Keyword and Niche Research: How To

In the digital age, mastering keyword research is essential for any successful online strategy. It can be complex, but understanding it is key to dominating any niche. We at SME analytica have done it manually in the past using market standard tools. Below we describe that.

What is Keyword Research?

Keyword research is the practice of identifying terms that users enter into search engines when looking for information. This process helps understand audience behavior and enhances search engine rankings by targeting effective keywords. Now what is effective you may ask? Well, it depends on your strategy. In other words: keyword research will help you determine which keywords you would want to pay for (ad money, optimise site SEO etc.) in order to sell your products.

Effective keyword research is the backbone of SEO and content strategy. It helps in understanding what your audience is looking for, optimizing your content to meet those needs, and staying ahead of your competitors, while controlling the budget.

Sounds complex? Don't worry. I will break it down for you step by step

Process steps

  1. State your niche
  2. Understand your customer (demand)
  3. Analyse your competitors (supply)
  4. Find adjacent use-cases (get creative)
  5. Synthesize the gaps in the market
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1. State Your Niche

The first step in effective keyword research is clearly defining your niche. Understanding your niche helps you focus on the specific topics and issues relevant to your target audience. For example, if your niche is "organic skincare," your research should center around keywords related to natural beauty products, skincare routines, and organic ingredients.

Example:

Niche: Organic Skincare Products

2. Understand Your Customer (Demand)

To cater to your audience, you need to understand their problems, needs, preferences, and search behaviors. This involves studying the type of language they use, their pain points, and the solutions they seek. You want to understand not just they keyword, but the intent behind to market properly. Are the customers trying to purchase when searching this keyword? Or are they just gathering info? I don't need to tell you that you need to align the temperature of your marketing message to the temperature of the audience. Tools like Google Analytics, looking at "Related searches", looking at google suggestions (that pop up while you type) and social media insights can provide valuable information about your audience's interests and search habits.

A lot of data. I know. Alternatively SME Analytica gathers them for you so that you don't have to.
Techniques:
  • Identify common terms and phrases used by your audience.
  • Use Google Trends, Google ads keyword planner to see what topics are trending in your niche.
  • Leverage customer feedback and reviews to capture their language and demands.

3. Analyze Your Competitors (Supply)

Examining your competitors' keyword strategies can reveal opportunities and gaps in the market. Use tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz to analyze which keywords your competitors rank for. Look at their high-performing content to understand which keywords drive traffic and engagement.

Steps:
  • Identify your top competitors in the niche. Google search is your friend
  • Use SEO tools to analyze their keyword rankings and traffic sources. There will be things you want to replicate, there will be things you want to stay away from (e.g. expensive subniches)
  • Observe their content strategy and the keywords they target. I mean literally wear customer's hat, type in the keyword, see what comes out. You will use that later to understand how to stand out.

4. Find Adjacent Use-Cases

Adjacent use-cases are scenarios where your product or service solves the same high-level user problem, but can be applied in slightly different ways or contexts (different product). So, game cafe can in a way compete with karaoke for a problem that is "team-building events". It can give you an idea of what customers are willing to pay for and how frequent the demand is. Though competition can be lower vs a case where you compete head-to-head. Discovering such adjacent nices can expand your keyword universe and attract a broader audience. For instance, if your niche is "organic skincare," adjacent use-cases might include "organic haircare" or "natural anti-aging solutions."

Methods:
  • Brainstorm related problems your product can solve. Create customer personas for different adjacent use-cases.
  • Explore forums and Q&A sites like Reddit and Quora to find related discussions.
  • Use keyword tools to find related keywords and phrases.

5. Synthesize the Gaps in the Market

You exist in the context. So, so far we wanted to understand that context. What is on customer's mind, what is competitor's offer. Now we are ready to see the gap and make sure we are able to plug it with a great offer.

After gathering all this information, it's time to synthesize your findings to identify gaps in the market. Look for keywords with high demand but low competition. These gaps represent opportunities where you can create content that addresses unmet needs.

Steps:
  • Use tools like Google Sheets to analyse keywords and assign labels based on whether keywords have high/low competition or search volumes.
  • Analyze your findings to pinpoint keywords with high search volumes and low competition, classify them by search intent (purchase, informational, etc.).
  • Create a content strategy that focuses on filling these gaps with valuable, relevant content that takes into account competitor positioning, user search volumes and search intent.

Challenges in Keyword Research

Data Overload

Handling vast amounts of data can be daunting. SME Analytica simplifies this by presenting only the most relevant information.

Choosing the Right Tools

With many tools available, selecting the right one is crucial. SME Analytica combines multiple features into a single, user-friendly platform.

Staying Updated

The digital landscape is constantly changing. SME Analytica helps you stay ahead by providing up-to-date insights.

SME Analytica - Niche Research Made Stupidly Simple

Our AI dives deep into your customer’s darkest desires they only dare to tell to Google, then combines that with traffic data from your competitors to tell you about market gaps you didn't know existed.
  • All analysis described above with few clicks
  • Discover high-demand niches your competitors are blind to
  • Supercharge your keyword research and stay ahead of the competition for the price of a coffee.