Keyword research sounds technical — it's really just answering one question: what does an overseas buyer type into Google when they need someone like you? This worksheet uses only free tools and takes you from zero to a usable keyword list.
You have a website but you're not findable on Google for your category. Or you've hired SEO firms before and aren't sure if their work makes sense.
Do the steps in order, fill in answers as you go. Don't skip — earlier steps feed later ones. Block 90 uninterrupted minutes.
You'll have a 3-tiered keyword list (high/mid/low priority) that you can hand to a writer or to your SEO team to execute.
First step isn't using a tool — it's using your head. Write your products in the words a buyer would use, not your internal naming.
List 3-5 products you most want to export. Write each in two ways:
e.g., formal "specialty coffee bag" / conversational "fancy coffee pouch"
Drop your Step 1 terms into Google's search box and watch what it auto-suggests — that's what real buyers actually search.
1. Open google.com (use a VPN with your target market region if needed)
2. Type your product term, don't press Enter — read the 10 dropdown suggestions
3. Add "buy", "best", "how to", "vs" before the term — read suggestions again
4. Save every relevant suggestion that appears
e.g., "specialty coffee bag" → "specialty coffee bag with valve" / "specialty coffee bag wholesale" / "specialty coffee bag manufacturer"
Not every search becomes an order. Buyers use different words at "research" and "purchase" stages — find the ones with purchase intent.
Add these prefixes/suffixes to your Step 1 terms and Google them:
Competitors already ranking on Google have validated their words. Take what works.
1. Search your Step 1-3 terms on Google. Note the top-10 sites (skip if not a real competitor)
2. Pick 3-5 competitors most like you (size, positioning, market)
3. Open their product pages and blog posts. Inspect: page title, H1, URL slug — what words do they use?
4. Free tools: Semrush or Ahrefs have free trials — enter a domain and see every keyword they rank for
You've collected a lot of words — but not all of them are worth pursuing. Use free tools to check "how many search this" and "how competitive is it."
Look at three metrics:
Final step: sort validated keywords into three priority tiers. This is your battle map for the next 90 days of SEO work.
5-8 keywords per tier. One product page or blog should target 1-3 related keywords max.
The keyword list is the input — three things to do next: