How to Find Keywords and Hashtags People Actually Search For (Step-By-Step)

Most people pick keywords and hashtags by guessing what sounds right. That's the entire problem. Guessing has nothing to do with what real people actually type into a search bar. The fix is one simple habit: instead of guessing, ask the platform itself what people are searching, and it will tell you for free.

That one idea "type your topic into the platform's own search bar and read what it suggests back, is the method behind everything below. It works slightly differently on Google than it does on Instagram or TikTok, so we'll walk through both, but it's the same underlying move every time.

Part 1: Finding real keywords for your website

This is for anyone writing blog posts, product pages, or lesson content and wanting Google to actually show it to people.

Step 1: Use Google's autocomplete

1. Go to google.com.
2. Type your general topic into the search bar, but don't press enter yet. For example, type how to remove background from.
3. Look at the dropdown suggestions that appear underneath. Those aren't random, they're the most common real searches starting with those words. Write down any that match what you're actually writing about.
4. Try a few variations of your topic this way (how to remove background from image, remove background from photo free) each version surfaces different real phrases.

Step 2: Check "Searches related to" and "People also ask"

1. Now actually run your search by pressing enter.
2. Scroll to the very bottom of the results page. You'll see a box labeled "Searches related to [your topic]". These are other real phrases Google has confirmed people search around the same topic.
3. Also look partway down the page for a box labeled "People also ask". Click a few of these open. Each question is a real thing people typed, and often makes a great subheading for your own content.

Step 3: Compare interest over time with Google Trends

1. Go to trends.google.com.
2. Type in two or three keyword options you're deciding between.
3. Google Trends shows you a graph comparing how much search interest each one gets over time. This tells you which version of your topic people actually search more, instead of you guessing between two similar phrases.

Step 4 (optional, more detail): Google Keyword Planner

If you want actual estimated monthly search numbers, not just relative comparisons:

1. Go to ads.google.com and sign in with a free Google account.
2. You do not need to create or pay for an ad. Look for Tools > Keyword Planner in the menu, and choose Discover new keywords.
3. Enter your topic and review the estimated monthly search volume next to each suggestion. Higher numbers mean more people are searching it; pair this with how specific and relevant it is to what you're actually offering.

Part 2: Finding real hashtags for social media

Hashtags work the same underlying way. You're checking what real people search and follow, not what sounds catchy.

Step 1: Use the platform's own search

1. Open Instagram or TikTok and tap the Search tab.
2. Type your topic into the search bar (for example, salon hair).
3. Look at the suggestions and the Tags section of the results. Each hashtag shown there usually displays a post count. Tap into a few to see how active and relevant the actual posts under that tag are before deciding to use it.

Step 2: Use TikTok Creative Center's Keyword Insights (free, no account needed)

1. Go to ads.tiktok.com/business/creativecenter and find the Keyword Insights tool under Inspiration.
2. Enter your topic or industry.
3. It shows you trending keywords real users are searching and engaging with on TikTok right now, including how their popularity is trending. Genuinely useful even if you never run a TikTok ad.

Step 3: Reverse-check hashtags on top posts in your niche

1. Search your topic and sort or filter for the top-performing posts.
2. Open two or three of the best-performing ones and look at exactly which hashtags they used.
3. Note any hashtags that show up repeatedly across multiple high-performing posts. That repetition is a signal, not a coincidence.

Common mistakes

• Picking hashtags because they sound clever instead of checking whether real people search them
• Using only extremely broad hashtags or keywords (like #love or "marketing") that are so common your post or page disappears instantly
• Never checking search volume at all, and choosing a keyword nobody is actually looking for
• Copying a competitor's hashtags or keywords exactly instead of picking the ones actually relevant to your specific content
• Doing this once and never repeating it: what's trending changes, and this should be a regular five-minute habit, not a one-time task

Your first step

• Pick one piece of content or one page you want more people to find.
• Run it through Google's autocomplete and "Searches related to" for keyword ideas.
• Run it through Instagram or TikTok search for hashtag ideas.
• Check TikTok Creative Center's Keyword Insights for the same topic.
• Pick your final 3-5 keywords or hashtags based on what you actually saw, not what sounded best in your head.

Continue learning

• How to Do a Competitor Analysis (Step-By-Step)