Beginner SEO Basics #4 - Choosing Keywords You Can Actually Rank (In 2026)

RohanM
Sun, 29 Mar 2026 15:26:22 +0000

1. The Trap Most People Fall Into

By this point, you’ve got the basics. You understand search intent, you can find keywords, and you’ve probably got a few ideas written down that feel… decent.

And yet, this is exactly where most people stall. Not because they’re lazy or doing anything wildly wrong, but because they pick battles they were never going to win in the first place.

2. The Seismic Shift: It’s Not Just About Keywords Anymore

For a long time, SEO was treated like a matching game. Find a keyword, use it in your title, sprinkle it through the page, job done. It worked… and it worked very well for a while there back in the Wild Wild West of early Google.

But it’s all moved on. Big Daddy G is now much better at understanding meaning, not just exact wording, so phrases like “best trainers for flat feet” and “running shoes for overpronation” are essentially grouped together.

That’s why the old idea of “one keyword per page” starts to fall apart. Keywords still matter as a starting point, but they’re not the end goal anymore.

The real question is: what does this person actually need, and have I covered it properly? Because that’s what Google is trying to reward now, not neat keyword placement but useful, complete answers.

3. Why Some Sites Rank Faster Than Others

This is the bit that can feel slightly unfair at first. You publish something solid, it matches intent, it’s well written… and still someone else outranks you.

It’s not random. Google isn’t just looking at your page in isolation, it’s looking at your site as a whole and asking,

“Should I trust this site on this topic?”

Some sites already have that trust. They’ve covered the topic from multiple angles, built content over time, and sent consistent signals that they know what they’re talking about.

If you’re starting out, you don’t have that yet, and that’s fine. It just means you need to be more deliberate with where you aim.

It’s time to dig in and persevere … don’t quit!

4. The Reality Check: You’re Not on a Level Playing Field

This is the part nobody really says out loud. You are not competing on equal terms.

Some of the sites you’re up against have years of content, strong backlink profiles, brand recognition, and teams behind them. You’ve got a few posts and a decent amount of optimism.

That’s not a problem, it just means you need to play the game differently. Instead of asking, “What’s the best keyword?” you need to ask, “Where do I actually have a chance?”

SEO isn’t about picking the most attractive opportunity. It’s about picking the most realistic one. Realising that alone saves a lot of wasted effort.

5. How to Spot a Real Opportunity

This is where everything starts to come together. You’ve got intent, you’ve got keywords, now you need to read the room.

Search your keyword and actually study the results. Not just the titles, but the quality and structure of what’s ranking.

If you see a mix of decent blog posts, a Reddit thread in the middle, maybe an outdated article or two, that’s interesting. It suggests Google hasn’t found a perfect answer yet.

You’re looking for that kind of inconsistency. Not easy, but possible. On the flip side, if the page is dominated by authoritative websites and strong brands with clear, well-structured content, it’s usually a sign to leave it for now.

6. Building Around a Topic (Not Just One Keyword)

This is where things start to feel more strategic. The old approach was one keyword, one post, then move on.

Now it’s about building around a topic. If you’re targeting something like “running with flat feet,” you don’t stop at one article.

You expand it. A main guide, then supporting posts on shoes, injuries, common mistakes, maybe insoles. Each piece adds context and depth.

This helps the reader, but it also sends a strong signal to Google. You’re not guessing your way through a topic, you’re covering it properly.

7. Where AI Actually Helps (And Where It Doesn’t)

AI is useful here, but only if you use it properly. It’s great for generating variations, surfacing related questions, and helping you map out a topic quickly.

You can take one idea and expand it into several angles in a matter of minutes, which saves time and gives you a broader view.

But AI doesn’t know what’s actually ranking. It doesn’t understand competition or context in the same way Google does.

So use it as a thinking tool, not a decision-maker. Let it help you explore, then validate everything against real search results.

8. A Simple Way to Approach This

At this point, it can feel like a lot. Intent, keywords, topics, competition… it adds up.

So keep it simple. Pick one area in your niche, search it, and look at what’s already ranking. Pay attention to the structure, the gaps, and the angles that keep showing up.

From there, map out a few related ideas and choose one that feels clear, realistic, and worth improving on. Then write it properly.

Once that’s live, build around it. Add supporting pieces and link them together naturally. You’re not building everything at once, just something that makes sense.

9. The New Mental Model

This is probably the biggest change in the whole game. The old way was mechanical: find a keyword, write a post, hope it ranks.

The newer way is more deliberate. You understand the topic, assess the opportunity, cover it properly, and build trust over time.

It’s less immediate, but far more reliable. You’re not relying on one page to succeed, you’re building something that holds together.

… and content created like this is more likely to be linked to naturally. It only takes one good backlink!

10. What Comes Next

Now you know what to target and where you actually stand a chance. The next step is making sure your content delivers when someone lands on it.

Because even with the right topic and intent, a poorly structured page can still struggle.

In the next post, we’ll break down how to build pages that are clear, easy to read, and aligned with what Google expects. This is where on-page SEO starts to make practical sense.

Onwards.

Thanks for reading!
- Rohan

Read full topic