Start With What Your Customers Type
Most businesses write their website in the words they use themselves. A plumber writes “professional pipe installation services”, while the customer with a burst pipe types “plumber near me”. If your page does not use the words your customers use, Google has little reason to show it to them.
Keyword research is simply the habit of finding out what people actually search for, and using those words to plan your pages. You do not need expensive software or technical knowledge to begin. This guide explains the basics step by step.
Do not guess what customers want. Listen to how they ask, and then build a page that answers them in the same words.
— Serina Systems
What Is A Keyword?
A keyword is any word or phrase someone types into Google, such as “wedding photographer Nakuru” or “how to start a poultry farm”. Keywords are the link between a person’s need and your page. Each time someone searches, Google looks for pages that answer that exact need. Your job is to make sure your pages match what people are really looking for.
Understand What The Searcher Wants
Behind every search is a reason, often called search intent. Knowing it helps you decide what kind of page to create:
- Learning: “how to prepare for a KCSE exam” calls for a helpful article or guide.
- Comparing: “best laptops for students” calls for a comparison or recommendation.
- Buying or hiring: “buy school uniforms online” or “hire a caterer” calls for a product or service page with a clear way to order.
- Finding a place: “pharmacy near me” calls for a local listing and a clear address, as covered in our guide to showing up on Google Maps.
Step 1: Brainstorm Like A Customer
Write down every word you would type if you were looking for your own business. Then ask your customers and staff how people describe what you do. Check the questions people send you on WhatsApp, Facebook and by phone. These real questions are often better keyword ideas than anything a tool can suggest. Remember that people may mix English and Kiswahili, or use everyday names for products that differ from the official ones, so note down all the versions you hear.
Step 2: Use Google To Give You Ideas
Google itself is one of the best free research tools. Try these:
- Autocomplete: start typing a phrase and see what Google suggests below the search box.
- People also ask: open the questions that appear in the search results and note the ones that fit your business.
- Related searches: scroll to the bottom of the results page for more phrases people use.
- Your competitors: search for your service and look at the pages that appear, noticing the words and topics they cover.
Step 3: Try Free Keyword Tools
Several free tools can show how people search and which phrases are popular. Google Keyword Planner is available inside a Google Ads account, and Google Trends shows how interest in a topic changes through the year, which is useful for seasonal businesses. If you already have a website, Google Search Console shows the exact searches that bring visitors to your pages. Treat the numbers as a rough guide. A phrase with fewer searches can still be valuable if the people searching are ready to buy.
Step 4: Choose Keywords You Can Win
You do not have to compete for the biggest, most general phrases. A new small business will find it hard to rank for “hotel” or “lawyer”, but it can do well for specific searches, called long-tail keywords. Compare:
- “salon” is broad and highly competitive.
- “salon in Nakuru” is narrower and attracts people nearby.
- “bridal makeup and braids in Nakuru” is very specific and attracts people ready to book.
Adding your town or area is one of the simplest and strongest things a local business can do. Choose keywords that are relevant to what you really offer, match what the searcher wants and are realistic for your business today.
Step 5: Plan One Page For Each Main Idea
Give each important keyword its own page rather than crowding everything onto the homepage. A salon might have separate pages for bridal makeup, hair braiding and nail services, each written for the people searching for that service. Keep a simple list or spreadsheet showing the page, the main keyword, a few related phrases and what you want visitors to do next.
Step 6: Use Keywords Naturally
Once you know your keywords, place them where both visitors and Google expect to see them:
- The page title and main heading
- The first paragraph
- Subheadings that break up the page
- The web address of the page and the descriptions of your images
Always write for people first. Repeating the same phrase again and again, known as keyword stuffing, makes your page hard to read and can harm your results. If a sentence sounds unnatural when you read it aloud, rewrite it.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Choosing keywords nobody types because they sound professional
- Going after only very broad, highly competitive phrases
- Forgetting to include your town or area
- Putting every keyword on one page
- Stuffing keywords until the text sounds unnatural
- Never checking results or updating the list
Check Your Results And Keep Learning
Search results do not change overnight. Give new pages a few weeks, then use Search Console to see which searches bring visitors and which pages need improving. Keep what works, rewrite what does not, and add new pages as you discover more questions customers ask. Good keyword research is a habit, not a one-time task.
Where To Start
Pick your most important service, write down ten ways a customer might search for it and look at what Google suggests. Then make sure one page on your site answers that need clearly. If you do not have a site yet, begin with why every Kenyan business needs a professional website and our checklist of five things to prepare before building your website. Serina Systems helps businesses across Nakuru, Laikipia, Nairobi and beyond plan pages that get found. Contact us for a free consultation.