Google is well-known among marketers for its ability to throw everything into a tailspin with a simple update of its search engine’s algorithm. While those updates have changed things dramatically over the years, the importance of keywords has remained the same. Keywords are simply words or phrases that people type into search engines when they are looking for information about a topic. In fact, you’ve probably used them quite a few times yourself.
While they’re handy when you need to find a restaurant or recipe, they are also an essential business marketing tool. Learning more about how keywords work and the ways to find the right ones to use in your company’s online content helps to push your website up to the top of the list.
Understand the Importance of Keyword Research
The typical person only looks at the first page of search results before making a decision on where to click, which means that failing to use the right keywords could be hurting your business.
Doing keyword research also provides you with marketing insights that help you gain a better understanding of what your target audience is looking for and the problems they are want to solve. Using this information, you can then develop a stronger marketing plan that includes using keyword-based content that attracts the attention of search engines.
Find Relevant Keywords
When you begin your keyword research, you’re going to want to look for words that are relevant and that help search engines view your website as an authority on the topic. Finding keywords that have a high volume of people searching for them is also important since even the best keyword in the world won’t do much good if no one uses it.
You can begin your research by brainstorming topics that are relevant to your business. Put yourself in your target customer’s shoes and think about what they might search for that’s related to the products or services that your business offers.
Once you’ve got some topics, you can then begin generating keywords that further narrow down the process of finding search words. At this point, you may be ready to use tools such as Google Keyword Planner or Google Trends to help you identify the best ones to use in your company’s marketing campaigns.
Begin Using Keywords In Your Content Strategies
Keywords fit perfectly into both SEO and pay-per-click marketing campaigns. If you have room in your marketing budget, then you might want to use Google Ads to get your site to rank at the top of the search results for your targeted keywords. Or, you can use them throughout your website.
Including keywords in the page titles, meta descriptions and the general content all help your website get picked up by search engines. Keep in mind, however, that there is a fine art to using keywords. If you engage in what’s called keyword stuffing, then the web crawler might give your website a lower ranking. Aiming for the right keyword density is important for getting to the first page of search results.
Learning how to use keywords is a great way to get your website in front of more people, and it’s an important part of effective SEO practices. Once you’ve generated a list of keywords that are bound to generate more traffic to your website, you’re ready to start planning for where and how to include them in your content marketing plan to launch your business to the top of everyone’s search list.
