SEO keyword research can seem daunting for small business owners who are just starting out. It’s a complex process that takes time and effort to get right. But it’s worth it!
The initial step in any SEO campaign is keyword research, which is the basis for all future efforts. In this blog post, we will outline a simple how-to list that will help you get started with your own keyword research. We’ll cover everything from finding keywords to analyzing the competition. Let’s get started!
Why is keyword research important?
Before you can start your keyword research, it’s important to understand why you need to do it. Keyword research is essential for two main reasons:
- It helps you understand what people are searching for online
- It allows you to see how much competition there is for those keywords
If you want your website to rank in the search engines, you need to make sure you’re targeting the right keywords. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your time.
What is the benefit of doing keyword research?
There are many benefits of doing keyword research, but the most important one is that it allows you to see what keywords are most popular with your customers. It also allows you to understand how much competition there is for those keywords. With this information, you can make informed decisions about which keywords to target on your website.
SEO keywords are not static; they evolve over time as Google’s algorithm changes. As a result, your keyword research should be an ongoing process. By regularly conducting keyword research, you can stay up-to-date on the latest trends and make sure your website is always optimized for the most popular keywords.
Now that we’ve covered why you need to do keyword research, let’s take a look at how to actually do it.
How can I find keywords for my website?
There are a few different ways to find keywords for your website. The most popular method is to use a keyword research tool. There are many different tools available, but our personal favorite is Google Keyword Planner. It’s free to use and it’s very user-friendly. There are also paid tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush, both of which are great when you’re looking to do in-depth research and competitive analysis.
Keyword research tools are not the only way to find keywords. You can also use Google’s auto-suggest and related searches to come up with keywords. Simply start typing in a relevant search term and see what Google suggests. For example, if we start typing “SEO” into Google, it suggests additional terms like “SEO Guide” and “SEO for Beginners.”
Another great way to find keywords is to simply ask your customers. You can do this through surveys, customer interviews, or even just casual conversations. Chances are, they will be more than happy to tell you what keywords they use when searching for products or services like yours.
Finally, you can also use competitor analysis to find keywords. This involves looking at your competitors’ websites and seeing what keywords they are targeting. If they’re ranking for a specific keyword, chances are you can too!
Once you have a list of potential keywords, it’s time to start your analysis.
How do I analyze keywords?
There are a few different factors you need to take into account when analyzing keywords.
The first is search volume. This is the number of people who are searching for a particular keyword each month. The higher the search volume, the better.
The next factor is competition. This is the number of other websites that are targeting the same keyword. The lower the competition, the better.
Finally, you also need to consider your own website’s SEO. This includes things like your website’s authority and the quality of your content. If you have a strong SEO foundation, you’ll be able to rank for more competitive keywords.
Finding the right balance between competition and search volume is essential for any successful keyword research strategy. Aiming for keywords that have high competition plus high search volume isn’t a good starting point, especially if your site has low authority. Instead, focus on keywords that have lower competition and build your way up from there.
Keywords and Topics
Once you’ve identified your keywords it’s time to map them out to broader topics. This is important because it will help you create content that is relevant to your target audience.
For example, let’s say you’re a personal injury lawyer. Some of the keywords you might be targeting are “car accident lawyer” and “personal injury attorney.” But these keywords can be mapped to broader topics like “car accidents” and “personal injury.”
By identifying the broader topics that your keywords fall under, you can create content that covers a wide range of topics related to your business. This is essential for any successful content marketing strategy. SEO Keyword Research is a valuable asset to any marketing strategy. Whether you’re selling products or services, your SEO keywords will be the foundation of how content on your website ranks in search engines like Google and Bing. It’s important to do keyword research before creating any new content for your site so that you can create relevant posts with a higher chance of ranking. Have any questions about this process? Contact our team today!