Keyword research is the practise of researching common, industry-specific terms and phrases that drive search traffic to search engine results pages. This is the tried-and-true first step in search engine optimization (SEO) for any website.
The goal of keyword research is to discover words and phrases that users are looking for on Google and other major search engines. These terms are associated with the products and services offered on your website. Keywords are becoming more focused on searcher intent than ever before. A large part of keyword research entails understanding your audience and the questions they are asking, then finding ways to answer those questions in your content using a combination of keywords and phrases.
Keyword research during site architecture
When it comes to redesigning your website, keyword research can help you edit your existing site architecture and improve your copywriting. If you’re simply updating your content for SEO, keyword research will help you determine what other terms in your industry or location your site could rank for.
The first round of keyword research should ideally be completed before the site architecture is built. This strategy is useful for cleaning up a cluttered website and streamlining the user experience. Discovering new keywords aids in the separation of similar products or services. It is also useful in creating new and distinct section or page names.
Keyword research should influence your website’s navigation, URL naming, and page content. Keyword research will help you determine what terms people are searching for in relation to your company’s products, services, and location for main navigation titles and page names.
Content optimization
Content optimization for keywords is an important part of a website’s ongoing SEO. It is recommended that each site undergoes content optimization at least once a year. As your online presence evolves, so do the methods by which users search. Common words and phrases used to describe products online may differ from traditional terms, and both may evolve over time. By optimising your content on a yearly or even more frequent basis, you have a better chance of aligning it with your SEO goals and attracting customers who are more likely to convert rather than just browsing.
When you change the keywords on your website, you should also change the meta titles and descriptions for that page to reflect the new content. Search engines are aware of these changes and will look for consistency in your content.
It is recommended that you focus on specific keywords with high search volumes and low competition in order to outrank competitors. When it comes to improving search rankings with content, impressing your audience with big words is less important than using keywords and phrases with a lot of search traffic.
Keyword research tools
There are several advantages to using these tools, the most important of which is that the majority of them provide the average number of monthly searches, which can be filtered by geography if desired. A keyword with a high search volume is not always the most valuable, because the more people who search for it, the more competition for rankings on the search engine results page there will be (SERPs).
Instead, selecting a more specific medium-to-low keyword or phrase will set you apart from the competition. For example, if you are a marketer looking to optimise for a residential real estate business, include keywords and phrases that distinguish this service from others, such as geographic indicators or property distinctions.
Local keywords
If you operate in a specific geographic area, incorporating local keywords is critical to your site’s searchability. In recent years, Google has prioritised local businesses and encouraged them to claim their listing on Google My Business. If you do not claim your business, Google will pull information from your website that they believe is correct for online publication. Nothing on Google can be completely controlled by marketers or business owners, but you can attract more local searchers by conducting local keyword research and optimising your site’s most important product and service pages.
Keyword research at the state, county, or town level is possible. Even if you have offices in multiple states, it is still important to include local keyword references where possible, particularly on your contact and about pages.
Optimizing for search starts with keyword research
The first step in the SEO process is always keyword research. When it comes to optimising websites and creating campaigns, marketers should think of it on the same level as market research. It’s always a good idea to look at how your competitors in the industry are analysing keywords on their site as part of your preliminary planning. You can use keyword tools to compare those to your own to see which is more frequently searched.
