$100 in 30 Days Challenge – How to Find Keywords the Simple (and Free!) Way

$100 in 30 Days Challenge – How to Find Keywords the Simple (and Free!) Way

When it comes to keyword research, people often overcomplicate things. They dive into expensive tools, obsess over every single search term, and spend hours hunting for the “perfect” keyword.

But here’s the truth: the best keyword research tool is right in front of you. It’s the search engines themselves.

Ultimately, search engines are where people go to search for things online, so the data they provide is straight from the source. And the best part? It’s free.

How to Find Keywords (No Fancy Tools Needed!)

Here’s the simple process I use to gather real search terms that actual people are using.

1️⃣ Start with a seed keyword – I used “chess t shirts”
2️⃣ Gather keyword ideas from three places on Google’s results page:
✅ Autocomplete (Google’s suggestions as you type)
✅ People Also Ask (PAA) box
✅ People Also Search For (PASF) box

Each of these gives you real search terms that real people have typed into Google. And from just one search term, you can branch out and find even more.

What I Found for “Chess T-Shirts”

🔍 Google Autocomplete Results

When I typed “chess t shirts,” Google suggested:

Chess t shirts for kids
Chess t shirts for boys
Chess t shirts for men

This tells me something important: people are looking for gifts for specific groups—kids, adults, men, women. That means I should think about how to tailor content to those specific audiences.

For example, should I write a post specifically about chess t-shirts for kids? Should I highlight designs that appeal to men vs. women?

💡 People Also Ask (PAA) Box

Some of the suggested questions weren’t relevant, but one really stood out:

👉 “What to buy someone who loves chess?”

This is perfect. It confirms that people are searching for chess gifts—and many of them likely aren’t chess players themselves.

This gives me another big content idea:
📌 “How to Buy the Perfect Gift for a Chess Player (Even If You Don’t Play Chess Yourself!)”

This also made me think about a new angle:

Should I explain chess culture to non-players to help them choose the right gift?
Could I highlight t-shirts that resonate with chess players on a personal level (e.g., shirts featuring their favorite openings or famous chess memes)?

🎯 People Also Search For (PASF) Box

Two terms caught my eye:

Luxury chess t-shirts
Chess t-shirts cheap

See the contrast? Some people want premium quality, while others just want the cheapest option.

This is key. If I promote a high-end, expensive chess t-shirt to someone searching for a cheap one, there’s a mismatch. And mismatched marketing = no sales.

What This All Means

🔹 Keyword research isn’t just about collecting words—it’s about understanding what people want.
🔹 By analyzing search terms, I can tailor my content to the right audience.
🔹 I now have more angles to explore than I originally thought.

And here’s an extra tip: Once you have a list of keywords, pass them through ChatGPT! I like to ask it to:

Analyze the sentiment behind the searches
Group them into different customer types

This gives a clear picture of the marketplace and helps me connect the right product to the right need.

Next Up: Full Chess T-Shirt Keyword Analysis

Now that I’ve gathered a solid list of keyword ideas, the next step is to organize them and decide which ones to focus on first.

In my next post, I’ll share the full results of my chess t-shirt keyword research—stay tuned! 🚀