SEO Keyword Research: Things Every Business Needs to Know
A quality website design, responsive layout and killer business concept is only half the battle. Keyword rankings are an essential part of any SEO marketing campaign, but identifying profitable keyword clusters, long-tail keyword searches and other potential winners takes a truly skilled SEO genius...like the ones at iNET Web!
What are Keywords?
Keywords are the words, phrases and search terms used by real people when searching for products and services online. Integrating them into the content on your site is likely to increase your standing for their search queries.
Determining high-traffic keyword searches is easy enough, but these keywords are fiercely competitive and large corporations with massive SEO budgets tend to dominate in this field. iNET’s approach is to research long-tail keyword searches, targeting Google searches based on specific geographic regions and identifying overlooked search terms.
SEO Tips and Techniques for Keyword Research and Optimization
1. How to Use Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner is a standard tool in every SEO expert’s toolbox. It gives them access to common search terms, their search volumes, related impressions and other useful data. Keyword Planner is part of Google AdWords, a paid service, but you can access Keyword Planner without signing on for Google AdWords.
Google’s Keyword Planner gives you keyword suggestions that can be used alone or combined as long-tail keyword searches. Long-tail keyword searches are long, detailed questions. While they are not as commonly searched, users entering long-tail keyword combinations are usually much more likely to make a purchase.]
2. The Importance of Regular SEO Rank Tracking
Monthly SEO rank tracking gives digital marketers a better idea of which keywords are improving, and which still need work. Because SEO is not an immediate process, monthly rank tracking will give you a good overview of how you are doing.
Google often experiments with your site’s new content after it is initially posted. It will push your rankings down and bring competitors’ rankings up to see which pages are more effective, and this can make weekly rank tracking useless. In general, SEO can take as long as 6 months to gain traction, but compared to Pay per Click and other short-term digital marketing strategies, it’s worth its weight in gold.
3. How to Use Your Competitors for SEO Keyword Research
Another great way to gain some insight on what keywords to target is to look at what your competitors are doing. Here’s how:
Find a business like yours, roughly comparable in size, and with a similar website. If you’re a regional business, look for a similar business OUTSIDE of your geographic area. You can take what worked in their location and be the first to do it in yours!
Whatever you do, though, don’t emulate them if they’re using Pay per Click. Pay per Click sites appear at the top of Google search queries, branded with a green “ad” sticker. Companies with PPC results have PAID to be at the top of the rankings. Sounds great, except for the fact most search engine users skip right over these clearly labeled advertisements and go straight for the organic search results.
How important are Keywords in SEO?
While it’s no longer possible to win at SEO just by filling up a page with keywords, they’re still the backbone of any solid SEO campaign. Keywords are fundamental to pulling in new visitors to your site, and the way you incorporate keywords into your content can drastically impact your total contact form submissions.
Google is getting better all the time at determining the flow of “natural language.” This has dramatically shifted content development to focus more on a high-quality user experience. It is still important to use keywords, just make sure you research them well and incorporate them wisely.
