Keyword research is the foundation of every successful SEO strategy. Choose the wrong keywords and you can spend months optimizing pages for searches that never lead to customers. Choose the right ones and your website becomes a consistent source of leads from people actively looking for exactly what you offer.
What Is Keyword Research?
Keyword research is the process of discovering the exact words and phrases your potential customers type into Google when they’re looking for your products or services. Good keyword research answers three questions: What do people search for? How many people search for it monthly? How competitive is it to rank for?
Step 1: Start With Your Services, Not Your Keywords
Before opening any tool, write down every service, product, or problem you solve. Be specific. Instead of “cleaning services,” think:
- House cleaning service Manila
- Office cleaning Makati
- Deep cleaning service BGC
- Move-in cleaning Quezon City
- Airbnb cleaning service Philippines
Think like your customer. What words would they type into Google at 11pm when they desperately need your service? Write down 15–20 seed phrases before touching any tool.
Step 2: Expand With Free Keyword Tools
Google Search (Free — Most Underrated)
Type your seed phrase into Google and study: autocomplete suggestions (based on real search behavior), the “People Also Ask” box (goldmines for blog topics), and “Related searches” at the bottom (shows how people search for the same topic differently).
Ubersuggest (Free Plan)
Run your seed phrases through Ubersuggest to see monthly search volume in the Philippines and keyword difficulty (SEO Difficulty 0–100). For new websites, target keywords below 30. For established sites, below 50.
Google Keyword Planner
The most accurate volume data, coming directly from Google. Requires a free Google Ads account — no need to run or pay for actual ads.
Step 3: Understand Keyword Intent
Every keyword has an intent — what the person wants to do when they search. There are four types:
- Informational — “What is SEO” — Target with blog posts and guides
- Navigational — “Maria Theresa Florido SEO” — They’re looking for you specifically
- Commercial — “best SEO services Philippines” — They’re comparing options; target with service pages
- Transactional — “hire SEO specialist Philippines” — They’re ready to buy; send them to your contact page
Matching content type to intent is critical. A transactional keyword like “hire SEO specialist Philippines” should lead to your service page — not a blog post. Getting this wrong means Google won’t rank your page even if it’s well-optimized.
Step 4: Analyze What’s Already Ranking
Before targeting a keyword, Google it yourself and look at the top 5 results. What type of content ranks — long guides, short pages, videos? What topics do they cover? Are small Philippine businesses ranking, or only large international brands? Match or exceed what’s already working.
Step 5: Build Your Keyword Map
A keyword map assigns one primary keyword (and 3–5 secondary keywords) to each page. This prevents multiple pages from competing against each other for the same term.
Example — small accounting firm in Cebu:
- Homepage: “accounting firm Cebu”
- Bookkeeping page: “bookkeeping services Cebu”
- Tax filing page: “tax filing service Philippines”
- Blog post: “how to file BIR taxes Philippines”
- Blog post: “BIR deadlines 2025 Philippines”
Choosing Keywords for a New Philippine Website
If your site is brand new, targeting highly competitive keywords is a waste of time. Instead, look for:
- Long-tail keywords: 4+ word phrases have lower volume but much lower competition and higher conversion rates
- Location-specific keywords: “bakery Marikina” is easier to rank for than “bakery Manila”
- Question-based keywords: “how much does SEO cost in the Philippines” often ranks quickly in featured snippets
Need help finding the right keywords for your business? Keyword research is included in my full SEO strategy service. Send me a message and I’ll show you exactly which terms to target based on your business, location, and goals.