How to Find Keywords for a Website: 10 Free Methods (2026)

Keyword research tells you the exact words customers type into Google. Get it right and your pages attract people who are ready to buy. Get it wrong and you rank for searches that never bring business. Here is a simple process for finding keywords for your website using mostly free tools.

1. Start with your services and customers

List every service or product you offer and the problems customers come to you with. Write them in the customer's words. People search "website for my cafe" or "how much does a logo cost", not your internal service names.

2. Find the keywords your website already ranks for

If your site is live, open Google Search Console → Performance → Search results. You will see every query you appear for, with clicks, impressions and average position. This is the fastest way to find a website's keywords:

• Queries in positions 8–20 are quick wins: improve that page and its title.
• Queries with many impressions but almost no clicks need better titles and meta descriptions.
• Filter by page to see which keywords each page ranks for.

3. Use Google autocomplete and People Also Ask

Type your topics into Google and note the suggestions. Scroll to "People also ask" and "Related searches". These show real questions people ask and make excellent headings and FAQ items.

4. Check search volume in Google Keyword Planner

Inside a free Google Ads account, Keyword Planner shows estimated monthly searches, related ideas and competition for ads, and lets you filter by country or city. Use it to compare options, not as exact numbers.

5. Compare interest in Google Trends

Trends shows which phrases are rising, seasonal patterns and differences between regions.

6. Find the keywords a competitor's website ranks for

To see another website's keywords, use an SEO tool such as Ahrefs, Semrush or Ubersuggest (free versions show some data). Enter the competitor's domain and look at "organic keywords" and "top pages". You can also simply search your main services and note which pages rank and what they cover.

7. Group keywords by intent

8. Choose one main keyword per page

Give every important page one main keyword plus close variations. Don't create several pages for nearly identical searches, because they compete with each other.

9. Put keywords in the right places

• Page title and H1
• First paragraph
• Subheadings where natural
• URL slug
• Meta description (to win the click)
• Image alt text where relevant

10. Track and improve

Check Search Console monthly. Improve pages that sit on page two, update content that is falling, and add internal links from related pages.

Free tools at a glance

• Google Search Console: your own keywords and positions
• Google Keyword Planner: volume and ideas
• Google Trends: seasonality and comparisons
• Autocomplete and People Also Ask: real questions
• AnswerThePublic or AlsoAsked: question research

Related reading: SEO cost guide.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Letting the agency own your ad accounts
• Sending paid traffic to the homepage instead of a focused landing page
• Stopping campaigns before they have enough data
• Spreading a small budget across too many channels

Quick checklist before you start

• Accounts and data in your business name
• Weekly review of results and search terms
• Conversion tracking tested end to end
• Clear goal and budget for the next three months
• Landing page that matches the offer

Key takeaway

A step-by-step process for finding keywords your customers actually search, using free tools you can start with today. Start with one clear goal, measure results from day one and keep accounts and data in your own name, so you stay in control whatever partner you work with.

How Pixelence can help

Pixelence Digital Studio works remotely with businesses in the UK, US, Australia, the UAE, Germany and India on SEO, Google and Meta ads, websites and content, with calls in your time zone. Book a free discovery call or build an estimate with our pricing tool.