How to Find Keywords for a Website (A Free, Step-by-Step Method)
Quick answer
Pick a few seed topics your site is about, turn each one into a long list of related terms, then add real search volume and difficulty from a free source such as Google Keyword Planner. Keep the terms with decent volume and low difficulty. Those are the ones worth writing pages for first.
Free tool
Keyword Research Tool. Type a seed topic, generate related ideas, import your own volume and KD data, then filter and export the list. Runs in your browser, nothing is sent to a server.
Most keyword research guides assume you already pay for an SEO tool. You do not need one to get started. Free sources give you real search volume for far more words than you will manage to target in the first year of a new site, and the process is the same whether the data is free or paid.
Step 1: write down your seed keywords
A seed keyword is a short, broad term for what a page or your site is about, such as “coffee grinder” or “dog walking”. List five to ten of these based on what you sell, what you write about, or what you already rank for. Do not overthink this step. You are about to turn each seed into dozens of more specific ideas.
Step 2: turn each seed into a list of ideas
Type one seed into a keyword tool and it will return related phrases built from modifiers (best, cheap, near me, reviews), questions (how to, what is, why does), and the alphabet method (your seed plus a, then b, then c, and so on). This is the fastest free way to see the shape of a topic, since it surfaces the exact phrasing people actually search rather than the words you would have guessed yourself.
Step 3: add real search volume, for free
A list of ideas with no volume is a guess. Add real numbers from a free source before you decide anything:
- Google Keyword Planner. Free with a Google Ads account, no live campaign needed. Export your keyword list as a CSV with volume, competition and a cost-per-click range.
- Google Search Console. If your site already has some pages live, the Performance report shows the exact queries it is already getting impressions for, which is often a faster win than targeting something brand new.
- Free-tier exports from Ahrefs or Semrush. Both let you check a small number of keywords without a paid plan. Export what you can as a CSV.
Most keyword tools, including ours, read a CSV exported from any of these and match the columns automatically if they are named Keyword, Volume, KD (or Difficulty), CPC and Intent. That way you are not stuck with a free tool’s guess at volume. You are working from the same numbers Google and the big platforms use.
Step 4: filter for the realistic wins
Once volume and difficulty (KD) are attached to your list, sort by KD, low to high, and look for keywords with decent volume that are not already dominated by large sites. A simple rule of thumb: a keyword with volume of 50 or more and a KD of 30 or less is worth a look for a newer site. Anything above KD 60 usually needs backlinks and domain history you will not have yet, so it is not a good first target.
Sorting by volume divided by difficulty, rather than by either number on its own, tends to surface the best realistic targets, since it rewards keywords that are both searched for and genuinely reachable.
Step 5: group keywords into pages, not one page per keyword
A single page can rank for dozens of related keywords if it genuinely covers the topic. Writing a separate page for every keyword variation creates pages that compete with each other and dilutes the signal to Google about which one should rank. Group your filtered list by shared topic first, then write one strong page per group.
Keywords that share a main word, such as “coffee grinder” and “best coffee grinder for espresso”, belong on the same page. Keywords with no shared word belong on different pages, even if they are loosely related.
Step 6: cover the topic fully with related terms
Once you know which page you are writing, pull the words and short phrases that show up again and again across its keyword group. Working these naturally into your headings and body text, rather than repeating the exact main keyword, is what separates a page that covers a topic from one that is stuffed with a single phrase. It also matches how Google’s own documentation describes writing for search: for people first, with language that covers the topic rather than repeating a target phrase.
Mistakes that waste the research
- Picking keywords by volume alone and ignoring difficulty, which leads to months spent chasing terms a new site has no realistic chance of ranking for.
- Writing one thin page per keyword variation instead of grouping them into fewer, fuller pages.
- Stuffing the exact match keyword into every sentence instead of writing naturally and covering the topic.
- Never revisiting the list. Search Console data a few months after publishing often shows queries you did not plan for, which are usually easy additions to an existing page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find keywords for a website for free?
Start with a handful of seed topics, expand each into related ideas with a free keyword tool, then add real volume and difficulty from Google Keyword Planner, Google Search Console, or a free-tier export from a paid SEO tool.
What is a good keyword difficulty for a new website?
A KD of 30 or under is a reasonable starting range for a site with little to no backlink history. As the site builds authority and backlinks over time, higher KD keywords become realistic too.
Do I need paid software for keyword research?
No. Google Keyword Planner is free and gives real search volume, Google Search Console shows what your own site already gets found for, and most paid SEO tools allow a small number of free lookups without a subscription.
How many keywords should a new page target?
One main keyword, plus the related terms that naturally belong in the same group. A page genuinely covering a topic usually ends up ranking for dozens of variations it was never built around one at a time.
What is the difference between a seed keyword and a long-tail keyword?
A seed keyword is short and broad, such as “coffee grinder”. A long-tail keyword is longer and more specific, such as “best coffee grinder for espresso under 100”. Long-tail terms usually have lower volume individually but are easier to rank for and often convert better.
