Find SEO keywords by thinking like your customer - not just using tools

In today’s SEO landscape, keyword research is no longer just a technical task—it’s a strategic challenge that starts with understanding your customers. Among the millions of keywords suggested by tools, which ones are truly worth your time, content, and budget?

Start with an important question: "What are customers really searching for – and why are they searching for it?"

SEO keywords are not just “keywords.”

A common mistake among SEO beginners is relying too heavily on volume—the monthly search volume of an SEO keyword—while forgetting about search intent. An SEO keyword with 10,000 searches per month that doesn’t reflect the actual needs of the customer is still useless.

Example:

• “nice sports shoes” – may have high volume, but the searcher may not be ready to buy.
• “buy authentic women’s sports shoes in Hanoi” – lower volume, but a clear buying intent.

A good keyword is not only about search volume – it must align with the customer’s decision-making journey.

Start from business goals, not from tools.

Instead of asking “What keywords are trending?”, ask:

• What problem does my product/service solve?
• What language do customers use to search?
• What stage of the buying journey are they in?

Example: If you’re selling online English courses:

• Awareness stage: “how to learn English”, “English for beginners”
• Consideration stage: “should I learn English online or offline”, “compare English centers”
• Decision stage: “effective online English course”, “register for online English course with Vietnamese teacher”

Keyword research must be tied to conversion goals, not just traffic growth.

Listen to your customers—don’t just look at the numbers.

One highly effective way to find keywords is to analyze real conversations with customers:

• What do they frequently ask when messaging your fanpage?
• What are common questions in registration forms or consultation calls?
• Do their comments, reviews, or feedback mention the problems they’re facing?

The language customers actually use contains “living” keywords—far more valuable than any suggestion from Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Keyword Planner.

Leverage “niche keywords” instead of competing with big brands.

In many competitive markets, popular keywords are already dominated by big-budget brands. But opportunities lie in niche keywords – those with lower competition but aligned with customer insights.

Example:

• Instead of trying to rank for “air purifier,” try “air purifier for kids’ rooms,” or “air purifier for pollen allergies.”

These keywords may have lower volume, but higher conversion rates—because they address very specific needs.

Classify keywords to build a long-term content strategy.

Once you’ve gathered a keyword list, you need to categorize them to build sustainable content:

• Informational keywords: Explain, guide → For blog content, brand awareness
• Commercial keywords: Compare, review → Attract potential buyers
• Transactional keywords: Include “buy,” “price,” “sign up,” “offer” → For landing pages, sales content

Keyword grouping helps you avoid spreading resources thin and allows you to write the right content, at the right time, for the right audience.

Keyword research is the art of observing people.

On a technical level, anyone can find keywords using tools. But to choose keywords with real business value, you need to listen to the market, understand search behavior, and align keywords with your overall content strategy.

A good keyword is one that makes the customer nod in agreement—not just one that gets displayed by Google.

If you need support in building a quality keyword set tailored to your business model, don’t hesitate to reach out to SEO experts who understand the Vietnamese market and user behavior—like Viet SEO.