Keyword research is one of the most important, high-return activities in search engine marketing. Ranking for the right keywords can make or break your website. By researching your market’s keyword demand, you can not only learn which terms and phrases to target with SEO, but also learn more about your customers as a whole.
Keyword research is one of the most important, high return activities in search engine marketing. Ranking for the right keywords can make or break your website. By researching your market’s keyword demand, you can not only learn which terms and phrases to target with SEO, but also learn more about your customers as a whole.
It should be no surprise that doing keyword research is crucial to building a successful search strategy—but what exactly does it entail? This guide will help you get started on an effective keyword strategy by teaching you how to identify high-value keywords for your business, how to improve their relevance score (Google’s algorithm for ranking pages), and finally how to use our free keyword variation tool.
The primary purpose of keyword research is to focus on buyer intent signals rather than just reaching out to as wide an audience as possible.
We call this “the funnel.” The goal is to get people up the funnel, where they become aware of your brand or product and ultimately choose yours over competitors’.
You could take a different approach. Long-tail keywords are longer phrases that can be used to target specific audiences.
For example, instead of just targeting “SEO” as a keyword, you could target “SEO for Bloggers” or even better yet, “How To Do SEO For Bloggers.” This is an example of how long tail keywords are more specific than short head terms when it comes to writing content that focuses on the needs of your audience by using their language and phrasing they would use if they were searching on Google.
Longer keywords are more specific, which means they have less search volume than shorter keyword phrases. But, the higher conversion rate of long tail keywords can mean they make up for their lack of volume in other ways.
For example:
vs.
There are a few ways you can find out what keywords your competitors are using. You can do it manually or use a tool.
The manual way involves finding their site and reading through their content. You’ll want to look at all the pages they have, especially those related to your niche or industry, as they may not be using the same keywords on every page. This is also a good way to get an idea of what type of content people like within this niche and where else you might find them searching for information about it online, which helps when deciding how much time and effort you should put into writing each piece of content (the more time invested in research beforehand will result in higher quality blog posts).
Four tools that can be very helpful in this endeavor are Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush’s Keyword Magic Tool, ahrefs Free keyword generator and Savvitys Free Keyword research tool.
While doing keyword research it is important to remember that there are more options than just your main topic word.
You will want to think about different ways that people might search for what you offer, and then make sure those keywords are included in your content.
For example, if your business sells clothing and accessories, you can use the following keywords:
Keyword research can be a daunting task, and it can feel overwhelming to try to keep up with the latest trends in SEO. But if you spend some time upfront researching these terms and phrases, you’ll have an easier time ranking for them later on.
1. Why is keyword research important for search engine marketing?Keyword research is crucial in search engine marketing because it helps you identify the right keywords to target for SEO. Ranking for the right keywords can significantly impact the success of your website. Additionally, keyword research provides insights into your customers' preferences and behavior.
2. How can keyword research benefit my business?Keyword research allows you to understand your market's keyword demand and helps you optimize your website and content accordingly. By targeting the right keywords, you can improve your website's visibility in search engine results and attract relevant traffic. It also provides valuable insights into your customers' needs and preferences.
3. What are long-tail keywords, and why are they important?Long-tail keywords are longer phrases that target specific audiences. They are more specific than short, general keywords. While long-tail keywords may have lower search volume, they often have a higher conversion rate. By using long-tail keywords, you can better address the specific needs of your audience and improve your content's relevance.
4. How can I find out what keywords my competitors are using?There are a few ways to discover the keywords your competitors are using. You can manually analyze their website content, especially pages related to your niche or industry. This provides insights into their keyword strategies. Alternatively, you can utilize keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush's Keyword Magic Tool, ahrefs Free Keyword Generator, or our own Free Keyword Research Tool.
5. What are some tools for effective keyword research?Several tools can assist you in conducting keyword research effectively. Google Keyword Planner is popular for keyword research and Adwords optimization, providing search volume estimates for keywords. SEMrush's Keyword Magic Tool helps find long-tail variations based on existing rankings. ahrefs offers a Free Keyword Generator, and you can also use our own Free Keyword Variation Tool, which provides ten long-tail keyword variations based on your main keyword.
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