Launching a new brand is exciting—but to gain visibility online, you need more than just a great product or service. You need to get discovered by the right audience. That’s where keyword research for a new brand comes into play.
Keyword research is the cornerstone of search engine optimization (SEO). It helps you understand what your target audience is searching for, how competitive those search terms are, and how to create content that drives traffic and conversions.
If you’re just getting started with SEO, this guide will walk you through how to start keyword research for a new brand, step-by-step.
Step 1: Understand Your Brand, Audience & Goals
Before diving into tools and keywords, take a step back and understand:
- What does your brand offer?
- Who is your ideal customer?
- What problems are you solving?
- What actions do you want users to take (e.g., sign up, buy, book a call)?
Let’s say you’re launching a new plant-based protein brand. Your audience might include fitness enthusiasts, vegans, or people with dairy allergies looking for “vegan protein powder” or “plant-based fitness supplements.”
Knowing your brand’s value proposition and customer pain points will guide your keyword focus.
Step 2: Brainstorm Seed Keywords
Seed keywords are the basic search terms that relate to your brand or offerings. These will act as the foundation for finding long-tail and niche keyword variations.
Examples:
- Product terms: “vegan protein,” “organic face cream,” “home workout plan”
- Problems: “how to get rid of acne,” “low energy solutions”
- Services: “digital marketing agency,” “wedding photographer in Mumbai”
Use tools like:
- Google Autocomplete
- YouTube Suggestions
- Reddit/Quora for real-world questions
- Amazon & marketplaces for product-based queries
This initial brainstorming phase is about listing as many relevant terms as possible.
Step 3: Use Keyword Research Tools
Now, take your seed keywords and input them into keyword research tools to find:
- Monthly search volume
- Keyword difficulty (competition)
- Related keywords
- Search intent (informational, navigational, transactional)
Popular tools:
- Google Keyword Planner (Free)
- Ubersuggest (Freemium)
- Ahrefs and SEMrush (Advanced and Paid)
- AnswerThePublic (For question-based long-tail keywords)
Look for keywords with:
- Moderate to high search volume
- Low to medium keyword difficulty
- Clear relevance to your product or service
Pro Tip: Don’t ignore low-volume keywords! They often indicate high intent and less competition—especially useful for new websites.
Step 4: Analyze the Competition
Search your shortlisted keywords in Google and study:
- Who’s ranking on page 1?
- Are they blogs, ecommerce sites, or brand pages?
- What kind of content do they offer (videos, guides, product pages)?
- Can you create something better or more in-depth?
Use this research to find content gaps—topics or questions your competitors haven’t fully covered—and opportunities to rank.
Step 5: Group Keywords by Intent and Funnel Stage
Not all keywords serve the same purpose. Classify them based on user intent:
- Informational: “what is whey protein,” “benefits of turmeric”
- Navigational: “Nike India website,” “SB Wayout Instagram”
- Transactional: “buy vegan protein powder,” “best SEO agency near me”
Then, align them with funnel stages:
- Top of Funnel (TOFU): Blog content, educational videos
- Middle of Funnel (MOFU): Product comparisons, use-case articles
- Bottom of Funnel (BOFU): Product pages, service pages, reviews
This helps you map keywords to your content and sales strategy effectively.
Step 6: Organize Keywords into a Content Plan
Create a content calendar using your keyword clusters. Plan content types such as:
- Blog posts
- Landing pages
- Category/product pages
- FAQ sections
- Pillar and cluster content for topic authority
Example:
- Focus keyword: “plant-based protein”
- Supporting blog ideas:
- “Top 10 Plant-Based Protein Sources”
- “Whey vs. Plant-Based Protein”
- “Best Vegan Protein Powder in India (2025)”
Create SEO-optimized content by including:
- Focus keyword in title, URL, and headings
- Synonyms and related phrases
- Internal links and proper meta tags
Step 7: Monitor, Refine, and Evolve
Keyword research isn’t a one-time task. Use tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics to:
- Track keyword rankings
- Monitor traffic and engagement
- Identify high-performing and underperforming content
Re-optimize pages with better keywords over time and continue publishing relevant content to build domain authority.
Doing keyword research for a new brand can feel overwhelming at first, but with the right process, it becomes a powerful growth tool. By understanding your audience, leveraging the right tools, and consistently creating high-quality content, you set your brand up for organic visibility and long-term SEO success.
Whether you’re a startup, small business, or launching a personal brand, this roadmap will help you compete—even against bigger players.
