Define the topic, product, service, or page goal
Identify the target audience and their search intent
List seed keywords related to the core topic
Use keyword research tools to expand the list
Check search volume for each keyword
Check keyword difficulty or competition level
Review cost per click if paid search matters
Analyze search intent for each keyword
Group keywords by topic and intent
Find long-tail keyword variations
Identify question-based keywords
Review competitor keywords and ranking pages
Look for keyword gaps and missed opportunities
Prioritize keywords by relevance, volume, intent, and difficulty
Map keywords to specific pages or content pieces
Remove duplicate, irrelevant, or low-value keywords
Track keyword performance over time
Update keyword lists based on results and trends