what's the practical way to choose the best keywords for your website?

Something I'd add: decide which page each keyword belongs to before you write anything. A plain sheet does it, keyword in one column, target URL in the next. Otherwise you end up with three posts half-targeting the same term and none of them ranking properly, and untangling that later is a pain.

Search the keyword yourself before you commit to it. If page one is all huge brands and the results are a different type of page from what you planned to write, move on, the volume number doesn't matter if you can't get there. What I'd prioritise: - terms you already get impressions for in Search Console but sit around page 2 - longer, more specific phrases that match something you actually sell or know - clear intent. "how to" wants a guide, "best" wants a comparison, "price" wants a product page Newer sites do much better going after a lot of small specific terms than a few big ones.