Why keyword research is so important
Keywords are central to great SEO. Put simply, without keywords, your website won’t rank.
What is keyword research?
Keyword research is the process of finding keyword terms that are relevant to your business. It gives you an understanding of how you are ranking currently, or could rank, on search engines. It allows you to stay in touch with your audience trends, behaviours and processes. Undertaking keyword research is not a process you should skip. It’s the first step in any SEO campaign. Ranking well in search engines, no matter whether it’s Google or Bing will naturally drive higher volumes of traffic to your website. And more traffic means that you will be able to promote and sell more of your products and services online, via your website.
What not to do
Having worked on a number of keyword research projects, we pick up on lots of very commonly made mistakes on our clients’ keyword research journeys. The most common is people guessing what their audience may be searching for. They might think that they know the market without having to do any research but ultimately, the proof will be in the data and more often than not, the end result will be incredibly low incoming data and zero engagement.
Where do I start?
Before you dive headfirst into keyword research, take time to identify your target areas. Think about who you want to target, what keywords your audience is likely to input in order to find you and which keywords lead to your site right now. Make sure you have a clear idea of what you are researching and why.
We recommend that you start simply with pen and paper, your favourite note-taking app or even a spreadsheet (if that’s your thing) and once you’ve done your research, make a rough list of your preferred keywords – or the ones you think might work most effectively.
Keyword tools
If you are still stumped, there are a few effective keyword tools out there to assist you with your research. We’d most highly recommend Google Keyword Planner but there are a host of available options:
How long will keyword research take?
Keyword research is an ongoing process for your business, not something you do once and never again. Your audience’s trends and behaviours are ever-evolving, as are Google algorithms, so you need to adapt and respond accordingly, all the time your website is up and running.
And finally…
If you still feel that you might need some assistance with your keyword research, some general advice on the best ways to approach keyword research or you just don’t want to have to get involved in anything SEO related, why not outsource it?
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