Search engine optimization (SEO), the act of making adjustments to boost a website’s likelihood of getting listed for relevant queries inside Google and other search engines, is one of the best ways to build a business.
Keywords are an important part of the plan; optimizing your site for specific ones provides you control over which searches you rank for (and therefore who your target audience is). As a result, changing your keyword distribution offers you the ability to adapt your campaign over time.
To be effective, you must first select the appropriate keywords. Over time, you’ll collect data that will help you determine which of your keywords are the most successful and which require more work – but how do you choose the correct initial set of keywords?
Set and understand your overall goals.
Spend some time thinking about your SEO goals before deciding which keywords are best for your brand. Most businesses use SEO to improve website traffic, which leads to increased income, but you’ll need to be more precise.
As an example:
- How quickly do you expect to see results? Because SEO is a long-term approach, it can take months before you see benefits. If you want results faster, consider keywords with lower competition and more volume.
- How important is it for your audience to be relevant? Are you laser-focused on a specific audience, or are you open to the variety of people who visit your site?
- What kind of traffic are you looking for? Do you want people to buy your items, or are you focusing on brand awareness for the time being?
Decide on a blend of head and long-tail keywords.
Once you’ve determined your objectives, you should be able to strike a balance between “head” and “long-tail” keywords. Head keywords are brief phrases, usually one to three words long, that are correlated with increased traffic but also increased competition.
Long-tail keywords are lengthier, conversational phrases with low traffic but high competitiveness. Long-tail keywords are better for short-term, high-results strategies, whereas head keywords are better for long-term, traffic-centric strategies. For the best overall outcomes, you’ll need both in some combination.
Conduct your preliminary research.
Once you’ve established your goals and basic vision, you may begin your preliminary research:
- Create a list of root ideas. Begin by brainstorming some ideas for what consumers might look for in relation to your business. You don’t have to be extensive here, but try to think of at least a few broad categories of searches, as well as both head and long-tail keywords that people might use to find you.
- Make use of keyword and topic generators. Next, based on some of your basic ideas, use an internet tool to help you generate more keyword and topic ideas. For this, I like to utilise Moz’s Keyword Explorer tool because it helps you come up with ideas and provides stats on the keywords themselves (which you’ll need later).
- Make a master list of everything. Export as many keywords as you can into a main spreadsheet so you can compare and arrange them fast.
Narrow down the list.
Once you’ve generated a “master list,” you can begin sifting out the weakest candidates. Examine the following factors with great attention:
- Volume. The term “search volume” refers to the number of times a specific phrase is searched for. It’s a good technique to estimate how much traffic you’ll get from a certain query, but keep in mind that volume fluctuates over time.
- Competition. Examine the level of competition for each keyword next. It’s no coincidence that the most popular keywords also have the most competition, and the more competition there is, the more difficult it is to rank for that keyword. You’ll need to find a happy medium between the two.
- Relevance. You should also think about how each keyword relates to your main brand. Sure, it may have a lot of traffic and little competition, but will it actually send the right kind of people to your website?
- Currently available ranks. It’s worth checking to see whether you presently rank for any of these terms; if you do, that could help you get started.
Pick your top candidates.
Your top options should be a matter of personal preference at this time. You’ve limited your selection down to keywords that have the best chance of producing the desired outcomes, so pick a few that will be simple to optimize for the time being (or the ones that seem the most attractive).
Your initial keyword combination will not be flawless, but it will provide you with a good platform from which to raise your traffic level even further. Keep a close eye on how your results evolve over time and don’t be afraid to make changes when necessary.