You’ve been told you need to “use the right keywords” — but nobody has actually explained what a keyword is, or how to pick one.
Every article you find seems to assume you already know. They jump straight into tools, scores, and strategies — leaving complete beginners behind before the post even gets going.
That stops here. By the end of this guide, you will know exactly what a keyword is, how search volume and competition work, and how to pick your very first keyword with confidence. No experience needed.
What Exactly Is a Keyword? (And Why It Matters for Your Blog)
Think about the last time you searched for something online. Maybe you typed “easy dinner recipes for beginners” into Google. That phrase you typed — that is a keyword.
A keyword is simply the word or phrase someone types into a search engine when they are looking for something. That is it. Nothing complicated.
Now here is why this matters for your blog. When you write a post, Google reads it and tries to figure out what it is about. If your post matches what someone searched for, Google shows your post in the results. If it does not match, your post stays invisible — no matter how good the writing is.
So when someone says “use the right keywords,” they mean: write about things people are actually searching for, and use the same words your reader would use to search.
That is the whole idea. Everything else builds on this.
| Keyword Meaning: A word or phrase that someone types into a search engine. In blogging, targeting a keyword means writing content that matches what real people are searching for. |
Short Keywords vs. Long Keywords — What’s the Difference?
Not all keywords are the same. Some are one or two words. Others are full questions or phrases. And for beginners, this difference matters a lot.
A short keyword is broad — something like “SEO” or “blogging” or “weight loss.” Millions of people search for these every month. Sounds great, right?
Here is the problem. Those same keywords are targeted by massive websites with thousands of posts and years of history behind them. As a brand-new blog, you have almost zero chance of showing up on page one for “SEO.” You would be competing against some of the biggest names on the internet.
This is where long-tail keywords come in. A long-tail keyword is a longer, more specific phrase — something like “how to do SEO for a new blog for free” or “best free keyword tools for beginners.” Fewer people search for these, but the people who do are looking for something very specific. And the competition is much lower.
For a beginner, long-tail keywords are your best friend. They are specific, they attract the right readers, and they give you a real chance of ranking — even with a brand-new site.
| Long-Tail Keyword Meaning: A longer, more specific search phrase — usually three or more words. Long-tail keywords get fewer searches but face less competition, making them the smarter choice for new bloggers. |
What Is Search Volume — and How Much Is Enough?
Search volume is the number of times people search for a particular keyword each month. So if a keyword has a search volume of 500, that means around 500 people search for that exact phrase every month.
When beginners first see this number, they panic. Five hundred searches sounds tiny. They immediately look for keywords with 50,000 or 100,000 monthly searches. And that is one of the most common beginner mistakes.
Here is the reality. A keyword with 100,000 searches per month is also targeted by hundreds of competitive, well-established websites. A brand-new blog has no realistic chance of ranking for it.
A keyword with 300 to 800 searches per month — especially a specific long-tail phrase — is a completely different story. If only a handful of pages are targeting it seriously, you can rank. And 300 people visiting your post every month, clicking your affiliate links, reading your content, and sharing your guide? That adds up fast.
Do not chase big numbers. Chase realistic numbers with low competition. That is how new blogs grow.
| Search Volume Meaning: The average number of times a keyword is searched per month. Higher volume means more potential traffic, but also more competition. For beginners, low-to-medium volume keywords are usually the smart target. |
What Is Keyword Intent? (This Is the One Most Beginners Miss)
This is the part that most beginners skip — and it is the reason a lot of blog posts get traffic but earn nothing, or rank for the wrong audience entirely.
Search intent is the reason behind a search. What does the person actually want when they type that phrase into Google?
There are four types of intent, and each one requires a different kind of content.
Informational intent — the person wants to learn something. Example: “what is keyword research.” They want an explanation. A blog post works perfectly here.
Navigational intent — the person is trying to find a specific website or page. Example: “Ubersuggest login.” They are not looking for your blog. They already know where they want to go. Do not target these.
Commercial intent — the person is comparing options before they decide. Example: “best free SEO tools for beginners.” They are not quite ready to buy, but they are close. A comparison post or review fits perfectly here.
Transactional intent — the person is ready to take action or make a purchase. Example: “buy Ubersuggest Pro plan.” They want a deal or a sign-up page, not a beginner’s guide.
Why does this matter? Because if your content does not match the intent behind the keyword, Google will not rank it — even if it is beautifully written. Google wants to give searchers exactly what they are looking for. If someone searches “what is a keyword” and your post is a product page selling an SEO tool, you will not rank. The intent does not match.
Always ask yourself: what does the person who types this actually want? Then write that.
| Search Intent Meaning: The underlying reason behind a search — what the person actually wants when they type a keyword. Matching your content to the correct intent is essential for ranking on Google. |
What Is Keyword Difficulty — and Can a New Blog Actually Rank?
Keyword difficulty is a score that shows how hard it would be to rank on the first page of Google for a particular keyword. Most tools show this as a number between 0 and 100. The higher the number, the harder it is to rank.
A keyword with a difficulty score of 70 or 80 means the top results are held by powerful, well-established websites with thousands of backlinks — links from other sites pointing to theirs. A brand-new blog cannot compete with that, no matter how good the post is.
Here is what to aim for as a beginner. Look for keywords with a difficulty score below 30. Ideally below 20. These are keywords where the competition is thin, the existing content is weak or outdated, and a well-written, genuinely helpful post from a new blog still has a real chance.
One thing to remember: a low difficulty score does not guarantee you will rank. It just means the door is open. You still need to write something that actually helps the reader and covers the topic properly.
Realistic timeline? For a new blog with no domain authority, you can start seeing movement on low-competition keywords within three to six months of consistent publishing. Expect slow at first. It picks up.
| Keyword Difficulty Meaning: A score (usually 0 to 100) that measures how hard it is to rank for a keyword. Lower scores mean less competition. Beginners should focus on keywords with a difficulty score below 30. |
How to Find Your First Keyword as a Complete Beginner
Enough theory. Here is how to actually find a keyword you can use — using a free tool called Ubersuggest.
Ubersuggest is a keyword research tool built by Neil Patel. The free version gives you enough data to get started without spending a single rupee or dollar. It shows you search volume, keyword difficulty, and intent signals all in one place.
Here is the process, step by step.
- Go to ubersuggest.com and type in a broad topic related to your blog. For example, if you are starting a blog about personal finance for beginners, type “save money.”
- Ubersuggest will show you a list of related keyword ideas. Scroll through them and look for longer, more specific phrases — those are your long-tail opportunities.
- For each keyword you like, check three numbers. First, search volume — you want at least 200 to 300 per month. Second, SEO difficulty — aim for below 30. Third, look at the search results shown below — if the top pages are from huge brands and news sites, move on. If you see smaller blogs or forums ranking, that is a good sign.
- Write down three to five keywords that pass all three checks. These are your candidates.
- Pick the one that best matches a topic you can write about in depth. That is your first target keyword.
That is genuinely all it takes to start. The free tier of Ubersuggest is enough for your first ten to twenty posts.
| Keyword Research Meaning: The process of finding words and phrases that real people search for, then evaluating whether they are worth targeting. Good keyword research is the foundation of any blog that gets search traffic. |
What Makes a Keyword the “Right” Keyword for Your Post?
Before you write any post, run your target keyword through this simple checklist. If it passes all five points, it is worth writing about.
- Does it have a search volume of at least 200 per month? Lower than that and even ranking number one may bring very little traffic.
- Is the difficulty score below 30? If it is higher, the competition is likely too strong for a new blog.
- Does the intent match what you are writing? If someone searching this phrase wants to learn something and your post is a tutorial — perfect match. If they want to buy something and you are writing a guide — mismatch. Move on.
- Can you write a complete, helpful post on this topic? If you cannot answer the question properly, do not target the keyword. Thin content does not rank.
- Is this keyword specific enough? “Blog” is too broad. “How to start a blog for free as a complete beginner” is specific and targetable. Go specific every time.
If your keyword passes all five, you have something worth building a post around.
| Keyword Match Meaning: When your blog post topic, content type, and writing closely align with what a person intended when they searched a keyword. A strong keyword match improves your chances of ranking significantly. |
Common Keyword Mistakes Beginners Make (And How to Avoid Them)
Most beginner SEO mistakes come back to keywords. Here are the ones Digital Grow Kit sees most often — and what to do instead.
Targeting keywords that are too broad. Writing a post called “SEO Tips” and hoping to rank is not a strategy. The competition is enormous. Go narrow and specific instead.
Ignoring search intent. You write a 2,000-word tutorial on a keyword where everyone searching wants to buy a product. Google looks at those search results, sees your tutorial does not match what people want, and keeps you buried. Always check intent first.
Picking keywords with zero search volume. Some keywords sound great but nobody actually searches for them. Always verify with a tool before writing. If a keyword gets zero searches, your post starts at zero traffic.
Copying what big blogs rank for. You see a popular blog ranking for “best SEO tools” and think — I will write that too. The problem is that blog has thousands of backlinks and years of authority. You cannot compete with that post yet. Find the gaps they are not covering and start there.
Targeting only one keyword per post. Every post should have one primary keyword and a handful of closely related phrases that appear naturally in the writing. This helps Google understand your content more fully without keyword stuffing.
Avoiding all of these is simpler than it sounds. Pick a specific, low-competition, long-tail keyword that matches the intent of what you plan to write. Check the numbers. Then write something genuinely useful.
| Keyword Stuffing Meaning: Forcing a keyword into a post far too many times in an unnatural way. Search engines now penalise this. Use your keyword naturally — typically once in the title, once in the opening paragraph, and a few times throughout the post where it fits. |
Important FAQs
What is the difference between a keyword and a search query?
A search query is the actual phrase a person types into Google. A keyword is what you as a blogger choose to target based on those queries. In practice, they are often the same thing — but keyword refers to your planned target, while search query refers to the user’s actual input.
Do keywords have to be exact phrases?
Not anymore. Google has become very good at understanding meaning and context. You do not have to repeat the exact phrase over and over. Write naturally and cover the topic well — Google will understand what your post is about.
How many keywords should one blog post target?
One primary keyword per post. You can also include closely related phrases naturally in the writing, but your post should be built around one clear main keyword. Trying to target five different keywords in one post usually means you are not doing a great job at any of them.
Can two blog posts on the same site target the same keyword?
You should avoid it. If two of your posts target the same keyword, they compete with each other — Google has to choose which one to show, and both posts may end up ranking lower as a result. This is called keyword cannibalization. Keep each keyword unique to one post.
How often should keywords be updated?
Search trends shift over time. A keyword that was popular two years ago may have declined. Digital Grow Kit recommends revisiting your keyword strategy every six months — checking whether your target keywords are still relevant, still getting searches, and still at a manageable difficulty level.
Does using a keyword in the title actually help?
Yes, significantly. The page title is one of the strongest signals Google uses to understand what your post is about. Always include your primary keyword in the title, ideally near the beginning.
What comes next? Now that you understand what a keyword is, the next step is learning how to find ones that have almost no competition — so your new blog actually has a shot at ranking.
