Content Strategy
Keyword Research With Free Tools: A Small Business Workflow
Find real search terms without paid tools: Search Console, autocomplete, related searches and Keyword Planner.
By the Seozumi editorial team · · about 5 min read
You do not need an expensive subscription to find out what your customers search for. Free tools from Google show real queries, related questions and rough demand. They are less precise than paid tools, but for a small business choosing its next ten pages they are usually enough.
Start with what you already rank for
If your site is a few months old, Google Search Console is the most accurate free source because it shows real queries for your own site. Open Performance → Search results → Queries, set the range to the last 3 months and sort by impressions. Look for:
- Queries with impressions but few clicks: people see you but you are not the best answer yet.
- Questions (“how”, “why”, “cost”, “best”) you never wrote about directly.
- Location or product words you did not expect.
Our guide to reading the Performance report explains the filters.
Expand ideas with Google Search itself
- Autocomplete. Type your main service slowly (“water heater”) and note the suggestions. Add letters (“water heater a…”, “water heater b…”) to see more.
- People also ask. Search a core term and open several questions; more appear as you click.
- Related searches at the bottom of the results page.
- The results themselves. Look at what ranks: guides, product pages, local listings or videos. That tells you the format Google thinks fits.
Use a private window and, if relevant, check from the country you target; results vary by location and language.
Check rough demand
- Google Keyword Planner (free with a Google Ads account, no spending required) shows volume ranges and related terms. Without active ads, volumes appear as broad ranges.
- Google Trends compares the relative popularity of terms over time and by region. Useful for seasonality and choosing between wordings.
Treat all volume figures as estimates. A term with “10–100” monthly searches can still bring valuable customers if the intent matches what you sell.
A worked example
Illustrative example for a small bakery offering custom cakes:
| Source | Ideas found |
|---|---|
| Search Console | “gluten free birthday cake”, “cake delivery same day” |
| Autocomplete | “custom cake how far in advance”, “custom cake cost” |
| People also ask | “How much does a 2-tier cake cost?”, “Can you freeze a buttercream cake?” |
| Trends | Interest in “wedding cake” peaks in spring in the target country |
From this, the bakery plans a cost guide, an ordering-timeline page, and improves its gluten-free page.
Group and prioritize
- Group terms that share the same intent into one page; do not create separate pages for tiny wording differences.
- Decide whether each group belongs on a service/product page or a blog post.
- Score groups with the editorial rubric in how to find SEO blog topics.
Mistakes to avoid
- Chasing the highest-volume term even when it does not match what you sell.
- Translating keywords instead of researching them per market; see multilingual SEO.
- Ignoring zero-volume questions customers ask you directly; tools often miss them.
- Repeating the exact phrase unnaturally in your text.
Repeat this process every few months. Search behavior shifts, and Search Console will keep showing new queries as your site grows.
