Match what you offer to what people search
Keyword research is really *intent* research: understanding the exact words customers use and what they want when they use them.
Three intents to recognize
- Informational ("how to fix a leaky faucet") — they want to learn
- Commercial ("best plumber near me") — they're comparing options
- Transactional ("emergency plumber [city]") — they're ready to act
A healthy site serves all three: helpful content for informational queries, comparison-friendly pages for commercial ones, and clear conversion paths for transactional ones.
How to build your list
- Start with the obvious terms for your service and city
- Expand with the questions customers actually ask you
- Note which competitors rank for each — that's your opportunity map
Then prioritize: target terms with real intent and realistic difficulty before chasing huge, generic keywords.