How to Check Real Search Demand for FREE (South Africa Specific)

How to Check Real Search Demand for FREE

(South Africa Specific)

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make with website content is assuming that good writing automatically equals good visibility.

It doesn’t.

The internet is full of well-written articles that nobody ever finds, simply because they were written about topics people aren’t actually searching for.

Before you invest time, energy, or money into content, there’s a far more important question to answer:

Is anyone in South Africa really searching for this?

The good news is you don’t need expensive tools or subscriptions to find out. Google already gives you everything you need, if you know where to look.

This guide walks you through how to check real search demand, completely free, using tools that reflect how South Africans actually search.

Why search demand matters more than “good ideas”

Many blog strategies fail because they start with assumptions:

• “This sounds useful”

• “My clients ask about this”

• “This would be good for SEO”

Those things help, but they’re not enough.

Search demand tells you:

• whether a topic has momentum

• how people phrase their problems

• what Google already understands as relevant

Writing without checking demand is like opening a shop without checking foot traffic.

Step 1: Use Google autocomplete (the most underrated tool)

Google autocomplete is not random. It’s based on real, repeated searches.

To use it properly:

1. 1. Open an incognito browser
   2. Set your location to South Africa (or Johannesburg / Cape Town if possible)
   3. Start typing, but don’t press enter

So, for example, if you designed websites for a living and you want to see what your clients would be typing into Google you would use phrases like:

• “website help”

• “website maintenance”

• “WordPress help”

• “website slow”

• “website not getting leads”

What Google suggests next is extremely important. Those suggestions exist because enough people are searching for them consistently.

If Google suggests it, the demand is real.

Step 2: Read “People also ask” like a strategist

After you search a phrase, scroll to the People also ask section.

This tells you:

• what users are confused about

• what they want explained

• what Google considers closely related

Each question is a potential article. Each answer is a chance to demonstrate expertise.

If multiple questions cluster around the same theme, you’ve found a strong content opportunity.

Step 3: Use “Related searches” at the bottom of Google

Scroll to the bottom of the results page.

These searches are not filler. They show adjacent intent.

For example, a search about website speed may surface related searches about hosting, performance, or maintenance. This helps you expand topics naturally without guessing.

If you see repetition across multiple searches, that’s validation.

Step 4: Google Keyword Planner (free, and far more useful than people realise)

You do not need to run ads to use Google Keyword Planner.

Steps:

1. 1. Open Google Ads
   2. Go to Tools → Keyword Planner
   3. Choose “Discover new keywords”
   4. Enter broad phrases related to your services
   5. Set location to South Africa, Johannesburg, or Cape Town

You’re not looking for massive numbers.

For local services:

• 20 to 200 searches per month is excellent

• low competition often means higher conversion

Keyword Planner also reveals language patterns, which is more valuable than volume alone.

Step 5: Google Search Console (your most honest data source)

If your website has been live for a while, Search Console is invaluable.

Go to:

• Performance → Search results

• Filter by Pages

• Select your best-performing articles

• Switch to Queries

• Sort by Impressions

You’ll see:

• what people actually typed

• searches you’re appearing for but not targeting

• phrasing you wouldn’t have guessed

These are not ideas. They are proof.

Creating articles based on these queries significantly increases your odds of ranking.

Step 6: Think in symptoms, not services

This is where many SEO strategies quietly fail.

Most business owners don’t search for:

• “technical SEO”

• “on-page optimisation”

• “content strategy”

They search for symptoms:

• “website slow”

• “website not getting leads”

• “WordPress problems”

• “site down again”

Articles built around symptoms almost always outperform articles built around disciplines.

Step 7: Validate locally, always

South African search behaviour differs from overseas trends.

Bandwidth, hosting quality, device usage, and market maturity all affect what people search for and how they search.

Before committing to an article:

• check results for South African relevance

• look for local examples

• avoid copying international advice blindly

Local relevance is not a nice-to-have. It’s a ranking factor.

A simple rule of thumb

If:

• Google suggests it

• “People also ask” supports it

• Keyword Planner shows consistent searches

• Search Console confirms related queries

Then the topic is worth writing about.

If not, it may still be interesting, but it’s unlikely to perform.

References

Google Search Central – How Search Works
https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/how-search-works

Google Search Central – Creating Helpful, Reliable, People-First Content
https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content

Google Keyword Planner – Discover New Keywords
https://ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/

Google Search Console – Performance Reports
https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7576553

Think with Google – South Africa Consumer & Search Insights
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-africa/

Google Search Central Blog
https://developers.google.com/search/blog

Search Engine Journal – Keyword Research Guides
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/category/seo/keyword-research/

Moz – Beginner’s Guide to Keyword Research
https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-keyword-research