Research

Go search for good keyword research tools. I recommend Google’s keyword tool, Keyword Discovery has a free one – Wordtracker does too. Use them all, compare and contrast them and get familiar with them.

Intent

There are a lot of good articles on the intent of a search query. I think students and beginners that read this are smart enough to determine what the intent of a keyword is…is it transactional? Will it lead to a sale? Does the word lean more towards discovery and research? Is it a branded keyword? Think like your target. What will they search for when they’re ready to buy? What will they search for if they are just starting to discover the product or service you offer?