If you’re looking to drive traffic to your website, then it’s vital you understand the basics of keyword research. This will enable you to create more powerful content that will connect with a larger audience. So, how exactly do you perform keyword research and what tools are available to speed up the process? And how can you position yourself with more relevance than your competitors? Read on to find out…
Keyword Research Defined
Keyword research relates to the process of gathering data on which terms (keywords) people are searching for. Based on this data, you can then develop a more effective content strategy.
It’s not enough to simply know which terms people are searching for. Whilst this is obviously important, you need to take things a step further. And proper keyword research will allow you to decipher the hidden meaning behind a search term. The end result? You discover what it is that your audience cares about.
Understanding Intent Behind Keywords
After you find out what people are searching for (which I’ll cover soon), you can begin to assess the intent behind a search. This is pivotal because a user’s intent is more influential than the keyword itself. And the reason for this? Because the same keyword (or key phrase) can have a multitude of different meanings – and therefore, different intents.
To give you an example of how intent is applicable to keyword research, take into consideration the following example: Let’s say a person types into Google, “best ways to get fit”. Does the searcher want information on methods to lose weight? Or do they want a diet plan that will improve their overall health? If your intention is to only target people interested in losing weight, then you need to be 100% sure of the keyword’s intent.
You might be asking yourself, ‘How do I find out a person’s intent?’ The easiest way is to enter the keyword into a search and then take note of the results. This will give you an insight into the type of content that is most applicable and beneficial to a user.
Researching Keywords
Ask yourself: What are the most significant topics that you can share about your industry? You don’t have to come up with ultra-specific examples – just try to note down a list of general topics.
The goal here is to develop a short-list (roughly eight topics) that you can then formulate keywords around.
If you’re struggling for ideas on how to come up with topics, try putting yourself in your audiences’ shoes. What are some of the most obvious topics that your audience will be searching for? Ultimately, these are the topics that you should be aiming to rank for.
As an example, if you were a company that sold nutrition supplies for bodybuilders, you could have topics such as:
- Protein shakes
- Pre-workout supplements
- Meal replacements
- Vitamins
- Organic whole foods
Create Keywords From Your Topics
After you have come up with a list of general topics, do a search and see how many results show up. This will give you an indication of how popular these topics are. You can also see which topics are broad enough to create sub-topics for.
The next step is to look at each topic and try to list the keywords (or phrases) that people may be searching for. Ask yourself: What are the questions that people could be asking about each topic?
Using the example of protein shakes as a topic, some possible keywords could be:
- Low-sugar protein shakes
- Protein shake recipes
- What to eat with a protein shake
- Cheap protein shakes
And you get the idea. This exercise should very quickly provide you with a comprehensive list of keywords. You can then begin the process of research and content creation.
Searches Related To Your Keyword
If you’re still finding it difficult to come up with potential keywords, it’s worth checking out the searches related to (your keyword). This is located at the bottom of each page of search results.
This will provide you with a really helpful list of alternative keywords that you can implement. And you’re likely to stumble across a stacks of keyword ideas that you may not have even considered.
If you wish to expand on this further, you can take a look at the related searches for your new keyword suggestions.
Research Head Terms & Long-Tail Keywords
First thing’s first – what exactly are head terms and long-tail keywords? Head Terms are keywords and phrases that are more general and direct. They are easy to categorize because they’re short – generally no more than a total of three words.
Long-tail keywords are (you guessed it) longer phrases that are more specific to a topic.
A well-rounded SEO strategy will always feature a combination of head terms and long-tail keywords. The reason for this has to do with the fact that head terms are searched far more often than long-tail keywords. So, whilst this means greater opportunity to connect with users, it also equates to more competition.
Check Out The Competition
What are the keywords that your competitors are ranking for? If they are the same keywords that you are trying to implement, this demonstrates two things: Firstly, that you need to create more powerful content that will propel your rankings forward. And secondly, that there may be an opportunity to target keywords that are less competitive.
Based on the keyword data that you can elicit from your competition, you can then incorporate a mix of head terms and long-tail keywords.
Take Advantage Of Keyword Research Tools
Now that you have an impressive short-list of keywords, it’s time to identify the specific keywords that will most likely reap rewards. To do this, it pays to utilize a proven keyword researching tool.
There are a stacks of platforms available – from SEMrush to Moz (just to name a few). And whilst I’m a big fan of Google Adwords Keyword Planner, my number one choice has to be Jaaxy.
Jaaxy’s Keyword Research Tool is able to quickly generate the most powerful keywords for your campaign. It’s incredibly easy-to-use and can be tailored to suit just about any budget.
You’re Ready To Create!
At this point, you should have a strong foundation of keywords on which to build your content. Here’s a quick recap:
- Proper keyword research will allow you to uncover the hidden meaning behind a search. In other words, the results of a search can demonstrate your audiences’ intent.
- Create a short-list of roughly eight topics that you can formulate your keywords around.
- List the possible questions that users may have about each topic.
- Explore related searches to your keywords.
- See which keywords your competitors are ranking for (this tells you what’s popular). See if there are words and phrases that may still be untapped.
- Use a Keyword Researcher Tool to give you thorough insight into your keyword.
All that’s left to do now is start writing. Remember to keep tabs on the performance of your keywords – see what’s working and identify any areas that need improvement. And don’t be afraid to implement new keywords as you gain more search authority.
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