January 3 2026

What Is Keyword Research?

How I First Understood Keyword Research

When I first jumped into blogging from my small room in Durgapur, I honestly had no idea about one thing: keywords control everything.
I used to write articles straight from my heart, thinking people will somehow find me magically. Arrey baba, Google doesn’t work like that.

One day, while sipping cha near Benachity, one friend asked me,
“Sougan, people will find your blog how? Google ke bolley?”

And that line hit me hard.

That’s the day I actually started learning what is keyword research — not from fancy books, but from trial, error, frustration, and small wins.

Today, let me explain everything the same way I understood it — simple, practical, and no show-off English.
Just like I’m talking to you face-to-face, like two friends sitting near Durgapur Steel Market planning our blogging journey.

1. What Is Keyword Research? (In My Own Words)

If someone asks me today: What is keyword research?

I’ll say something very simple:

👉 Keyword research means understanding what people are searching on Google and creating your content in a way that answers those exact searches.

It’s like this…

If thousands of people are typing “how to lose weight without exercise”,
and you write an article titled “My Experience With Fitness”,
Google will simply ignore you.

Because you didn’t write what people search for.

That’s the core idea of keyword research.

You find:

What people search
How they search
Why they search
And how many people search

Then you write exactly what they want.
Not less… not more… but exactly matching search intent.

This is why keyword research for beginners is so important. Without it, blogging feels like shouting in an empty field.

2. Why Keyword Research Is the Backbone of SEO

If SEO is a house, keyword research is the foundation.

Without this foundation:

You write the wrong topics
You target wrong audiences
You compete with big websites unnecessarily
You don’t get traffic even after writing 100 articles
You get frustrated and quit — I almost did too

Once keyword research clicks, everything falls into place:

You know what to write
You know which keywords have low competition
You know what people actually want
You know where traffic will come from

Trust me, the importance of keyword research is something you understand only after struggling for months. When I first started learning keyword research, I realised it’s impossible to understand it properly without knowing the basics of SEO itself. If you’re completely new, I strongly suggest reading this beginner-friendly guide on what SEO is and why it actually matters before going deeper into keyword research.

3. SEO Keyword Meaning (Explained Simply)

Many beginners get confused with the term SEO keyword meaning.

Let me break it down in the simplest way possible.

SEO Keyword Meaning = The words people type into Google.

Examples:

“best phone under 15000”
“Durgapur hotel booking”
“what is keyword research”
“weight loss diet plan”

These are keywords because they reveal user demand.

You don’t choose keywords randomly.
Users decide keywords…
And we discover them. That’s the magic.

4. Types of Keywords (Explained with Simple Examples)

Keyword research becomes super easy once you understand different types of keywords.

1. Short Tail Keywords (1–2 words)

Example: “SEO”, “blogging”, “keyword research”
Traffic high → Competition very high.

2. Long Tail Keywords (3+ words)

Example: “how to do keyword research for beginners”
Traffic decent → Competition low → Best for new bloggers.

3. Informational Keywords

→ People want knowledge
Example: “what is keyword research”

4. Transactional Keywords

→ People want to buy something
Example: “best hosting for bloggers”

5. Commercial Keywords

→ People are comparing products
Example: “Hostinger vs Bluehost”

6. Local Keywords

→ Based on area
Example: “blogging course in Durgapur”

Long tail keywords are the real gems for new blogs.
They rank 10X easier and bring super targeted traffic.

5. Keyword Research Steps (My Exact Process You Can Copy)

This section is the heart of the article.

Here are the exact keyword research steps I personally follow for every article — including this one.
These steps work for both beginners and advanced bloggers.

Step 1: Understand Your Topic First

Before tools, before volume, before SEO…
Ask one question:

👉 What is my audience trying to learn or solve?

If your audience wants “Instagram growth,”
then something like “importance of keyword research” won’t help them.