5 Steps for Keyword Research
Want to know how to use keyword phrases to rank better in organic search and increase your revenue? Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started with effective keyword research for SEO!
1. Define Your Goals
Before diving into keyword research, it's crucial to define your goals. What do you want to accomplish with search traffic? Many businesses mistakenly aim for "more website traffic," but your primary focus should be on increasing sales and earnings.
For example, if you're developing a keyword strategy for an e-commerce website, identify the sales problem you want to solve, such as:
Increasing sales.
Feeding different segments of the sales funnel.
Gaining ad clicks and ad impressions.
Building awareness of your site, services, and products.
Building awareness is often the starting point, as it helps you rank for competitive keywords and phrases while driving direct sales. Once your goals are clear, you can categorize your keywords to build a digital marketing and content strategy.
2. Develop Keyword Categories
With your goals in mind, develop keyword categories that align with them. For example, if your goal is to increase sales, focus on "money phrases"—keywords with commercial intent that often result in a sale. These keywords are usually highly competitive and have a higher cost per click due to their potential return on investment.
There are also "long-tail money phrases," which are more specific and often less competitive. These can be grouped into categories like:
Competitor comparisons
Discount price searches
Product reviews and ratings
Coupon code searches
Searches for sales
3. Focus on E-A-T
Modern SEO isn't just about keyword relevance; it's about demonstrating expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-A-T). Google prioritizes content that provides valuable information and is created by authoritative sources. While money phrases are important, building authority through comprehensive content can help you eventually rank for these terms.
Google's Search Quality Raters Guideline emphasizes the importance of E-A-T in determining the quality of a webpage. If the barrier to entry for money phrases is too high, focus on creating content that builds your site's authority.
4. Understand User Intent
Understanding the user intent behind a keyword is crucial for crafting content that meets users' needs. The top-ranked sites on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) are those that best satisfy user intent. Google's guidelines emphasize that the best pages "fully satisfy the user intent" of a search query.
To align with user intent:
Ensure the query and user need are specific and clear.
Create content that fully satisfies the user's need with minimal effort.
Aim for the "Fully Meets" rating, which means the result is a complete and perfect answer to the query.
If a keyword has multiple meanings, consider all possible user intents and prioritize the most popular one. This approach will help you rank higher, as Google often ranks informational content above transactional content if user intent leans towards information-seeking.
5. Use Google Trends
Google Trends is a valuable tool for identifying search intent and understanding trends over time. It can help you spot seasonal trends, regional interest, and shifts in consumer behavior. When using Google Trends, compare new keyword phrases with familiar ones to better understand their search volume and significance.
Key Takeaways for SEO Keyword Research
To wrap up, here are three key takeaways for effective keyword research:
Create a Topical Map: Develop a comprehensive map of your niche to build authority, expertise, and trustworthiness.
Satisfy User Intent: Focus on understanding and meeting the user intent behind keywords, rather than just matching keywords.
Integrate User Experience: Consider how your content can create a positive user experience. People link to content that solves problems or provides valuable information, not just because it matches a keyword.
By following these steps, you'll be better equipped to find and use keywords that enhance user experience and improve your online marketing strategy. Happy researching!
This information has been adapted from Search Engine Journal.