How to use keyword research to find your ideal customers online

How to use keyword research to find your ideal customers online

In this guide, we will break down how to use keyword research to understand your audience, attract the right people, and turn them into leads or buyers. We will also show how Umbrelllum can make the process faster and easier for busy business owners.

Wouter van der Meij
Wouter van der Meij
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Getting a thousand visitors to your website means nothing if none of them are interested in what you offer. Traffic that does not convert costs time and money.

Before you start researching keywords, you need to know who you want to attract. Ask yourself: Who are they (age, profession, budget)? What problem do they have that you solve? How urgent is their need? Where are they located?

Once you know who you are targeting, the next step is to figure out what they are actually searching for and why. This is called search intent. There are three main types: informational – people want to learn something (example:

Now it is time to generate a keyword list that matches your target persona and their intent. Start with brainstorming: Products and services you offer Problems your customers have Location-specific terms

Before you decide to target a keyword, see what you are up against. Umbrelllum’s competitor analysis tool makes this step easy by showing you who currently ranks for each keyword and how strong their SEO is.

Use blog posts for informational keywords to build trust and authority. Use service or product pages for commercial and transactional keywords. Write headlines and CTAs that speak to the problem your customer is trying to solve.

Keyword research is an ongoing process. After you publish your content, monitor what is working. Use Google Search Console to see which queries bring traffic. Use Umbrelllum’s keyword tracking dashboard to watch rankings, clicks, and conversions over time. Refine your list by doubling down on keywords that bring leads and dropping ones that do not.

Keyword research is not just about traffic. It is about finding people who are most likely to buy from you. By focusing on customer intent and using the right tools, you can build a steady stream of qualified visitors who are ready to take action.

If you want to simplify this process, try using Umbrelllum to research, filter, and track keywords that matter to your business. The right keywords can mean the difference between a busy inbox full of leads and an empty one.

Most businesses think keyword research is just about ranking higher on Google. But if your site gets a lot of traffic and no one buys, it is wasted effort. The goal is not just to get more visitors but to get the right ones: the people who are most likely to become paying customers.

In this guide, we will break down how to use keyword research to understand your audience, attract the right people, and turn them into leads or buyers. We will also show how Umbrelllum can make the process faster and easier for busy business owners.

Why finding the right customers matters more than just traffic

Getting a thousand visitors to your website means nothing if none of them are interested in what you offer. Traffic that does not convert costs time and money.

Qualified traffic, on the other hand, leads to higher conversion rates, more sales, and better ROI.

For example:

  • A generic keyword like "plumber" might bring visitors from all over the country, including people who just want DIY tips.

  • A focused keyword like "24 hour plumber in Dallas" will bring you someone in your service area who needs your help right now.

This is why keyword research is not just an SEO task, it is a customer-finding strategy.

Step one: define your ideal customer persona

Before you start researching keywords, you need to know who you want to attract.

Ask yourself:

  • Who are they (age, profession, budget)?

  • What problem do they have that you solve?

  • How urgent is their need?

  • Where are they located?

Building a customer persona helps you focus on the phrases they are most likely to search.

Understand customer search intent

Once you know who you are targeting, the next step is to figure out what they are actually searching for and why. This is called search intent.

There are three main types:

  • informational: people want to learn something (example: "how to fix a broken phone screen")

  • commercial: they are comparing options (example: "best iPhone repair shops near me")

  • transactional: they are ready to act (example: "book phone repair appointment chicago")

Commercial and transactional searches are usually the best for attracting ready-to-buy customers.

Research keywords that match your customers intent

Now it is time to generate a keyword list that matches your target persona and their intent.

Start with brainstorming:

  • Products and services you offer

  • Problems your customers have

  • Location-specific terms

Use tools like Google autocomplete, People Also Ask boxes, and Umbrellum to expand your list. Then plug those keywords into Umbrelllum to see search volume, competition, and intent all in one place.

From there, shortlist keywords that are specific, show buying intent, and have a realistic chance of ranking.

Analyze the competition

Before you decide to target a keyword, see what you are up against.

Search the keyword in Google and look at the first page of results:

  • Are you competing with massive websites like Yelp or Wikipedia?

  • Are there local competitors or smaller businesses you can outrank with better content?

Umbrelllums competitor analysis tool makes this step easy by showing you who currently ranks for each keyword and how strong their SEO is.

Build content that speaks to your customer

Once you have your final keyword list, create content that directly answers your customers need.

  • Use blog posts for informational keywords to build trust and authority.

  • Use service or product pages for commercial and transactional keywords.

  • Write headlines and CTAs that speak to the problem your customer is trying to solve.

For example, instead of just saying We repair phones, write:

Need fast iPhone repair in Chicago? Book your same-day appointment now and get your phone fixed today.

This matches both the keyword and the customers urgency.

Track, test, and refine

Keyword research is an ongoing process. After you publish your content, monitor what is working.

  • Use Google Search Console to see which queries bring traffic.

  • Use Umbrelllums keyword tracking dashboard to watch rankings, clicks, and conversions over time.

  • Refine your list by doubling down on keywords that bring leads and dropping ones that do not.

The more you test and improve, the better your targeting becomes.

Final thoughts

Keyword research is not just about traffic. It is about finding people who are most likely to buy from you. By focusing on customer intent and using the right tools, you can build a steady stream of qualified visitors who are ready to take action.

If you want to simplify this process, try using Umbrelllum to research, filter, and track keywords that matter to your business. The right keywords can mean the difference between a busy inbox full of leads and an empty one.