SEO and keyword research go hand and hand. Failing to have a thorough understanding of keywords could be costing your business thousands of impressions on potential customers. Hearing “keywords” may sound like overused jargon at times, but understanding their importance is a vital step in building a successful SEO campaign.
What are Keywords?
Keywords describe what your website is about. They’re the repeated words that Google notices and latches onto during a search. Google will optimize your page in the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) according to the terms, or keywords, you use. Much of technology is abstract in nature, but picture Google like an ant colony. The worker ants scan the internet finding keywords. They then place those websites on the first page, second page, etc. according to various factors like popularity and the category of your keyword.
How to Choose Keywords
When conducting keyword research, aim for keywords that are competitive but not oversaturated. If you’re the only person trying to rank for a particular topic and/or keyword, then there’s a reason for that. It’s because ultimately, there’s not an audience for it or those keywords may be part of a niche you discovered with low or no competition! Alternatively, you don’t want to pick too basic of keywords that are already saturated online. Back to our ant metaphor, you don’t want to be shoved into a category with a million other searches. No one will be able to find you in the mix!
Tips to Choose Great Keywords
- Be Descriptive
The more you describe your product or service in detail, the more it will stand out from the crowd. For instance, say you’re selling water bottles. Describe your water bottle in 3-4 words. Such as “reusable colorful water bottles” this will bring you up in the search results in comparison to if you just said “water bottle”.
- Consider Local Keywords
Similar to the descriptiveness of a keyword, adding local tag such as “Raleigh” or “Fuquay” is a great way to lower the competition for a more general keyword. Using the water bottle example, “water bottles raleigh” is much easier and effective to rank for, especially if your business’ audience needs to find local services or products.
- Use a Keyword Generator
See how competitive your keywords are with the rest of the internet’s searches, use a keyword generator. This will give you a good idea of what keywords will give you the most traffic and best competitive edge. If you’re stuck between choosing primary and secondary key phrases try using Google Trends’ search term comparison feature which is a great way to prioritize the most valuable keywords.
- Look at Related Keywords
Type in your keywords into Google, then scroll down to the bottom and see what other searches are similar to yours. Ultimately, use your online resources and try to have fun with this process
Always Aim for the First Results Page
According to a study by Chitika 2, 95% of people only look at the first page of Google search results. That means that if you don’t have the proper keywords and use other techniques to help get your page to the top, you could miss out on a ton of organic traffic. Now that you understand the importance and general concept of keyword research, go out and find your website’s next big ticket keyword!
