Search engine optimization has become a wider discipline over time, but one thing that remains constant is keyword research. It is the process of finding the search terms people use to find information on Google, Bing, and other search engines. It influences every SEO practice, including email outreach, content promotion, on-page optimization, and content marketing. Keywords serve as a gateway to information for users and a potential tool to appear on the SERPs for webmasters.
Keyword research provides a better understanding of what people are searching for, why they are searching for it, and in what format they want their information. If you are new to SEO or want to find the right keyword for your website content, this blog is for you. It will provide a comprehensive guide to research keywords to rank your website on search engines.
Why is Keyword Research Necessary?
Investing in an expensive SEO strategy will be a miss if there is no keyword research involved. A website using different terms to list its product on Google will not be able to reach the user searching for the same product using different keywords. It is necessary to get valuable insight into what your target audience is searching on the internet (relevant to your product or business). It shapes your content into an engaging and effective way to communicate with the buyer.
Keywords enable you to see the challenges your audience is facing. You can use this information to create content that addresses those problems to help the users. They are the foundation of digital marketing strategy and content creation. Keyword research provides direction and leads. It helps you categorize search queries into transactional, navigational, and informational. This helps you create relevant content.
The concept of keyword research for SEO is based on Inbound Marketing. That means pulling the audience to your website by using their terms. It means being more receptive to what your customer says instead of what you want them to say. It helps you stay updated about ongoing marketing trends and customer acquisition. That will lead to higher purchases and a more refined content strategy.
A Brief Guide to Keywords Research For SEO
Before you start searching, you need to understand how to use these keywords to boost your page rankings, such as prioritizing focus and long-tail keywords in your content. Content should revolve around the primary keyword or focus search term. You have to purposefully place it in the page content, meta description, and URL to get noticed by the search engine. At the same time, Long tail keywords help further along the purchase funnel. It helps get qualified leads when the primary keywords are highly competitive.
The following guidelines can help you lead successful keyword research.
Discover Keyword Ideas
A keyword idea is tied to your site’s marketing strategy. You can start off with the most basic source, Google itself! The autocomplete suggestions from Google can become your content topic, or you can also use Google Trends to find trending topics relevant to your website. For example, if you sell pet food, then type it in the search engine, autocomplete will give you relevant suggestions for your blog, article, or case study.
Google AdWords Keyword Planner can also assist you in keyword research by providing approximate search volume and recommendations upon entering an idea. Keyword ideas don’t stop there. You can also take suggestions from the “searches related to” section on the SERPs.
Determine their Search Volume
What if your web page ranks number one on Google, but no one ever searches for it. Your SEO efforts will go down the drain. Therefore, it is important to determine the search volume of your primary and secondary keywords before using them in your content. Search volume is measured in MSV or monthly search volume. It refers to the number of times users search these keywords per month.
Only Target Relevant Terms
Google ranks everything based on relevance. It is an integral concept of SEO that illustrates how well a keyword goes with the user’s search intent. You will never find an automobile website rank for a baking-related keyword. This is because Google’s search bots look for content that meets the searcher’s needs. These bots cannot read the whole blog to rank on the SERPs. However, they identify the Keywords used in the content to answer the user’s query. Therefore, these Keywords are the best resource to communicate the context of your topic to Google.
Compare with Competitors
Comparing your keyword collection with your competitor can help you in ranking and visibility. But it is not necessary to use the same approach as they did. You can tweak your content a little bit, like adding more information or changing the format of your content, as long as it aligns with search intent. Monitoring the keywords used by your competitors can help you evaluate your own keyword collection.
Adding your competitor’s keywords to your content is a good thing. But don’t ignore the ones your competitor failed to use. This could give you a competitive edge on Google rankings.
Long-tail Keywords
Unlike the head terms that are 2-3 words long, long-tail keywords are longer and help in achieving your SEO goals in the long run. Long tail keywords may have a lower search volume than the primary keyword; however, these search terms establish better communication between the business and the consumer.
For example, the word “Jacket” is a broad search term often considered the primary keyword that thousands of brands are ranking for. What are the chances of someone clicking through your webpage to buy it? Little to none. However, when a user types “air force nike high tops,” Google brings out exactly what they are looking for.
User’s Intent
Don’t just rely on the face value of a keyword for your content. You have to understand the reason behind a Google search to solve your customer’s problem. There are three types of search intents on Google: Informational, navigational, and transactional.
If someone enters a keyword to learn more about the topic, its intent is informational. If a user is searching for a certain brand name or a website, their intent is navigational. Lastly, a search made to buy something refers to transactional search intent.
Make your Keywords Research for SEO A Success!
Once you have made a checklist of focused and long-tail keywords, focus on writing quality content for them. Make sure to evaluate these keywords every quarter to gain more authority on the SERPs. Put extra focus on the user’s search intent to create content. You can also hire an experienced keyword research service like Lincoln SEO to kickstart your brand’s journey to successful ranking.