How to Get Your SEO Keyword Strategy Right

How to Get Your SEO Keyword Strategy Right

In a world where new content gets posted on the web every second, website owners compete for audience. You may have great content, but how do you ensure that it reaches relevant viewers?

A useful tool for increasing traffic to your site is search engine optimization (SEO). It exploits various keywords in your niche to propel a content marketing strategy. The catch in an SEO campaign is selecting the most suitable keywords.

You can get ideas about the keywords to use by analyzing how internet users perform searches. It’s essential to investigate the value of different keywords to make informed choices for successful SEO.

Let’s explore the insights of running your SEO keyword strategy right.

Understanding the Value of Keywords

The value of keywords is the key to the feat of an SEO strategy. It takes the analysis of search terms which the online audience uses to select enticing phrases. The idea is not only to boost traffic to your site but to attract the desired visitors.

To determine the value of a keyword, ask yourself if it matches your website content. You want words or phrases which will lead viewers to what they are looking for in their search. The visits to your site should help you to meet your organizational goals like financial rewards.

Search the keyword using the leading search engines to see which websites already rank for it. This will paint a picture of the competition and the difficulty of ranking for the term. Keywords which provide results with multiple PPC ads on top of organic results are usually high-value.

You can buy trial traffic from Google AdWords if your website does not rank for the keyword. Select ‘Exact Match’ and direct the campaign to the webpage corresponding to the keyword. Monitor the results and the conversion rate for about 300 clicks.

The data collected can help to define the value of the keyword. You can also perform the procedure using Microsoft adCenter or a tool of your choice.

Conversion with Long Tail Keywords

Your SEO keyword strategy must match the trends in search engines for best rest results. It’s vital to stay abreast of the online developments for your SEO campaign to be meaningful.

Google has taken the angle of semantic search to improve the quality of search results. The feature puts search terms into context to generate more accurate results. It evaluates the meaning of the phrase used and produces the best match.

Semantic search aims to simplify the way people look for resources online. The Hummingbird update allows internet users to find what they want by typing long sentences. For instance, ‘best place to buy used cars in Texas’ instead of something like ‘used cars Texas.’

It’s easy to appear at the top of organic search results for single word keywords. For example, the keyword ‘cars’ can rank your automobile sale company in the first position. The pitfall is that you would get all kind of traffic interested in cars.

A significant fraction of the visitors would be irrelevant to your business. Car sellers, people looking to hire vehicles, and those interested in car servicing may be part of the traffic. The point is, you would have a lot of views from the audience you don’t need.

How Long Tail Keywords Help

Long tail keywords are phrases aimed to make the search more specific. They enable internet users to elaborate on their intentions. Customers can define what they are looking for using descriptive terms.

In most cases, long tail keywords convert more than general single-word keywords. Visitors who use long tail keywords are people who have done their research about the product they need. They perform refined searches by including specifics of the item they need.

A person who knows the car he or she wants to buy will won’t search for ‘cars.’ You would expect them to include the brand and model in the search terms. For example, ‘2015 Cadillac Escalade 4WD Premium.’

Your services can guide the phrases to target in your SEO keyword strategy. Using the car example, you can derive a variety of keywords from 2015 Cadillac Escalade such as:

  • 2015 Cadillac Escalade 4WD price
  • Cadillac Escalade Premium specifications
  • Cadillac Escalade 4WD Premium sales
  • Buy 2015 Cadillac Escalade 4WD Premium
  • Cadillac Escalade 4WD Premium Florida
  • Best price Cadillac Escalade

There is no limit to the number of long tail keywords you can target. What’s important is to put yourself in the shoes of the person looking for your product. Ensure that your keywords don’t mislead visitors to think you offer a service that you don’t.

Optimization through User Intent

Everyone who performs an internet search wants to find something. User intent is what an internet user is looking for when conducting a search query. Keywords help consumers to achieve their plans on the web.

There are three categories of intent:

  • Navigational when a user is trying to reach a given site
  • Informational when a user wants information
  • Transactional when a visitor intends to buy something or to perform an activity

A typical search for a product you aren’t conversant with requires a combination of these searches. You have to find the right website and extract information before purchasing the item. The content which appears after a search query should satisfy the intent of the viewer.

User intent is a critical component of an SEO keyword strategy. Understanding the informational intent of the audience helps website owners to develop the appropriate content. User intent plays a significant role in marketing, including conversion optimization.

Find the Keywords You Rank For

The process begins with understanding the queries which drive your traffic. That’s a question of data analytics. You can use Google Webmaster to view traffic and search queries.

Analyze the queries and organize the keyword according to your ranking position and the user intent. A search for ‘how to fix a broken toilet’ shows informational intent. The person searching for this is not intending to buy anything.

If a lot of traffic is sending such a query, you can develop a page giving the solution to the question. Use a call to action at the end of the post to encourage more engagement with the viewers. Throw a line that entices your readers to get a related service from you without sounding too promotional.

Identify the Right Solutions

You need to meet the user intent before introducing a marketing stunt. Your post will be pleasant if you present valuable content with examples, case studies, screenshots, and statistics.

If someone lands on your website after searching for your brand, the intent is navigational. This happens when a person doesn’t know your URL or doesn’t want to type it. There are high chances of winning such visitors.

There’s some work on your side to gain viewership with navigational intent. You need a reliable site, top-notch content, and substantial social media presence.

Transactional intent searches have the highest potential to convert. The search terms may include words which show that the customer is willing to purchase something. In our car example, you can expect something like ‘buy 2015 Cadillac Escalade.’

A good strategy is to have a landing page for the product. It should have captivating images and the description of the item. Include a compelling slogan to encourage the viewer towards buying.

A call to action is also important. It should be colorful and located in a strategic position to catch the viewer’s attention. Examples of strong CTAs include buy now, get a free trial, and test it now.

Methods of Building a Keyword List

There are many ways of developing keywords in your niche. Below are some of the easiest and effective means.

1. Get Ideas from Your Trade

You can derive useful keywords from your business activities. Think about the services related to your industry and note them down. In the automobile industry, sample keywords include car sales, automobile servicing, vehicle repair, fabrication services, and so on.

Try to be exhaustive as possible as long as you don’t go beyond your scope. Use synonyms wherever possible to build your list.

2. Use Search Engine Recommendations

Perform a search for each keyword on your favorite search engine. If you use Google, you will find suggestions under ‘Searches related to…’ at the bottom of the page. Take some of the suggested phrases as potential keywords.

3. Solicit for Customer Feedback

Since content marketing is about attracting customers, your efforts should revolve around them. Deciding on the appropriate content for marketing begins with knowing your clients. There are several ways in which you can draw insights from your customers.

You can engage them on social media, conduct a customer survey, or contact them by phone or email. Be attentive to what they have to say as they can have responses you never imagined. The feedback is handy in generating keywords and content for marketing and improving your online reputation.

4. Analyze Your Competitors Content

There are many useful tools which you can utilize to view the keywords on the websites of your competitors. Be selective with what you choose to adopt.

Most of the keywords you will find are suitable for landing pages rather than content marketing. Optimization in the two areas is related, but content marketing goes well with long tail keywords.

A more convenient way to gain from your competitors is to copy the keywords you need from their content. When they have new material, chances are they will announce on social media. Check the marketing content on their site or blog and decide whether to borrow something.

Another method is tracking the links on your competitor’s blog. The backlinks which point to their websites can show you the keywords which they have exploited. Perform this analysis on your top competitors for insights on topics.

Tips for Selecting Suitable Keywords

After gathering your potential keywords, it’s time to choose the ones that will work best for you. It’s advisable to use online keyword tools to refine your keywords. Most of these solutions utilize data from Google Keyword Planner.

Create a Google AdWords account to access this service, or use your preferred tool. In Google, you have to initiate a campaign to access the full functions of the keyword planner. Once you configure your account, enter your keywords.

You can generate lots of short tail keywords to complement your long tail choices by hitting the ‘Get Ideas’ tab.

At this point, you will have a vast collection of keywords to use. Generating your final list can be tricky. Understand the following elements to make informed decisions about your SEO keyword strategy.

1. Search Volume

Search volume is the frequency of a keyword search per month. The numbers you see consist of exact, phrase, and broad matches. Learn about negative keywords and how they can inflate the numbers beyond the required figure.

High volume means competition for the keyword. It may be a challenge for your site to rank for the highest-volume keywords.

2. Cost of SEO

You need a budget, time, and effort to develop content that targets specific keywords adequately. In some instances, targeting a given keyword on content marketing can also optimize the landing page. Select such keywords where possible to reap the maximum benefits from SEO.

3. Keyword Difficulty

This is the measure of how hard it can be to rank for a keyword. Difficulty increases with value. Different tools may have a variation of this aspect for the same keyword.

These factors and others should help you to determine the most profitable keywords to utilize. You can use different tools to compare the results.

Keyword Strategy – Final Thoughts

Content marketing and search engine optimization are inseparable. The former aims to draw customers while SEO is a pillar for content marketing. SEO requires a meticulous keyword strategy to succeed.

The keywords you decide to use can propel your content marketing effort or hurt it. Some research can enable you to differentiate phrases in your industry which can boost your online traffic. The web provides various tools for keyword analysis.

Choosing the right keywords helps to bring valuable traffic. Generic short tail keywords usually generate a lot of traffic which goes well with landing pages. Long tail keywords have more details and are great for content marketing.

Do you have any question? Reach out to us for more information.

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