SEO Isn’t a Gamble. It’s Precision.
You don’t win in search by winging it. You win by knowing exactly what your audience types into Google—and building around that. At Kraken Dev Co, we don’t “optimise” after the fact. We build SEO from the ground up, starting with a single focus: keyword intent.
If you’re still guessing your way through keyword strategy, here’s how to stop and start using a modern, tactical keyword research process that brings real results.
What Keyword Research Really Means in 2025
Keyword research is the act of identifying how users search online. Not buzzwords. Not vanity phrases. Actual queries, from real people, with clear intent.
The goal isn’t traffic. The goal is qualified traffic—visitors who need what you offer, and are ready to act.
When Keyword Research Is Done Right, You:
- Target high-intent traffic
- Align with commercial goals
- Improve rankings for relevant terms
- Reduce bounce, increase conversions
- Build topic authority
Step 1: Define Your Core Categories (Buckets)
Skip the tools for now. Start with clarity.
Questions to ask:
- What problems do we solve?
- Who’s the buyer?
- What phrases would they use?
Write down 5–10 keyword “buckets” that define your niche. If Kraken Dev Co were mapping this out for ourselves, our buckets might include:
- WordPress SEO services
- Custom plugin development
- Speed optimisation
- Secure WordPress hosting
- Technical SEO for developers
These form the strategic foundation for your entire content and keyword plan.
Step 2: Brainstorm Keywords From Real Conversations
Think like your buyer. Search like your buyer.
Examples for a “custom plugin development” bucket:
- “bespoke WordPress plugin developer”
- “how to create a WooCommerce plugin UK”
- “custom plugin developer for e-commerce sites”
Pull from:
- Sales calls
- Support tickets
- Google Search Console
- On-site search logs
You’re not just collecting keywords. You’re collecting problems. Problems you solve.
Step 3: Validate With Real Search Data
Use keyword research tools to move from intuition to insight.
Free Tools:
- Google Keyword Planner – Volume and bid value
- Ubersuggest – Keyword suggestions and SERP data
- AnswerThePublic – Search question clustering
- Google Trends – Temporal demand tracking
Paid Tools:
- Semrush – SERP analysis, keyword gaps, intent segmentation
- Ahrefs – Keyword difficulty, competitor insights, backlink correlation
- Moz – Relevance and click potential scoring
Look for:
- High commercial intent
- Low-to-medium difficulty
- Clear topic alignment
Ignore keywords that look good on paper but have no business value.
Step 4: Dissect Search Intent
Don’t just look at a keyword—look at why someone types it.
Types of search intent:
- Informational – “what is schema markup”
- Navigational – “Kraken Dev Co WordPress SEO”
- Commercial – “best WordPress hosting for SEO”
- Transactional – “hire WordPress developer UK”
Search the term. Study the SERP. What ranks—blog, service page, marketplace? Match that format or you’re wasting the opportunity.
Step 5: Prioritise Long-Tail Keywords
Short-tail = vanity. Long-tail = conversions.
Compare:
- Short-tail: “SEO agency”
- Long-tail: “technical SEO agency for e-commerce brands UK”
Lower volume. Higher intent. Easier to rank. Higher ROI.
Step 6: Steal From Competitors—Systematically
Don’t copy content. Steal insight.
Run competitor domains through tools like Ahrefs or Semrush. Look for:
- Keywords they rank for (page 2–3 of Google = opportunity)
- Pages with high volume, low keyword density
- Gaps in content clusters
Reverse-engineer the strategy—and build a better one.
Step 7: Clean Your Keyword List
You’ve now got a long list. Time to trim.
Remove:
- Irrelevant topics
- High-difficulty, low-intent phrases
- Trending-out or seasonal-only keywords
Keep:
- Keywords directly aligned with your service
- Medium-difficulty keywords with high conversion intent
- Long-tail terms tied to content format (blogs, landing pages)
Rank is vanity. Relevance is revenue.
Step 8: Map Each Keyword to a Content Type
Every keyword needs a destination.
- Informational intent → blog posts
- Transactional intent → service pages
- Question-based → FAQs
- High-conversion → dedicated landing pages
Rule: One page. One keyword cluster. Don’t try to do everything on one URL. Segment for control.
Step 9: Implement Keywords the Right Way
Keywords are signals. You place them where Google expects to see them.
Include your main keyword in:
- Page title (H1)
- Meta description
- URL slug
- H2 and subheaders
- First paragraph
- Image alt tags
Optimal density: 0.8–1%. But never force it. Clean content always wins.
Step 10: Build Strategic Content Clusters
Want Google to treat you like an authority? Build clusters.
Let’s say you’re targeting “SEO for WordPress”. Your content plan should include:
- How WordPress handles SEO natively
- Technical SEO plugins for WordPress
- Core Web Vitals and WordPress performance
- Schema markup for WordPress blogs
- Internal linking strategies in WP themes
All interlinked. All covering different angles. This builds topical depth—and earns trust from search engines.
Step 11: Monitor Performance. Adjust Fast.
SEO is a moving target. Algorithms shift. Competitors adapt. You need to track and refine.
Track with:
- Google Search Console – Impressions, click-through rate, ranking shifts
- Google Analytics – Bounce rate, engagement paths, conversions
- Ahrefs/Semrush – Keyword movement and domain visibility
Review:
- Every quarter minimum
- Any time rankings stall
- After major Google updates
Treat SEO like code: test, measure, refactor.
FAQs: Kraken Answers to Common SEO Keyword Questions
Where should I place keywords for SEO?
In titles, headers, meta, image alt tags, body copy, and URLs—always naturally, never forced.
Are free keyword tools good enough?
Yes—for research. But serious ranking needs commercial tools and competitor data.
What if we can’t rank against top players?
Target long-tail. Build clusters. Outposition with relevance and speed.
How often should we revisit keyword strategy?
Quarterly minimum. Monthly if you’re in a competitive vertical.
Final Word: Relevance Over Rankings
You don’t need 100K monthly searches. You need 100 visits from people ready to buy. That’s what precision keyword research delivers.
At Kraken Dev Co, we don’t chase clicks. We build content strategies that ship qualified traffic and revenue.
Ready to own your niche in search?
Let’s talk. KrakenDevCo.com/contact
