Today we continue on our topic about how to write SEO-friendly content and are going to make the keyword research. We have already moved to the most important step of our SEO strategy.
You may ask:”What is keyword research?”. This complex but interesting step can help us to learn more about our visitors, understand their needs, and give them what they are searching for.
How it looks in action
The keyword research or keyword planning is the process of finding the best and most used keywords for writing your content. As we already know, the search engines rank the websites according to their relevancy and quality. When the user enters some words into the Google search field (we call them “keywords”), Google bots scan the website and choose those that contain these words. So the user gets the relevant content he is looking for.
Google ranks the websites depending on their relevancy. So the more exact your keyword is, the more chances to get the higher position in Google search results.
What Kind of Keywords We Can Use
There are 3 types of keywords: generic, broad match, and long-tail keywords. We should use all types to build successful SEO strategy.
Generic Keywords
They are the short words and phrases the users enter into Google search field. They contain the general information that could be relevant for the most web pages, related to this area.
For example, you develop the websites. Here are some best keywords of this type: website development, web development, develop a website. They could be related to the web development company, blog about web development, and web development courses. These keywords start your keyword research, but they can’t make your content high-relevant. We need to add more information.
Broad Match Keywords
This type of keywords builds the base of your SEO strategy. They help us to create high-relevant content and concretize the topic of our website. Using them, we can attract exactly our targeted audience.
For example, you are a web development company. Web development company, web development services keywords tell your potential customers that you develop the websites (not write the articles). Such way you narrow the search area and involve the targeted audience.
Long-Tail Keywords
This funny name can tell us much information. As you understand, they are some long phrases that also narrow the user’s search area. Ask yourself, how many times you typed something like: “How to write SEO-friendly content”, or “How to be a good public speaker”. Be aware that you typed long-tail keywords. They are interesting, and you can find them using different SEO tools.
We already know enough. Let’s learn how to find keywords.
How to Make Keyword Research
Picking SEO Keywords: Think Logically
First of all, look at your content and think what it is about. Then create a list of generic keywords, you think the visitors can use when looking for your content. Write so many variants of words and word combinations, as possible. Try to step into user’s shoes and follow his logics.
For example, if your article is about SEO, you can write down such words, as SEO, search engine optimization, keywords choice, etc.
Picking SEO Keywords: Broaden Your List
Now we are on the step of choosing the more relevant broad match and long tail keywords. Try several ways:
Think about your targeted audience
Let’s imagine that you sell fresh vegetables and deliver them to the USA. So you can’t sell products in Europe, but you are interested in the USA. So, you can make your keywords relevant for the USA users. How? – It’s very simple, just add the USA, to the fresh vegetable delivery keyword , like vegetable delivery in the USA, or vegetable delivery USA. You can also use this method for the other criteria.
Use Google search tips
Here are several tricks that can help you to know some other most used keywords:
- Google search field autocomplete. Look carefully: when we try to find something in Google, we type the first word or even a part of a word, and Google suggests us the popular search requests. It’s a jackpot. Add these requests to your keyword list.
- Searches related to… So, you’ve typed your keyword into Google search field and pressed Enter. You can see the search results. Now let’s look at the last row of the page. You’ll see something like Searches related to …and several blue-colored word combinations below. Take those of them which are relevant to your content and place into your keyword list.
- Competitor analysis. When you get the search results for your keyword, don’t be lazy to open the websites of 5 Top results and read their texts. You may be surprised, but you’ll find many similar word combinations there. Don’t forget to write them out.
- Google Trends. It is a useful Google tool, which helps everybody not only learn the most popular world topics but also understand the users interests. Go to Google Trends web page and choose Trending Searches in the drop-down menu. You’ll see the hottest topics. Type your keyword into the search field. Then you’ll get a list of the most popular related keywords and learn geolocation of the most interested users. It’s valuable information, isn’t it?:)
Picking SEO Keywords: Welcome to Google Adwords
We have almost know how to find keywords, but the most interesting things are saved for last. Logical thinking is a great skill, but Google has already done some work for us. It has a useful tool for picking the keywords and creating the context advertisement. Its name is Google Adwords. We’ll need a part of this service – Keyword Planner.First of all, you should create an account in Google Adwords. Then choose Google Keyword Planner in Tools menu. It’s something like this:
For choosing the best keywords to use, we should press the green-colored paragraph and begin the search, following our content strategy. So, you have the almost ready keyword list. Now it’s time to check it and choose the most relevant and best keywords. Select the way of finding keywords and follow Google guides. You’ll be asked to enter your list. Do it, separating your keywords with commas.
So, you’ll get the most popular search request. Choose those, which are most suitable to your content. Here is how it looks:
As you can see, there is a list of keywords: white shoes, black shoes, red shoes, and others. The Keyword Planner shows us the search requests analytics. A good advice is to use keywords with a high number of average monthly searches, medium level of competition, and, if you are not going to create the advertisement and want to use the keywords for organic search marketing, choose the variants with high suggested bid.
Add the chosen keywords to your plan and try to include them into your content up to 7%. The main thing is to use the keywords naturally and surround them by related information.
So, you have already got acquainted with the most important things of picking SEO keywords. While practicing them, you’ll discover much more interesting ways and tools. But don’t forget the main goal of the content writing – bringing usefulness. Build your marketing strategy on this principle. Next time we are going to make friends with Google.
Wish you fresh ideas and the powerful keyword list!