Ah, SEO. What emotions come up when you think about optimizing your website? Fear, anger, frustration?

Same, dude. Same.

At least that’s how I felt when I was first starting my business and knew next to nothing about SEO. But guess what?

I learned. I’ve studied SEO for so long, I now know how to explain it without making you wanna rip all your hair out.

SO—in this blog we’re going step-by-step into how to research keywords for your website: so you can start showing up on Google and keep your sanity. I promise it’s possible.

As always, every example is from the wedding industry. Let’s tackle this sh*t.

What Is a Keyword?

A keyword is any word or phrase you type into a search engine like Google when you want to find something.

Think: “banana bread recipe,” “best photographers in Austin,” or “how to clean a washing machine.” Every search starts with a keyword.

Search engines then serve up results based on a complex cocktail of over 200 ranking factors (yep, Google’s words, not mine). But the good news? You don’t need to know all of them. You just need to know how to choose and use the right keywords.

As a business owner, a keyword is what you place strategically on a website page to help Google understand what that page is about.

Example:

• A blog about dessert recipes might use the keyword: “best pie crust recipe.”
• A Nashville-based florist might optimize their homepage for: “Nashville florist.”

Why Keywords Matter

If you’re a wedding pro, keywords are one of the simplest ways to make sure your dream clients can actually find you online—without spending money on ads. Here’s why they matter:

• They bring in organic traffic. When someone searches for “Chicago wedding florist” or “elopement planner in Sedona,” they’re already looking for what you do. Strategic keywords help your site show up in those searches—no cold outreach or paid campaigns required.

• They attract the right people. The more specific your keyword, the more aligned the traffic. If you’re a fine art wedding photographer who only shoots film and your keyword reflects that, you’re not wasting time filtering through inquiries that aren’t a fit.

• They boost your visibility over time. Keyword-optimized pages have the potential to work for you 24/7. It’s like setting up a virtual referral system that keeps running in the background.

• They signal relevance to search engines. Keywords are how Google understands what each page on your site is about. If your homepage says “custom wedding invitations in Nashville,” Google can confidently show it to people searching for just that.

So instead of shouting into the void on social media or relying only on word-of-mouth, you’re setting up a foundation that helps your ideal clients find you on their own—right when they need you most.

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How to Research Keywords for Your Website

Before we dive into how, here are a few ground rules:

• You only need ONE primary keyword per page.
• Each page should have a unique keyword. If you double up, your pages might compete against each other in search results (not ideal).
• Only optimize the pages you actually want people to find via Google. Pages like “Contact” or “Privacy Policy” don’t need this treatment.

Step 1: Start With a Brain Dump

Skip the software for a sec. First, write down answers to these questions:

• Who are you?
• What do you do?
• Where are you located (if local)?

Example for a Stationery Designer:

• Who: Stationery designer, wedding stationery designer, event stationery designer
• Where: Houston, TX; Galveston, TX; Southeast Texas
• What: Custom wedding invitations, semi-custom suites, wedding signage

Now combine those into keyword ideas. Don’t overthink it:

• “Houston wedding invitations”
• “Custom invitations in Southeast Texas”
• “Galveston wedding stationery designer”

Aim for 5–10 phrases.

Don’t Serve a Specific Location? No problem—focus on your product style, your niche, or the type of couple you want to attract. Keywords can still work hard for you even without a location tag. Try phrases like: “Eco-friendly wedding invitations” “Modern minimalist invitations” “Luxury wedding stationery for destination weddings” These help you show up for couples who are searching by vibe or values instead of geography.

Step 2: Assign Keywords to the Right Pages

Use this formula:

• Home = what you do + location
• About = who you are + location
• Services = what you offer + location

Example:

• Home: “Houston wedding invitations”
• About: “Stationery designer in Galveston”
• Services: “Custom invitation design in Texas”

Doesn’t matter where the location goes in the phrase—”Wedding invitations in Houston” works just as well as “Houston wedding invitations.”

A few more examples:

Planner in Washington DC:

• Home: “wedding planning in Washington DC”
• About: “DC wedding planner”
• Services: “DC wedding planning services”

Bridal Boutique in Boston:

• Home: “wedding dresses in Boston”
• About: “Boston bridal boutique”
• Services: “Boston wedding attire”

Step 3: Understand Search Intent

Before you jump into keyword tools, pause and think about what someone is actually looking for when they type a specific phrase into Google. This is called search intent—and it’s the difference between someone who wants to learn and someone who’s ready to buy.

Here are the four main types of search intent:

• Informational: They’re looking for info. (“how to plan a backyard wedding”)
• Navigational: They’re trying to find a specific site or brand. (“Zola wedding checklist”)
• Transactional: They’re ready to buy or book. (“book wedding photographer in Nashville”)
• Commercial Investigation: They’re comparing options. (“best wedding venues in Austin”)

Example:

Think about the difference between someone searching “how to write a wedding toast” vs. “wedding singer in Charleston.” One person wants tips—they’re not hiring anyone. The other? They’re ready to book. That’s the kind of keyword we want tied to your services page.

You want to prioritize transactional and commercial intent keywords for your main pages (like Home and Services) because those are your money-makers. Save the informational keywords for your blog. 

Step 4: Use Keyword Research Tools

Now that you know what your clients might be searching for, it’s time to dig into the data. Plug your brainstormed keywords into tools like:

• Ubersuggest (free account allows 3 searches per day)
• Google Keyword Planner (free w/ Google account)

Hot Tip: Type your keyword exactly as you wanna use it.

Why does this matter? Because different phrases can produce different results—even if they technically mean the same thing. Google isn’t just matching words; it’s analyzing context and behavior. So “wedding DJ in Dallas” might deliver very different results from “Dallas wedding DJ,” and you’ll want to see which performs better.

You’re looking for:

• Volume – How many people are searching this?
• Competition – Are big brands ranking for this? Can you realistically show up in search results?

Choose keywords with a balance of solid search volume and low-to-medium competition for the best chance of ranking.

Let’s practice together. Say we’re a venue in Sicily and we use “Sicily wedding venues” and “wedding venues Sicily.” 

Take a look: 

“Sicily wedding venues” has 720 searches per month (volume), while “wedding venues Sicily” only has 590. Both have a ranking difficulty score of 14 (out of 100). 

So you’d want to use “Sicily wedding venues” because that would get you in front of more people if you were to rank on page 1. 

How about this example: 

“NYC wedding planner” has way more searches per month, but it’s also much more difficult to rank for. You’d have better chances ranking for “Brooklyn wedding planner.” 

When looking at volume, keep in mind that bigger numbers aren’t more important. If you ranked #1 on Google for “Brooklyn wedding planner,” 90% of those 140 searches per month would click on your website. That’s plenty of eyeballs on your website, just from one keyword. 

Step 5: Pick Your Winners

Choose one keyword per page that is:

• Specific enough to attract the right people
• Has a low-mid competition score
• Aligns with the page content

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Where Do Keywords Go on Your Website?

Once you’ve picked your keywords, you want to make sure they actually show up in the right places on your site. Here’s where to focus:

1. H1 Heading (Main Page Title)

This is your page’s main headline—usually the largest text near the top. Search engines scan this first, so include your keyword here. Example:

✅ “Houston Wedding Photographer for Romantic, Modern Couples”

This tells both Google and your audience what you do and where you do it—without sounding robotic.

2. Supporting Headings + Body Copy

Use your keyword (and variations of it) naturally throughout your copy. Don’t overdo it—just enough that it makes sense.

✅ Natural: “We’re proud to be one of the top wedding caterers in Baton Rouge.”

❌ Forced: “Looking for a Baton Rouge wedding caterer? You’ve found your Baton Rouge wedding caterer.” (Yikes.)

3. Footer (Homepage Only)

Add 1–2 sentences that include your keyword in the footer of your homepage. This is helpful for Google and anyone scrolling to the bottom. Keep it short, sweet, and natural.

Example: “Paisley May Designs, based in Charleston, offers custom wedding stationery for modern, design-forward couples across the Southeast.”

4. Page Title + Meta Description

These show up in Google search results. You’ll add them in your website’s SEO settings. (This varies by platform—if you’re not sure how to do this, Google “page title” or “meta description” + your website provider, like Showit, Squarespace, Wix, etc.) Use your keyword in both.

Your meta description should be a compelling 1–2 sentence summary of what someone will find on the page. Think: “keyword + benefit.”

Example Meta Description: “Houston wedding invitations designed for couples who care about details, style, and a stress-free planning process.”

PS: For your homepage, you can usually repurpose your footer sentence here!

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Final Thought: This isn’t about gaming the system. It’s about making it easier for your dream clients to find you. Strategic keyword research isn’t hard—it just takes intention, structure, and a little practice.

And the good news? You’ve already started.

Patience is part of the process. It can take a few weeks (or even a few months) for your SEO updates to make an impact. That’s normal. Just keep showing up, keep optimizing, and know that it’s working—even if it’s working quietly. 

PS: Doing keyword research for your blog works the same way.

Say your topic is “How much cake should I order for my wedding?” 

Someone looking for this information might type any of these into the search bar: 

• How much wedding cake to order
• Wedding cake amount by guest
• How big should wedding cake be
• Wedding cake sizes

In this photo you can see that “how much wedding cake” has far more searches per month, but it also has a 41 difficulty score. So for a small business, I would recommend using one of the first 2 phrases.

What if you did want to try to rank for “how much wedding cake?” It’s not a natural-sounding phrase. In this case, you could place the phrase into a full sentence like “How much wedding cake do you need for 100 guests?” or “How much wedding cake do guests actually eat?” 

Both sentences are natural and include our target keyword word-for-word. 

Let’s look at one more example. Our topic is “wedding planner vs. venue coordinator.” 

Possible phrasing: 

• Wedding planner vs. venue coordinator
• Wedding planner or venue coordinator
• Do you need a wedding planner if you have a venue coordinator
• Difference between wedding planner and venue coordinator
• Are wedding planner and venue coordinator the same 

These results tell us a few things. First, that this topic isn’t super popular. But we know it’s a very important thing couples need to be educated about. We could try to rank for “Wedding planner vs. venue coordinator.” Or we can find a different keyword phrase to target that still allows us to answer this important question. 

So I tried:

• What is a venue coordinator
• What does a venue coordinator do
• Do you need a wedding planner 

From these results, we can target “what does a venue coordinator do” and include a section in our blog focused on the difference between a venue coordinator and a planner.  

Now you know how to find keywords for your website. But what do you actually write? 

These resources can help you! 

Before You Write 

About Page

Portfolio

Services

And if you’re like “I just want someone to do it for me,” I’m your girl. Check out my services and reach out to learn more! 

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Hope this was helpful! Have we met? 

Hey! I’m Emily— website copywriter and SEO specialist working exclusively in the wedding industry. If you need words for your website, blog, or promotional materials, I’m your girl! I’ll help you sell your stuff without sounding like a robot (or every other wedding pro on the internet).  

Here’s how you can connect with me: 

Subscribe to Copy That: My twice-monthly newsletter gives you bite-sized, actionable tips on everything from nailing your brand’s voice to boosting your SEO rankings, plus list-only perks like quarterly copy audits and exclusive discounts. Whether it’s quick copy tweaks or deep-dive strategies, Copy That has everything you need to keep your website spick and span (it’s already helped 400+ wedding pros!). 

Check out my 1:1 services: I write everything from website copy and blogs to brochures and educational materials. Whatever words you need to run your business, I’ve gotcha covered. I can also help you show up on Google! 

Grab a website audit: My website audit package includes up to 4 pages of website copy. I’ll look at your copy and SEO and give you an action plan to whip that website into shape. 

Visit the Copy Conservatory: Looking to do things yourself? The Copy Conservatory has resources for copywriting, brand messaging, SEO, blogging, social media, and more. 

Read the blog: Check out my library of blog posts with topics ranging from how to do keyword research to the formula for a perfect website headline. 

Connect with me on IG: Come hang out on the ‘gram!