Keyword research is one of the most under-appreciated (but also important) parts of SEO.
It is the foundation of your entire online visibility strategy and is what can make or break your website performance. Without proper keyword research, all the other techniques you employ are rendered useless.
But…
Keyword research is free to do, easy to execute, and can create an immediate impact for your website in search engine result pages.
Let’s get into it.
You Will Learn:
- The importance of keyword research for all businesses.
- The different types of keywords you must know.
- How SEO for different companies is important.
- How to build your own keyword strategy.
The Importance of Keyword Research for All Businesses
Keyword research is the process of finding and analysing the terms and phrases people use in search engines.
Done correctly, keyword research helps you rank better and attract more relevant traffic to your site. This is clear cut according to data from Backlinko, where more than 91% of all search queries are long-tail keywords, which highlights just how specific people have become when they search for something on the internet.
Why does that matter for your website and business?
If you understand specifically what your prospective customers are searching, you can better create content that will satisfy their search intent. Whether you need expert SEO for HVAC companies or something else, the starting point is always the same: knowing the keywords related to your website and industry inside out.
To help you understand this, think of a plumber searching for “plumbing services” and another plumber looking for “emergency pipe repair in downtown Chicago.”
Which one do you think has more competition, and will rank better? It’s obvious, right?
It’s not just about targeting the right keywords, but also about including specific keywords that also match user intent. The plumber with “emergency pipe repair in downtown Chicago” also has less competition and gets customers more ready to purchase or engage with their services.
That is the power of good keyword research.
The Different Types of Keywords You Must Know
Before we can build a good keyword strategy, we need to first cover the different types of keywords that exist. Knowing each type’s use will help us design and craft a plan.
Short-tail keywords are one to two words that are usually very broad in scope, such as “running shoes” or “SEO services.” The search volume is very high, but the competition for these is extremely high as well.
Long-tail keywords, on the other hand, are longer and more specific, often phrased as complete questions. Their search volume is usually much lower, but their conversion rate is higher. As per research from Smart Insights, they have a 36% higher conversion rate than generic searches.
What is the reason for this?
The answer is that people searching for long-tail keywords are already aware of what they want. They are deeper in the sales funnel and are already thinking of purchasing.
Transactional keywords also show that a searcher is in a buying mood. Words like “buy,” “discount,” or “near me” indicate a person is ready to make a purchase.
Informational keywords are the ones that imply that the user is in research mode. People who search for the answer to a question such as “how to fix a leaky faucet” are not in a buying mode. They are there to consume information.
Knowing the different types of keywords is crucial for SEO for different companies in different industries.
How SEO for Different Companies Changes the Game
Here is something that people usually don’t realise:
SEO for different companies varies from industry to industry.
A local attorney’s strategy will look nothing like that of a dropshipping store. This is simply because the industries are very different.
For local service-based businesses, including geographic modifiers to the end of your keywords is very important to capture the local customers who are actually searching for your services.
For product-based e-commerce companies, you need to include product-specific keywords as well as comparison keywords. Phrases such as “best wireless headphones under $100” are likely to drive more sales as buyers are usually doing their last-minute research before making a purchase decision.
Business-to-business companies (B2B) benefit greatly by targeting industry-specific jargon and solutions. Business decision-makers are in a completely different headspace as opposed to ordinary buyers.
The key in all of these cases is to match your strategy to your specific type of business and your target audience. One-size-fits-all doesn’t work here.
Building Your Own Keyword Strategy Step-by-Step
If you are ready to build a keyword strategy that will bring you results, here is a methodical way to create a process that can work.
Start With Seed Keywords
The starting point for your strategy should be coming up with the main ideas and topics associated with your business. If you sell fitness equipment, your seed keywords may include “home gym”, “dumbbells” and “exercise machines.”
From there, you will branch out into hundreds of related terms.
Use The Right Tools
Several powerful tools can help you unearth keyword possibilities.
- Google Keyword Planner – Free access to keyword search volume data
- Ahrefs – In-depth competitor analysis and keyword research
- SEMRush – Comprehensive SEO suite with keyword tracking
- Google Search Console – To see what terms currently drive traffic to your site
Don’t worry if you don’t have a budget to spend. Even free tools provide more than enough data to get you started.
Analysing Search Intent
Not all keywords are created equal. Before you target a keyword, always consider what the searcher is actually looking for.
Someone searching “what is keyword research” is looking for information. Someone searching “keyword research tool pricing” is in a buying mood. The type of content you publish needs to meet their intent specifically.
Google has also become very smart at matching search intent. Pages that do not satisfy what a searcher wants simply won’t rank well no matter how good your other on-page optimisation is.
Study Your Competitors
One of the fastest ways to find the right keywords? Look at what works for your competitors.
Run their URLs through a backlink analysis tool, and you will discover precisely which terms are sending them organic traffic. Use those insights for your own strategy.
Why create your own when you can leverage an already-existing proven blueprint?
Prioritise and Implement
After you have identified your keywords, prioritise based on their search volume, competition, and relevance for your business. Target the terms where you have the best chance of ranking and will still attract valuable traffic.
Create dedicated pages or content pieces around your most important keywords. Optimise each page properly with the target term in your title tag, headers, URL, and naturally sprinkled throughout the content.
The Long-Term Value of Keyword Research
Keyword research is not a one-time activity. It is an ongoing process that should guide you in your content creation efforts month after month.
Search trends shift constantly. New competitors enter the market. Google updates its algorithms. By keeping on top of the performance of your keywords, you can adapt and keep yourself visible.
Businesses that understand the importance of keyword research as a foundational practice and not as a one-time checklist item will always outperform the rest.
Wrapping Things Up
Comprehensive keyword research is the cornerstone of any successful SEO and online visibility strategy. It helps you understand what your audience searches for, what words and phrases they use when doing so, and the type of content they want to see to satisfy their needs.
By focusing on the right combination of short-tail and long-tail keywords, by matching search intent, and by continuously improving your keyword strategy, you can significantly improve your online visibility.
To quickly recap:
- Begin with seed keywords relating to your business.
- Use keyword research tools to help expand your list.
- Analysing search intent for every keyword is important.
- Study your competitors and what they are doing well.
- Prioritise and then implement keywords in an organised fashion.
The same approach that will work for every industry and every type of business out there. The basics of proper keyword research haven’t changed, even as search engines themselves have become more advanced.
Time to get out there and research your keywords now.
