A Guide to Keyword Research

The path to Keyword Search Optimization

 It’s no secret that a little bit of keyword research can play a significant role in your search engine optimization.

 To rank higher for the content on your web pages, you need to include terms that are most relevant to your audience. That is, to what your audience typically types into search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. We have provided several steps for you to follow. Go down the list and ensure that your online content remains centered around valuable information.

What is keyword research?

First, let’s break down what keyword research entails and why it’s essential to utilize the proper terms. Keyword research is researching the use of keywords to find the search terms that people consistently type into search engines such as Google, Yahoo, or Bing. Knowledge of these search terms will improve your chances of succeeding online.

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Steps to Keyword Research

1. Make a list of words that are about your business

 To start, brainstorm popular words that best describe your business.  Explore topics that you would like to rank for in the search engines of the internet. An uncomplicated way to go about this is to identify 5-10 services you provide to your customers. Then, you can research these new keywords to determine whether they truly target your desired audience or not.

Gaining Inspiration for Topics

 You will gain inspiration for these topics from conversations, sales calls, and social media. Ultimately, any place your customers tend to migrate to can be a resource. This will provide a clearer focus on the most common terms that are used for your products or services. This is all done by studying your consumers’ language habits.

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Think of things you personally search for when looking for your services. For example, if you run a garage door company, what potential service demands will your paying customers have? Then, simply use those common terms and phrases throughout your online content. Google, other search engines, and prospective customers will see these terms and know they’ve found what they’re looking for.

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2. Categorization of Your Keywords

  So, you have a few topics you want to focus on. Now it’s time to identify the best categories that your new keywords will fall into. By grouping keyword phrases in your text, you can scatter these popular topics throughout your website. This will help you rank higher in the search engine results across a variety of search terms.

 The goal here is to discover phrases that potential customers might search for on Google, Yahoo, and Bing. You don’t need a final list at this point in the process. It’s always better to take the time to research your ideas from the consumer’s point of view.

3. Research Related Search Terms

 Now that you have a list of keyword terms, it’s time to  find related search terms to add to the list. For this step, you can use Google as a resource. Take your first keyword and look at the related search terms that appear when you type it in. You’ll see the suggested keywords when you scroll down to the bottom of Google’s results. These keywords can inspire ideas for other keywords you may want to consider adding to your list.

4. Check for a Mix of Short-Term and Long-Tail Keywords in Each Bucket

 It’s essential to make sure you cover all your bases with SEO content, including short and long-tail keywords. Short-term keywords are shorter and more generic. Long-tail keywords are longer keyword phrases usually containing three or more words. Long-tail keywords typically mimic human speech patterns more so than shorter, broader keywords.

 A mix of short-term and long-tail terms is essential. This mix will give you a balanced keyword strategy with both long-term goals, and short-term wins for your rank. That’s because short keywords are searched more frequently, making them much more competitive and harder to rank for than long-tail phrases.

Check your keyword lists to make sure you have a healthy mix of head terms and long-tail keywords. Remember, long-tail keywords will allow you to rank quickly. However, you should also incorporate short keywords to try to rank for over time.

5. See How Competitors Are Ranking for Keywords

 Have a clear understanding of what keywords your competitors are trying to rank for. This is an excellent way to help you give your list of keywords another evaluation. The thing to remember is, what might be right for their business might not be the best for you.

 When your competitor is out-ranking you for specific popular keywords, there are clever ways to improve. However, your initial focus should be on the keyword phrases your competitors are not focused on.

 Narrowing your research to underappreciated terms could provide an excellent opportunity for your business to rank on relevant terms as well. The end goal is to produce a collection of keywords that provide some quick high rankings but also helps you make progress toward more meaningful, more challenging SEO goals that will overall improve your marketing.

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