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Nowadays, keywords are the magic ingredients that help you get found online. A keyword list is not just a vital piece of search engine optimization (SEO), it has big importance in the eyes of digital marketers and PPC experts. Smart advertisers use it to identify the right keywords or phrases which potential customers are looking for, and create relevant content around such keywords.
Although digital marketing has evolved over the years, the keyword remains a vital piece of the puzzle. And it’s one of the things that come into play when it’s time to rank websites on search platforms. If you’re an aspiring digital marketing specialist, you’ve got to learn how to find keywords for SEO. It’s one of the skills that comes in handy in the industry.
In this guide, you’ll discover the nitty-gritty of how to find keywords for SEO, and also learn how to do some keyword research using the Google search platform.
Keyword research involves finding the right phrases people use while searching for information online. Typically, potential customers use these phrases (or keywords) while making search queries on search engine platforms like Google. Aside from discovering these phrases, keyword research shows how often these phrases (or keywords) are used.
With keyword research, marketers get to uncover new and relevant keywords. And these keywords are used to widen their organic and paid search marketing campaigns.
Performing keyword research is quite simple. You can opt for Google or use alternative tools like the PPCexpo Keyword Planner tool. The primary objective is to find the right search term that aligns with your product or service offering. Furthermore, these search terms should have a sizable search volume. Aside from the search volume, you’ve got to consider other metrics like competition level, cost-per-click (CPC), and your website’s authority.
Here are some reasons why keyword research is important for SEO.
Different keywords represent different interest and intent levels. There are keywords that are used by people who are merely surfing around the internet, while people who are closer to making a purchase use other keyword types. As a rule of thumb, you’ve got to focus on keywords that target people who are close to making a buying decision. The goal is to convert them and make sales.
Here are some things to keep in mind when considering keyword terms.
These keyword categories target people who are already familiar with your brand. Although these keywords don’t generate massive search volume, you can easily convert the people who use brand terms. After all, they are quite familiar with your product or service offering.
These keywords show what your product does. And the volume of these keywords is largely dependent on how diverse your product is. People who use product terms are further down the line in the buyer’s cycle. And the cost per action (CPA) is somewhat higher than brand terms.
These are terms (or phrases) your competitors are targeting. Finding a good cost per click (CPC) on competitor terms is almost impossible. However, if competitor terms interest you, you can take it up and try targeting these terms.
These are phrases people use in place of your brand terms. Just like competitor terms, the pay-per-click (PPC) for competitor terms is somewhat expensive. But they are worth considering for business persons who have enough volume for these terms.
These are terms that go with your product. They could be another’s brand terms — and there are chances of winning good conversions with these terms.
These terms cover everything your target audience may be searching for. The impression volume is usually high, and it’s worth trying.
Here are the core elements of keyword research.
Google prioritizes relevance when it comes to search ranking. And that’s why you must understand the user’s intent before publishing any piece of content online. To rank high on search engines, your content has to meet the needs of the user. If not, you won’t rank well on search engine result pages (SERPs).
Authority websites always rank high on search engines. Becoming a leader in your industry involves publishing and sharing valuable information on your website. This way, you’d gain more backlinks and social signals.
However, if you’re not perceived as an authority site, or you’re competing with authority websites in your industry, you’d have a hard time ranking high on search engines.
There is no use in ranking high for a keyword no one is searching for. It’s anonymous with setting up a shop in a ghost town. To get the most out of your keywords, you need to take a close look at the monthly search volume (MSV). The MSV shows the number of times keywords are searched for within the month.
Here are some things that show the need to start a comprehensive keyword research process.
As a general rule of thumb, you should have a regular schedule for the keyword research process. And if you’re considering starting the process, here are some things to keep in mind.
You need to take a close look at your current list of keywords and analyze how they have been performing. During the analysis process, keep a close eye on the search volume and ranking history of the keywords.
Google Search Console helps you to identify the keywords your website is already ranking for. Establish a baseline for your keyword performance, and eliminate keywords that are not high performing. There are cases you’d see keywords that are performing poorly but with a sizable impression and search volume. Keep these categories of keywords aside, and possibly develop them.
Before moving ahead with your keyword research, you need to establish your goals. Good-performing keywords that do not align with your business goals are not worth the effort. Speaking of business goals, here are some questions to help you figure it out.
Answers to these questions help you formulate your business goals.
It’s an internal research process where you get to list the keywords your target audience is probably using when searching for your brand online. You have to factor in the keywords they use at different stages of the buyer journey.
Google is one of the best keyword research platforms. You can start by typing your keyword into the search box, and taking the keyword research further by using the Google keyword planner.
To use the Google keyword planner, you’ve got to navigate to the “Tools” bar on your dashboard. Here’s a brief overview on how to start the research process.
Take a close look at the keywords your competitors are bidding and ranking for to get some keyword ideas. Most times, these keywords are proven and will likely rank high on search engine platforms.
Google Analytics is a tool to help you perform a comprehensive keyword research process. By merely navigating to the “Traffic Sources”, you get to figure out the keywords people are looking for when searching for your website. A good grasp of the keywords used to find your business will help you publish more valuable content that’s sure to generate more traffic for your business.
Using professional third-party tools will help you save time, provide valuable data that may not be found elsewhere, and also offer a competitive edge in the marketplace.
At this stage, you have to compare the opportunities with the cost of investing in it. For instance, a keyword with high traffic potential is not worth the investment, especially if you consider the time it’d take to rank such keywords on search engines. Also, if the estimated conversion rate is low, then development content around such keywords is not worth the time and effort.
Whether you desire to drive organic or paid traffic, the right keywords will help you get found in the marketplace. Speaking of the right keywords, you’d need tools like PPCexpo Keyword Planner to identify the keywords that are good for your business.
Aside from the list of keywords you get from using the tool, you’d get additional information like estimated CPC and search volume.
Let’s say you want to perform some SEO research for the “Winter Clothes” keyword. All you have to do is use the PPCexpo Keyword Planner to identify various metrics for your keyword. These metrics include:
The keyword search volume shows the number or volume of searches a given keyword generates. If you’d be depending on traffic from search engines, then you’ve got to pay close attention to the search volume.
Here is what a typical search volume looks like.
One of the most important things to consider is the amount you’d spend any time your ad is clicked on search engines. You have to focus on keywords with low CPC.
Filters help you narrow down your keyword research process. Focus on keywords that have the specific words or phrases you’re looking for. You also get to eliminate the keywords that do not align with what you’re looking for.
The PPCexpo keyword planner comes with a visualization that uses compelling visuals to showcase your keywords. To use the visualization feature, you’ve got to navigate to the chart section and select your most preferred visual. For instance, if you choose the Bar chart option, your keyword will be represented using a Bar chart.
Search engines like Google have in-built data that show locations across the globe. If you’re targeting global keywords, you’d have to look through the global search volume of the keywords. This way, you’d gain a rough estimate of the capacity of the keywords.
You can see the global search volume from the PPCexpo Keyword Planner by navigating to the location setting, and clicking on the “All” icon.
Long tail keywords are usually longer and more specific than the regular keywords. The search volume of these keyword types are typically low, but they have higher conversion rate. Since few websites create content around long tail keywords, you can easily rank high for these keywords by creating content around it.
The more specific and longer your search term (or phrases) are, the more easy you can rank for them. And when it comes to the search volume, there are millions of people across the globe that will search for the long tail keywords you’re targeting. And if you create good content around these keywords, attracting and converting your target audience won’t be an issue.
The PPCexpo Keyword Planner displays both short-tail and long-tail keywords.
There is an option of downloading your keyword report. To do that, you need to click on the Export icon.
PPCexpo Keyword Planner is a great alternative to the Google Keyword Planner, and you’d get information like search volume, keyword suggestions, and similar keywords.
Here are other keyword data you’d get from the tool.
If you’re into SEO, you should target long-tail keywords. These keywords have lower keyword difficulty compared to other keyword types. For clarity, long-tail keywords are typically over four words.
Google Trends will help you identify niche keywords that are suitable to your business. Since Google Trend has been around for some time, the tool comes with massive data volume, and you’re sure of results from large resources sources.
There are various keyword research tools out there on the market. But you’re sure of gaining the best value via Google keyword planner and the PPCexpo Keyword Planner.
Just perform some search queries using the Google search box. Navigate to the related search section that is found on the drop-down list, and manually select your most preferred long tail keyword.
Keyword research is an underrated part of a marketing strategy. A comprehensive keyword research process will help you identify the right phrases to target. That will, in turn, help you create more valuable content that converts your visitors.
Furthermore, a good keyword research process offers insight on how to create compelling ads, websites, and landing pages that drive customers into taking action. You can start by either using free or paid tools to look for high intent keywords that have a sizable search volume.
When it comes to keyword research tools, you should consider the PPCexpo Keyword Planner. You can start by using the free service before upgrading to the paid service.
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