A keyword is a word or phrase someone uses when searching. It can be a service name, a problem or a complete question. Choosing keywords means deciding which of those needs your website should answer.
You can start with a short list and your knowledge of customers. The six steps below turn that list into a page plan. The garden-business examples are fictional planning examples, not measured search demand or ranking results.
1. Which services and customers should your keywords describe?
Start with work you actually want and can deliver. Write down your main services, suitable customers and genuine service area before collecting search phrases.
A gardener might offer one-off garden tidy-ups and regular maintenance for homeowners. They might not offer tree surgery, landscaping design or garden supplies. Those boundaries help you reject attractive-looking phrases that describe the wrong business.
Translate internal package names into ordinary words. A customer is more likely to describe an overgrown garden than know the name of your “Outdoor Reset” package. Keep your package name if it helps, but explain the service beside it.
For local work, add places you genuinely serve when location helps explain the offer. For a remote service, the customer's industry or problem may be more useful than a town name. Do not add locations simply to make the list longer.
2. Where can you find the words customers use?
Begin with actual enquiries, phone questions and the language people use when describing their problem. Record useful phrases without copying personal customer details into your planning notes.
Ask your team what people say before they know the right service name. “Can someone clear my overgrown garden?” may reveal more useful wording than a list of terms used only within your trade.
If your website already appears on Google, use the Queries and Pages views in Search Console's performance report to explore existing searches. Google's report documentation explains that some queries are omitted for privacy or data limitations. Treat the report as evidence, not a complete list of customer demand.
On a new website, mark your initial phrases as ideas to test. AI can suggest alternative wording, but an AI-generated list is not evidence of how often people search or whether they want your service.
3. What is the customer trying to do with each search?
Identify the search intent: the task the person wants to complete. They may want to hire someone, compare options, learn a skill or find a business they already know.
“Garden tidy up Hamilton” could suit a local service page. “How to clear an overgrown garden yourself” suggests a practical guide. “Gardening jobs Hamilton” is about employment. Shared words do not make these the same customer need.
Search a candidate phrase in your target market and examine the types of results: service pages, shops, guides, directories or job listings. Use this as a clue about what a useful answer might look like. Separate adverts from unpaid results when making notes.
Record what a visitor would expect to learn or do on arrival. If your proposed page cannot meet that expectation, change the page plan or leave the phrase out. Do not copy another business's wording or claims.
4. Which keywords deserve attention first?
Prioritise phrases that fit your offer, have evidence of customer interest and can be served by a useful page. A large estimated audience is not enough if those people need something you do not sell.
Our suggested starting order is your main service, a specific customer problem you solve, then questions that help someone decide whether to enquire. Adjust that order to your business priorities and the evidence you collect.
If you use search-volume estimates, check the location and date range. Google's Keyword Planner documentation explains that average monthly searches include close variants and depend on selected settings. Its competition column measures advertiser competition; it is not a score for difficulty in unpaid search results.
Keep an evidence note beside each phrase: customer question, existing search data or untested idea. A longer, specific phrase can describe a good fit, but length alone does not make it easy to rank for or valuable.
5. Which page should answer each group of searches?
Group phrases that describe the same service and customer need, then choose one main page for that group. Create a separate page when the offer or question needs a meaningfully different answer.
This fictional gardener offers both one-off tidy-ups and ongoing maintenance. A small keyword map, meaning a list connecting search phrases to pages, could look like this:
| Search phrase | Customer need | Best page |
|---|---|---|
| Garden tidy up Hamilton | Hire someone for a one-off tidy-up | Garden tidy-up service |
| Overgrown garden clearing Hamilton | Check whether the tidy-up covers this problem | The same service page, with scope explained |
| Regular garden maintenance Hamilton | Arrange ongoing visits | Regular maintenance service |
| Does garden tidying include waste removal? | Understand what the quote includes | A clear answer on the tidy-up page |
Check existing pages before adding new ones. Two phrases needing the same answer do not automatically need two articles. Equally, forcing unrelated services onto one vague page can leave customers unsure what you offer.
Keep a proposed page address and next action beside each group. Our guide to clear service pages covers the information customers need once they arrive. If you are planning a new site, Green Kauri's Websites service includes content and page structure.
6. How should you use the keywords on the page?
Describe the service plainly in the page title, main heading and opening answer. Then explain the details a customer needs: suitability, area served, included work, price guidance and the next step.
For the fictional gardener, “Garden tidy-ups in Hamilton” is a clear heading. The following paragraph can explain overgrown gardens, one-off visits and how to request a quote. It does not need every phrase from your planning list squeezed into the heading.
Google's SEO Starter Guide says its systems can understand related searches without every exact wording appearing on the page. It also warns against excessive repetition. Use related language where it helps explain the offer, not to reach a keyword count.
Read the page aloud. Replace awkward phrases with natural sentences, and check that every service claim is true. A keyword list should help you write a clearer page, not become the page itself.
How can you tell whether your keyword choices are useful?
Look for relevant searches reaching the intended pages and enquiries that fit your business. Record what you changed and when, so you have a useful starting point for comparison.
In Search Console, review the searches associated with the page. Impressions show appearances in search results; clicks show visits from those results. Compare similar periods and account for seasonal demand. A few visits or one new enquiry cannot establish a reliable pattern.
If the page gets few impressions or no clicks at all, check the wider reasons a website is not getting traffic. If the searches look wrong, revisit the page's purpose and wording. If suitable visitors arrive but do not contact you, check the offer and enquiry process. Avoid changing keywords every few days in response to small movements in position.
Green Kauri's xEO Optimisation service reviews existing website content and search visibility, identifies priorities and implements agreed improvements. Keyword choices belong within that wider review of what each page explains and who it should help.
What else should you know about website keywords?
How many keywords should one page target?
Start with one clear customer need and a group of related phrases. There is no useful quota to fill. A service page can answer several closely related searches when its content covers the topic properly. Use another page when the service or customer question needs a substantially different answer.
Can I choose keywords without a paid tool?
Yes. Begin with your services, actual customer questions and the language people use when they contact you. Examine relevant search results and use existing website search data if available. Record assumptions separately from evidence. A paid tool can add information, but it cannot decide which customers your business should serve.
Should every keyword include my location?
No. Include location when it helps describe a genuinely local service. Other questions may concern price, process or suitability without needing a town name. Make your actual service area clear on the relevant page, and avoid adding places you do not serve simply to reach more searches.
Will the right keywords guarantee a Google ranking?
No. Relevant wording helps explain what a page offers, but it cannot guarantee a position, traffic or enquiries. Search engines also need to access and understand the page, and other results may better meet the searcher's needs. Review useful customer outcomes rather than treating one ranking as proof of success.