How to Choose Keywords for a New Website (Step by Step)

The short answer: to choose keywords for a new website, start from one sentence about who your site helps, list the questions those readers ask, check them with free tools like Google autocomplete and Search Console, then search each phrase yourself and pick long, specific ones where page one looks beatable. Give each post one main keyword and match the kind of page Google already shows for it.

You just made a new website. It is empty. You open a keyword tool and see thousands of phrases. Which ones do you pick? Most beginners guess. Then they wait months for a post that never shows up on Google.

I want to save you from that. Choosing keywords is not magic. It is a small set of choices you can make in an afternoon. This guide shows you how, in plain steps, with free tools.

If you are still at the very start, read SEO for Beginners first. It explains how search works. This post is the next step: picking the words you will aim at.

What Is a Keyword?

A keyword is just the words a person types into Google. It can be one word or a whole question. “Banana bread” is a keyword. So is “how do I start a blog with no money.”

When you choose a keyword for a post, you are saying, “This page answers that search.” That is all. You are matching your page to a real question a real person has.

Why Does a New Website Need a Different Keyword Plan?

Because Google does not trust a new site yet, so the broad, popular phrases go to older sites first. A new site has no history. Google does not know you yet. Older sites with lots of links have a head start on the big, popular phrases. If you aim at those, you are in a race you cannot win this year.

So the plan is simple. Start with small, specific searches. Win a few of those. Then build up. Nobody can promise you how long this takes, and I will not pretend otherwise. What I can tell you is that narrow searches give a new site a fairer chance than broad ones.

I cover the AI side of this in How to Find Low-Competition Keywords With AI. Here we stay with the basics that work with or without AI.

Step 1: Write down what your site is about

Before any tool, grab a notebook. Write one sentence: “My site helps ___ do ___.” For example, “My site helps beginners start a blog without wasting money.”

This sentence keeps you focused. Every keyword you pick should fit it. If you are not sure about your topic yet, start with How to Choose a Profitable Blog Niche. Come back here when you have one.

Step 2: Make a messy list of topics

Now write every question your reader might ask. Do not judge them. Just write. Think about:

What a beginner is afraid of or confused about
What they Google late at night when they feel stuck
Words you use that a newcomer would not know
Problems you had yourself when you started

Aim for 30 to 50 ideas. Many will be bad. That is fine. You are filling a bucket, not choosing yet.

Step 3: Use free ways to find real searches

Now check that people really search for these things. You do not need to pay for anything at the start.

Google autocomplete

Type the start of your idea into Google. Do not press enter. Look at the phrases that drop down. Google shows them because people search for them. Write down the useful ones.

“People also ask” and related searches

Search your idea and scroll. You will see a box of questions and a list of related searches at the bottom. These are free ideas for more posts and for headings inside your post.

Google Keyword Planner

This is a free tool inside Google Ads. You need a Google Ads account to open it. You do not have to run any ads. One thing to know: without an active campaign, it may show wide ranges instead of exact numbers. Treat the numbers as a rough guide, not a fact.

Google Search Console

Once your site has a few weeks of life, connect Search Console. It shows the real phrases people used before they found you, even if you only got a few views. This is where keyword choice gets honest. You stop guessing and start seeing.

Pinterest search

If you plan to use Pinterest, type your idea in the Pinterest search bar and read the suggestions. They work like Google autocomplete. I go deeper in Pinterest for Bloggers: The Beginner’s Guide.

Step 4: Check what the search really wants

This step stops a lot of mistakes before you write a word. Search your keyword yourself. Look at the first page. What do you see?

Lists of tips? Then people want a list.
Step-by-step guides? Then people want to learn how.
Product pages and shops? Then people want to buy, and a blog post may not fit.
Big brand sites everywhere? That is a hard fight for a new site.

This is called search intent. It means the reason behind the search. If Google fills page one with how-to guides, write a how-to guide. Do not fight what Google already shows.

Step 5: Look for weak spots on page one

A weak page one gives you a way in. Here are signs that the door is open:

Forum threads or question sites ranking high on the page
Old posts that have not been updated in years
Pages that only half answer the question
Small or personal sites mixed in with the big ones

And here are signs to walk away, at least for now:

Page one is full of huge, well-known sites
Every result is clearly written by a team of experts
The phrase is very short and very broad, like “weight loss” or “make money”

Some tools show a “difficulty” score. Each tool works it out in its own way, so one tool’s score does not match another’s. Use it as a loose hint, and let your own eyes on page one be the final check.

Step 6: Prefer longer, more specific phrases

Compare these two searches:

“blogging”
“how to start a blog on a small budget as a stay-at-home mom”

The second one is longer, so fewer people search it. But the person who does is clear about what they need. And fewer sites are fighting for it. For a new site, this is where wins come from.

You can read more about this idea in How to Use AI for Keyword Research, which also shows how to sanity-check numbers an AI gives you.

Step 7: Give each post one main keyword

One post, one main keyword. Pick the phrase that matches what the post answers most closely. Then add a few close helpers: other ways to say the same thing.

Do not write two posts for the same search. They will compete with each other, and neither will do well. If you already have a post for a topic, improve that post instead. I wrote about this in How to Update Old Blog Posts for More Traffic.

Step 8: Put the keyword where it belongs

Once you choose, use it in a natural way:

In the post title
In the first paragraph
In at least one heading
In the web address (the slug)
In the short description people see on Google

Do not stuff it in every sentence. Write for a person first. If it sounds odd when you read it out loud, change it.

A simple example

Say your site is about crochet for beginners. “Crochet” is far too broad. “Crochet patterns” is still crowded. But “easy crochet scarf pattern for a total beginner” is specific. You search it, and page one has a few old blog posts and a couple of forum threads. That is a reasonable target.

Notice what happened. You did not need a paid tool. You needed a clear topic, a few free searches, and ten minutes of looking at page one.

What Did Search Console Show on My Own Site?

It showed me that the words people type are not always the words I planned for. When I went through this site’s Search Console report in September 2026, two older posts stood out.

A Henry Ford article had 507 impressions at an average position of 14.5. Most of those searches came from students typing a quiz question about why Henry Ford succeeded. They wanted a quick answer, not a long story. So I rewrote only the search title and description to give that answer up front.
A BandsOffAds review had 197 impressions and 0 clicks. The top search was “bands off ads”, with spaces, while my title used the brand’s own spelling. I put both spellings in the title and description.

I changed nothing else on those two pages, so the before-and-after is clean. The click results are not in yet, and I will not guess them. The lesson is already clear, though: Step 4 (reading the intent) and Search Console told me more than a difficulty score would have.

Mistakes I would avoid

Chasing big numbers. A phrase with a huge search count is usually crowded.
Trusting one tool. Numbers from any tool are estimates. Check them against what you see on Google.
Ignoring intent. A good keyword with the wrong kind of page will not rank.
Picking keywords you do not care about. You will have to write about them again and again. Pick topics you can stay with.
Expecting fast results. New sites take time. Keep publishing and keep checking Search Console.

Your keyword checklist

Write one sentence about who your site helps.
List 30 to 50 questions your reader might ask.
Check autocomplete and “People also ask” for each.
Search the phrase and read page one.
Check the intent: guide, list, or shop?
Look for weak spots you can beat.
Choose one main keyword per post.
Use it in the title, intro, a heading and the slug.
After a few weeks, check Search Console and adjust.

Questions people ask

How many keywords does a new website need?

There is no magic number. Start with enough to plan your first 10 to 20 posts. You will add more as you learn what readers search.

Do I need a paid keyword tool?

No. Free tools and your own eyes on Google are enough to begin. Paid tools save time later, once you publish a lot. Prices change, so check each company’s own page before you decide.

Can I change a keyword after I publish?

Yes. If a post is not doing well, look at what Search Console says people really search. Then update the title and text to match. Be careful with the web address, though. Changing a live slug can break links.

Should I pick keywords before I choose a niche?

Niche first, keywords second. Your topic decides which keywords make sense.

Where to go next

Pick five keywords from your list today. Just five. Check page one for each, and choose one where page one leaves an open door. Write that post next.

If you want a place to keep everything together, my Starter Kit is a free place to begin, and How to Start a Content Website walks you through the bigger picture. You do not need to get it all right on day one. You need to start.

Get the free VivaMomentum Starter Kit

Discover more from VivaMomentum

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.