Keywords are an integral part of an SEO strategy. Keywords tell search engines what your website is about, what content you have there, and whether it is relevant to the user’s intent. Picking the right keywords can boost your site’s ranking on search engines. However, how do you know which ones work and which ones don’t?
In this guide, we well talk about keyword research for SEO; what it is, why it is necessary, and what can you do to effectively do it.
What is Keyword Research?
When we talk of keywords, there are literally hundreds of options. That is why researching which ones have a high search volume and fewer competition is important. This process is called keyword research.
Once you find out which keywords are appropriate, you can optimise your content around these terms. This will result in your webpages to rank in search engines when users search for the terms.
Why is Keyword Research Important for Search Engine Optimisation?
Keyword research affects all other SEO or marketing tasks you perform. They are, after all, like maps. Content topics, content promotion, on-page SEO, email outreach; all these rely on appropriate and effective keywords. They help lead your customer to where you are.
When you use the right ones, your chance of ranking in search engines become much higher. But that’s not all. Keyword research also lets you know if you are making progress or not so you can tweak your optimisation strategy. In addition, researching keywords gives you a better understanding of your target audience. It helps you understand who they are and what exactly are they searching for.
Tips for Keyword Research for SEO
- Brainstorm possible keyword ideas. The first step is workshopping topics your target audience might be interested in. Ask, “What topics related to my business do users search for?”
When you have general topic ideas, you can type that into Google and scroll down to the very bottom of the search page. There, you will find a goldmine of keywords related to your search term.
There are other ways to get keyword ideas such as Reddit, Wikipedia, Google and Youtube Suggest, forums, etc.
- Use keyword research tools. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, ExplodingTopics.com, Keywords Everywhere, Ubersuggest, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and many more make keyword research for SEO so much easier. These tools provide you with valuable information to help you decide which ones to use and which ones are not worth going after. Companies specialising in SEO in Australia can also help you do your research for you.
- Don’t just cram it in. Once your research has determined a list of keywords to use, you must use them strategically. You can’t just stuff as many of them in the content because that does not work. It needs to appear in the content as naturally as possible; seamlessly blending in with the rest of the content.
- Place them in strategic places. This includes the beginning of the title tag, the meta description, the first 100 words in the content, the image alt tags, the page’s URL, subheadings, and spread throughout the content. Important note: the number of times a keyword appears depends on the word count.
Researching keywords is the new market research. Optimising your website with the right keywords can bring a significant number of relevant traffic to your site. This makes keyword research for SEO an essential step you simply cannot miss.