Keyword research for small business means finding the exact words your customers type into Google and ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Google AI Mode. Then you match each phrase to one page on your site. You don't need paid tools: a one-page worksheet and a few free Google sources are enough.
This guide walks through the worksheet column by column, shows how to score every phrase and turns the results into a page plan. Copy the template from the table below and fill it in over a single afternoon.
People now search in full questions, not two-word fragments. Google says the average AI Mode search is triple the length of a traditional query. In its May 2026 update, Google also reported more than a billion monthly AI Mode users worldwide.
Google says searches that start with "where to," "where should I" and "ideas for" are growing too. Those are decision questions, and small businesses can answer them well. A page that plainly answers "where can I get a same-day water heater repair" beats a page stuffed with "water heater repair."
Fewer people click when an AI summary appears, so each click you win matters more. Seer Interactive's 2026 update tracked 5.47 million queries across 53 brands. In February 2026, organic click-through rate was 2.36% when an AI Overview showed and 3.82% when none did.
The same study found that brands cited inside AI Overviews earned more clicks than brands left out. That is why the worksheet below tracks AI prompts next to classic keywords. A page built around a clear customer question can rank in Google and get quoted by AI assistants.
The basics have not changed. Keyword research still tells you what to put on each page, what to call it and which pages you are missing. If you want the wider picture first, our SEO myths vs. facts guide covers what actually helps small sites rank.
The worksheet has seven columns, and each one answers a single question about a phrase. Build it in a spreadsheet, with one row per phrase. Aim for 30 to 60 rows on your first pass.
Keyword research for small business
The one-page keyword research worksheet
Source: Maison Digital worksheet template.
Your best phrases come from your customers. Read your last 20 inquiry emails, call notes and Google reviews, and copy the phrases people use to describe what they need. These often differ from the words you use inside the business.
Next, open the Performance report in Google Search Console. Sort the Queries table by impressions and copy every phrase that matches a service you offer. Queries with many impressions but few clicks are often your fastest wins.
Add a few phrases from Google autocomplete and the "People also ask" box. Type your main service and city into Google, then note the suggestions. Record where each phrase came from in the Source column so you can see which sources give you the best phrases.
Our weekly Search Console check shows how to keep this list fresh in about 15 minutes a week.
Google Keyword Planner estimates how many searches a phrase gets each month. You need a Google Ads account with billing details set up to use it. Paste your phrases in and copy the monthly range into the worksheet.
Treat these numbers as a guide to compare phrases, not an exact forecast. A local phrase with 50 searches a month can still bring steady leads. A national phrase with 50,000 searches may bring visitors who will never buy from you.
Keyword Planner also suggests related phrases. Add any that match a real service and skip the rest. A short, relevant list is more useful than a long one you never act on.
For each important phrase, write the full question a customer would ask an AI assistant. Ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Google AI Mode how people usually phrase questions about your service. Then run those questions yourself and note which businesses and pages get named.
Write the question in plain words, the way a customer would say it out loud. These longer prompts make good page headings and FAQ questions. They also tell you what details to include, such as price ranges, timing and service areas.
If competitors appear in the answers and you don't, note it in the worksheet. Our guide on how to get your business recommended by AI search explains what to fix next.
Search each phrase on Google and look at page one before you score it. If the results are service pages and local listings, the intent is "buy now." If they are guides and definitions, the searcher wants to learn first.
Ranking chance is about who you would have to beat. Page one full of national brands and directories means a low chance. Page one with other small businesses or short, weak pages means a real chance.
Mark intent as Buy now, Compare or Learn, and ranking chance as High, Medium or Low. These two columns stop you from chasing popular phrases you can't win. They also flag easy wins that bigger competitors ignore.
The last column decides where each phrase lives. Give every page one primary phrase and a few close variations. Phrases with the same intent belong on the same page.
If two of your pages target the same phrase, they compete with each other. Merge them or point one at a different phrase. If no page fits, write "new page" and add it to your plan.
Use the primary phrase in the page title, the main heading and the first paragraph. Then answer the AI prompt version in plain language on the same page.
A full worksheet can feel overwhelming, so score every row before you write anything. Give each phrase 1 to 3 points for business value, intent and ranking chance. Add the three numbers to get a total between 3 and 9.
Source: Maison Digital scoring guide.
Phrases that score 8 or 9 get their own page, or a rewrite of the page that already targets them. These are usually buy-now phrases with a real ranking chance, such as a service plus your city. Work through them first, one page per week.
Phrases that score 5 to 7 rarely need their own page. Add them as a section, a heading or an FAQ on a related page. This builds depth without creating weak pages that compete with each other.
Phrases that score 3 or 4 can wait. Keep them in the worksheet, because scores change as your site grows. Our guide on how long SEO takes to work explains why patience pays here.
Review the worksheet every three months. Add new Search Console queries, re-check your top AI prompts and update the scores. A content gap analysis is a good next step once your core pages are done.
Track the results so you know which pages pay off. In Search Console, watch clicks and impressions for each target page. To check visits from AI assistants, follow our guide to tracking AI traffic in GA4.
This week, open Search Console and export your top 50 queries. Paste them into the worksheet, score them and pick the first page to improve.
It means finding the exact words your customers type into Google or ask AI assistants. Then you choose one page on your site to answer each phrase. The goal is fewer, better-matched pages, not a long list of phrases.
No. Google Search Console, Google Keyword Planner, Google autocomplete and AI assistants cover what most small businesses need. Paid tools add competitor data, but they are optional at the start.
Give each page one primary phrase and a few close variations. If two pages target the same phrase, they compete with each other, so merge them or point one at a different phrase.
Ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Google AI Mode how a customer would ask about your service, then try those questions yourself. Record the full question in the AI prompt version column and answer it on the target page.
Update the worksheet every three months. Add new Search Console queries, re-check your scores and retire phrases that never brought a lead.
