Keyword research for SEO goes wrong in two common ways. The first is chasing volume: targeting a broad term that thousands search for but few would buy from you. The second is overlap: several pages on one site all aimed at the same phrase, so Google has to guess which to rank and often ranks none of them well.
How We Do Keyword Research for SEO
- Seed list. Your services, locations and the words your customers use on the phone and on WhatsApp — including Roman Urdu where relevant.
- Expansion. Related searches, “People also ask” questions and the terms competing pages rank for.
- Intent check. For each phrase we look at the results page: guides, service pages, directories or maps? That tells us what kind of page can rank.
- Grouping. Phrases with the same intent are grouped; each group becomes one page.
- Mapping. Each group is assigned to an existing page or marked as a gap.
- Priority. Gaps and weak pages are ranked by commercial value and difficulty.
What the Keyword Map Looks Like
A simplified example for a law firm in Karachi:
| Phrase group | Intent | Page |
|---|---|---|
| family lawyers in Karachi; family lawyer Karachi; divorce lawyer Karachi | Hire a local lawyer | /family-lawyers-in-karachi/ |
| khula procedure in Pakistan; how to file khula | Understand a process | /khula-procedure/ (guide) |
| family lawyers in Pakistan | National provider | Homepage |
| property lawyers in Karachi | Hire a local lawyer | Gap — new page needed |
The rule is simple: one intent, one page. A city page targets the city phrase; the national page targets the national phrase; guides answer questions and link to the service pages.
What You Receive
- A spreadsheet of phrase groups with intent, target page and priority.
- A list of overlapping pages, with a recommendation to merge, re-target or keep each one.
- A list of missing pages, in priority order, with the H1 and focus phrase for each.
- The heading plan for the top five pages.
Keyword Research for SEO and Content Writing Together
Keyword research for SEO is most useful when the same people write the pages. The writer knows why each phrase was chosen and where it belongs — title, opening sentence, headings, body — and keeps it at a natural rate instead of forcing it. That is how we deliver SEO content writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which tools do you use for keyword research?
Google’s own results pages and Search Console first, then commercial keyword tools for volume estimates. Search Console shows what your site already appears for, which is the most reliable data you have.
Are search volumes accurate?
They are estimates, often rounded and averaged over a year. We use them to compare phrases with each other, not as forecasts of traffic.
What is keyword cannibalisation?
When two or more of your pages target the same search, Google has to choose between them and may rank neither well. Keyword research finds those overlaps so one page can be the clear answer.
Related Pages
Sources
Reviewed by: Mohsin Ali Shah, founder of SEO Content Master
Published by: SEO Content Master, seocontentmaster.com
Last updated: 29 October 2026