Why Keywords Matter — Especially for Beginners
If you are new to blogging, you might wonder: Why do keywords matter so much? The answer is simple. Keywords are the words or phrases people type in search engines (like Google) when they want to find something. When you use the right keywords in your blog post, there’s a better chance that people searching for those words will land on your blog. This helps you get traffic — and if readers like your content, they stay, engage, and maybe return again.
But doing this well requires a bit of understanding and smart planning. So let’s dive into how you can pick the best keywords for your blog if you are just getting started.
What Makes a Good Keyword for Beginners
Not all keywords are equally useful. As a newbie blogger, your goal should be keywords that are relatively easy to rank for — but still useful and relevant. Here are the main features of a “good” keyword for beginners:
✅ 1. Search Intent & Relevance
Every keyword should match what your article is actually about. Imagine your reader: what question are they asking? What problem are they trying to solve? If your post matches that, the keyword is relevant. (Think and Free)
For example, if your blog is about baking, instead of using “food” or “recipes” (way too broad), use something like “easy cake recipes for beginners.” That matches intent much better.
✅ 2. Lower Competition — Not Always High Volume
Many beginners make the mistake of chasing big, popular keywords. But high‑volume keywords (lots of people searching) usually mean heavy competition: big, established blogs or websites are already ranking there. For a new blog, it’s hard to compete with them. (The Basic Housewife)
So instead, aim for keywords with lower — but decent — search volume. Many successful beginners target keywords with modest monthly searches (for example, a few hundred to a few thousand) where competition is manageable. (OCNJ Daily)
✅ 3. Long‑Tail Keywords
A “long‑tail” keyword is a longer, more specific phrase — usually 3 or more words. For instance: “best free keyword research tools for bloggers” instead of just “keyword research.” Long‑tail keywords are less competitive and often easier to rank for. Plus, they tend to attract readers who know what they want (so you get better‑quality traffic). (The Basic Housewife)
✅ 4. Match With Real User Questions or Needs
Think about what people are really asking. Many searches are questions — like “how to start a travel blog for free” or “tips for healthy cooking on a budget.” If you target those types of keywords, your content is likely to meet a need. (OCNJ Daily)
Also, when you plan content, choose a keyword that matches the style of article: a “how to” (for guides/tutorials), “what is” (for explainers), “best” or “top” (for lists), or “ideas for” (for inspiration). (OCNJ Daily)
✅ 5. Use Related Keywords (LSI / Variations)
Don’t just stick to a single keyword phrase. Use close variations — synonyms, related phrases, or alternate ways people might search for the same topic. This helps search engines understand your content better and can attract more diverse traffic. (travelpayouts.com)
For example, in a post about “home workouts for beginners,” you could also include “easy home exercise routines,” “workouts without equipment,” and similar phrases.
How to Find Good Keywords — Step by Step
So now you know what a good keyword looks like. But how do you find one? Here is a beginner‑friendly approach:
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Start with a seed idea — Think about your blog’s niche or a topic you want to write about.
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Use free tools — For example, free keyword research tools or simple search suggestions from Google. These tools show you search volume, competition level, and related keyword ideas. (onelink.com.ng)
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Check intent and competition manually — After you shortlist some keywords, do a quick Google search yourself. Look at the first page: if it’s full of high‑authority sites, ranking will be hard. If you find small blogs or forums, it’s a good sign that you — a beginner — might have a chance. (Think and Free)
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Pick long‑tail over short tail — Give priority to longer, more specific phrases rather than one‑word or two‑word general keywords. (BloggingX)
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Cluster keywords into topics — Sometimes it's smart to group similar keywords together under a broader topic. Later you can write multiple related posts linking to each other. This helps with building authority and also improves internal linking. (OCNJ Daily)
Example: Some Good Keywords for Blogging Beginners
Suppose you are new and blogging about general topics (writing, self-improvement, blogging, SEO, etc.). Here are some sample keyword ideas you could consider:
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“how to start a blog in 2026”
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“keyword research tips for beginners”
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“best free keyword research tools”
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“long tail vs short tail keywords explained”
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“how to write SEO friendly blog post for new bloggers”
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“blogging mistakes to avoid for beginners”
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“how to choose blog niche ideas”
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“easy SEO tips for bloggers in India”
These are long‑tail (or medium-length), specific, and likely to have manageable competition.
If your blog has a narrower focus (say cooking, tech, travel, etc.), just replace generic words with niche‑specific ones.
How to Use Keywords in Your Blog — The Right Way
Finding keywords is just the start. Next, you must use them properly in your post so search engines and readers both like your content. Here are some tips:
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Use your main keyword in the blog title / heading. That helps make the topic clear from the start. (Sassy Boss)
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Use it (and related keywords) naturally in the first 100–200 words — early placement helps SEO. (FlyRank)
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Sprinkle keywords (and variations) naturally in body — but don’t overdo it. Overuse (keyword stuffing) can hurt your SEO and readability. (travelpayouts.com)
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Use keywords in subheadings (H2, H3) if it makes sense — this helps structure the article and signals to search engines what each section is about. (FlyRank)
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If your post includes images — add alt‑text that describes the image using relevant keywords. This helps search engines understand the image content. (HostPapa United States)
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Use internal links to other posts on your blog using keyword-rich anchor text — this helps readers navigate and helps SEO. (HostPapa United States)
Also, avoid the temptation to just “stuff” many keywords. Focus on useful, meaningful content; quality wins over quantity. (Cuelinks)
Common Mistakes Beginners Make & How to Avoid Them
Even with the best intentions, many new bloggers slip up. Here are common pitfalls — and how you can steer clear:
⚠️ Mistake: Going for Very Broad, High‑Competition Keywords
Beginners often target keywords like “fitness”, “money-making”, “recipes”, or “travel tips.” These are huge topics — but they’re also crowded with big websites. It’s hard to compete. Instead, start with more specific phrases, especially long‑tail keywords.
⚠️ Mistake: Ignoring Search Intent / Relevance
If your article content doesn’t match what users expect when they search a keyword, they will bounce. That hurts both user experience and SEO ranking. Always pick keywords that match what you plan to write.
⚠️ Mistake: Over‑optimizing with Keywords (Keyword Stuffing)
It might be tempting to repeat keywords whenever possible — in paragraphs, subheadings, introducing synonyms, etc. But that can make writing feel unnatural, and search engines may penalize it.
⚠️ Mistake: Not Doing Manual Check of SERP
Relying only on tool metrics (like difficulty score) isn’t enough. Always search the keyword manually and see what kind of pages currently rank. If big, authoritative sites dominate, maybe skip that keyword.
⚠️ Mistake: Not Using Related Keywords / Variations
Using only one exact phrase again and again makes the content rigid. Using natural variations and related terms makes the text far more readable — and helps cover a broader range of search queries.
Final Thoughts — Focus On Readers, Not Just SEO
As a beginner, it’s natural to worry about rankings, traffic, and SEO. But ultimately — the readers matter most. Choose keywords that reflect what your readers are looking for. Write helpful, honest content. Balance between SEO needs and readability.
With consistent effort: good keywords, relevant content, simple structure, and genuine value — your blog can grow steadily over time. Don’t expect instant success. SEO and blogging is more like a slow climb than a rocket launch.
So instead of chasing big competition, start small. Pick long‑tail, low-competition keywords. Write with clarity. Help your readers. Keep going. Over time — your traffic will build, loyal readers will come, and you’ll get better with each post.