If you are performing a home renovation and run into an issue, what’s typically your first response? It’s probably to grab your phone and type in a search. If you’re experienced in repairs, you might search “How to put in dry wall,” or you might search “Dry wall repairman near me.”
Both those searches will pull up a unique list of relevant content businesses create to either educate you or help connect you to someone who can help.
As a business, you can play a role in where your online content appears and who sees it. It’s not just up to chance. Through careful content optimization, you can improve your ranking. One of the most crucial parts of the optimization process is choosing the right keywords for your audience that will appear in search results.
Learn how to choose keywords for SEO using just five simple rules.
What’s the Big Deal with Keywords?
Search engine optimization are strategies you perform to prepare your content for Google search, hoping you will rank high in search results. Since over half of web traffic comes from organic searches, optimizing your website for search should be a priority. However, you don’t want to appear in just any search results. You want to rank high in searches your ideal audience performs, ideally landing on the first page. The first page of Google search results receives the highest number of clicks.
Google’s algorithm uses over 200 factors when ranking websites in search results. While each factor plays a role, one crucial factor is your keywords.
Keywords for search engine optimization will help Google identify your content’s topic to ensure you appear in front of your target audience. You can use them on web pages or create blog posts to target keyword opportunities and increase traffic from those searches.
A common misconception with SEO keywords is that they are terms you can input in your page’s code, telling Google, “Hey, this is the content’s topic!”
Keywords are far more subtle than that. They blend right in with your content. There is no signal telling Google which terms are your keywords. However, by strategically placing them in your title, intro, and key areas in your content, Google’s algorithm will take note of the phrase.
However, ranking for the keyword relies on you also performing other SEO strategies to build your authority, create quality content, and build trust with your audience. If you have those other strategies in place, selecting the most relevant and quality keyword fits the last puzzle piece in place for Google to rank you well in relevant searches.
5 Tips for Choosing Quality Keywords
Here are a few of our top tips to help you appear in the RIGHT searches at the RIGHT spot in front of the RIGHT audience.
Use these to learn how to choose SEO keywords that will rank in Google.
Tip 1: Understand What Your Audience Is Searching
While you can create your own keywords that match your topic, those keywords may not connect with your audience. Always start your keyword research by using a tool like SEMrush or Ahrefs to discover search queries your audience is performing rather than guessing at what terms to focus on.
Every time you type a search into Google, it records it. Those are called search queries. Analyzing records of those queries will help you decide what phrases to use in your content. When you use the exact words your audience is searching for, you are more likely to appear as a search result than if you use random phrases throughout your content.
Selecting just one strong keyword in your content is a fantastic start, but you still have more you can do to help Google identify your content’s topic and rank that content in the most relevant searches.
In addition to a primary keyword, you will also use keyword variations throughout your content. These are synonyms of your SEO keywords and phrases that commonly appear alongside them.
For example, if you target the keyword “best phone,” you might also use the phrases “best smartphone” and “best iPhone.” Using synonyms avoids repeating the exact phrase throughout the article, which Google often sees as spam. It can also help you rank for more searches related to your primary topic.
You can find synonyms and related keywords in your keyword research tool or by looking in the People Also Ask section of Google.
Image from SEMrush
Tip 3: Focus on High Traffic SEO Keywords
Not all phrases are of equal value when you choose keywords for SEO. Some keywords bring in more traffic than others.
Take a look at these two keywords. “Email marketing software” has 4,400 people searching the phrase monthly, while “Online marketing software” has 170 monthly searches. Targeting high-traffic keywords will bring more traffic to your site if you can rank in those searches.
Image from SEMrush
Tip 4: Go for Low Competition SEO Keywords
Keyword traffic isn’t the only data that comes into play when strategically choosing a keyword. You also want to consider their keyword difficulty score. This score is a percentage of 100 that will tell you how many other sites wrote content on the same topic and whether those sites already have a solid online presence. A site with a strong brand is more likely to rank higher in search results than a new site or one with little authority. If you want to rank for a search, you want to avoid competing against businesses with significantly higher brand authority.
For example, what happens when you search for “laptop repair?” You will see big names like Best Buy and HP repair services pop up on the first page. A small laptop repair business would struggle to gain a high-ranking spot for that keyword. However, a term like “laptop screen repair near me” has far less competition, mainly because you are only competing against other local shops with a digital presence who might also create content on that topic.
If you have a strong brand, you can try to rank for high-competition keywords. However, if you’re a single blogger or a new business, you will want medium or low-difficulty keywords.
Image from SEMrush
Tip 5: Consider the User’s Intent
User intent is the purpose behind their search. A user asking Google what’s in a chicken parmesan has a very different intent than one asking Google where to find chicken parmesan. One user is looking for information, most likely trying to find a recipe. The second user is looking for a restaurant, so they are ready and willing to pay for chicken parmesan.
When searching SEO keywords, look at what intent your tool notes the keyword as. The four search intents are:
Navigational: Looking for a specific website or page.
Informational: Looking for information or education.
Commercial: Users are interested in buying and are researching their options.
Transactional: Users are ready to buy and know what they want.
If you don’t have an SEO tool, you can also use logic to determine why someone might search for a phrase. Performing the exact search can show you what type of content appears, again helping you understand what users are looking for.
By providing content that matches your users’ intent, Google is more likely to display it first as it will see it as more relevant.
For instance, if your users have commercial or transactional intent, your article should be product heavy. Informational intent content, the article should focus on educating the user, not promoting products and services.
Image from SEMrush
Choose Keywords for SEO That Your Audience Is Searching
Are you ready to optimize your content for Google?
Begin by performing keyword research before diving into content creation. Keyword research helps you identify those high-traffic, low-competition search queries that will keep you ranking high in search results.
If you need help finding the most relevant and highest-quality keywords, add our SEO research package to your next order, and our content strategist will help you.
We’re facing a content revolution the likes of which we’ve never seen before.
There are more than 500 million blogs across over 1.8 billion websites on the worldwide web. More than 2 million new blog posts are published daily. That’s right – 2 million. Every. Single. Day.
There are also more people turning to search engines for information than we’ve seen in the past. Before the pandemic, Google search traffic hovered around 3.6 billion searches per day. Since March 2020, it’s consistently been 6+ billion searches per day.
That’s enough to make your head spin! So much demand, so much new content… How on earth are you going to compete so your content makes it to the top of that information flood?
To start, do you know how to use keywords in your content correctly?
There’s a reason some websites consistently land prime spots in featured snippets and page one of Google’s results.
That’s it. Those three primary components are what separate the high traffic content from the bottom-of-the-barrel, lost-in-the-void content.
While you should absolutely learn as much as you can about SEO writing and how to produce phenomenal content, this discussion is going to focus on the keyword aspect of the ranking equation, including how to research and use keywords in your content.
Need help with your writing projects? Our specialty content service partners you with an expert writer to create in-depth authority content optimized for the keywords YOU choose, starting at $84.
[bctt tweet=”There’s a reason some websites consistently land prime spots on page 1 of Google’s results. Their secret formula? 👩🔬 ➡Great content + strategic focus keywords + search engine optimization (SEO).⬅ Learn how to use it on @ExpWriters:” username=””]
What Is a Focus Keyword?
Let’s start with the basics. A focus keyword is the search term you want your content to rank for in search engines.
This means, if you’re writing about creating click-worthy social media content, for example, you want your post to be one of the first shown in Google when someone types “how to write engaging social media posts” in the search box.
The best focus keywords are known as long-tail keywords. These are phrases that are longer and more specific than shorter, more common keywords.
In the example above, “social media” would be a broad, general search term, but “how to write engaging social media posts” is a highly specific search phrase.
When someone types that long-tail keyword into Google, their search intent is clear. They’re looking for instructional content. They don’t want the history of social media, or a link to Facebook, or instructions to reset their Twitter password, all of which are topics that could technically fall under the general “social media” keyword.
Long-tail keywords are niche-based. They have a lower search volume and therefore less competition, which means you have a much higher chance of beating out a dozen websites for the top spot compared to thousands of websites fighting over a more general search term.
The search demand graph below demonstrates how long-tail keywords earned their name:
It’s much better to be on page one for a long-tail keyword than it is to be on page 397 for a popular keyword.
Spoiler alert: Even if that popular focus keyword has a ton of traffic potential, nobody is going to click all the way to page 397 to find your content.
[bctt tweet=”It’s much better to be on page one for a long-tail keyword than it is to be on page 397 for a popular keyword. 1️⃣📏🎯” username=”ExpWriters”]
Long-tail keywords also have much higher conversions associated with them. This goes back to search intent – people looking up long-tail keywords have a specific goal, especially if they’re starting their search with “how to.” There’s no guesswork involved. You know what your targeted visitor is looking for, and you can provide it.
Successful content marketers aren’t pulling random long-tail keywords out of a hat like magicians. They’re investing their time in keyword research related to their market niche so they can take a strategic approach when using those keywords in their content.
Hey, content strategy can be tricky. If you want to formulate a winning content marketing strategy with optimized keywords, we’re here to help!
How to Research a Keyword with SEO in Mind
Keyword research is a critical first step in any content marketing strategy, before you write the first word of your article.
Skipping this step all but guarantees your content will flop!
We talked about finding long-tail, low-competition focus keywords. However, those keywords MUST be relevant to your market niche if your content is going to perform.
So, how do you find that optimal sweet spot between relevancy and low competition?
Start by making a list of broad topics that:
Genuinely interest you
Pertain to your industry, market, and/or niche
Are relevant to your audience
We’re not looking at long-tail keywords yet in this stage. All we’re doing is coming up with general search topics, and then we’ll get more detailed from there.
Once you have a solid list of ideas, start thinking about subtopics for each category. Consider the search intent of these terms – how will your audience likely be using this information? What are they searching for beyond just the general word or phrase?
Keyword research tools such as Semrush, KWFinder, and Ahrefs can help you analyze your subtopics to discover search volume, ranking probability, and synonymous keywords and phrases to target.
Another tip is to rely on the power of Google. Type in your keyword and scroll to the bottom of the search engine results page (SERP).
Here, you’ll find alternative phrases based on what people have been actively searching for on Google, so you know these results will be relevant.
Ideally, you should have at least one primary keyword (the main focus) and one or two secondary keywords (related terms). If you choose a primary keyword that isn’t grammatically correct, make sure to tweak it so you can use it in your content without sounding like a robot trying to learn English.
For example, “content strategy how to build on website” isn’t going to work. There’s simply no way to properly fit that into a sentence. Go ahead and add conjunctions, prepositions, or other “helper” words to finesse it a bit. I.e., “Content strategy: how to build one on your website.”
You can also add in a few additional minor keywords, but don’t go overboard and try to cram 20 of them into your content. (Keyword stuffing is as outdated as cassette players.)
Let’s make a keyword list from the content strategy example we typed into Google earlier to see the related search results.
Primary Keyword (High Priority): How to build a content strategy
Secondary Keyword(s) (Medium Priority): What is a content strategy
How to Use Keywords in Your Content: Where Should You Place Keywords for SEO?
Now that we’ve done our keyword research and have a short list of keywords ready to go, how are we going to incorporate them into our content?
There’s a little more to SEO than simply shoving a focus keyword in every other sentence. And on that note – DON’T DO THAT! Repeating your keyword over and over again is a quick way to annoy your readers and accumulate penalties from Google.
Keywords need to be placed strategically throughout your content. The most important places to insert keywords are:
1. Article Title
If possible, try to use the exact primary keyword. Google will recognize the match to the original search term, and your audience is also likely to believe your article will be relevant to them.
However, if the full keyword doesn’t sound natural, don’t force it. You don’t want viewers to think a bot wrote your content and avoid clicking out of fear that the entire article is going to be awkward and poorly written.
It’s okay to use a variation of your keyword. As long as the rest of your content is pertinent and optimized, Google will still be able to successfully index it.
2. Meta Description
A meta description is a short blurb, usually no more than 160 characters, that appears under web pages and articles on the SERP.
This is a prime place to insert your keyword! If possible, try to add both your primary and secondary keywords into your meta description to boost your ranking probability.
3. Introduction (First 200 Words)
Here’s the thing about Google – the search engine giant isn’t upfront about revealing all of the factors in its ranking algorithms.
Content marketers are privy to certain information openly shared in Google’s own SEO starter guide and other sources, but in many cases, we’re left making our best educated guesses when it comes to certain SEO tips and best practices.
Google used to give priority to “content above the fold,” but Google’s own John Mueller has stated that it isn’t much of a ranking factor anymore. However, some content marketers believe that Google does still give preference to the first 200 words or so on a page.
Whether or not this holds much weight with search engines, it’s still a good idea to mention your focus keyword early on. It lets both Google and your readers know what your article is going to be about.
4. Conclusion (Last 200 Words)
Your keyword should also be used toward the end of your content as you summarize main points and tie everything together. If you can add your primary keyword to your call-to-action (CTA) at the end, do so!
5. Headings (H1s, H2s, H3s)
Your content should ALWAYS have headings. From an organizational and visual perspective, headings are essential to breaking up large sections of paragraph text and segmenting an article so readers can easily skim through the main points.
Headings are also critical to Google. They’re important ranking signals that help search engines index the content, understand critical points, and pull information for featured snippets on the SERP, as you can see here:
Each of those points in the list is a separate heading in the article. Adding your keywords into H1, H2, and H3 headings helps emphasize those important phrases so you have a better chance of not only ranking, but also landing a coveted spot in a featured snippet.
6. Image Alt Text
Images are another important part of SEO. Your human readers and Google’s bots love to see multimedia instead of endless blocks of text.
The primary purpose of alt text (also referred to as alt tags or alt descriptions) is to show written copy in place of an image if the graphic fails to load. It also helps screen-reading tools for visually impaired users.
But alt text serves another important purpose – it helps search engines crawl, understand, index, and rank your website.
By adding alt text to your images, you’re making it easier for Google to identify your media as relevant when people are conducting image searches. Images – especially branded infographics – can be a less direct but still successful way to bring visitors to your website.
7. Throughout Your Content
Learning how to use keywords naturally in your content can be difficult at first, but the more you practice, the easier it will be to find the right balance between using your keywords too frequently or not enough.
Humans naturally tend to vary their speech. We don’t like repeating the same words over and over again.
This is why writers who aren’t factoring SEO into their process don’t get content ranked in Google. Search engines need enough repetition to successfully pick up on keywords.
Look for opportunities to slip your keywords into sentences. Your writing should still be natural – don’t force a keyword into your content if it doesn’t work. Your sentences should be grammatically correct and roll off the tongue without awkward phrases disrupting the flow.
For some writers, it’s easier to draft the content first, then go back and add the keywords in later. There’s no golden rule for the ideal number of times each keyword should be inserted, so use your best judgement based on readability and content length.
8. URL
Adding the primary keyword into your URL is the icing on the cake. It’s yet one more signal to Google that your content is highly relevant in a search.
SEO experts and content marketers often debate about how effective this practice really is, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Adding the keyword into your URL certainly isn’t going to hurt your ranking, and there’s a chance it can actually improve it.
[bctt tweet=”Where should you place keywords for maximum SEO impact? For starters: 1️⃣ Article title 2️⃣ Metas 3️⃣ Intro 4️⃣ Conclusion 5️⃣ Headings (H1, H2, etc) AND don’t forget 6️⃣ Image alt text 7️⃣ Throughout the content 8️⃣ URL” username=”ExpWriters”]
Bringing Keywords Together with SEO Content
Remember the formula: great content + strategic focus keywords + search engine optimization (SEO).
Each facet is important individually, but the magic happens when they all work together. Once you master all three components of this winning formula and understand how to use keywords in your SEO content to rank on Google, your online presence is guaranteed to explode!
But it takes time, commitment, and perseverance to make it all happen. Don’t get frustrated if you don’t see immediate results.
Believe me when I say it’s a worthwhile investment!
Ready to start producing high-quality, keyword-optimized SEO content? Browse our Content Shop to see what kind of expert blog posts we can create for you, starting as low as $125/500w.
If I asked for a show of hands to see who researches their keywords by highest search volume, I’d see a pretty unanimous answer.
If you’re a true nerd / geek / SEO’er, you might have even had dreams of climbing the search results to #1 by optimizing for those keywords.
(Kind of like a new pop artist who hopes to crack the Billboard Top 100 with their first single.)
When you pick a keyword, what do you go by?
Are you using the best metrics? Every business wants to show up at the top of the SERPs (search engine result pages).
But knowing how… that’s a skill that involves, at the core fundamental, knowing how to pick out a great keyword. And not everyone has that skill.
Keep reading for an in-depth guide on what matters most when you’re choosing best opportunity, high-ROI keywords. (The answer, surprisingly, is decidedly not keyword search volume.)
Keyword Search Volume: The Skinny
Everyone wants that coveted top organic #1, #2, or #3 hit in Google.
However, what you may not realize is top brands have already cornered those keywords. This includes multi-million-dollar corporations. These are brands you are not going to be able to compete with, especially if you’re a small business.
What do those top-ranking keywords look like?
Nine times out of 10, they’re broad keywords – short phrases that aren’t specific. For example: “cake,” “baking,” and “baking cakes.”
If you’re a small-town baker and you try to rank for these terms, you’ll be out of luck. Instead, you may find yourself competing with the likes of Cooking Light, Food Network, and Epicurious.
Let’s face it – you’re never going to win, here.
So, what can you do, instead? What’s the smarter strategy?
For good results for your particular business, you don’t need high traffic from high search volume keywords. Instead, you need the right traffic.
Forget Search Volume – Get the Right Traffic with High-Converting Keywords
Throw search volume out the window for now. Yes, it was once the be-all, end-all of keywords, but nothing in this world is static, right?
I’m not saying search volume is completely irrelevant. But, I am urging you to look at other avenues for driving people to your site.
Let’s start by defining what we mean when we talk about the “right” traffic.
You’ll have an easier time converting customers if they’re in an ideal state of the buying process. This is the “right” traffic – the people who are looking for you, but don’t yet realize you exist. If they knew you existed, they would be ready to jump on board and fish for their wallets.
Broad keywords do not drive this kind of traffic to your site.
What will?
Long tail keywords!
Long tail Keywords: Specificity and Relevancy for Search
Long tail keywords are just that: longer, more specific, and relevant to the customer’s needs.
For instance, a person who needs a specific type of cake will not search for “cake.” Instead, they might search for “wedding cake chocolate swirl Rhode Island.” Or, “birthday cake yellow with sprinkles.” A search string that is becoming even more common might look like this: “Where can I get a yellow birthday cake with chocolate frosting in Rhode Island?”
All of these have a few things in common, though they vary in subject matter. The people searching know what type of cake they want and where they want to get it. If you’re a baker and you optimize your site for long tail keywords like this, you’ll strike gold.
Why? Because long tail keywords have less competition than their broad counterparts. You have a far better chance of ranking for “wedding cake chocolate swirl Rhode Island” than “cake.”
Plus, customers use long tail keywords like this when they have a higher buying intent. They know what they’re looking for, what they need, or what they want. If you have it, there’s a very good chance you’ll close the deal.
Basically, these keywords fall right into your sweet spot for driving traffic.
Take a look at the brands who have successfully ranked for the above long tail keyword example. There’s only one multi-million-dollar corporation on this list (Ben & Jerry’s). The rest are small bakeries or boutique shops. That’s the power of the long tail keyword in action.
How Do You Choose the Right Long Tail Keywords?
According to Search Engine Journal (SEJ), one of the keys to driving conversions from search results is to engage people at the perfect time. It’s a two-way street. Their intent needs to match up with the keyword, and the keyword needs to be relative to their intent.
This is that sweet spot we mentioned earlier. Hit it, and you’ll see ROI.
Here are some other keys for choosing the best long tail keywords for you. They have to do with relevancy and uniqueness.
1. Relevancy, Relevancy, Relevancy
When a keyword is relevant to you, it ties back to your particular brand. This includes what you do, who you are, where you’re located, or what you sell.
The relevance of your keywords is the brunt of what makes long tail types work. If you’re not using relevant long tails, you won’t be taking advantage of their conversion power.
2. Use What Makes You Stand Out (Your Differentiation Factor)
A highly unique keyword could net you a buyer every time someone searches for it. Wow! That’s a BIG deal.
At the same time, that particular keyword could have next to no search volume because of its uniqueness.
Fact: this is common for keywords with good opportunities.
In other words, it’s not a problem because the conversion value is so high. The more unique your keyword, the more you’re targeting a specific buyer – the one looking to pull the trigger and make the purchase!
These types of keywords don’t work well for everyone – but they work great for you. The opportunity is personal, and that’s a big bonus.
Why Broad, Short Tail Keywords Are on the Way Out
Short tail keywords do have their uses. They haven’t gone the way of VCRs and rotary phones – they aren’t relics quite yet.
They’re good for optimizing basic pages on your site. Your “about us” page is a fine example. Over time, your long tail keyword content can help improve your rankings for those general terms. Your content will build authority, and that can give your general pages a boost.
Time, however, is the clincher here. For keywords with tough competition, it may take years for you to crack the top 100, let alone the top 50.
Ranking shouldn’t be your main concern, anyway.
Ranking for broad terms may drive traffic, but it won’t drive traffic that converts.
Instead, you’ll get a mix of people at all different stages of the buying cycle. Some, if not most, will not need what you’re offering. Neil Patel has an excellent chart that shows the difference:
As the chart shows, people who are looking to browse will use the broadest keywords of all: “Las Vegas,” “spyware,” and “television.”
Meanwhile, the people looking to buy tend to use the most specific terms possible: “Panasonic 43’ Plasma TV HVD3002 best price.” That’s one hefty long tail. You can tell this buyer is locked and loaded.
Draw the Locked and Loaded Buyer – Not the “Just Browsing” Variety
According to Forbes, a few years ago, most businesses online attempted to target small numbers of “sort-of” relevant keywords. These were traffic-drivers alone, and it worked well enough.
Now things have changed. There are millions more people online, and close to a billion websites. The competition to rank for broad keywords is more cut-throat than ever. In fact, it’s nearly impossible unless you’re a huge corporation or you pay.
You can rank well, and organically, for long tail keywords. These aren’t searched as often, but the people who do are far more likely to buy from you.
Who would you rather guide to your site – the casual browser, or that buyer who’s locked, loaded, and ready to whip out their credit card, because you’ve got what they need?
So, when it comes to keywords, redirect your focus.
Switch your tactics – shake things up.
The times, they are a-changin’, as Bob Dylan so eloquently put it. Pretty soon, short tail keywords may be thrown out with the bathwater. The long tail is the future of keywords.
Are you ready?
To start building your path towards more high rankings with long tail keyword-optimized content, Express Writers can help. Take a peek at our custom blog plans or content planning to see what we can do.
Ongoing, consistent keyword research is critical to a strong online presence.
While keyword research has seen its share of changes over the years, it remains a useful part of content creation.
Why?
Keyword research is online ROI.
Real, true, return-on-investment: find the right keywords, and you can create content with the potential for high Google rankings inside the next year (remember, content is a long-term investment). Using the right keywords allows you to use the direct terms of your customers and target audience.
Keyword research is the tool you use to spread your message and stand out in your field. Every content developer worth his or her words knows it is a piece of the bigger picture when it comes to ranking and reaching.
Understanding why, and how, will add vitality to your brand’s presence. Skimp here, and you’ll find yourself stuck in the same place with the same results. But there is a way to dive in, find the right keywords, and strengthen your online presence. Let’s discuss!
Why Consistent Keyword Research Is Fundamental to a Strong Online Presence
Let’s dive in with three big reasons why keyword research is vital to a strong presence.
1. Consistent keyword research helps you get to know and understand your ideal target persona.
Focusing too much on specific keywords without a focus on the user behind the screen is a big mistake.
Keywords are the words we are trying to rank for, but your buyer persona doesn’t really care about the “keyword” itself. What they care about is finding the best results for their search term.
When you type something into a Google search, you have a purpose. Your goal is to find out more information about a new restaurant, read a news story, or look for a local service.
This means that one simple change in a word can produce far different results.
It’s all about intent. Example: When someone searches for “hire a gardener” on Google, the first results are fairly generic and include results from sites like Home Advisor, WikiHow, and Gardens Illustrated. These are general how-to guides aimed at anyone who wants to know how to plant a flower, when to weed, and what type of fertilizer works best. The results are not specific to location or service type.
But change that search to “hire a gardener in Austin,” and the results are much different.
With the addition of just a few more words, we see the best gardeners in the Austin area based on reviews from other customers. These are meant for those searchers who are far into the process and want real answers.
There is intent behind this specific search.
By understanding how a user will search, you can narrow your focus and dive deeper into keyword research, rather than just stringing words together. This will allow you to craft focused content, target your persona, and see results.
Content creators often make the mistake of spending too much time on specific phrases and terms while neglecting to understand the user intent behind the words. Rather than try to guess what your audience means by a search query, keyword research helps you understand the intent behind the language.
2. Consistent keyword research keeps it natural.
How we search on the web has changed significantly over the past few decades. The rise of voice search and advanced technology has contributed to the way we look for everything from pizza delivery to books on Amazon.
Today, users are more likely to phrase a search as a question, as if they are talking to a friend, rather than searching with just two or three words.
Or in some cases, they search online the same way they ask Alexa or Siri a question. It’s natural and less stuffy.
A2: Always write with your audience in mind and use keywords in a way that’s natural, not forced. Keyword stuffing isn’t cool. #semrushchat
This trend toward more natural language is due to a few factors, including: Search engine capabilities: No one wants to sit and string together a bunch of keyword combinations, especially as they search through a mobile device. We are searching quickly, and we don’t have time to wait around for an answer. Search technology: Google welcomes complex questions, as explained in this blog post, and the search engine understands more specific queries. Technology is keeping pace, and the faster it answers, the faster the user expects it to be. Search through digital assistants: Ask Alex, Cortana, or your smartphone, and you’ll get an answer. Here is what Will Oremus from Slate had to say about the future of search in the wake of these popular devices:
In the beginning, computers spoke only computer language, and a human seeking to interact with one was compelled to do the same. First came punch cards, then typed commands…the 1980s brought the mouse click and the graphical user interface to the masses; the 2000s, touch screens; the 2010s, gesture control and voice. It has all been leading, gradually and imperceptibly, to a world in which we no longer have to speak computer language, because computers will speak human language—not perfectly, but well enough to get by. And the implications…will be tremendous. (Slate)
Using long-tail keywords in a natural way will reach your audience quicker as they search, which will make your communication more effective and specific.
3. Consistent keyword research brings relevancy and leaves an impression.
When content creators take the time to find the most relevant and meaningful keywords for their target group – which happens when we understand our audience – it changes everything. Relevant, long-tail keywords contribute to successful SEO and more qualified traffic.
Here is the truth: if someone is searching with a long-tail keyword in the form of a question, and you have optimized for shorter keywords that don’t hold meaning, your results will not be as relevant.
We can challenge ourselves here to go even beyond just relevant content and strive to produce amazing content. Relevance combined with amazing equals results that will go beyond our expectations.
How do we find relevant terms, those that our target audience is searching for? With consistent keyword research.
3 of Our Favorite SEO Search Tools
When you’re ready to dive into keyword research, here are some of our favorite tools you can use right now. Check ‘em out!
1. SEMrush
This killer SEO tool performs keyword research, tracks keyword strategy used by your competition, runs an SEO audit of your blog, and looks for backlink opportunities, just to name a few of the features. SEMrush houses a database of over 46 million domains and 120 million keywords while tracking the organic position of a domain and competitor analysis.
2. KWFinder
This keyword research and analysis tool offers real-time keyword SEO difficulty and generates long-tail keywords related to your niche that your competitors may be missing. Perform a search on a keyword and the site will analyze, providing you with an SEO competition score out of 100, giving you the keyword difficulty based on comparison across the market.
Also, one reason I love this tool is the absolutely gorgeous UX. I mean, what other tool is this pretty?
3. AnswerThePublic
This cool search tool grabs and maps keyword suggestions and predictions with a free visual report. The common Google and Bing autosuggest reports show you what is actually being searched for based on the keyword you enter.
A recent AnswerThePublic search for “online content writing” resulted in this visual and alphabetical list.
The site works to automate the gathering of questions related to your keyword, creating a visualization of the data so you can answer more effectively. The insight you can gain is invaluable and may serve as a jumpstart to relevant long-tail keyword creation for content writers.
Of course, you can only use this tool if you’re comfortable doing so while having a stranger stare at you and, at times, pick his teeth. 😉
Are Keywords Still Relevant? The Big Ticket Question Discussed
When it comes to keyword research and its effectiveness for online content, the opinions are as varied as a can of fruit cocktail.
I talk about this question more in-depth in my recent post, Is Keyword Density Dead?
TL;DR: keyword density is certainly dead. But keywords themselves are certainly not.
While keywords may not be the only factor we now consider, they remain an important part of content development in a world of ever-changing SEO and technology.
In fact, long-tail keywords (those with more than four words) still account for 50% of search queries, which reminds us that it’s important to use them in page titles and content, in internal links, and in user-generated reviews.
Conclusion
Keyword research has changed, but the goal of creating quality content remains the same.
When brands and website owners commit to understanding their audience, keeping the word flow as natural as possible, and staying relevant, the results will be a solid offering that meets the reader right where they are.
Are you ready to build the cornerstone of great content? Our Content Strategists are trained to do just that in our Keyword Strategy service! Connect with us today and let’s get to work.
When Google pulled the plug on displaying the top keyword for websites in 2011, digital marketers were scrambling to find a solution to retrieve that priceless keyword data. The dreaded “not provided” message sent the Internet marketing community into an uproar, with many fists shaking at Google for taking something so valuable right out of reach. It was an unfortunate turn of events for professional SEOs, but it was not exactly surprising. There had been previous predictions on Google eliminating keyword data, but it did not make the blow any less painful.
Today, we are nearly 4 years out from the “not provided” dilemma, and it is clear that this did not end the world of SEO as we know it. The dust has cleared now, and with that, some pretty amazing keyword research tools have come to the forefront.
One of those keyword tools in particular is SEMRush, which is one of the most powerful and accurate research tools we’ve personally found on the market. The top keyword from Google may not be provided, but SEMRush offers a great opportunity to help you create great content. Let’s look at how they do that.
Starting From Scratch: Analyze The Keywords of Your Competitors
If you are on the forefront of your keyword search with SEMRush with a brand new website, one of the logical first steps is researching the keywords of your competitors. SEMRush allows you to research your competitors’ keywords, and they do not block or hide any valuable information from you.
When you log in to SEMRush, you can simply type in your competitor’s website address. SEMRush will generate their top keywords for you with information including volume, cost per click, ranking difficulty, and traffic percentage.
Using Petsmart as an example, you can see a green bar under the traffic column. When you hover over the bar, SEMRush estimates that 40 percent of their traffic comes from their brand name. Hypothetically saying that I run another online pet store, this doesn’t help me too much. I am not a fan of piggybacking off of brand names, so I skip until I find service or product related keywords.
This takes me to the keywords of fish tanks and dog kennels. These keywords are closer to what I need, but they might be a bit too competitive for my new online pet store. From there, I click the view full report option to expand all of Petsmart’s keywords.
After a bit of sorting, I find a keyword that is a little more realistic to pursue. The keyword volume is 1900 per year with 468,000 results. This keyword is also long tail, which may mean fewer results with higher conversions. Now that I found a keyword that works for my competitor, but is not ridiculously competitive, I can move forward with creating content that centers on that keyword.
Using SEMRush Keywords to Create Unique Content
Now that you have a keyword in mind, the fun part can finally begin. Your long tail keyword is flea and tick prevention for dogs, and it is essential that you keep that keyword exactly in that same wording every time that you use it.
The easiest first step to creating a content campaign around a keyword is writing multiple (or even a series) of blog posts with that particular keyword. With this keyword example, you have the following opportunities for blog topics:
6 Things You Didn’t Know About Flea And Tick Prevention For Dogs
10 Compelling Reasons Why You Need Flea and Tick Prevention For Dogs
The Advanced Guide To Flea and Tick Prevention For Dogs
Flea and Tick Prevention For Dogs: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
How Flea And Tick Prevention Has Improved In The Last 10 Years
And those are just naming a few. You can literally come up with dozens of options for blog topics, just based off of a single keyword from SEMRush. With that said, keep your content valuable and informative as you build around your keyword. You can rank on page one all day long for a particular keyword, but killer content is what truly influences conversions.
SEMRush Keywords For Established Websites
So what if you aren’t exactly starting from scratch with your website, but you still need some keyword ideas to give your content a boost? Although analyzing your competitor’s keywords is almost always a good idea, part of the keyword research process involves analyzing your own site.
To stick with the pet theme, let’s say that I run a successful online pet store called Chewy. I sell a lot of products and my site is popular, but I am looking for new keyword opportunities.
Just as you would enter your competitor’s website in the search bar, type in your own web address and your keyword data will appear.
Your top keywords here are your brand name. Since you are trying to find new keyword and content opportunities, you need to view the full report and browse through the selection.
Pill pockets for dogs is yet another long tail keyword that you can pursue. For those who don’t know, a pill pocket is an edible pocket that helps dogs take down their medication. It has a yearly search volume of 1600 with 207,000 search results. Since this website is already very well established, it is pretty realistic to rank for this long tail keyword by generating some great content.
Generating New Content From New Keyword Ideas
Getting new content from new ideas pretty much works the same as described above. However, if you are already established, you have the opportunity to see feedback much faster on a social level. You can start with the new blog topics, such as:
Why We Love Pill Pockets For Dogs (and you should, too!)
12 Do’s And Don’ts For Using Pill Pockets For Dogs
Why Pill Pockets For Dogs Will Make Your Pup Happy
How Much Should You Be Spending On Pill Pockets For Dogs
Post your blogs with your new long tail keywords to social media. You can run a few test trials to see how your audiences engages and reacts to your new content; this can serve as an additional decision factor if that keyword is in fact worth pursuing.
More Ways To Find Content Opportunities With SEMRush
Keyword research on SEMRush goes beyond entering a web address. Although that is a perfect starting point if you have no idea what kind of keyword that you are looking for, there are more keyword search options to explore.
Let’s say that you have a keyword idea in mind for content, but you want to see if there are any ways that you can expand on it. Simply type in your keyword query into the search bar, and click search. In this example, we’ll go with dog toys.
SEMRush showcases the top 10 most popular key words containing the phrase dog toys. There are several content ideas that you can pull from this list, such as interactive dog toys and kong dog toys. However, your options don’t stop here. You can load the full report for a seemingly endless amount of additional keyword ideas. With literally thousands of keyword opportunities on SEMRush, it is essentially a goldmine for generating new topic and content opportunities.
Advantages of Using SEMRush For Your Keyword Research
Creating new content can be challenging enough, especially when you staring at a blank document and have no direction. Using SEMRush as the foundation for your keyword research is beneficial for content development in several ways, such as:
You can evaluate both SEO and keyword value. SEMRush gives useful keyword data pertaining to search volume and competition; this data can help you make a decision if the keyword is worth pursuing. Finding keywords that drives a good amount of traffic will put your content on the forefront of what customers are searching for.
Helping you to avoid writer’s block. There are a lot of tools available online that give good ideas for content, but the SEMRush tool helps you get down to the nitty gritty of your best keyword opportunities for content.
Providing you with live data information to help you see what is trending. The live data information shows real time results in terms of competition, cost per click, and search volume.
Offering a fresh keyword difficulty tool to analyze the competition. SEMRush recently added an in-depth keyword difficulty tool that tells you how difficult it would be to replace or outrank your competitors on a particular keyword.
This example shows that the keyword dog toys has a difficulty rate of 76 percent. It is a popular keyword, but it is clear here that the market is oversaturated and it would be very difficult to get your content exposure based on search rank alone.
Express Writers Collaboration with SEMRush
After a week of research, we found the keyword tools, data, and overall use that SEMRush offers exceed the other tools. Not only that, it was easy to use and simple to learn. SEMRush is our SEO tool for valuable reports and our expert content curation and auditing.
SEMRush is an all-around powerful SEO keyword tool for copywriters, breathing new life into the art of keyword research. One run with SEMRush will have you forgetting about Google’s not provided dilemma, and help you build a solid foundation for a truly powerful content campaign.
