- Tim at Penfriend
- Posts
- How to do simple keyword research
Hi Penfriends!
We’re busy working on the keyword strategy for our Done-For-You clients.
But if you want to do it yourself, here’s a few tips.
If you’ve struggled with this before, don’t worry.
Keywords are HARD to work out. There’s a fine balance between keywords that convert and keywords that have enough search volume, whilst not being too competitive.
We like to pull all our keywords from two sources
Ahrefs
Keyword insights
There are other tools but these are our favourites. You don’t have to use these tools but they make the process easier.
Now, let’s look at the type of keywords you might use for the three different stages of the buyer journey:
Bottom of Funnel (BoFu)
Middle of Funnel (MoFu)
Top of Funnel (ToFu)
Bottom of Funnel (BoFu) Keywords
Definition
These are keywords used by potential customers who are ready to make a purchase or take a specific action. They typically have high purchase intent.
Example
If you're selling digital marketing courses, BoFu keywords might be:
“buy project management software”
“project management tool free trial”
“project management software pricing”
Strategy
Identify product specific keywords. Focus on keywords that are directly related to your offer.
Include transactional phrases. Terms like “buy”, “purchase”, “price”, “discount”, or “deal”.
Use brand names. If your brand is well known, include brand specific keywords.
Long tail keywords. These are more specific and often have less competition.
Formula
[Product/Service] + [Transactional term] + [Specific attribute/Location (if applicable)]
Middle of Funnel (MoFu) Keywords
Definition
These keywords target users who are considering their options and looking for more information before making a decision. These users have research intent.
Example
For the same digital marketing courses, MoFu keywords might be:
“best project management tools”
“project management software comparison”
“project management tool features”
Strategy
1. Focus on informational and comparative keywords: Phrases that reflect the user’s research behavior.
2. Include problem solving phrases: Keywords that address specific challenges or questions.
3. Educational content: Terms related to guides, how tos, and tutorials.
4. Use of modifiers: Words like “best”, “top”, “comparison”, “reviews”.
Formula
[Educational/Comparative term] + [Product/Service category] + [Specific need/Question]
Top of Funnel (ToFu) Keywords
Definition
These are broad, general keywords that target users at the awareness stage. They are just beginning to recognize a need or problem and are seeking information.
Example
Using the digital marketing course scenario, ToFu keywords might be:
“what is project management software”
“benefits of project management tools”
“how to improve team collaboration”
Strategy
1. Broad and educational keywords: Focus on generic terms related to your industry or product, without the sales intent.
2. Address general queries: Keywords that answer basic questions or introduce concepts.
3. Content marketing focus: Create valuable content like blog posts, infographics, and videos to target these keywords.
4. Avoid sales language: The aim is to inform and educate, not to sell directly.
Formula
[Informative term] + [Broad industry/Product category] + [Basic query/Need]
A quick summary
1. Understand user intent
BoFu is about purchasing.
MoFu is about researching and comparing.
ToFu is awareness and initial understanding.
2. Use keyword research tools
To find keyword ideas and their search volumes, use tools like:
Google Keyword Planner
SEMrush
Ahrefs
3. Analyze competitors
Look at what keywords your competitors are targeting.
4. Apply formulas
Use the formulas above as a starting point, then refine based on your specific product/service and audience insights.
Get that right and this happens…
And if you want us to do it all for you…
Here’s the full Done-For-You service:
Advanced keyword research
Priority score the keywords
Cluster the keywords
Existing content review
Market research on your business's industry and positioning
150 articles, generated by us
Have a human review each article for LLM hallucinations
A content optimisation plan with editing principles and guidelines
A content maintenance plan so you know what to do next
A training session with your internal team
A Coda workflow board to store and manage your articles
If you’re interested to find out more, just reply to this email to start a conversation.
Best wishes,
John, Tim, and Inge