How to Choose the Right Keywords for Your Blog

Every blog post should target a specific keyword - the phrase people type into Google when looking for that information.

Choose the wrong keyword and your post never gets found. Choose the right one and you get consistent traffic for years. Understanding how to choose keywords for your blog is one of the most impactful skills in content marketing.

How to choose keywords for your blog: start with demand

Keywords are the bridge between what people search for and what you write. When someone types "how to structure a blog post" into Google, they're looking for specific information. If your post targets that phrase and delivers value, Google shows it in results. If you wrote about blog structure but never thought about keywords, you might rank for nothing. The goal isn't to stuff keywords everywhere - it's to choose the right target and create the best answer for it.

A keyword is only useful if people actually search for it. Your first step is verifying demand.

Use keyword research tools

Tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, Ubersuggest, and Google Keyword Planner show search volume - how many people search for a phrase monthly.

You want keywords with enough volume to matter (at least 100+ monthly searches for niche topics, more for broader ones) but not so much that competition is impossible.

Check Google suggestions

Type your topic into Google and look at autocomplete suggestions. These are phrases people actually search for.

Also check "People Also Ask" boxes and related searches at the bottom of results. These reveal related keywords worth targeting.

Validate with the SERP

Google your potential keyword and see what ranks. Are there results specifically targeting this phrase? That confirms demand exists.

Evaluate competition

Not all keywords are equally accessible. Some are dominated by major sites you can't realistically outrank.

Check who's ranking

Look at the top 5 results. Are they authoritative sites like HubSpot, Wikipedia, or major publications? Or are they smaller blogs and niche sites?

If smaller sites rank well, you have a chance. If only major sites appear, the keyword might be too competitive for now.

Assess keyword difficulty

Most keyword tools provide a "difficulty" score estimating how hard it is to rank. Use this as a rough guide, not gospel.

For newer blogs, target keywords with lower difficulty scores. As you build topical authority, you can pursue harder keywords.

Understand search intent

Search intent is what the searcher actually wants. Matching intent is more important than matching exact phrases.

Identify the intent type

Ask: what does someone searching this phrase want?

Do they want to learn something? (informational) Do they want to compare options? (commercial) Do they want to find a specific site? (navigational) Do they want to buy or sign up? (transactional)

Most blog keywords are informational or commercial.

Match the format

Study what's ranking. If all top results are "how-to" guides, write a how-to guide. If they're listicles, consider that format. If they're short definitions, a 2,000-word essay won't match intent.

Google has learned what searchers want for each query. Match that expectation.

Choose one primary keyword per post

Each post should target one primary keyword. Secondary keywords and variations are fine, but you need a clear primary focus.

Why one keyword?

Focus beats fragmentation. A post trying to rank for five keywords often ranks for none. A post laser-focused on one keyword can rank well for that phrase plus related variations.

How to choose the primary

Pick the keyword that best represents what your post is about. Usually it's the phrase you'd expect someone to type when looking for this exact information.

For this post, "how to choose keywords for your blog" is the primary keyword. Related phrases like "blog keyword research" and "finding keywords" are secondary.

Strategic keyword selection

The ideal keyword has high enough volume to be worthwhile and low enough competition to be realistic. For most bloggers, long-tail keywords hit this sweet spot - longer, more specific phrases with lower volume but clearer intent and less competition. "Blogging" has massive volume but impossible competition. "How to choose keywords for a new blog" has less volume but is rankable. Build authority by ranking for long-tail keywords first. As your site gains authority and backlinks, you can target broader, higher-volume terms.

Choose keywords you can genuinely write well about. Ranking for a keyword means nothing if your content doesn't satisfy readers. If you're not an expert on "advanced machine learning for SEO," don't target it just because it has search volume. Your keyword strategy should align with your content strategy.

Workflow and common mistakes

Here's a simple process: brainstorm topics relevant to your blog, use keyword tools to find specific phrases with volume, check difficulty, study the SERP to see what format is expected, verify search intent, choose one primary keyword per post, and create content that's the best answer for that keyword. Over time, you'll develop intuition for which keywords are worth pursuing.

Avoid these pitfalls: targeting keywords with zero search volume, targeting keywords too competitive for your authority, ignoring search intent, and changing keywords after ranking. Always verify demand, be realistic about competition, match intent, and choose wisely before publishing.

For more on optimization, see our guide on SEO for bloggers and why posts don't rank.