How To Find A Website’s Keywords (And What To Do With Them).

It’s no secret that keywords play an imperative role in search engine optimisation (SEO), so-much-so that understanding how to find a website’s keywords is crucial when developing a winning SEO strategy. Keywords reveal what users are searching for and how search engines interpret the relevance of content. Whether you’re analysing a competitor’s site or optimising your own, uncovering these keywords provides valuable insights into search intent, content strategy, and opportunities to drive traffic.

In this guide, we’ll delve into methods for discovering a website’s keywords, including lesser-known techniques that even seasoned marketers often overlook.

Why Keywords Matter in SEO

Keywords are the building blocks of your SEO strategy. They bridge the gap between what users search for and the content you provide. Identifying the right keywords enables you to:

• Align your content with search intent.
• Optimise for specific keyword phrases that drive traffic.
• Identify gaps in your competitors’ SEO strategy.
• Develop a content strategy that addresses high-demand search terms.

The goal isn’t just to rank; it’s to attract relevant traffic—visitors who convert into customers.

Methods to Find a Website’s Keywords

1. Use SEO Tools to Reverse-Engineer Competitor Keywords

Competitor analysis is one of the most effective ways to uncover keywords that are already working. Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Ubersuggest allow you to enter a website’s domain and extract a list of keywords for which they rank.

Focus on:

• High-traffic keywords: These often indicate valuable topics within your niche.
• Long-tail keywords: Phrases with lower competition and higher specificity, ideal for targeting niche audiences.
• Keywords with commercial intent: These are critical for conversion-driven SEO strategies.

Tip: When analysing competitors, don’t just focus on their top-performing pages. Look for keywords driving traffic to less obvious pages, like blog posts or FAQs, as these may reveal untapped opportunities.

2. Inspect Metadata and On-Page Elements

One of the simplest yet frequently overlooked techniques is to manually inspect a website’s metadata. Page titles, meta descriptions, and heading tags often contain targeted keywords.

Here’s how:

• Open any webpage and right-click to view the source code.
• Look for <title>, <meta>, and <h1> tags to identify recurring keywords.
• Use Ctrl+F (or Command+F on a Mac) to search for terms like “keywords,” “topic,” or any industry-specific terms.

Pro Insight: Compare on-page keywords to their ranking positions in a tool like Google Search Console to identify mismatches or ranking opportunities.

3. Leverage Google Search Operators

Google search operators are powerful, yet underutilised, tools for finding keywords associated with a website. By using specific commands, you can discover indexed pages, anchor text, and keyword variations.

For example:

• Use site:example.com to view all indexed pages on a site.
• Combine this with intitle:“specific keyword” to see pages optimised for particular terms.
• Experiment with inurl:“keyword phrase” to identify niche content within a domain.

These search operators can unearth keyword phrases that may not appear in traditional keyword research tools.

4. Explore User-Generated Content and Comments

Beyond tools and metadata, user-generated content is a goldmine for understanding search intent and keyword opportunities. Forums, blog comments, and community platforms reveal the language and questions your audience uses.

Steps to extract insights:

• Identify active blog posts or FAQ sections on competitor sites.
• Extract recurring questions or phrases from user comments.
• Map these to long-tail keywords and integrate them into your content strategy.

5. Check Competitors’ Internal Search Data

Many websites have an internal search function. Analysing what users search for on competitors’ sites can provide valuable insights into unmet needs.

Here’s how:

• Visit a competitor’s site and test their search bar.
• Input broad terms and see suggested keywords or auto-complete results.
• Analyse patterns in the search terms to identify content gaps or trending topics.

If this data is unavailable, tools like Google Keyword Planner or AnswerThePublic can be used to validate and expand these findings.

6. Analyse Anchor Text and Backlinks

Anchor text—the clickable text in a hyperlink—often signals the keyword focus of a linked page. Use tools like Ahrefs or Majestic to analyse your competitors’ backlink profiles. Look for:

• Anchor text trends to uncover relevant keywords.
• Backlinks pointing to high-ranking pages for specific search terms.
• Opportunities to create superior content targeting these same phrases.

This technique not only helps you identify keywords but also highlights link-building opportunities to strengthen your domain authority.

What To Do With The Keywords You’ve Found

Finding keywords is just the beginning. The real power lies in how you use them to craft a compelling SEO strategy that drives traffic, engages your audience, and generates results. Below, we’ll break down actionable steps to make the most of your keyword research.

1. Organise Keywords into Groups

Once you have a list of keywords, it’s essential to categorise them into logical groups based on search intent. Grouping keywords ensures that your content is structured to meet user needs effectively.

Categories to consider:

• Informational keywords: Focused on queries like “how to,” “why,” or “what is.” These are perfect for blog posts or guides.
• Transactional keywords: Phrases with commercial intent, such as “buy,” “best,” or “discount.” Use these for product or service pages.
• Navigational keywords: Specific terms users use to find your brand, such as your company name or branded products.

Organising keywords helps you build a targeted content strategy and avoid cannibalising your rankings by targeting similar keywords on multiple pages.

2. Align Keywords with Search Intent

Search intent is the reason behind a user’s query. Misinterpreting intent can lead to wasted efforts, even if your content ranks well.

For example:

• A search for “best SEO tools” indicates a user researching options (informational intent).
• A search for “buy SEO tools” signals intent to purchase (transactional intent).

Optimise each page to match the intent behind its target keywords. This alignment increases your chances of ranking while improving engagement metrics like time-on-page and click-through rate.

3. Develop a Keyword-Focused Content Strategy

Use your keyword groups to inform your content creation process. For example:

• Informational content: Create blog posts, whitepapers, or videos answering common questions or exploring trends.
• Transactional content: Optimise product pages or case studies to highlight benefits and drive conversions.
• Evergreen content: Build cornerstone pieces around high-volume, low-competition keywords that remain relevant over time.

Pro Tip: Use a content calendar to plan regular updates and expansions for your existing pages. Adding new keyword variations and refreshing content signals relevance to search engines.

4. Optimise On-Page SEO

Once your content is live, make sure it’s optimised for your chosen keywords. Key areas to focus on include:

• Title tags: Include your primary keyword and keep titles under 60 characters.
• Meta descriptions: Use LSIs (latent semantic indexing terms) naturally to improve relevance and click-through rates.
• Headings: Break up your content using H1, H2, and H3 tags, incorporating keywords where appropriate.
• Content body: Use keywords naturally within the first 100 words and throughout your text without overstuffing.
• Alt text: Optimise image alt text with descriptive keyword phrases to boost accessibility and SEO.

These small adjustments collectively improve your content’s searchability and user experience.

5. Leverage Keywords for Paid Campaigns

Don’t limit your keyword research to organic strategies. Keywords with high commercial intent can form the backbone of a successful PPC campaign.

Steps to get started:

1. Use tools like Google Ads Keyword Planner to estimate monthly search volume and competition for your chosen terms.
2. Focus on long-tail keywords with a clear buying intent to minimise costs and maximise ROI.
3. Regularly review performance data to refine your keyword list and improve targeting.

This approach ensures your paid efforts complement your organic SEO strategy, creating a unified marketing plan.

6. Monitor Performance and Adjust

Keyword optimisation is not a one-time effort. Tracking and refining your strategy based on performance metrics is key to long-term success.

Use analytics tools to measure:

• Keyword rankings: Monitor position changes and adapt your strategy for underperforming terms.
• Traffic trends: Identify which keywords are driving the most visitors.
• Conversion rates: Assess how well targeted keywords align with user intent and lead to desired actions.

Regular reviews allow you to pivot your strategy based on what’s working, ensuring continuous improvement.

7. Expand Your Keyword Universe

SEO is constantly evolving, and user behaviour changes over time. Make sure to regularly revisit your keyword research to discover emerging trends or new opportunities.

Ways to expand:

• Explore seasonal trends using tools like Google Trends.
• Use social listening tools to find trending topics and phrases in your industry.
• Check competitors’ updates to stay ahead of their strategies.

Keeping your keyword list dynamic ensures your content remains relevant and competitive.

Final Thoughts

Understanding how to find a website’s keywords and what to do with them is a critical skill for marketing directors and business owners aiming to maximise results from their digital strategies. By combining data-driven tools, search intent analysis, and consistent monitoring, you can craft an SEO strategy that not only drives traffic but also builds long-term visibility and growth.

By investing in thorough keyword research and implementation, your business can stay ahead of competitors and connect with your audience in meaningful ways.

At Bright Sprout, we help businesses align their SEO strategies with their overarching goals, ensuring measurable results. Explore our detailed blog article to learn more about keyword research and its impact on digital marketing, or contact us to explore how we can help you on your digital marketing journey.