How do you do keyword research?

Well i prefer Google Keyword Planner Tool.This works best.

The first step of the keyword exercise is critical. By creating 'Buyer Personas', you'll gain a deep understanding of your ideal customer. Only then can you really start with a successful keyword research exercise. Remember, it's not what you think what is important, it's what your customers think. 

Steps for an effective keyword research strategy:

1. Create awesome buyer personas to gain an understanding of their behaviour
2. Based on buyer persona research, use tools like GA, GWT, Brightedge, Moz to identify keywords based on volume and competition.
3. Remember, long tail keywords are essential for a successful SEO strategy.
4. Ensure these keywords reflect your buyer personas
5. Once you've got a list of keywords, it's only the start. Begin optimising your pages and 'naturally' embedding these keywords within your pages.
6. Ensure you have quarterly reviews of keywords to discover and analyse performing keywords.

the keyword creation needs someone who has been a monitor, observant for awhile, someone who already went through what people are saying about the brand and read many of their comments