keyword research - Express Writers

How to Use Keywords in Your Content for Maximum SEO Impact

January 13, 2024November 9, 2021 by Sara N.

New Year’s Tip: How to Involve Great SEO Keyword Research in Your Content Writing

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. Want to know their secret formula? Great content + strategic focus keywords + search engine optimization (SEO). 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 … Read more

Why Keyword Search Volume Doesn’t Matter When You Choose Your Keywords (& What Does Matter)

January 1, 2021July 18, 2017 by Adam Oakley

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 … Read more

Why Keyword Research is Vital to a Strong Content Presence Online & Our Favorite Tools

December 31, 2020March 14, 2017 by Adam Oakley

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 — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) December 21, 2016 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 … Read more

The Foundations of Researching Keywords For Your Content (Using SEMRush)

November 21, 2022December 18, 2014 by Adam Oakley

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 … Read more

The Content Keyword Pyramid

January 1, 2021June 5, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Today, I’d like to talk about writing website content and keywords in a post Penguin 2.0 web world. This new algorithm update cracks down on content that is spammy. Spammy content is copy that overuses keywords, is not informative, and is just generally not written well. Since Penguin 2.0 came out, there’s a big focus on writing excellent website content. The Keyword Pyramid: How to Use Keywords In Your Content I’ve developed something called the keyword pyramid to help with writing content around your keywords. The keyword pyramid I’ve developed basically represents the amount of keywords you want in your content. Check it out: It’s an inverted pyramid, and it’s divided up into three sections. Since it’s inverted, the bottom area are the keywords you’re going to use the most. These are your primary keywords. Secondary, are your derivatives. And tertiary are your synonymous keywords. As an inverted pyramid, this represents the amount of times you want to use your keywords. So your primary keywords are going to be used the most in your content. Let’s say for example your product was a sleeping bag. This should be your primary keyword. You want to reach the targeted customers that would be searching for your product. So if you’re selling a sleeping bag, that would be your primary keyword. Next come the derivatives of this keyword, a variant that you would also offer. Example: British sleeping bag. Lastly, you have your synonymous keywords. These are anything that is a synonym of your primary keyword. So if we have sleeping bag, a synonym would be slumber bag. The amount of times you use the keyword in your content should vary. It should not be forced. You shouldn’t count every instance and try to come up with a certain number. It should just flow through your content naturally. Focus on being informative. There’s a rule I always say about website content, and it’s been said before: If you wouldn’t share your own content, you shouldn’t be publishing it. Your content should be informative; it should be well-written; and it should not over-utilize your keywords. Get Great Keyword Content Now Need great web pages? We curate some of the best writers online to formulate our team of writers – order online via our Content Shop!