If you are still a little unclear about how to answer the question, “why is keyword research so important”, then you are far from alone. Even SEO experts themselves are now doubting the ability of keywords to help a website obtain that much coveted spot on the first page of Google.
Does this mean that keyword research should no longer be a part of your SEO strategy?
Of course not. What it does mean, however, is that you need to be even more clever when it comes to both choosing and utilizing keywords for your website.
Let’s try a quick exercise.
Think about why you search the web.
Nine times out of ten it is probably because you are looking for a solution to a problem and you want to find content that will help you with this problem as quickly and easily as possible.
The beauty of keyword research is that it gives you a direct insight into what people are entering into search engines. Plus, it shows exactly how many people are searching for it and in what format they want the information to be presented in. For example, this could be a video, an infographic, or a listicle.
Still not sure why keyword research is so important for SEO?
By the time you have finished reading this guide, you will be able to answer the below questions with complete confidence and total expertise:
- How does keyword research work?
- Why is keyword research so important for SEO?
- What is organic keywords?
Excited to get started and learn how you can boost sales through the power of keyword research?
We bet you are!
How does keyword research work?
Keyword research can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. If you are willing to put in the time and effort to yield optimal results for your SEO campaigns, then you will want to learn in depth about how keyword research works. However, if you are not serious about improving your Google ranking, you can simply choose a few obvious keywords and hope for the best.
If you fall into the former category, we can help you.
When it comes to keyword research, one of the most important factors to consider is “user intent”, also known as “search intent”. This refers to the process of discovering what a searcher wants in order to boost your ranking potential and decrease your bounce rate.
Fortunately, if you are not exactly sure what terms your target audience are searching for online, the keyword research process outlined below will help you to create a keyword selection strategy that will blow all your competitors out of the water!
1. Make a list of themes you want to rank for
Start by thinking about what you already know about your business.
What do you think your customers are currently searching for online when they are looking to buy your product or service?
If you are unsure, try putting yourself in your customers’ shoes. What kind of questions would they be asking Google if they wanted your business to be the answer?
Try and come up with between 5 to 10 core themes that directly relate to your business as these will be the steppingstones that lead you to come up with the finalized keywords for your website.
Don’t forget to also take into consideration voice search keywords. Currently in the United States, 50% of people who use a smartphone also take advantage of voice technology. Furthermore, 90% of voice search directories are on Google, Yelp and Bing.
It is also a good idea to keep one eye on what your competitors are up to when it comes to relevant keywords within your niche. If in doubt, check out their websites for some inspiration!
2. Utilize a keyword research tool
The next step in your keyword research journey is a lot easier, as you can use an automated SEO tool to do all the hard work for you.
Google Keyword Planner is a free online tool that can provide you with the very best keywords for your business in a matter of seconds.
It is also a good idea during this stage to find out what specific keywords your site is already ranking well for as you will want to continue to use these in your quest to climb in the ranks of Google. You can do this by searching through your organic traffic bucket on Google Analytics — another free online tool provided by the ever-helpful Google!
For the uninitiated, these tools can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, so you might want to consider enlisting the services of experts in SEO who will be able to guide you throughout this crucial process.
3. Get the right balance of keywords
If you want to achieve a well-rounded and highly effective keyword research strategy, then you need to ensure that you pick a combination of both short generic keywords and longer keywords that searchers use when they are closer to the point of purchase.
Short keywords are called head terms, whereas longer keywords that contain three or more words are called long-tail keywords.
An optimal keyword research strategy will include a good balance of both of these types of keywords, enabling you to drive high search volumes (great for short term wins) and gradually increase your conversion rate over time.
4. Finalize your list of keywords
Now that you have a solid list of keywords for your business, you are now ready to narrow down your list using quantitative data. Don’t worry, this is not as confusing as it sounds, and again, there are a few handy online tools that can help you along the way.
Google AdWords Keyword Planner is useful for determining search volume and traffic estimates for your chosen keywords. Plus, you can utilize Google Trends to check not only the past performance of your keywords, but also to project their effectiveness in the future.
5. Optimize your website
Arguably the most exciting part of your keyword research journey, now is the time to start directly applying your final keywords to the content on your site.
Elements of your website that you will want to optimize include:
- Your meta tags
- Your meta descriptions
- Headers & sub headers
- Page content
- Link text
Why is keyword research important for SEO?
It is all well and good finding out “what is keyword research” and understanding “how does keyword research work”, but aren’t you also interested in why it is so important? Plus, what would happen if you chose not to carry out comprehensive keyword research?
If your answer is yes, fortunately, you don’t have to wait long to find out . . .
Less customers will be directed to your website
If you don’t carry out adequate keyword research, how will you be able to optimize all the key elements of your website such as your images, videos and content?
The answer is you won’t. Instead, you will simply have to guess what your customers are looking for when it comes to your business.
The result? Significantly less organic traffic driven to your site, and in turn, less sales.
Don’t forget that you also need to focus on link building if you want your site to be as visible as possible online.
Your bounce rate will soar
SEO is all about the long game and if you want to not only reach the dizzy heights of the first page of Google, but also stay there indefinitely, you need to be using the best possible keywords for your business.
Yes, in the short term you may experience some quick wins and boost your Google ranking if you simply sprinkle in a few high-volume keywords. But in the long term, you will not yield good results. In fact, by using the wrong keywords, you not only increase your bounce rate, but alienate both your existing customers and potential new ones.
If you think that your current bounce rate is too high, SEO auditing services can be extremely useful for identifying any issues with your site that may be affecting your ranking.
What are organic keywords?
If you are not sure what is organic keywords, then don’t worry, it’s very easy to explain. Organic keywords are used to attract free traffic through SEO, as opposed to PPC which may be part of your paid search marketing efforts.
If you are worried about blowing your digital marketing budget, you will be pleased to know that organic search is arguably just as, if not more, effective than pay per click advertising. Plus, it has the advantage of being basically free so you can drive traffic to your site and increase your conversion rate with just a little time and a lot of effort.
Are you ready to start creating a keyword research strategy that will work hard for your business? Get in touch today.
