Keyword research is a fundamental SEO task that involves identifying popular words and phrases to optimize your content for.
Why is keyword research important?
As a small business owner or being part of a marketing team for a small business, it is your job to understand how prospective clients and customers will find your company's website. When using search engines, most individuals don’t type lengthy queries. Instead, the majority of people just type certain major keywords that are related to their questions to get more search results and options to browse through.
By better utilizing keyword research and implementing your findings, you increase your website's visibility by using common and relevant words that attract a wider audience to your site.
The main goal of SEO keyword research is to get higher rankings on Google and other search engines.
Increase traffic > Increase sales > Grow your business
Tips to improve keyword research for better SEO
Use keyword research tools: Google Keyword Planner, Keyword Surfer, ExplodingTopics.com
Do a competitive content analysis: Are there any direct competitors you’d like to outrank in search results? Type in their URL in Google Keyword Planner and see what keywords they are targeting. Use that information to your advantage!
Avoid using broad single word terms: Example - If you're launching a recipe blog, you'll need to be move specific than optimizing for "recipe". Try "15-Minute Healthy Recipes", or "Last Minute Breakfast Recipes", or "Recipes for Family Parties".
Be careful with spending too much time on long tail keywords: Opposite of the bullet point above, no one is searching for "Gluten free breakfast recipes for family Christmas party". Do your research and don't waste your time if it's not going to be beneficial. Focus on long tail keywords that people are actually searching for.
That's just the beginning. The list goes on.
Keyword research should always be the first step in the SEO process. Keyword research means taking the time to understand your small business' audience and the questions they are asking, then finding ways to answer those questions in your website content.
Questions on SEO? Not sure how to approach keyword research? Contact 3Eighty Marketing and we can set you in the right direction!