How to Conduct Keyword Research for SEO
Keywords are one of the main ways that search engines organise their page results, so keyword research is essential if you want to produce content that will get your technology or FinTech brand noticed.
What Are Keywords?
Any word or phrase typed into a search engine is a keyword. As you can imagine, some words are searched more frequently than others, meaning more people are looking for information concerning that word or phrase.
From a content marketing perspective, keywords represent a huge opportunity because you can tailor your content to match the most commonly searched words and phrases that your target audience is looking for. This can lead to an increase in organic traffic to your website, and it can bring in new prospects for your business.
How Do I Find the Right Keywords for My Content?
The first step to finding the right keyword for your technology or FinTech brand is understanding your target audience’s wants and needs. This can be achieved by building a customer avatar—a fictitious profile of your ideal customer.
Start by identifying the challenges they face and how your services can help. Then, use these insights to create content that solves those problems and drives traffic to your site.
Need inspiration? Look at what your competitors are doing. Don’t copy them—use it as a benchmark, then go further with your own creative, better-optimised spin.
Primary and Secondary Keywords
Once you have a good idea of your audience’s search behaviour, you can start focusing on primary and secondary keywords.
Primary Keywords
These are broad, high-volume terms you want to rank for.
Example: If you specialise in online banking, a primary keyword might be “investing in stocks”.
Your primary keyword should have strong search volume and serve as the central focus of your content.
Secondary Keywords
Secondary keywords support the primary keyword by targeting narrower or related queries.
Examples: “stocks and shares ISA”, “stocks to buy now”
While they may not have as much individual SEO value, they help you capture additional traffic and improve topical relevance.
Short-Tail and Long-Tail Keywords
Another key distinction is between short-tail and long-tail keywords.
Short-Tail Keywords
- Three words or fewer
- High search volume, but broad and highly competitive
- Example: “Online banking”
Long-Tail Keywords
- Longer, more specific phrases
- Lower search volume, but higher intent and less competition
- Example: “How to open an online bank account?”
Long-tail keywords are ideal for attracting prospects who are closer to making a purchasing decision.
How Do I Know Which Keywords to Compete For?
To decide which keywords are worth targeting, evaluate them based on:
- Search Intent
- Search Volume
- Keyword Difficulty
Search Intent
Search intent is the reason behind a query. Are users looking for information, making a comparison, or ready to buy?
Tools like Semrush categorise intent types (e.g. informational, transactional) and help you align your content accordingly.
Search Volume
This tells you how many people search for the keyword each month. Higher volumes mean more potential traffic—but more competition, too.
Keyword Difficulty
Keyword difficulty indicates how hard it is to rank in the top 10 Google results for that term.
- Difficulty scores are typically displayed as a percentage.
- Aim for below 70% for better chances of ranking.
- The lower the score, the easier it is to compete.
Semrush offers detailed data on both difficulty and volume, so you can strike a balance between opportunity and attainability.
Final Thoughts
Keyword research is about more than just choosing popular terms. It’s about aligning with what your audience is searching for, understanding their intent, and crafting content that answers their questions better than your competitors can.
At CopyHouse, we help technology and FinTech brands create SEO-optimised content that gets noticed, ranks well, and delivers measurable results.
To learn more about our approach, get in touch.