Keyword research is the process of searching for popular words which have been looked up quite often by people on search engines like Google. These popular keywords can then be strategically incorporated into your content so that it ranks higher in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). In Search Engine Optimization (SEO), keyword research is a crucial step.
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Importance of Keyword Research:
The keyword research process entails selecting a content topic that is focused on a set of targeted keywords for which you want your content to get a good rank. When it comes to ranking content, search engines now give preference to well-written content that is aligned with the search intent. The frequency with which you use a keyword in your content (keyword density) is no longer the most important factor in Search Engine Optimization. Keyword research strategies have evolved in response to ever-changing search engine algorithms, and they continue to do so.
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Keyword research is usually done at the start of a campaign and can serve as a basis for future campaigns, projects, or content. Keyword research may be used to assist you to come up with ideas for a new piece of content you’re creating, decide how to label your product features, or optimize your website after it’s been published.
Identifying your buyer’s personas and journey of purchasing is a smart business move that can help you pick appropriate keywords for your content. The buyer’s journey affects several divisions inside your company, not simply marketing. If you can determine where a prospect or potential client is in the buyer’s journey, your sales team will have an easier time selecting how to approach them. Finding out what their demography, intent, and goals are, may offer several distinct keyword ranges for your purpose since each person has their own unique journey. This is why creating a content map is critical. Your buyer personas and buyer’s journey stages are plotted on a map, and your content map will show you which personas or buyer’s journey stages require further content.
Process of Keyword Research in SEO:
After you’ve established your personas, you’ll need to make a strategy for the keywords you presently rank for as well as the ones you wish to rank for. The PIE method is a simple structure to follow. The acronym PIE stands for Protect, Improve, and Expand in this case.
The Protect part is for keywords that you’ve already ranked and want to keep. Brand names and keywords that are closely related to your product or service are quick examples of these. Conversions with these keywords are highly valued because they are typically late-stage.
The Improve part focuses on opportunity keywords that appear in the second to tenth pages of Google search results. These are excellent “low hanging fruit” keywords that can be improved in authority by making minor changes to the pages.
Finally, Expand is for opportunity terms that perform well due to PPC but have no organic visibility. These are keywords which do not appear in Google’s top ten results. They also include new campaign keywords to add to your toolkit.
By categorizing them in this way, you can prioritize your time based on the gaps that this analysis reveals. You can then start brainstorming keywords.
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What are the Best Practices for Keyword Research?
Here are some other ways Google gives us clues, in addition to learning how to do research with Google Keyword Planner.
- The search box itself comes in handy. This gives you hints as to what keywords people are looking for that are closely related to your search. They’re also short-lived, as Google adds them based on recent trends and search volumes. These keywords are expanded upon in the “Searches Related to...” section. By clicking on them, you can even get more related keywords, allowing you to create a keyword matrix.
- Wikipedia has a wealth of information on a variety of subjects. Its moderators do an excellent job of keeping the posts fresh and relevant by adding new content and links. The table of contents on the side provides useful information on the various categories that have been covered in depth with keywords that are closely related to the subject matter. By clicking through these, you can find new topics to track with your keywords.
- Google Keyword Planner has a fantastic feature that allows you to submit a landing page and get a list of keywords that are relevant to it. If you have a specific topic in mind, you can look up the top competitors for that term and see what supplementary keywords they have used to map their page.
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When creating a keyword matrix, keep the following points in mind:-
- You want to find the sweet spot with keyword competition and search volume now that you have a great keyword matrix. If the keyword is too broad, it will be diluted. Many websites have been penalized by Google Panda for using low-volume keywords and creating hundreds of pages. Building ten well-optimized pages rather than 100 low-quality pages are always preferred.
- Avoid using single-word terms that are too broad. Consider the last time you used Google to search for something with a single-word term. Did you get the outcome you were hoping for? Single-word terms are often too broad and competitive, and even if you rank, your traffic will not convert.
- Long-tail keywords should be avoided. The more specific niche you are attempting to reach, the longer your keyword is. More than four keywords can help you specialize your content, but their popularity will steadily decline, resulting in lower search volume.
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