Tips For Choosing The Right SEO Keywords
As business owners, we often feel we have a solid idea of our client base and what clients are the most profitable for us to acquire. We as owners believe we know what clients select us based on our company’s values, service and quality. But understanding who is searching for your services and then using a suitable SEO strategy is key to growing your business.
When you attempt to break your target client base down, you may be surprised that the products or services you thought were secondary have become the primary cash flow generator for your business or the clients that stay with you long term aren’t who you thought. With the influx of work-from-home consumers and the evolution of optimization, it might be time to transform your SEO keywords strategy.
Once you’ve determined what clients are the most profitable for your company to obtain, determining what keywords to focus on doesn’t have to be complicated. Before you spend hours pondering which keywords to target, consider these four tips for selecting ones that are sure to benefit your company.
Understand The Different Type Of Keywords
Before delving into the specific keywords that suit your business’s goals, consider the different kinds of keywords. Generally speaking, keywords are divided into categories based on their length. This indicates their search volume and therefore their demand among potential customers. The categories include:
Short, Seed or Broad Keywords
These keywords are the most competitive and generally consist of only one or two words. They’re short, broad and tend to be the most popular. An example would be “haircuts.” There is no specification for what kind of haircuts the individual is searching for, and therefore it has high search traffic.
Mid-Tail Keywords
Mid-tail keywords are more descriptive, contain around three words and appear in more specific searches. Unlike short keywords, these are less competitive. Building off of the previous example, someone may search for “haircuts for men.”
Long-Tail Keywords
A long-tail keyword is one that is highly descriptive and is similar to a phrase in length. While these don’t appear as frequently in search results due to their specificity, they’re excellent at targeting the exact kinds of searches your ideal client would make. Someone seeking a more specific kind of haircut may search for “family-friendly hair salons near me.” A business may even create blog posts out of specific questions people ask. Such as: “What kinds of haircuts are trending?”
Choosing the right length of keyword makes all the difference. Each kind has its own benefits and drawbacks depending on your goals, so consider a variety of searches to target.
Find The Right Demographics
Google algorithms use keywords and locations to increase your website’s rankings in those searches. Your online presence should be a unified effort. So, if you target certain keywords on your website, it helps to include them elsewhere. Getting the most out of Google can be tricky, but there are a few steps to ensure your brand receives the attention it deserves.
Converting website visitors into clients is often a matter of choosing the right demographics. Your “pool” of clients may be very large or densely populated, but you’re searching for the specific client that will need your products. When choosing a location, spend time researching your target area. A real estate agent, for instance, might want to target locations with increasing population growth as those locations are of a higher interest to prospective buyers. Similarly, a pediatric dentist may choose to target towns with lots of neighborhoods, which indicates a large population of families. Let these demographics guide you as you select an effective target location.
Conduct Effective Keyword Research
Like other forms of marketing, good results are the product of good research. Accurate research lets you make informed marketing decisions, and your SEO tactics are no exception. Keyword research reveals what competitors are targeting, which keywords are most commonly used and other information.
Keyword research can be done manually through Google searches. After performing a search, take a look at the questions featured under the section titled “People Also Ask.” Here, Google provides questions searched by others that are similar to your original search. By optimizing your keywords and blog topics according to what others look for, you’ll choose content that improves your rankings in these searches.
If you need help identifying keywords, consider a tool like Moz Keyword Explorer, which helps you find keywords that would be beneficial to your targets. You can reveal new keywords and their search volume using this tool. No matter your methods, include low competition keywords, which are defined by Search Engine Journal as ones with a search volume of 1,000 or less. While it may be tempting to only target broad, popular keywords, you may miss out on connecting with the specific client base you seek.
Refresh Your Targets When Needed
How easy it would be to set up SEO efforts and just leave it to its own devices. Unfortunately, it’s not that straightforward. Keep in mind that SEO is ever-changing. From Google algorithm updates to changes in your services, you’ll need to revisit your targets periodically. As time passes, you may be ranking high enough in a certain location so that it’s no longer beneficial to target as frequently. This is an opportunity to expand your target areas geographically or add secondary keywords. You’ll need to revisit the data to determine what additional locations are most profitable and consider what kinds of clients you’ll draw from them.
Grow Your Business With A Deliberate SEO Strategy
Now that people are researching brands online more than ever, you’ll want to refine your strategy. The right SEO keywords can make a major difference in your search rankings and impact your bottom line. By making sure you use the right keywords, you’re setting your business up for success by appealing to your ideal client base while carefully navigating the ever-changing playing field of SEO. The BLÜ Group can help you and your business form and implement and effective SEO strategy which considers every component within search engine optimization. Contact us today and see how we can help you level up your SEO strategy.
Source: Forbes