Keyword research is not about finding the biggest numbers. A search with 50 monthly visits from people ready to book can be worth far more than one with 5,000 from people idly browsing. Our strategy work is about finding the searches that match what you sell and how your customers think.
What the research includes
- Search volumes and trends for the UK and, where it matters, Suffolk and East Anglia specifically.
- The intent behind each search: researching, comparing, ready to buy or looking for a local provider.
- Which terms your competitors rank for and you do not.
- Seasonality. Coastal hospitality, agricultural suppliers and racing-related businesses in Newmarket all see sharp seasonal swings.
- Questions people ask, gathered from search results, forums and your own customer enquiries.
From keywords to a plan
We group keywords into topics, map each group to an existing page or a new one, and flag where two pages are competing for the same search. You get a prioritised roadmap: which pages to improve first, which to create, and which to merge or retire. The order depends on your goals, your current strength and how competitive each search is.
Strategy that fits the business
An Ipswich accountancy firm, a Bury St Edmunds food producer selling online and a Lowestoft engineering supplier to the offshore wind sector will have very different strategies. The first needs local visibility for a handful of services. The second needs product and category searches nationwide. The third may be targeting a few hundred specialist buyers who search in very precise technical language. We tailor the plan rather than running the same checklist.
Keyword strategy feeds directly into our content and local SEO work, or you can take the plan in-house.
What you receive
- A keyword map. A spreadsheet grouping keywords into topics, each mapped to an existing or proposed page, with search volume, intent and difficulty.
- Gap analysis. Searches your competitors rank for and you do not, with notes on which are worth pursuing.
- Cannibalisation report. Pages on your site competing for the same searches, with a recommendation for each.
- A prioritised roadmap. What to improve, create, merge or retire, in order, with a rough effort estimate.
- A walk-through call so your team understands the reasoning, not just the list.
How long it takes
Keyword research and a strategy for a typical Suffolk business site takes two to four weeks. A large e-commerce catalogue or a business targeting several regions or languages can take longer. Once complete, the strategy should guide your SEO work for six to twelve months, with a light review each quarter.
What affects the cost
| Factor | Effect on scope |
|---|---|
| Number of services or product categories | More topics means more research and mapping. |
| Geography | One town, the whole county or the whole UK each need different data. |
| Niche language | Specialist B2B sectors need manual research because tools often show no data. |
| Existing content | Large sites need more mapping and cannibalisation checks. |
Keyword research mistakes to avoid
- Chasing volume. The biggest searches are often the least likely to bring customers.
- Ignoring "zero volume" terms. Tools miss many specific B2B and local searches that still bring valuable enquiries.
- One keyword per page thinking. Google understands topics. A good page answers a cluster of related searches.
- Not checking the results page. If Google shows national retailers or directories for a term, a local business page may not be the right fit.
- Forgetting seasonality. Content for the summer coast season or the autumn sales at Newmarket needs to be in place months ahead.
How we measure success
We track the keyword groups in the strategy over time: impressions, clicks and positions in Search Console, plus the enquiries or sales coming from the pages mapped to them. A strategy is working when the pages it recommended are bringing in the visitors it predicted, not when a single vanity term ranks.
Start with your inbox: the words customers use in their first email are often the best keywords you will find. Collect twenty enquiries and highlight the phrases they use to describe what they want.
Related services and reading
Strategy feeds directly into SEO content, local SEO and e-commerce SEO. For a B2B example, read our guide to SEO for logistics firms around Felixstowe; for highly seasonal markets, see our Newmarket page.
Frequently asked questions
Which keyword tools do you use?
We use established keyword and rank tracking tools alongside your own Search Console data and customer enquiries. Tool figures are estimates, so we treat them as a guide rather than fact.
Can we do the work ourselves after the strategy?
Yes. The roadmap is written so an in-house marketer or business owner can follow it, and many of our clients do.
How do you research Suffolk-specific searches?
We look at searches including town and county names, check local results pages, and use Search Console data filtered by location where available.
Is keyword research still useful with AI search?
Yes. It tells you which questions and topics matter to your customers, which is exactly what AI tools try to answer too.
How often should the strategy be updated?
A light review each quarter and a fuller refresh once a year suits most businesses, or sooner after a big change such as a new service.