Choosing keywords focuses on selecting high‑value search terms for each page based on relevance, demand, and winnability, then mapping them to the site to avoid cannibalization. Start with seed topics, expand to variants and long‑tails, score by search intent, volume, and difficulty, and assign one primary keyword plus supporting terms per page.

Key practices

• Begin with intent: align keywords to informational, commercial, or transactional goals before evaluating metrics.

• Balance volume and difficulty: prioritize terms with meaningful demand and realistic competition relative to site authority.

• Use a mix of head and long‑tail: pair broad “pillar” terms with specific long‑tails to capture qualified traffic and conversions.

• Map one primary per page: maintain a keyword map to prevent overlap; cluster semantically related variants under the same page.

• Validate with competitors: check who ranks, gaps to exploit, and SERP features that may impact clicks.

Workflow

• Brainstorm seeds, expand via tools and SERP suggestions, filter by intent/volume/difficulty/CPC, then finalize a page‑level map for optimization.