How to Do Keyword Research for New Websites

How to Do Keyword Research for New Websites

Okay, so you did it. You bought the domain, you set up the hosting, and your brand-new website is sitting there... looking beautiful, pristine, and completely empty. It's like having a grand opening for a new store, but you forgot to tell anyone the address or even what city it's in. That's what a new website feels like without SEO. And the absolute, non-negotiable, first-step-of-all-first-steps in SEO? Keyword research. But wait, how do you research keywords when you have zero traffic, zero authority, and, let's be honest, maybe zero clue where to even start? It’s a classic chicken-and-egg problem, isn't it? Don't panic. This is actually the best time to do it, and we're going to walk through it.

That Big, Empty "Ghost Town" Feeling

Most of the keyword research guides you'll find out there jump right into advice like "check your Google Analytics" or "see what your top-ranking pages are." That's great advice... for a site that's been around for a year or two. For us? We're starting from ground zero. We don't have data. We don't have existing customers. We have an idea, a passion, and that's about it. This is a totally different ballgame. You can't rely on what has worked, because nothing has worked yet. You're building the foundation. And if you build that foundation on shaky ground targeting keywords that are way too broad or just flat-out wrong you'll be wondering why your beautiful site is still a ghost town six months from now.

Let's Ditch "Keywords" and Talk "Problems"

For just a minute, let's throw the term "keywords" out the window. It sounds so technical and cold. Instead, let's talk about problems. Or questions. Or needs. If you're a new online store selling handmade leather wallets, people aren't just typing "wallets." They're typing, "best minimalist wallet for front pocket," or "how to stop leather wallet from staining," or "unique gift for husband." These are your starting points. Before you ever open a single SEO tool, just grab a pen and paper (or open a fresh doc) and brainstorm. What would a real, live human being, who needs what you sell, type into that little white search bar? Think about their pain points, their questions. This is your "seed list."

Time to Spy... Ethically, of Course

You're the new kid on the block. But the block isn't empty. There are other "stores" that are already established, already getting customers. These are your competitors. And guess what? They've already done a ton of the hard work for you. They've likely spent years (and probably a good chunk of money) figuring out what people are searching for. Now, I'm not saying to go and rip off their website, not at all. But you absolutely should be studying them. How do you find them? It's easy. Just Google the "seed" terms and "problem" phrases you just brainstormed. Who keeps popping up on page one? Not the giant, mega-corporations, but the other businesses that look just like yours. Those are your new research buddies.

Digging for Gold in Their Backyard

So, you have a list of three or four competitors. What now? Don't just look at their homepage. That's their "storefront." We want to know what's happening in their stock room, what their bestsellers are. This is where SEO tools, even the free versions, start to become really handy. You can use various tools to see what keywords your competitors are actually ranking for. You're looking for their top pages. You might find they have a seemingly random blog post from 2019 that's pulling in thousands of visitors a month. Why? Because it answers a very specific question. Your goal isn't to copy that post. Your goal is to see why it's successful and create something ten times better.

The Magic of "Long-Tail" Keywords

You're going to hear this term a lot. "Long-tail." It sounds a little weird, but the concept is just so important. "Shoes" is a "head" keyword. It's short, it's broad, and it is completely and utterly impossible for a new site to rank for. You're competing with everyone. "Best waterproof trail running shoes for wide feet" is a long-tail keyword. It's super specific. It gets way, way fewer searches, maybe only 50 or 100 a month. And that's... perfect. Why? Because the person searching for that knows exactly what they want. They're not just browsing. They're ready to solve their problem. For a new website, your entire strategy should be built on these long-tail keywords. Forget the ego-driven head terms. You want to be a big fish in a very, very small pond.

What Does Your Customer Really Want?

This is, in my opinion, the most overlooked part of keyword research. It's called "search intent." It's the why behind the what. A person typing "best running shoes" is probably looking for reviews or a "best of" list. That's informational intent. A person typing "buy Nike Pegasus 39" wants to shop. That's transactional intent. If you're an e-commerce store and you write a long blog post for "buy Nike Pegasus 39," you're going to fail. Google knows that person wants to see a product page. As a new site, you cannot afford to waste effort. You must match your content type blog post, product page, landing page to the intent of the keyword.

Okay, Let's Talk Tools (Without Getting Overwhelmed)

This is usually the part where people's eyes glaze over. You hear about Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz, Ubersuggest... so many tools, so many dashboards, so many monthly fees. Here's my genuine advice for a brand-new site: start free. Seriously. Google itself is your best research tool. Type one of your seed keywords into the Google search bar and look at the "People also ask" box. Look at the "Related searches" at the very bottom of the page. That is Google literally telling you what else people are searching for related to your topic. Use Google's Keyword Planner (it's free with a Google Ads account, you don't even have to spend money) to get a rough idea of search volume. Once you have some momentum, then you can think about investing in a paid tool.

The "Can I Actually Win This?" Metric

When you do start using tools, whether free or paid, you're going to see a metric called "Keyword Difficulty" or "KD." This is your new reality check. It's usually a score from 0 to 100. Let me be blunt: as a new website, your Domain Authority is zero. You're a brand-new baby in Google's eyes. You should not be targeting keywords with a KD of 70. You'll just get discouraged. Your sweet spot is in the 0-10 range, maybe 0-20 if you're feeling particularly ambitious. This is where the long-tail keywords live. Finding a keyword with decent search volume (even 50 searches a month is great to start!) and a low, low KD score... that's the sweet spot. That's the treasure you're digging for.

Building Your First Content "Map"

By now, you should have a spreadsheet (I know, I said "no tools" but spreadsheets are different, they're just for organization!) that's starting to fill up. You've got your list of long-tail keywords. You've checked their intent. You've noted their difficulty. Now what? You can't just stuff them all on your homepage and call it a day. This is where you create a content plan, or a "keyword map." You group similar keywords together. For example, "how to clean leather wallet," "best leather conditioner," and "can you wash a leather wallet" can all be one, amazing, ultimate guide. You're assigning a purpose to each keyword, linking it to a specific page or blog post you're going to create.

Stop Researching and Start Writing

Here's a trap I see people fall into all the time. They get addicted to the research. They build a spreadsheet with 1,000 keywords, and it's beautiful, and it's color-coded... and they never write a single word. Your keyword research is completely useless until you do something with it. Pick your first five, low-difficulty, high-intent keywords and just... start writing. Create the single best, most helpful piece of content on the entire internet for that specific, long-tail query. Make it helpful, make it interesting, make it human. Answer the question better than anyone else. That's how you win. The research part is just the map; you still have to actually, you know, drive the car.

Now We Wait... and We Track

You've published your first few posts. You hit that "publish" button and... crickets. This is normal. This is the hardest part. Google has to find your page, crawl it, index it, and then decide where it "deserves" to rank among all the other pages. This can take weeks, sometimes even months. But you're not just waiting passively. You should set up Google Search Console (it's free!) right away. It will eventually tell you what keywords you're actually starting to get impressions for. And, of course, you'll want to see if your efforts are paying off. This is where a good Keyword Position Checker becomes your new best friend. It's an incredibly motivating feeling to watch your new post climb from position 90... to 50... to 20... and finally, finally, onto that coveted first page.

It's a Marathon, Not a 100-Meter Dash

Look, keyword research for a new site isn't a "one and done" task. It's the beginning of a long-term relationship with your audience and with Google. Your first batch of keywords is your starting point. Some will be winners. Some will be total duds, and that's okay! As you write, you'll get more data. You'll see what actually brings people to your site. You'll find new competitors. Your strategy will evolve. But by starting smart, focusing on long-tail intent, and respecting the "difficulty" climb, you're not just building a website. You're building a real, sustainable resource. And it all started with that one, perfect, weirdly specific keyword.