Hi, my name is Erick Gaona, I’m an SEO consultant, and today I want to confess something:
My first websites—built over 10 years ago in Mexico—were basically set up to fail.
They weren’t ugly.
They weren’t slow.
They didn’t use outdated technology.
So… what went wrong?
👉 The real problem was that I never stopped to think about how my potential customers were actually searching for things online.
That mistake cost me thousands of potential visits, lost clients, and websites that looked professional—but didn’t perform.
The silent mistake: designing without thinking about search behavior
For years, I focused on the usual things:
- clean design
- good speed
- “nice” structure
- solid functionality
All of that matters.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth I learned the hard way:
If no one can find you on Google, your website is invisible.
And that’s where real SEO begins.
Why keyword research is the foundation of SEO
Keyword research isn’t a boring technical task.
It’s about understanding how real people describe what they’re looking for—not how you describe your product.
It’s not about using the terms you like.
It’s about using the words your customers actually type into Google.
Google built its entire business on this idea:
👉 understanding how people search.
If your website doesn’t speak that language, Google won’t show it.
A real (and very common) example in Mexico
“carrito de golf” vs “carro de golf”
Let’s do a quick exercise.
If you sell this product, how would you search for it?
👉 “carrito de golf”
Most people answer that.
But here’s the reality 👇
In Mexico, according to Google Trends, most users actually search for:
👉 “carro de golf”
That small difference can be the line between:
- hundreds of organic visits
- or zero traffic at all
And this doesn’t just happen with this product.
It happens with services, categories, and entire businesses.
What I learned (the hard way)
Designing a website without keyword research is like:
- opening a store with no sign
- using the wrong name
- and hoping people somehow walk in
It doesn’t matter how good it looks.
It doesn’t matter if you like it.
If it doesn’t match how customers search, it doesn’t exist.
How to start your own keyword research (without overcomplicating it)
Before creating or redesigning your website or e-commerce store, do this:
✔ Free tools: Google Trends
✔ Paid tools: Semrush, Dinorank, or SE Ranking
✔ Analyze the exact words your customers in Mexico use
✔ Check search intent:
- are they trying to buy?
- compare?
- learn?
✔ Then, and only then:
- design
- structure
- create content
If you skip this step, you’ll be creating content for yourself—not for your customers.
Conclusion: without keyword research, your website is built to be invisible
SEO isn’t just about “optimizing for Google.”
It’s about speaking the same language your customers use when they search for your products or services.
So next time you think about building a website, remember:
👉 Keyword research first
👉 Design and content second
Always in that order.
If you want to go deeper, I recommend reading:
👉 What is SEO?
And if you want help doing this the right way,
you can always request a free SEO consultation and we’ll review your case together.
