Keyword Research That’ll Knock Out Your Competition
June 26, 2019
As a digital marketer, you probably hear the word “keyword” over and over again. So what are they and why should you care? Keywords are necessary when it comes to the findability of your website. That is, they help searchers locate your site based on the words that they type into a search engine. Choosing the right keywords can even mean someone finds you over your competitor. That’s why researching proper keywords should be part of your overall marketing plan. But which ones to choose? If your first thought is to go with something mainstream like, “real estate in Ohio” or “home builder in North Carolina,” STOP!
Incorporating popular keywords may seem like the way to go, but it actually isn’t. Using the same keywords as everyone else will simply make your content get lost in a sea of many search returns. In order to find the optimal keywords for your content, and knock out your competition, consider the following steps.
- Consider your audience and start creating a list
Think about how your target audience would search for your website or your topic. List those potential search terms. For example, if your website is about new home construction in Florida, your first search term might simply be, “new home construction in Florida.” As you continue with your list, however, you should see it start to narrow. For example, consider specific cities or counties where you build. Consider the style of the home being built. Then, pull it together. “new craftsman style home construction in Clearwater Florida” is much more targeted than the initial search term!
- Try searching for the terms on your list
Typing the terms from your list into a search engine will give you a lot of information. But try doing this with an incognito window so your computer doesn’t rely on your past browser history. You will see what pops up, and how many results your searches bring back. Search engines will also often give you a list of similar search terms, some of which are probably being used by your competitors. Check those out as well. This will also help you see how your competition is using their keywords and may give you more ideas for your own.
- Use a keyword discovery tool to find low competition keywords
A keyword discovery tool such as Google AdWords Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest can help refine your keywords. Enter some of your initial ideas into one of these tools to see how they rank as well as to see different variations of your terms. This will help you determine which terms bring back too large of a volume of results, and which terms bring back a smaller number of results. Remember—while more results may seem like the better result, you really want to pinpoint your audience with keywords because you’ll get more clicks this way. Don’t be wooed by big numbers!
- Consider what’s already working
Take a look at what search terms your audience is using to reach your site right now. Running those terms through a search engine will help you see how they currently rank and if they should be narrowed down.
I hope this helps! Remember: if you don’t rank on page 1 or page 2 of Google, our proven search engine optimization (SEO) services can help! Contact Meredith Communications to learn more about our offerings.
Categorised in: Digital Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
