Just because you have a great product or service doesn’t mean people will automatically find your website when searching for your offer. You need to do keyword research to ensure your website comes up in the search engines for the right keywords. This can be complex and time-consuming, but this article will give tips and tricks to get started.
What is keyword research?
Keyword research is finding words and phrases people are searching for to drive traffic to your website. It’s a crucial part of any SEO strategy, as it lets you focus your content and advertising efforts on the terms most likely to lead to conversions.
Why is keyword research important?
You might wonder why keyword research is so important if you’re new to SEO. After all, isn’t it enough to write good content?
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. For your content to be found by search engines, you need to use the right keywords. To find the right keywords, you need to do some research.
There are a few different ways to approach keyword research. You can use a tool like Google AdWords Keyword Planner or semrush.com. Or you can do some manual research using Google search results and Google Trends.
Whichever method you choose, the goal is to find keywords that are relevant to your topic, have a decent amount of traffic, and aren’t too competitive.
Once you’ve found some good keywords, you can start incorporating them into your content. Use them in your titles and throughout your articles. But don’t overdo it! If you stuff your content with too many keywords, it will sound unnatural and turn off your readers.
Keyword research may seem like a lot of work initially, but it’s worth it in the long run. It will help you get more traffic to your site, and it will help you improve your SEO.
How to do keyword research
If you’re new to SEO, keyword research can seem daunting. But never fear! This guide will teach you the basics of how to do keyword research for your blog.
The first step is to brainstorm a list of potential keywords that you want to rank for. Think about the topics your blog covers and the terms people would use to search for those topics. Once you have a list of potential keywords, it’s time to start researching.
There are a few different ways to research keywords. One option is to use Google’s AdWords Keyword Planner tool. This tool allows you to enter a seed keyword and see related keywords, as well as estimates for how much traffic those keywords get.
Another option is to use a paid keyword research tool such as Wordtracker or SEMrush. These tools provide more detailed data than the AdWords Keyword Planner, including search volume, competition level, and estimated CPC (cost per click).
Once you’ve gathered data on potential keywords, it’s time to start narrowing down your list. Look at each keyword’s search volume and competition level, and decide which ones are realistic for your blog to rank for. You may also want to consider the CPC when deciding, as keywords with a higher CPC are usually more lucrative.
Once you’ve decided on a few target keywords, it’s time to optimize your blog posts. Include the keywords in your titles and throughout the body of your post, but don’t go overboard with keyword stuffing – use them naturally. In addition to using keywords throughout your blog post, you should include them in your meta tags and website title.
Following these steps, you can do keyword research and optimize your blog posts for better search engine visibility.
Keyword research tools
Various keyword research tools are available online, including paid and free options. Some popular free keyword research tools include Google AdWords Keyword Planner, Wordtracker, and Moz Keyword Explorer. Paid options include SEMrush and Wordstream.
When choosing a keyword research tool, it’s important to consider your needs and budget. If you’re starting, a free option may be sufficient. However, a paid tool can offer more features and data if you have the budget.
No matter which tool you choose, keyword research is an essential part of any SEO or content marketing strategy. By taking the time to do your research upfront, you can save yourself a lot of time and effort down the road.
Once you have an understanding of basic keyword research concepts, grab some of these other articles along the way:
What to do with your keywords
Now that you’ve completed your keyword research, it’s time to put your keywords to use! Here are a few ideas for what you can do with your keywords:
1. Use them in your blog posts.
Including your keywords in your blog posts is a great way to let search engines know what your post is about. But beware of overusing keywords (known as “keyword stuffing”), or you could be penalized by search engines. A good rule of thumb is to use your keyword(s) once for every 100 words in your post.
2. Create separate pages on your website for each keyword.
Creating separate pages (known as “landing pages”) for each of your keywords is a great way to target those keywords with specific, targeted content. Each page should focus on just one or two keywords and include relevant content and links related to those keywords.
3. Use them in your social media posts.
Just like with your blog posts, using keywords in your social media posts will help search engines understand what your post is about. You can also use hashtags (like keywords for social media) to help get your posts seen by more people.
4. Use them in your email marketing.
Using keywords in your email subject lines and content is a great way to make sure your emails are getting seen by the right people. You can also use keywords to segment your email list to send more targeted emails to people interested in specific topics.
5. Use them in your paid advertising.
If you’re running paid advertising (such as Google AdWords or Facebook Ads), using keywords is a great way to ensure your ads are being shown to the right people. Targeting specific keywords with your ads will help you get more clicks and conversions from your ad spend.
Conclusion
In conclusion, keyword research is an essential skill for any marketer or business owner who wants to optimize their website for search engines. Understanding how to research and use keywords effectively can boost your website’s traffic and visibility in SERPs, ultimately leading to more customers and conversions. If you’re just getting started with keyword research, bookmark this article to reference it later as you continue to learn and grow in your SEO knowledge.