still can't choose the right keywords for seo - what am i missing?

probably aiming too high. most people pick the big obvious term because it has the volume, then wonder why nothing moves. Google the keyword and look at who's on page one. if it's all huge brands and nobody your size, skip it and go one level more specific. also check what kind of page ranks - if it's all product pages and you're writing a blog post, you've got the intent wrong, not the keyword.