Keyword Research for an Effective SEO Strategy
Google continuously updates its algorithm; however, key word research usually remains the same. Here is the research process for a great keyword strategy:
Define Important Topics
What does a potential customer search for when he wants to buy your product? What are the most important topics covered when pitching to the customer or what do you blog about frequently? Define 6-10 related topics. For example, customers of paramount synergies, a digital marketing agency, would search for digital marketing, SEO, email marketing, blogging etc.
Add Keywords to Your Topic Buckets
Now define “which keywords will your customers use to search for the topics mentioned above? Let us assume that the customer is interested in “blogging,” these are some of the keywords he will type on Google:
-What makes a good blog?
-How often should I update my blog?
-Is blogging necessary for my business?
-How to start a business blog?
-How to increase traffic on my blog?
Use Google Analytics to discover keywords which are already bringing in traffic to your website.
Look For Related Search Terms
If you need more keywords, enter any one of the keywords on Google to pick up related search terms. Google also gives suggestions when you enter a keyword (see bottom of the page). You can also get keyword suggestions by using any Keywords App like Hubspot.
Head Term and Long-Tail Keywords
Head term phrases are generic and contain one to three words; while long-tail keywords contain more than three words. A good keyword strategy is a mix of head term and long-tail keywords. The latter is quite difficult to rank for but brings in much more desirable customers because of being specific; local customers use long-tail keywords. For example, “best restaurant in New York City.”
Find out What Your Competitors Are Doing
Which keywords are your competitors competing for? Incorporate them in your keyword strategy. Look for keywords which your competitors have ignored and work on them. To discover keywords being used by your competitor, enter your competitor’s domain name at “SEMrush software.”
Cut Down Your Keywords List by Using Google Keyword Planner or HubSpot Keyword App
Hubspot Keyword application will help you understand historical performance, data on visits, difficulty, rank and how your competitors are performing. Google Keyword Tool can be used to get an estimate of search traffic and volume. Flag low-volume keywords after checking their projections and trend history on Google Trends.
Remember, a successful SEO strategy wins in the long term and the short term; to be effective, evaluate your keywords quarterly.
What tricks and methods do you have to share with me?
