You may call your service “digital presence development”, but clients search for “how much does a website cost”. If your website doesn’t use the words clients use, it doesn’t show up. Finding those words is the first step of any SEO or ad strategy.
What keywords are
They are the terms and phrases people type into search engines. They can be short, like “website”, or long and specific, like “how much does a website for a beauty clinic cost”. Long ones usually have fewer searches but attract people closer to buying.
Understand search intent
- Informational: the person wants to learn. E.g.: “what is a landing page”.
- Comparative: they are weighing options. E.g.: “website or instagram for business”.
- Transactional: they are ready to hire. E.g.: “website design in [city]”.
- Navigational: they are looking for a specific brand. E.g.: “Evollue”.
Service pages should focus on transactional intent; blog articles serve informational and comparative intent well.
Where to find your clients’ words
- Your WhatsApp and email: the questions clients ask are gold.
- Google suggestions: start typing your service and see what Google completes.
- “People also ask”: the question box in the results shows real doubts.
- Related searches: at the bottom of the results page.
- Google Search Console: shows which terms your website already appears for.
- Google Ads Keyword Planner: brings ideas and an estimate of search volume.
- Competitors: see how they name services in their page titles.
How to choose the best ones
Build a list and evaluate each term with three questions:
- Can someone who searches for this become a client?
- Is there reasonable search volume?
- Can I compete with whoever already ranks at the top?
For local businesses, adding the city (“in [city]”) usually reduces competition and increases the chance of contact.
How to use them on your website
- One main keyword per page. Avoid two pages competing for the same term.
- In the page title (what appears on the tab and on Google).
- In the main heading (H1) and some subheadings.
- In the description that appears in the results.
- In the copy, naturally, along with variations and synonyms.
- In the page address, when it makes sense.
Repeating the keyword too much doesn’t help and makes the copy hard to read.
How to use them on your blog
Turn questions into articles: “how much does… cost”, “how to choose…”, “what is the difference between…”. Each article answers one question and leads the reader to the related service page.
How to use them in ads
In Google Ads, keywords define when the ad appears. Start with transactional ones including the city, and use negative keywords to avoid searches that don’t matter.
Review from time to time
The way people search changes. Review your keywords every few months, looking at Search Console and ad search terms, and adjust your pages.
Practical example: building a clinic’s list
A beauty clinic would start like this:
- Services: facial cleansing, laser hair removal, facial harmonization, lymphatic drainage.
- WhatsApp questions: “how much is a facial?”, “does laser hair removal hurt?”, “how many sessions are needed?”.
- Google suggestions: “facial price”, “laser hair removal [city]”, “how long does facial harmonization last”.
- Final list: pages for each service with the city (“laser hair removal in [city]”) and articles for the questions (“does laser hair removal hurt?”).
Organize your keywords in a spreadsheet
A simple spreadsheet helps you stay on track:
- Keyword
- Intent (informational, comparative, transactional)
- Website page that will target the term
- Priority (high, medium, low)
- Status (to create, published, to improve)
This prevents two pages competing for the same search and shows which content to produce first.
Long-tail keywords
Long, specific searches, like “how much does a website for a restaurant cost”, have less volume but bring people with clear intent and face less competition. For small businesses, they are a great way to start appearing on Google and are perfect for blog articles.
Conclusion
Finding keywords is listening to the client. Start with the questions they already ask, use Google’s free tools, organize terms by intent and give each page a clear topic. That way, your website, blog and ads start speaking the language of the people who buy.
Frequently asked questions
How many keywords should I use per page?
Focus on one main keyword and a few close variations. Each page should have a clear topic.
Do I need paid tools?
Not to start. Google suggestions, Search Console and the Keyword Planner already help a lot.
Do keywords with the city name work?
For local businesses, yes. Terms like “website design in [city]” attract people from the region who are more likely to hire.
