Analyze search intent

Not all keywords are created equal. Some people are just browsing, others are ready to buy.

Understanding search intent will help you prioritize the right keywords:

  • Informational: How to fix a leaky faucet, they want advice, not a plumber (yet).

  • Commercial: best plumber in Boston, they are comparing options.

  • Transactional: book plumber online Boston, theyre ready to hire someone now.

For service pages, target commercial and transactional keywords. For your blog, use informational keywords to build trust and capture early-stage leads.

5. Check the competition

Before committing to a keyword, Google it. Look at the first page of results.

  • Are you competing with massive sites (Home Depot, Yelp, Wikipedia)?

  • Or smaller, local competitors similar to your business?

If the top results are huge corporations, try to get more specific. For example:

Instead of targeting:
plumber ? target 24 hour plumber in [your city]

Youll have a much better chance of ranking.

6. Organize your keywords into a plan

Now you have a list of keywords its time to get organized.

  • Group related keywords together (this is called keyword clustering). You can also use our keyword clustering tool.

  • Assign them to specific pages on your website:

    • Homepage ? broad keyword (Chicago bakery)

    • Service pages ? specific services (Wedding cakes chicago, Gluten-free cupcakes chicago)

    • Blog posts ? questions/educational content (Best frosting for birthday cakes, How to plan an office party menu)

This will keep your website structured and prevent keyword cannibalization (when multiple pages compete for the same term).

7. Create content that solves problems

Google rewards helpful, well-structured content, not just keywords stuffed everywhere.

When writing your page or post:

  • Include the main keyword in:

    • Page title

    • First paragraph

    • At least one subheading

    • Meta description (what shows in search results)

  • Use natural language. Dont overuse the keyword, make sure you write like youre talking to a real person.

  • Answer the searchers question as clearly as possible.

Example:
Instead of writing Chicago bakery over and over, write something like:

Looking for a Chicago bakery that makes custom cakes, cupcakes, and gluten-free desserts? Weve been serving the Lincoln Park area for over 10 years.

This reads naturally and uses relevant keywords.

8. Track your results and improve

Keyword research isnt set it and forget it. You should monitor whats working.

  • Google Search Console (Free): See which keywords bring traffic and where you rank.

  • Umbrellum: Track rankings in organic search.

If a page isnt ranking, try:

  • Improving your content (add FAQs, images, more detail).

  • Building internal links from other pages.

  • Earning backlinks from local directories or partners.

Repeat keyword research every few months, search trends change, and so should your content strategy.

Final tips for small businesses

  • Start small: Target a handful of long-tail keywords first.

  • Focus locally: Use city, neighborhood, or service-area terms to capture nearby customers.

  • Be consistent: Publish new content regularly. It signals to Google that your site is active.

Keyword research may seem intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes a powerful tool to grow your business. The more you understand what your customers are searching for, the better you can serve them and the higher youll climb in the rankings.