How To Do Furniture Keyword Research in the Age of AI
Jack Young
- Last Updated: 1 August 2025
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways - Furniture Keyword Research
- Keywords Still Matter:
Keywords remain the fundamental language of user intent and the raw material for search queries. AI models and Google AI Overviews still rely heavily on keywords to connect content to queries. - Optimise for AI-Centric Search, Not Just Rankings:
Ranking first on Google alone is no longer enough; you need to optimise your content to be cited and trusted by AI Overviews and Agentic AI models. - Prepare for Zero-Click Searches and AI Citations:
AI provides instant summaries and answers that reduce click-through rates for many queries. Being cited by AI Overviews can boost brand authority and recognition, offering visibility even without traditional clicks. - Embrace Empathy and Customer Journey Thinking:
Effective SEO requires a deep understanding of the customer’s intent and next steps. Optimising for the “AI DNA” means embedding speed, accuracy, goal-oriented guidance, personalisation, and comprehensive understanding into every aspect of your content and website experience. - Understand User Intent Granularly:
User intent spans informational, navigational, commercial, transactional, and local intent. AI models interpret complex, natural language queries and semantic meaning, so your content needs to address the deeper needs behind what people search for. - Conduct Thorough Topic Brainstorming and Question Research:
Start keyword research by listing terms around your products, styles, materials, and customer pain points. Include pre- and post-purchase questions. Use internal resources like sales and customer service teams, plus direct audience feedback to refine keyword ideas. - Use AI Tools Wisely with Human Insight:
AI-powered keyword idea generation (e.g., via ChatGPT) can broaden your list but must be refined using your knowledge of the audience and brand tone, so they connect to your customers and sound like your brand. - Perform Comprehensive Competitor Research:
Identify not just traditional rivals, but also competitors regularly cited in AI-generated summaries and “People Also Ask” features. Analyse their value propositions, marketing channels, messaging, and key pages—not to copy, but to uncover competitive advantages and gaps. - Leverage Online Reviews and Social Feedback:
Competitor and own customer reviews reveal what customers value and areas where competitors fall short. Use the exact language customers use to inform your content for better AI query matching. - Prioritise Long-Tail, Intent-Driven Keywords Over Broad High-Traffic Terms:
Higher search volume keywords often come with stiff competition and lower conversion rates. Long-tail keywords better match user intent and AI search behaviour, often leading to higher conversion potential despite lower volume. - Adapt SEO Success Metrics for the AI Era:
Monitor AI impressions, brand mentions, direct traffic, and contextual engagement rather than focusing solely on traditional click metrics.
TL;DR - Furniture Keyword Research in the Age of AI
Keyword research remains essential for SEO in furniture retail, but the rise of AI-powered search tools like Google AI Overviews requires a more sophisticated, human-centric approach. Start by looking internally at your products and services, then externally, identifying competitors—including AI-driven ones—and analyse their websites, content, and customer feedback. Use tools like Google Search Console and free keyword research tools for valuable data, and consider paid tools as your business grows. Focus on long-tail, intent-driven keywords that are more likely to convert and align with natural language queries used by AI search. Keyword research is ongoing, so regularly review and optimise your strategy while adapting new measurement methods reflecting AI’s impact on search results. Ultimately, embedding AI principles like speed, accuracy, personalisation, and comprehensive understanding into your content creates trust and authority that withstands the ever-changing search frontier.
Keyword Research in the AI Age
While the dust hasn’t fully settled, what we know is that how to do keyword research has evolved. It’s not that the traditional methods are outdated, but their influence on ranking and being cited has changed.
The Google AI Overviews and the new AI models (Agentic AI, to use their title) are still search engines. The good news? You can still optimise for them. The not-so-good news? It’s more challenging than before. AI serves as a powerful gatekeeper between your business and customers.
However, when the game gets tougher, many give up, and those who adapt to the new “rules” gain a real advantage.
If you don’t optimise now, your competitors will.
So, without further delay, let’s look at this new battleground.
Keywords Still Matter
Before we go any further, one thing needs to be cleared up. Keywords still matter!
We still need keywords because they are the customer’s language—the raw material of intent.
Keywords are how humans across the globe communicate their needs, questions, and desires to each other and with search engines. AI hasn’t changed this. It still relies on keywords, among other signals, to help users find what they need.
AI Search Is Still a Search Engine.
AI processes queries built from words and phrases—keywords. You won’t appear in an AI Overview if your content doesn’t contain the relevant keywords and topics that the AI needs to connect your content to the query.
What has changed is that the keyword-driven approach must now be replaced with emphatic next steps. This isn’t entirely new—before AI, the real winners were those who took an empathetic view of the customer journey. But now, empathy can no longer be half-hearted or optional. It’s essential to see your business and content through the customer’s eyes.
You must shift from simply optimising for keywords to optimising the entire customer journey by deeply understanding their intent and anticipating their next steps. It’s the AI DNA in human form.
So, while keywords still matter, they are not the sole path to success.
Why Keywords Aren't the Whole Story
Zero-Click Searches
Historically, SEO was a clear(ish) game: find the “right” keywords, add a sprinkle of backlinks, rank number one, and watch the clicks roll in.
Today, whether through Google Search’s AI Mode, AI Overviews, or applications like ChatGPT and Gemini, users receive instant, summarised answers. This often reduces the need for users to click through to websites, leading to what’s known as “zero-click searches.” As a result, click-through rates (CTRs) are declining when AI Overviews are present. This is especially true of informational queries.
This shift isn’t all doom and gloom. Being cited by AI Overviews or appearing in AI-generated summaries is now a form of brand exposure and authority. Your brand is positioned as an expert because, out of thousands of articles, the AI has chosen yours to help answer the query.
So, your goal isn’t just to rank for keywords—it’s to be the authoritative source that AI trusts and cites. It’s important to clarify that AI citations are not always directly controllable, and citation accuracy can be inconsistent. However, you can optimise your content to give your business the best possible chance to be cited by AI.
You may be wondering: Why create content that might not even get a click? It’s a fair question.
Here’s the reality: Content isn’t just for Google or AI models. Without content, you have nothing to share with your audience besides promotions or sales, which is one-sided content. Content that resonates and solves customer problems builds trust and authority. Optimising for AI, even if it doesn’t always result in clicks, still enhances brand recognition and positions you as an expert.
Understanding User Intent Behind Keywords
Why are they searching for this? The “why” behind a query is the foundation of success.
User intent refers to the underlying motive or goal behind a user’s search query and should be a key consideration in keyword selection. By understanding why people—especially your target audience—are searching, you can tailor your content to address their specific needs.
Generally, user intent falls into four main categories:
- Informational: The searcher wants to learn or find information (e.g., “how to clean fabric sofa”). AI Overviews is likely to provide direct answers here, potentially reducing clicks for informational queries. Your goal is to be the authoritative source cited by AI, building brand trust and recognition.
- Navigational: When users are looking to find a specific site or page (e.g., “IKEA login”).
- Commercial: Searchers are researching or comparing products with the intent to buy soon (e.g., “best leather sofa brands”). This intent often blends with transactional.
- Transactional: The intent is to make a purchase or complete an action immediately (e.g., “buy black leather sofa”). AI might still summarise key features or options, but users are more likely to click through to browse products, compare, or purchase.
Additionally, local intent (e.g., “sofa stores near me” or “furniture shops in Manchester”) is essential for brick-and-mortar businesses. AI and search engines increasingly prioritise local results for relevant queries.
How AI Models Understand Intent
AI has moved beyond simple keyword matching. It can understand natural language and complex queries with multiple parts. The aim is no longer just to present information, but to provide actionable information tailored to the user’s specific intent and context.
For example, instead of a simple query like “recliner for back pain,” someone might ask, “What’s the best recliner for someone with back pain under £800?” This kind of complex question reflects multiple layers—considering style, price, health benefits, and use case. Much like a skilled salesperson, AI tries to uncover these deeper needs and surfaces content that addresses them.
Modern search engines don’t rely only on keywords to understand intent. They combine analysis of keywords with approaches that interpret the meaning and context behind queries, such as semantic search. They also use entity-based search, connecting information by recognising key concepts and their relationships, similar to how humans understand associations.
Semantic and Entity-Based Search
Semantic search goes beyond simply matching the exact words in a query. It focuses on understanding the meaning, context, and intent behind the user’s words — much like how humans naturally interpret language. Instead of looking for literal keyword matches, semantic search considers relationships between terms, synonyms, user context, and the broader goal of the search to deliver more relevant, helpful results.
Entity-based search works alongside this by identifying distinct concepts—such as specific products, brands, or places—within queries and linking related information. This allows search engines to connect ideas and relationships in a more human-like way, giving more precise answers.
For example, a semantic search engine understands that when someone searches for “affordable durable oak bedframes,” the user is looking for budget-friendly, sturdy bedframes made of oak—even if the exact phrase isn’t repeated across results. This approach helps AI-powered search provide content truly tailored to the user’s intent, rather than just mechanically matching keywords without “thinking.”
That’s why keywords still matter, but they’re no longer the entire story—they guide the search engine’s “thinking,” not just its matching
Step One – Brainstorm Topics & User Questions
You need to begin the process by thinking about your customer and your business.
Start by writing down a list of words and phrases relevant to your furniture business and its products. Consider the types of furniture you sell, the materials used, styles offered, and the specific needs your products fulfil.
For example, if you specialise in modern wooden furniture, you may consider keywords like “modern wooden furniture,” “contemporary wooden dining chairs,” “modern wooden dining tables”, or ” modern oak dining table.
It’s important to also include potential problems or pain points a customer may encounter before purchasing your product, as well as issues they may experience after making a purchase.
If someone searches for “how to clean oak furniture?” or “Is oak furniture easy to clean?”, they may have spilt something on their furniture and need advice on cleaning it, or they wish to know if oak is easy to clean before buying. These types of keywords, reflecting different intents, are great for demonstrating your expertise and can become trust factors before purchase, as well as for addressing after-sales service needs. It shows you are not the type of business concerned solely with a sale, but with helping the customer buy the right product and maintaining an ongoing relationship after purchase.
During this stage, don’t dismiss any ideas. No answer is wrong at this point. Even if a keyword or topic doesn’t seem useful right away, it can lead to alternative or better keyword phrases later in the process.
Listen to Sales & Customer Service
Your sales team and customer service team are valuable resources for uncovering real customer questions and concerns about products like sofas, beds, and dining tables. Ask them what questions they hear most often, and note recurring pain points, dilemmas, or uncertainties that come up during the buying process.
The insights you gather should directly inform how you optimise the customer journey. For example, if multiple customers frequently ask whether wardrobes arrive fully built or if there’s a charge for assembly, make sure this information is clearly listed in your delivery guide and linked from relevant product pages. Addressing these frequently asked questions not only can improve your SEO but also increase customer confidence and satisfaction.
Ask the Audience
Go straight to the source. Ask your customers how they found your business or what phrases they typed into the search engine to discover your website. Direct feedback like this gives you valuable insights into the actual keywords and channels most important to your audience, which can guide both your organic and paid marketing strategies.
In the section on competitor analysis, we look at competitors’ reviews, but don’t forget your own. Use your own customer reviews as a research tool. Look for repeated themes in feedback—both positive and negative. Patterns in what customers praise or critique can reveal strengths to highlight and areas to improve, as well as inspire new keyword ideas and content topics.
Forum & Community Research
Online forums and communities provide a window into customer thinking, especially if you’re just starting out and have limited direct feedback.
Explore spaces like Reddit (e.g., Reddit’s r/furniture, r/InteriorDesign), relevant social media groups, or other home and furniture forums. Notice what topics people are discussing, what advice they seek, and what solutions are commonly recommended. This user-generated content can help you anticipate customer needs, discover language real shoppers use, and identify gaps in your own content or offerings.
Keyword Research and Social Post Idea
One effective and fun way to find keywords while engaging your audience is by creating a social media post that invites them to share their language preferences. For example, I once posted a picture of a sofa on Facebook and asked the audience whether they called it a sofa or a couch. I knew the company was receiving searches for the term couch, but I wasn’t sure which term was more popular locally.
The post generated significant interaction, acting as a fun “game” for followers. At the same time, it helped me identify which keyword the local audience actually uses to describe the product. Just because we called it a sofa didn’t mean that was the most common or preferred term in the area.
On review, though, asking them to choose between the two phrases may have limited the effectiveness of the post. If you are going to use this idea on one of your social posts, I would change it to say, “What do you call this? We call it a sofa,” for example. This invites the audience to submit their own terms—potentially revealing other popular or regional names you had not considered.
This concept works particularly well as a short-form video. You could say something like, “We’re having a debate at the shop about what we call these,” while panning over a row of sofas (or couches) you have on offer. This not only engages viewers but also briefly showcases your product range.
A recreation of the type of ad that was posted on Facebook.
You may be wondering why you need to know the names your audience uses for products. Doesn’t Semantic search know what the customer is looking for, even if we don’t use the same term?
Well, yes, it can with a high degree of accuracy. Modern search technology, powered by semantic and entity understanding, is highly effective at bridging the gap between a customer searching for an “L-shaped sectional” and your product page for a “corner sofa.” This ensures you are found regardless of the terminology used.
But more importantly, a real connection with customers is forged when you use their own language in your marketing, product descriptions, and in-store conversations. This is how you build trust and rapport, and create a more personal shopping experience that ultimately drives sales.
If you are a brick-and-mortar store looking for local traffic, know the local terms or language used for furniture pieces.
You can find more inspiration for your social media strategy in our article on building the foundations of a social media strategy.
Brick-and-mortar stores should prioritise local SEO to reach nearby customers. Quick tips: Optimise your Google Business Profile listing, include location-specific keywords throughout your website content, and focus on building local citations (mentions of your business name, address and phone number).
Google Autocomplete
If you’re struggling to think of key phrases or questions, start by entering a seed keyword (this is a basic word or short phrase related to your business or product, for example, “velvet sofa,” “dining table,” or “wooden furniture”) into the Google search bar. Google’s autocomplete suggestions are popular search queries related to your keyword. These can help you discover additional keywords and long-tail phrases relevant to your business.
Image showing Google autocomplete for query how to clean oak furniture
To get the most accurate and localised suggestions:
- Use a private or incognito browser window to avoid previous search history influencing results.
- Set your Google region and language settings to match your target audience.
- Experiment by typing your base keyword and noting the autocomplete dropdown options.
- Try adding letters (a-z) or spaces after your keyword to reveal even more suggestions.
Keyword Areas to Consider
Products & Services:
- Furniture types: Sofas, chairs, tables, beds, dressers, bookshelves, etc.
- Materials: Wood (oak, pine, mahogany, etc.), leather, fabric, metal, plastic, etc.
- Styles: Modern, contemporary, traditional, rustic, industrial, etc.
- Features: Storage ottomans, reclining sofas, extendable dining tables, etc.
- Price points: Budget-friendly, luxury, mid-range, etc.
Customer Needs & Pain Points:
- Functionality: Comfortable sofas for back pain or Durable dining tables for families with kids.
- Aesthetics: Modern coffee tables for small living rooms or Stylish accent chairs for bedrooms.
- Assembly: Easy to assemble furniture or Furniture assembly services.
- Maintenance: How to clean leather furniture or Best finish for easy maintenance.
- Sustainability: Eco-friendly furniture brands or Furniture made from recycled materials.
Additional Considerations:
- Benefits of your furniture: Space-saving furniture solutions, furniture built to last
- Occasions for furniture purchases: Furniture for first apartments or Patio furniture for summer entertaining.
- Local considerations: Include city or region names if targeting a local market (e.g., “Modern furniture stores in London”)
AI-Aided Brainstorm
AI is a valuable addition to your keyword research toolbox. For example, I entered this prompt into ChatGPT:
“Here are some seed keywords: (I inserted a list). Generate 100 more keywords based on these, aimed at driving organic traffic for a furniture retail blog and appearing in AI-driven search results. Keep the ideas SEO-optimised and informative.”
The initial output was broad and not always relevant, so I refined the prompt with more details about my audience and goals. The more specific your input, the better the output. AI can generate a wide variety of keyword ideas, including long-tail phrases, semantic variations, and related entities—helping you uncover opportunities you might have missed.
Sample Output:
- Cheap dining tables – Top cheap dining tables to suit every budget.
- Modular sofas for flexible living rooms – Rearrangeable layouts to suit your lifestyle.
- Comfortable sofas for back pain – Best ergonomic sofas for lumbar support.
- Eco-friendly furniture brands – Top sustainable furniture companies to know.
That said, the sample output isn’t perfect. For instance, I wouldn’t use the word “cheap” except in certain situations, as it can negatively impact brand perception. “Affordable” is usually a better choice in most cases. Also, terms like “ergonomic” may not be the exact words your audience uses in their queries.
Then there are phrases like “top sustainable furniture companies to know.” Your customers will more than likely search for “top sustainable furniture companies.” While you could use these longer titles for articles, think about what prompts people to click. Something like “Do you know these sustainable furniture brands?” might be more engaging and clickable.
A word of caution: Don’t accept AI output as your final answer. Use your knowledge and intuition to filter, refine, and prioritise the list. AI is a tool to enhance your process, not replace your expertise. Over-relying on AI risks disconnecting from your audience and market—something your competitors might overlook, giving you a distinct advantage.
Now that you have looked internally for keywords, it’s time to look externally at your competitors.
Step Two - Competitor Analysis
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
Just as Sun Tzu emphasises the importance of knowing your enemy in battle, competitor analysis is vital for SEO. By thoroughly researching your competitors’ strategies, you can identify opportunities to outrank them and capture market share.
Competitor analysis not only reveals relevant keywords you might have missed but also helps uncover gaps, weaknesses, and strengths—both in their business and your own. This is essential for more informed marketing and business strategies.
Important: It’s not okay to copy your competitors directly. Instead, focus on understanding what makes customers choose them over you. Even if your offerings are similar, you have different resources, management styles, and unique ideas that set you apart.
So, analysis, yes. But copy, no, never!
Identifying Competitors
Hopefully, you already know who your main competition is. If not, the first step is to identify them.
While physical proximity can matter, it’s important to understand that even businesses located near each other may target different audiences or address distinct market segments. Factors such as product specialisation, target customer groups, and whether a business focuses on online or offline sales play significant roles in defining your true competitors.
When identifying competitors, don’t limit yourself to traditional rivals alone. Also consider those who regularly appear in Google’s AI-generated Overviews, the ‘People Also Ask’ sections, or other frequently cited sources in search summaries. The businesses that consistently appear in these sections often have strong topical authority, which makes monitoring them important to fully understand your competitive SEO environment.
Just don’t get caught in analysis paralysis—let common sense guide your decision-making. Trust your instincts and keep your goals in focus.
Once you’ve identified your key competitors, you should examine their websites and content for valuable insights.
Showing the People Also Ask for the search query Dining Table and Chairs
When you click on a People also ask query drop-down, it will expand the results shown.
Showing the People Also Ask for the search query Dining Table and Chairs extended, once an option is clicked
Analysing Competitor Websites and Content
Once the competition has been identified, dust off the deer stalker and pipe, turn into a detective and closely study their websites and content for valuable clues about their strategy and approach. Focus on elements such as:
- Value Proposition: What do they highlight as important? Are they positioning themselves around affordability, sustainability, high-end design, or something else unique?
- Marketing Channels: Where are they promoting their business? Are they active on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest? Do they encourage newsletter sign-ups for email marketing? Which channels seem to generate the most engagement?
- Messaging & Tone of Voice: How do they describe their products and services? What language do they use to speak to customers—formal and authoritative or relaxed and conversational?
As you explore competitor content, keep a close eye out for their key pages—those that attract the most attention from their target audience and likely drive results.
Identifying key pages without paid tools can be difficult. However, there are ways to make informed guesses, such as checking your competitor’s social media. Are there products or pages they are constantly promoting? Are they getting high comments and likes? Could they be Key Pages?
Tip: Look at a website’s main menu. What is the first category, product, range or service, etc., on it? While not 100% accurate without tools to verify, there is a high probability that these pages are a key traffic or revenue driver for the business.
Online Reviews and Customer Feedback
An often-overlooked source of competitive insight is your competitors’ online reviews and customer feedback. Examining what their customers say about their products and services can reveal a goldmine of valuable information.
Reviews provide insights into:
- Why customers choose a competitor
- What factors keep them coming back
- What motivates them to recommend the business
- And importantly, what prevents them from making repeat purchases
For example, if multiple reviews cite slow delivery times as a common issue with a competitor, this reveals a clear opportunity for your business—emphasise fast and reliable delivery in your marketing and customer communication. This can attract customers dissatisfied with their current provider.
Addressing negative feedback from competitors is often a quicker and more efficient way to win over customers than trying to merely match what competitors do well. To truly tempt loyal customers from a competitor, your business must outperform them in key areas.
When reviewing feedback, pay special attention to the exact language customers use, including questions and phrases. Incorporating this natural and specific customer language into your own website content and marketing can improve your chances of matching the queries prioritised by AI search engines.
Don’t forget to check the comment sections on your competitors’ social media pages as well. These often contain honest discussions and offer additional insights that may not appear in formal reviews.
Step Three - Google Search Console (GSC)
GSC is an essential tool for website owners to optimise their site’s performance in Google search. If you are unfamiliar with Google Search Console (GSC), it is a free tool provided by Google that helps website owners monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot their site’s presence in Google search results.
An image of Google Search Console Discover performance report. (Source)
If you do not have Google Search Console yet, go to https://search.google.com/search-console/about to learn more about it and how to set it up. Data usually begins showing within 24 to 48 hours after setup.
Once you have access, navigate to the Performance report. This section displays a graph showing your website’s traffic from Google searches and a table listing search queries or terms people used that led your site to appear in search results. Use your judgment to filter through these queries. Not every query will be relevant to your business.
A screenshot of the GSC performance section. (Source)
You can filter and analyse your GSC data by date range, device, page, country, and key metrics like:
- Impressions: How many times your site appeared in search results for a given query. A spike in impressions may indicate your site is being cited in AI-powered search features.
- Clicks: How many actual visits resulted from each query.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of impressions that converted to clicks. With the rise of AI and zero-click searches, you may observe declining CTR even if impressions grow.
- Average Position: Your site’s average ranking for each query.
Since AI-powered search features don’t currently offer specific filters in GSC to show where your site appeared as an AI citation, you’ll need to infer that based on indicators like rising impressions coupled with declining CTR.
Identify keywords where your pages are ranking just outside the top positions (for example, positions 11 to 30). Small optimisations for these keywords can bring significant gains in visibility in both traditional results and AI-powered snippets.
It’s important to note that AI-powered snippets, such as AI Overviews, do not simply summarise the top 10 results. Instead, they are designed to find the most relevant and comprehensive information to answer a user’s query, regardless of its traditional search ranking. This means that a highly relevant article on page 2 or 3 (positions 11-30) has a genuine chance of being featured.
Step Four – Google Trends
Google Trends is a free tool that, while optional for your core keyword research, offers valuable insights into a search term’s long-term quality. By exploring the relative popularity of queries over time, you can quickly see if a keyword is a long-standing trend (like “leather sofa”) or a temporary fad (like a specific colour or material that’s spiking in popularity).
Image showing the results for oak furniture in Google Trends
Google Trends allows you to:
- Identify emerging or breakout keywords: Breakouts are sharp spikes in search interest indicating a surge in popularity, often triggered by current events, viral trends, or new product launches. Spotting these early can give you a first-mover advantage to create timely, relevant content before competitors do.
- Understand seasonal fluctuations: Many keywords display seasonality, meaning their search volumes rise and fall predictably throughout the year. For example, in furniture retail, terms like “Thanksgiving dining sets” or “Christmas home decor” peak around holidays, while “outdoor patio furniture” searches spike in summer. Recognising these patterns helps you time your content, marketing campaigns, and inventory planning to align with customer demand.
- Discover regional variations: Google Trends data shows how interest in keywords varies by location—helpful for tailoring geo-targeted (specific area) advertising.
- Explore related queries: The tool suggests semantically related or trending search terms, aiding in expanding your keyword list based on what your audience is currently searching for.
Image showing search results in Google Trends for bedroom furniture
Image showing the Google Trends results for Christmas home décor
While running every keyword through Google Trends might be impractical, applying it to prioritise topics and understand demand patterns can significantly improve your content strategy and SEO performance.
Keyword Research Free Tools
Important Note: Estimates, Not Guarantees
No tool has direct access to Google’s or other search engines’ internal data. Keyword volumes, difficulty scores, and other metrics are estimates generated by proprietary algorithms. As such, data can vary slightly between tools and should be treated as guidance, not as exact figures.
Keyword research is a core pillar of SEO success, but it doesn’t have to be costly—especially when you’re starting out. While brainstorming keywords by understanding your audience is important, validating your ideas with data leads to better results and less frustration. Fortunately, several free keyword research tools provide useful insights to help refine your strategy.
These tools can tell you valuable information such as:
- Search Volume: How frequently people search for a keyword.
- Competition Level: How difficult it is to rank for that keyword.
- Related Searches: Additional keywords or long-tail variations relevant to your business
However, free tools usually offer limited functionality. You may face restrictions like daily search limits, less precise data, or fewer features compared to premium versions.
Popular Free Keyword Research Tools
Here are some popular free tools to get you started:
- Google Keyword Planner: Google’s Keyword Planner offers a good starting point for keyword research. It provides search volume estimates and competition levels for keywords. (https://ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/)
- Answer the Public: This tool helps generate keyword ideas based on questions people ask. It’s a great way to discover long-tail keywords with high intent. (https://answerthepublic.com/)
- KeywordTool.io for keyword suggestions, search volume estimates, and long-tail keyword variations. (https://keywordtool.io/)
- Ubersuggest: This tool offers limited free features, including keyword suggestions and search volume estimates. (https://app.neilpatel.com/)
- Keyword Sheeter: This free tool allows you to generate a large number of keyword ideas quickly, leveraging Google’s autocomplete feature. It’s a good option for brainstorming broad keyword lists. (https://keywordsheeter.com/)
- Soovle: Combines autocomplete suggestions from multiple search engines (Google, YouTube, Bing, Amazon, etc.) in one place for diverse keyword ideas. (https://www.seo.com/soovle/)
- Ahrefs Free Keyword Generator: Offers keyword suggestions and difficulty scores, a streamlined version of Ahrefs’ paid tool. (https://ahrefs.com/keyword-generator)
Keyword Research Paid Tools
So far, the keyword research process has focused on free tools, which are great for getting started. However, as your business grows and your SEO strategy becomes more sophisticated, paid keyword research tools become invaluable. Much like outsourcing furniture delivery to focus on core business priorities, paid tools streamline and enhance your keyword research, monitoring, and optimisation efforts.
Why Consider Paid Tools?
- Identifying Your Existing Rankings and Keyword Gaps: Paid tools provide comprehensive insights into the keywords your website currently ranks for, along with advanced keyword gap analysis. This helps you discover keywords your competitors rank for, but you don’t—highlighting valuable opportunities to expand your reach. For instance, SEMrush’s Keyword Magic Tool and Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer excel at uncovering long-tail keywords and niche segments, while Moz’s Keyword Explorer is known for user-friendly basic keyword metrics and intent analysis.
- Competitor Analysis: Beyond keywords, paid tools enable in-depth competitor research, including backlink profiles and content gap discovery. This allows you to identify where competitors get backlinks (which can boost authority) and what topics or content they cover that you don’t, so you can create targeted, high-performing content to attract their audience.
- AI-Enabled Features and SERP Analysis: Leading paid tools now incorporate AI-driven insights. For example, SEMrush offers SERP analysis and topical overviews that identify competitor pages cited in Google AI Overviews or featured “People Also Ask” boxes, helping you tailor content for maximum AI visibility. Moz has enhanced keyword research with AI to better align content suggestions with search intent and AI-powered results.
Paid tools offer additional features. Including:
- Flexible Pricing: Scalable plans that grow with your business needs.
- Automation: Features for automating keyword research, rank tracking, and competitor monitoring save significant time.
- Comprehensive Data: Access wider coverage of keyword data, search volumes, and competition metrics than free tools typically provide.
- Technical Support: Dedicated help and regular updates to keep your SEO efforts effective.
Ultimately, the choice depends on your budget, specific needs, and SEO goals.
SEMrush is often considered the best all-around tool for most businesses, with Ahrefs close behind for organic research and backlink analysis, and Moz being a more budget-friendly option for basic needs.
Tip for More Accurate Competitor Analysis
Enter your own website into the SEO software to review the data and compare it against your Google Search Console reports. The differences you observe can be assumed to apply similarly across competitor domains, helping you set realistic expectations and interpret third-party tool data more reliably.
Find the Money-Making Keywords.
Traffic volume alone shouldn’t be your only measure of keyword value. Short-tail keywords like “oak furniture”, “bedroom furniture”, or “sofas” attract very high search volumes but also come with intense competition. If you are a well-established company with the budget and time to compete, pursuing these can be worthwhile. For most businesses, however, these may not be the best initial targets.
Beware the misconception that more traffic is always better. Search algorithms prioritise content that meets user intent and keeps visitors engaged. If you create content targeting high-traffic keywords but fail to satisfy visitors’ needs, you risk high bounce rates. As a result, your content may lose favour with search engines, wasting time and resources.
Long-tail keywords, usually phrases with five or more words, typically have lower traffic volumes but higher conversion potential. They closely match natural language queries and are favoured in AI-driven search results, such as Google’s AI Overviews or agentic AI assistants. Starting with long-tail keywords allows you to attract more qualified traffic with a better chance of conversion.
Remember, free and paid keyword tools provide estimations, not exact figures. Some keywords may show little or zero search volume yet still be highly relevant to your business and worth targeting. Your judgment, informed by deep knowledge of your target audience and market, remains key.
Focusing on relevant, intent-driven long-tail keywords is often the most efficient path to attracting quality visitors and increasing sales.
Ongoing Keyword Research
Keyword research is not a one-time task to be checked off but an ongoing process. Search algorithms and AI-powered search features evolve continuously, which means your keyword strategy needs regular updates to remain effective and seize new opportunities.
Schedule & Prioritise
- Regular Reviews: Set a schedule to revisit and refresh your keyword strategy at least twice a year, ideally quarterly, but no less frequently than every 12 months. This ensures you adapt to changing user behaviour, competitors, and search engine updates.
- Data-Driven Decisions: Focus on what truly matters—your content performance data. If keywords are not converting well, assess whether those pages need optimisation or reframing. Equally, keywords that generate conversions despite lower traffic may deserve more visibility and promotion. Use data insights to guide where to invest your time and resources most effectively.
Optimising Your Keyword Strategy
- Stay Industry-Informed: Keep up with SEO practices, algorithm changes, and emerging trends by following trusted industry resources and blogs.
- Refresh Existing Content: Don’t let valuable content become stale. Use new keyword insights to update older pages with refined keywords, fresh data, or new angles to improve rankings and relevance.
- Organise Your Data: Maintain a central source (like a spreadsheet or SEO tool dashboard) for all your keyword research, tracking metrics such as search volume and competition. Well-organised data makes it easier to analyse and measure the impact of your SEO efforts over time.
Adapting Measurement for the AI Era
The way you measure SEO and keyword research success changes alongside AI-powered search features, which can shift metrics like clicks and engagement.
- Monitor AI Impressions & Visibility: Regularly check Google Search Console for keywords and queries with high impressions but low clicks. These indicate your content may be appearing in AI Overviews or featured snippets, where users get answers without necessarily clicking through. Tracking how often your brand is cited helps gauge your AI search visibility and authority.
- Track Branded Searches & Direct Traffic: A rise in direct traffic or branded queries suggests increasing brand awareness and trust, often a result of AI-generated answers prompting users to seek your site directly afterwards.
- Evaluate Engagement Metrics Contextually: Traditional metrics like average session duration are becoming less reliable indicators of success, as users can find quick answers and leave. Instead, focus on conversions and user flow (the areas and routes that make or break a conversion). The goal is to prioritise quality interactions that lead to a sale over a high volume of brief visit.
Remember: SEO is a Marathon, not a sprint
Understanding Keyword Research in The AI Era
The battle for online visibility in furniture retail isn’t just a battle for rankings anymore—it’s a battle for relevance in the age of AI-powered search. While keyword research remains foundational, it now demands a more empathetic approach. You must optimise for the real people who are engaging with AI-generated answers, summaries, and personalised results.
By embedding what I call “AI DNA,” you position your business for success regardless of how search evolves. It’s the genetic code of your online presence—the structured data, the fast-loading pages that provide an instant answer, and the comprehensive content that guides a customer to their perfect piece of furniture.
When you embrace these core principles, you’re not just improving your rankings. You’re building an authoritative, trusted, and genuinely helpful furniture brand that customers seek out directly.
