Good keyword research is the basis of all good and successful SEO. Here are some great tips to ensure you’ve the right strategy.
Defining Keywords
Keywords are words or phrases that highlight what your content is all about.
It is important to maximize your approach when it comes to finding the right keywords. This is how you can bring in free traffic and build a following online.
We are going to break down everything and take a look at the different types of keywords and what they have to offer.
Defining Search Queries
Search queries are words or phrases that are typed into a search box. There are three specific types of queries:
- Informational
- Navigation
- Transactional
- Navigational Query
This refers to a query where the person is looking for a specific type of website or webpage. They might want to find Apple products and will want to go to the company’s website. This means they are going to type “Apple” in the search bar with the intention of going to the main website as soon as they see the results.
Google knows how to read this type of search intent and will immediately show the company website.
- Informational
This refers to a query where a person is looking for information about a topic. This can be something as simple as a student searching about lions for their essay.
These queries tend to come in questions such as “What species is a lion?” because there is a question that has to be answered.
- Transactional
This refers to a query where a user is ready to buy a service or product and just needs more information.
This can include a query such as “Best Acne Treatment for The Winter” or “Acne Treatment Coupons”
These keywords are all about specific information needed to buy a product. In many cases, they are short and to the point because the user wants the last bit of information to seal the deal.
Short-Tail Vs. Long-Tail Keywords
It is important to know which keywords are right and it starts with the basics.
When SEO had just started rolling, most people knew about keywords and that is all they thought about. It was never broken into smaller categories because that was not assumed to be something of importance. This all changed as time went on.
Most people thought when it was time to choose a keyword, they had to pick one word. It could be something as simple as “Acne” if they were talking about pimples.
It might have been fine in the past but that is not how things work now. It is a lot different now and keywords can be much longer than a single word.
There are three noteworthy categories for keywords:
- Short-Tail Keywords (Head)
- Medium-Tail Keywords (Body)
- Long-Tail Keywords
In this case, long-tail keywords are focused on looking at specific queries that break down the user’s intent. These keywords tend to have less volume but are far more laser-targeted.
- Ahrefs Search Demand Curve
It is important to dig deeper into this concept when understanding the variations between short, medium, and long-tail keywords in SEO.
- Long Tail Keyword Chart
Short-tail keywords are usually going to have one or two words. A good example of this could be something as simple as “Acne Treatment.” These are broad keywords that are not laser-focused. They tend to have a higher search volume because everything related to acne treatments falls into this category.
Middle-Tail keywords tend to have three or four words. A good example of this could be something as simple as “Acne Treatment for Beginners.” These are more specific but have less volume in comparison to short-tail keywords.
Long-tail keywords tend to have four or more words. A good example of this could be something like “best acne treatment for those living in Canada.” It is a specific query and it will have less traffic but it will be laser-targeted.
It is important to note these are general averages. The number of words is not always the only factor when accounting for what’s good and what’s not. You also have to figure out volume to know what is short or long-tail.
In most cases, the conversion rate tends to go up as the word count increases. Long-tail keywords are hyper-focused on specific intent, which makes the leads easier to convert.
While most people want to chase the volume, sometimes the laser-focused keywords are what work the best.
Here are three terms that you can look into when it comes time to understand what the differences are:
- WordPress Themes (164,232 Average Searches Per Month)
- WordPress Themes for Blog (90 Averages Searches Per Month)
- Free Responsive WordPress Themes For Blog (20 Average Searches Per Month)
This illustrates how the volume goes down as you target long-tail keywords.
The Importance of Keyword Research
While keyword research is a fundamental part of SEO, it’s still important to know its role.
Search engines tend to rank keywords based on what users are searching on their platform. The goal is to make sure the user gets what they want and the answer is as accurate as possible. If a user types “Best Acne Treatment” in Google, it is important for the results on the first page to have what the user is looking for. If not, they will stop using Google.
Your goal is to see how many people are searching for specific keywords so you are the first result that shows up when those people type in “Best Acne Treatment.”
People are always on the lookout for good content and you want to be there as the first result. This is how you improve your results and get more targeted traffic.
Companies also use keyword research because it optimizes their investment. They get a far better return through the free traffic that rolls in. This is key when it comes to doing more with your keyword research especially why you focus on long-tail keywords.
The best part about keyword research is getting more data to work with. You can build an entire SEO strategy using this type of data. It allows you to feel more in control of what you are doing rather than aimlessly putting up pages on your website.
Here is a good guide to on page SEO
- Choose the Right Tool
You should look to find a good keyword research tool when it comes to SEO. There are free tools out there but it is still better to go with paid options. SEO specialists will often rely on these tools to get more value for their time online.
When you know how to research keywords, you make data-driven decisions about your SEO strategy. Instead of guessing what your target market searches for, you know what your target market searches to find businesses like yours and then use those keywords on your site.
You can choose between:
- Ahrefs
- SEMrush
- Moz Explorer
- Keyword Tool
It is important to put in the time to see what works and what doesn’t. The tools listed above are some of the best on the market right now and will go a long way in helping you out. Look at which one works for you and then make it a part of your setup immediately.
In most cases, you can take advantage of a one-week trial to learn more about what works for your needs.
- Run an Audit
You should take the time to go through Google Search Console (GSC) to find out what is needed for you to see good results. This is a free tool that provides valuable information about what’s working and what’s not on your website.
You can learn about:
- The Devices Being Used To Visit Your Website
- The Pages Ranking For Specific Terms On Google
- Which Search Terms Generate The Most Traffic To Your Website
- Key SEO Metrics Including Average Search Engine Results Page POsitions And Click-Through Rates
It is important to know you can find keywords that you missed out on by a little bit. You can then beef up your pages to get to the first spot for those keywords on Google. It is all about the little things when trying to rank higher.
An example of this can be ranking for “Best skincare regimen” on the second page of Google results. If you target this keyword, you can get to the first page of results.
- Find The Seed Keywords
It is important to have at least 5-10 seed keywords to work with. These are keywords that can be used as a launching pad to find long-tail keywords later.
It is all about targeting keywords that have decent volume but are lower than DA 40. This ensures you have a chance of ranking above the website that is already targeting that specific keyword. Anything over a DA of 50 is difficult to beat as a new website. You will have to dig deeper and find keywords that are more reasonable to target.
In most cases. you are going to find shorter keywords to have more volume and more competition. All of the big websites tend to rank for these keywords naturally due to their backlinks. You will have to dig deeper to get past this competition because a new website will not outdo them right away. It will take time.
Your main goal should be to find at least 10 long-tail keywords.
- Tie The Pages Together
A common mistake that is made is to throw a bunch of pages onto the website without interlinking them. It is important to keep the reader on your website and also teach Google more about what your website has to offer. This only happens when you begin linking relevant pages together.
For example, if you are writing about acne treatments, why not link to your page about the symptoms of acne? These are things that can be tied together.
You should look to have enough content where adding 4-5 internal links is easy to do. This is how you are going to gain traction in the eyes of Google and it will also help keep readers on your website.
- Build Out
The last tip is to make sure you continue to flesh out your website. This is how you are going to create enough value for Google to start seeing you as an authority in the niche.
You want to go after those long-tail keywords that others are not targeting. The more you find, the better your website is going to get.
Find keywords that are already available through Google. You can even find keywords in the “people also search for” section on the first page.
How To Be Successful With SEO
You have to create a proper strategy and make sure you choose your keywords wisely. This is a must when it comes to doing your research with a purpose. If you don’t do this, you are not going to have enough ideas to generate value for your website.
Check out our Search services in Dublin for help with SEO success