What Are Keywords?
Keywords are the terms and expressions that users enter into search engines to discover information on a certain topic. They are sometimes referred to as "SEO keywords," "keyphrases," or "search queries." In the field of search engine optimization (SEO), keywords are added to webpage content in an effort to place the page at the top of Google's results for that particular keyword. Keep in mind, any term entered into a search engine, regardless of how many words or phrases there are, is regarded as a keyword. A keyword might be "desert," for instance. The saying "which plants flourish in the desert," however, is also true. The results page will alter drastically depending on how precise the term is.
The Purpose of Keywords in Search Engine Marketing
In many ways, both SEO and pay-per-click (PPC) marketing efforts are built around keywords. When it comes to SEO, having your goal keyword rank at the top of Google can attract a ton of high-quality, relevant visitors. Additionally, you can utilize PPC to position your site above the organic results if you have a marketing budget. Advertisers place bids in order to rank at the top of search results for particular keywords in Google Ads. Generally speaking, good options for a paid search campaign include terms that indicate someone is prepared to buy. Let's take the scenario where you work in marketing for a car dealership. In that situation, someone who is close to making a purchase would search for the phrase "Toyota for sale in San Diego." Indeed, there are certainly lots of adverts for that phrase. On the other hand, someone who is a little bit earlier in the purchasing cycle would type in a search term like "best midsize sedans." Therefore, it could be wiser to use it as a "SEO term" to optimize a blog content. In many respects, keywords are the building blocks of your website.
How To Find SEO Keywords
You'll struggle to rank in Google if you select too-competitive keywords. And you risk getting a lot of traffic that doesn't convert if you optimize your site for keywords that your consumers don't actually use. Because of this, you should definitely concentrate your SEO efforts on long-tail keywords if your website is relatively new. Long-tail keywords are those with a comparatively small volume of searches. But they often are extremely precise and specific. It's important to note that long-tail keywords typically convert significantly more frequently than ones with high search volume. Why? Long-tail keyword users have a very particular search in mind. They are therefore probably further advanced in the buying process and more likely to convert.
Keyword Qualities
What are some factors to consider while conducting keyword research (and specifically choosing which keywords to use)?
A keyword's main characteristics are as follows:
Search Volume
The amount of times a keyword is searched on Google each month. This statistic is crucial because it enables you to calculate the amount of potential visitors you might receive if your website ranks for the relevant phrase in Google. Investing in a term with a high search volume may help your website draw in more visitors. However, ranking for popular keywords is also typically more difficult. Therefore, whenever possible, newer websites should strive to optimize around long-tail, generally low-volume keywords. The cause? They are less difficult to rank for and less competitive.
Competition
No matter how many times a keyword is searched, it's crucial to consider its competitiveness. It's more likely that there are already a ton of websites competing for the top spot for a keyword the more popular it is.
Price (Cost-Per-Click)
In terms of marketing, each keyword has a cost, or "cost per click" (CPC), which indicates how much it costs a business to have a searcher click on their ad after typing in the keyword. It's critical to consider the CPCs of your target keywords when creating an advertising campaign in order to determine how much the campaign will cost. CPC is a consideration while selecting SEO keywords. Even though SEO traffic is "free," some keywords are worth more than others to rank for.
Word Count
The word count is the total number of words in a particular term. Consider the word count of "loans," which is one, compared to "which plants grow in the desert," which is six. The search volume and competitiveness of the query are frequently more significant factors when searching for keywords in a keyword research tool than the precise number of words in the term. Word count is still a useful tool for focusing your study, though. Why? It's straightforward: the search query is more precise the longer it is. Long search terms typically have low levels of competition. Additionally, the searcher is typically nearing the point of making a purchase.
Tips for Using Keywords
Following are a few best practices to have in mind when you focus your content optimization efforts on certain key phrases:
Don't overuse keywords
Use keywords naturally
Pay attention to long-tail keywords with moderate competition.
Learn where to effectively put your keywords.
Do you own a business and want to rank higher on Google? At Belden Digital, we’ve helped a variety of clients from every industry reach their marketing goals. Contact us today to get information on SEO services that will help your website rank higher in search engines.