You’ve got a keyword in mind. Now the real question: how do you actually get your website to show up in Google when someone types it in?
There’s no magic trick—but there is a process. Here’s a clear, step-by-step approach to help you rank for your target keyword and bring in meaningful traffic.
Make Sure You’re Targeting the Right Keyword
Just because a keyword exists doesn’t mean it’s the one you should chase.
In many cases, a keyword might sound good on paper but ends up being a variation or subtopic of something broader. Google’s gotten pretty good at recognizing this. That’s why it often ranks the same pages for several different phrases that basically mean the same thing.
Take our “keyword research” guide, for example. That single page ranks for more than 2,000 different keywords—most of which are just slight variations of the same core topic.
So before you invest time and effort creating content, ask yourself a few things:
- Are people actually searching for this term?
- Is it the main topic, or just a side angle?
- Would targeting a broader parent topic get you in front of more eyes?
Here’s how to check: plug your keyword into any reliable keyword research tool and look at the broader data behind it. You’re not just looking for search volume—what really matters is how much overall traffic the top-ranking pages are getting and whether your keyword is part of a larger, more frequently searched topic.
If you find that your keyword falls under a broader theme like “content creation,” that broader topic is usually the smarter one to target.
Check if That Keyword Has Good Business Value
Ranking #1 is great. But if it doesn’t bring in leads, sales, or any real business results, what’s the point?
This is where Business Potential comes in. It’s a simple way to score whether a keyword can actually impact your bottom line.
Here’s a rough scale to work with:
- 3 = Your product or service is essential to solving the problem.
- 2 = Your product makes things easier, but isn’t required.
- 1 = There’s a loose connection to what you offer.
- 0 = No real connection. Just traffic for traffic’s sake.
For instance, “keyword research” might be a 3 if you offer SEO tools, because doing solid keyword research without one is tough. Something like “content creation” might be a 2—you can create content without tools, but it’s a lot more efficient with the right setup.
Stick with keywords that score a 2 or higher.
Understand What People Actually Want (Search Intent)
You’ve locked in your keyword. Great. Now ask: what type of content does Google expect to show for this search?
This is about search intent—what the person is really trying to find.
Google’s job is to deliver the best answer, not just match words. So if your content doesn’t match what users actually want, it’s unlikely to rank well, even if it’s technically optimized.
Here’s a quick way to figure out intent:
- Look at the top 3–5 results for your keyword.
- What kind of content shows up? A listicle? A how-to guide? A product page?
- Is it aimed at beginners, experts, buyers, or researchers?
If you Google “content creation,” most results are beginner guides—so that’s likely the format you’ll need to follow if you want to rank.
Some keywords exploring tools can even break down search intent for you automatically.
Identify Subtopics You Need to Include
Ranking content usually shares one thing in common: it’s comprehensive. It doesn’t just scratch the surface—it covers the whole topic from different angles, answering every related question the reader might have.
Even Google’s own content guidelines suggest your article should feel complete—not piecemeal.
To do that, figure out what subtopics naturally fall under your main one. If you’re writing about “content creation,” you might need to cover things like:
- What content creation is
- Different types of content
- Tools for creating content
- SEO’s role in the process
- Planning and strategy
- How to measure results
Some specific SEO tools or even the “People also ask” box in Google can help you brainstorm subtopics to include.
Find a Unique Angle
Let’s be real—there are already thousands of pages about your topic. Why should anyone click on yours?
This is where having a distinct point of view makes a huge difference.
There are a few reliable ways to set yourself apart:
- Do something original: Run a small experiment, gather your own data, or share survey results. People love citing fresh info.
- Lean into experience: Speak from personal knowledge. Show readers you’ve actually done what you’re talking about.
- Outwork the competition: Add extra depth, custom visuals, walk through—whatever would make a competitor think, “That looks like too much work.”
For example, when our content director wrote a post comparing AI image generators, he didn’t just list them—he tested each one, shared the results, and made the content genuinely useful.
That kind of effort stands out.
Write the Content
You’ve got your structure. Time to actually put words on the page.
Whether you write it from scratch or use an AI tool as a starting point, here are a few tips to keep your content engaging and effective:
- Open strong: Use your intro to grab attention. A bold statement, unexpected stat, or counterpoint to common advice can pull people in.
- Sound human: Write like you’re having a real conversation. Use “you” and “I.” Share your point of view.
- Break it up: Use lists, subheadings, images, and short paragraphs to keep things digestible.
- Be specific: Don’t just say “do keyword research.” Walk readers through it with screenshots, tools, and step-by-step instructions.
The goal? Remove the guesswork and make the content actually helpful.
Handle Your On-page SEO
Even great content needs to speak Google’s language.
On-page SEO is the behind-the-scenes stuff that helps search engines understand what your page is about. Here’s a quick checklist:
- Put your keyword in the title, URL, H1, and early in the intro.
- Write a clear, inviting meta description.
- Use descriptive alt text on your images.
- Link to related pages on your site where it makes sense.
None of this should feel forced. The best SEO is the kind you don’t notice—it just makes the page easier to find and easier to read.
Earn Backlinks
Links are still one of the strongest signals that Google uses to decide how trustworthy your page is. Especially if you’re trying to rank for something competitive, you’ll likely need some.
The key is giving people a reason to link to you.
Sometimes that’s a unique study, an original insight, or a truly helpful resource. Other times, it’s guest posting, podcasting, or any number of link-building tactics that work because there’s value on both sides.
Whatever the method, having something genuinely useful to offer makes outreach a whole lot easier.
What About Google’s AI Overviews?
If you search your keyword and see an AI summary block right at the top, you might wonder: “Should I even bother trying to rank?”
Short answer: yes.
Those AI overviews still pull content from real sites—and if your page is good enough, it can be the source. So while the SEO landscape is changing, the fundamentals haven’t.
You still need to create the kind of content that meets user needs better than anything else out there.
Final Thought
One last thing—your content won’t rank if Google can’t properly access or understand your site. That’s where technical SEO comes in. It’s the invisible layer that holds everything else together, so make sure your foundation is solid.
