Keyword Research

Understanding the Basics

Keyword research is the process of identifying the search terms that users enter into search engines when looking for information, products, or services. These keywords serve as the foundation for any SEO strategy because they reveal what your target audience is searching for online. By aligning your website content with these search terms, you increase the chances of appearing in relevant search results.

The SEO Impact

When done correctly, keyword research helps improve your website’s visibility in search engines, attract more qualified traffic, and boost conversions. It ensures that your content matches user intent, whether informational, navigational, or transactional. Without proper keyword targeting, even well-designed websites can struggle to attract the right audience.

Strategic Insights

In addition to content creation, keyword research informs site structure, on-page optimisation, and even paid search campaigns. It highlights content gaps and competitive opportunities, allowing businesses to stay ahead in their niche. For SEO to be effective, keyword research isn’t optional—it’s essential.

A Comprehensive Approach

At Doublespark, we take a multi-faceted approach to keyword research. Our process starts with a discovery session to understand your business, goals, and audience. We then use industry-leading tools such as SEMrush, Ahrefs, Google Search Console, and more to gather data on search volume, competition, and trends.

Intent and Relevance

We focus heavily on user intent to ensure keywords align with different stages of the buyer journey. This includes mapping keywords to specific pages or recommending new content to address informational, commercial, or transactional needs.

Custom Reporting

Once the research is complete, we provide you with a detailed, easy-to-understand report including keyword clusters, intent categorisation, and strategic recommendations. We also highlight immediate opportunities for quick wins as well as long-term targets for growth.

Broad and Niche Keywords

We target a mix of broad and long-tail keywords. Broad keywords attract large search volumes, while long-tail keywords—typically longer, more specific queries—offer less competition and higher conversion potential.

Transactional vs Informational

We also categorise keywords by intent: informational (e.g., “how to fix a leaking tap”), navigational (e.g., “Doublespark SEO services”), and transactional (e.g., “buy running shoes Cambridge”). This ensures that your content aligns with what users are looking to achieve.

Geo-Targeted Keywords

For local SEO, we prioritise location-based keywords that help you rank in specific areas such as Cambridge, Peterborough, or London. These are crucial for attracting nearby customers and improving your visibility in map listings.

Data-Driven Evaluation

We use tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush to assess keyword difficulty, which measures how competitive it is to rank for a particular term.

We then weigh this against search volume and relevance to your business goals.

Balancing Potential and Effort

High-volume keywords with low difficulty offer the best opportunities. However, even difficult keywords can be viable if they bring in high-converting traffic.

Our goal is to find the right balance between effort and reward to prioritise the most valuable keywords.

Prioritisation Framework

We provide a prioritised keyword list categorised by quick wins, mid-term goals, and long-term targets.

This allows you to allocate resources efficiently and measure progress over time.

Regular Review Is Crucial

Search trends, user behaviour, and competitor strategies change frequently, which means keyword research is not a one-time task. We recommend reviewing your keyword strategy at least every six months or when launching new products, services, or campaigns.

Monitoring Performance

We use tools like Google Search Console and Analytics to track the performance of your current keywords. If rankings drop or traffic stagnates, it may be time to revise your keyword targeting.

Adapting to Algorithm Changes

Google’s algorithm updates often shift the SEO landscape. By keeping your keyword strategy current, you maintain your competitive edge and avoid losing rankings to more agile competitors.

Yes, Full Implementation Support

We don’t just hand over a keyword list—we help you implement it effectively. This includes optimising title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and body content. We also provide guidance for CMS platforms like WordPress and Shopify.

Content Planning

We assist with content calendars, blog topic suggestions, and landing page outlines based on keyword insights. Our aim is to turn data into action and ensure your website is fully aligned with user search behaviour.

Developer Collaboration

If needed, we collaborate with your developers to implement structural changes, improve internal linking, or create new pages that support keyword strategy.

Absolutely—It's Essential

Keyword research plays a crucial role in paid advertising strategies such as Google Ads. It helps identify high-intent, low-CPC keywords that deliver better ROI.

Ad Group Structuring

We help structure your campaigns using keyword clusters to improve Quality Score and ad relevance. This leads to lower costs per click and higher conversion rates.

Continuous Optimisation

We support ongoing optimisation by monitoring performance data and adjusting your keyword targeting based on user behaviour and campaign objectives.

Yes, Location-Based Targeting is a Core Service

We specialise in local keyword research for businesses targeting areas like Cambridge, Peterborough, and surrounding regions. This includes researching local search trends, competitor analysis, and Google Business Profile optimisation.

Improved Local Rankings

By targeting "near me" searches and city-specific queries, we help your business gain visibility in local map packs and attract more nearby customers.

NAP and Schema Support

We also ensure consistency in Name, Address, and Phone (NAP) data and recommend structured data to boost your local relevance and authority.

Aligning Content with Search Demand

Keyword research reveals what your audience is actively looking for. This insight allows us to create a content plan that directly answers user queries and ranks well in search engines.

Content Calendar Development

We turn keyword clusters into structured content calendars, ensuring each piece of content targets a specific keyword or group of related terms for maximum impact.

Content Gap Analysis

We identify topics your competitors are ranking for that you’re not—and help you create content to fill those gaps and reclaim lost opportunities.

Wide Sector Expertise

We work with businesses across a range of industries including ecommerce, legal, healthcare, finance, SaaS, local trades, and more. Our keyword research is customised to the language, trends, and competitive landscape of your sector.

Tailored to Business Goals

Whether you're a startup looking to grow locally or a national brand aiming for thought leadership, we align our keyword strategies with your objectives.

Industry-Specific Tools

For niche industries, we often use vertical-specific tools and data sources to ensure the most relevant and impactful keyword insights.