Keyword research is one of those terms that gets thrown a lot around digital marketing circles, but the truth is that a lot of people talking about it don’t have as much experience or skill in the area as they think. There are quite a few areas where keyword research is useful, so we thought it would be beneficial to breakdown the best way to handle keyword research.
Why is Keyword Research Important?
Keyword research matters because it reveals what your audience is looking for online search engines like Google. This can lead to you being able to better understand your the market that you operate in, as well as a range of other areas such as:
Understanding Your Audience:
By completing keyword research you can develop an understanding of what your target audience is searching for online. This can help you prioritise what product sor services to focus on, tell you how to create content for your site that your audience will be interested in, as well as lead you to be able to better market your business to your audience.
SEO Optimisation:
At the heart of Search Engine Optimisation are keywords. By performing keyword research you can find the key terms that your audience are searching for and then you can begin the process of increasing your rankings in Google via SEO. With a full understanding of the key terms your users are searching you can create content that will rank in google and generate traffic to your site that will convert into sales.
Competitive Analysis:
By competing effective keyword research you can discover what your competitors are focused on and identify gaps in their strategies. If they’re ignoring certain terms for products or services you offer it makes sense to target those keywords in some form as there will be less competition.
PPC Advertising:
Keyword research is also the backbone of for pay-per-click (PPC) advertising such as Google Ads. Similarly to SEO optimisation, PPC makes use of getting your business in front of people who are actively searching for your products and services. Like SEO, understanding the key terms that people are searching for is essential, but with PPC it’s even more important as the fact you are paying for every click you get means you’re potentially wasting your budget if the keyword research isn’t up to scratch.
How to Conduct Keyword Research:
Step1 : Identify your business objectives
Before you start your keyword research, you need to identify your business goals. What do you want to achieve through your digital marketing efforts? What are the products or services that you offer? Understanding these objectives will help you identify the most relevant keywords for your business. If you don’t then you may end up wasting your time and money on keywords that don’t deliver on your objectives.
Step 2: Brainstorm keywords:
Once you have identified your business objectives, you can begin brainstorming potential keywords. Think about the phrases your target audience would use to search for your business or products as starting point, and then use that as a springboard for further deep dives into similar or related key terms using tools like AHREFs, Moz or SEM Rush, as well as Googles own Keyword planner.
Step 3: Analyse keyword intent:
Once you have a list of potential keywords, you need to analyse their intent. What would a searcher using these key terms expect to find on the website if they clicked through? How does your website and the web pages you’re associating with the key terms meet those expectations? If it doesn’t, then you need to work on your on-site content to meet the intent behind the key terms.
Step 4: Analyse keyword competition:
Once you have identified your keywords, you need to analyse their competition. Identify the top-ranking websites for each keyword and analyse their content and strategies. This will help you understand what it takes to rank for these keywords and what gaps you can exploit.
Once this has been done you’ll be in a good position to start utilising your keyword research across a number of different digital marketing channels. If you find this to be too difficult or confusing to get right the make sure you talk to a specialist Premier Google PArtner who will be able to assist you in getting your keyword research just right!