Keyword research is one of the most important, valuable, and high-return activities in the digital and search marketing world. Ranking for the right keywords can really make a difference to the traffic and conversions that a website receives, which of course is the end goal! With that being said, there are lots of tips for keyword research around.
Developing a good keyword list for SEO and PPC is crucial, but smart content marketers use keyword research to find out what topics they should write about and what phrases they should use while writing.
While there are plenty of tips for keyword research strategies available, we’ve looked at the five points you should consider when putting your keyword strategy together…
Take advantage of tools
There are a gazillion tools available online that will help you research phrases that will be relevant to your business. Take advantage of them! Our favourite has to be Google’s AdWords Keyword Planner tool, it’s definitely a great starting point for SEO keyword research. It not only suggests keywords and provides estimated search volume, but also predicts the cost of running paid campaigns for these terms too – winning!
Narrow down your keyword list
Many people try to target too many keywords, but you can benefit from narrowing down your current list. If you don’t know what to leave out, then you should evaluate your keywords quantitatively. If one of your keywords has a low volume in relation to the rest of your list, then it’s probably best to just remove it.
Focus on what your customers are looking for
It’s easy to lose sight of the big picture when you focus on the nitty gritty of SEO. Sometimes it’s good to remember what’s more important than anything else: what your customers are looking for online. Put yourself in their position, if you can’t imagine your customers typing your current keywords into Google, then get new ones. It’s also very important to create content that will serve a purpose for your target audience. Many users will be looking for answers on particular topics, so a great way to get them onto your site is to answer all of their questions!
Quality of content over the quantity of keywords
Unfortunately, cramming keywords into articles doesn’t improve your rankings anymore. If you can naturally include your keywords in your content, then absolutely go for it. But if doing so will make it sound abnormal, then leave it out. When in doubt, prioritise your user experience. That’s what Google is looking for essentially, and you’ll make a better impression on your customers.
Dominate a small niche
A more focused SEO campaign will deliver the highest ROI. You need to find a niche group of keywords and then dominate them. According to Google, 15% of searches are completely unique and have never been searched for before, so get digging!
If you would like to find out more information regarding keyword research and SEO, get in touch with Ricemedia, we’re more than happy to help! Give us a call on 01212 200 3336 or contact us today.
