Researching Keywords is one of the most important tasks in any SEO strategy. Keyword research is often the first step marketers use when launching a n SEO campaign for a new client, and its importance extends beyond just SEO and into other aspects of online marketing like social media campaigns. Why are keywords so important? Consider this: if you run an online business, you don’t simply want massive amounts of traffic to your site—you want to ensure that you get only the right kind of traffic. Having too much unnecessary traffic to the site can slow it down for visitors who are actually relevant, further reducing your conversion rates. This is why it’s so important to make sure you’re targeting only the highest-value keywords before you launch any online marketing campaign.
This article will go over some of the most reliable strategies marketers use to find optimal keywords for their clients or businesses. Read on if you’d like to better understand this process or look into starting your own keyword-driven campaign.
Determine the Value of A keyword
Ultimately, a keyword’s purpose is to lead to real, tangible value for your business. The first step of assessing a keyword’s value, then, is determining how relevant it is to your site. First, you should search for the keyword organically by searching it in an incognito browser window and seeing how high your site ranks for it. You can then test the keyword via paid advertising—use a service such as Google Adwords and see how much traffic it generates. You can then analyze how much of this traffic led to conversion. For instance, if a keyword gets you a thousand clicks, and only one makes a purchase, the keyword may not be relevant. Proceed to try other keywords until you find the ones with the high conversion rates.
Use Keyword Analytical Tools
There are a number of analytical tools available to marketers, with prices ranging from inexpensive to even free. These tools can help you determine how much a keyword will cost you as well as how much more traffic it might generate for your site, taking a lot of the guesswork out of choosing keywords. Take your time and go through all of these analytical tools, as the best tool for the job depends on your particular business. We would recommend one for you to start with, but as with any software the landscape is constantly changing. A simple Google search for keyword analytical tools is probably the best starting point for this step.
Use Long Tail Keywords
Most people often mistakenly use only commonly searched, general keywords in their SEO campaign. For instance, a furniture store might want to target general searches like “furniture” or “home decor” in their keyword campaign. What many marketers who use this strategy find, however, is that these general keywords usually are not that valuable. In fact, they make up for only 30% of all searches; the other 70% is taken by rarely used but often more effective keywords. These long tail keywords—or longer, more specific search terms—are often what determine whether you get relevant traffic to your site. Rather than simply targeting “furniture”, you may have more success with more specific keywords like “handmade furniture” or “luxury furniture”, as these terms will draw in much more relevant customers. Set aside enough time to research them.
Keep in mind, However, that you should avoid stuffing your site with too many keywords. Search engines can recognize an overuse of keywords, and can even penalize your site if you force too many keywords in the content. Be sure to always have human readers in mind, and only use keywords in moderation.
Summary
Finding the right keywords is not an easy process. Trends change on a regular basis, and finding the right keyword is never a one-time process but rather involves continuous analysis. For better site ranking, you should consider hiring an expert. While you can certainly do the analysis yourself, it will take up a lot of your time and reduce the time you have for other aspects of the business. Give us a call at tekRESCUE if you need some expert help with your keyword campaign, and stay up-to-date with our blog for more information like this!
