Keyword research: What is it and why should you care?

image of a blue arrow saying keyword research

If you’re running a business and have an online presence, you must understand the basics of keyword research. When done correctly, keyword research can help you improve your website’s search engine rankings and generate more traffic and revenue. In this blog post, we will discuss keyword research and why keyword research is important for businesses of all sizes!

What is keyword research?

Keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing keywords that are relevant to your business. To do keyword research effectively, you’ll need to use various tools, including keyword research services, target keyword lists, and competitor analysis. Once you’ve identified relevant keywords, you’ll need to analyze them to determine which ones are most likely to generate traffic and revenue for your business. You can also conduct keyword research on your competitor’s websites to see what keywords may work for them and how much traffic they bring. We call this competitor analysis.

Why is keyword research important?

Keyword research is important because it helps businesses improve their website’s search engine rankings. When you rank higher in search results, you’re more likely to get clicks and conversions, leading to higher revenues. In addition, keyword research can help you understand what people are searching for when looking for products or services.

How to do keyword research for your website or blog

There are a few different ways to do keyword research. You can use keyword research services offered by SEO agencies or professionals like PagesThatConvert.com. Or you can do it yourself by using keyword analysis tools, target keyword lists,  competitor analysis, and content gap analysis tools. Once you’ve identified relevant keywords, you’ll need to analyze them to determine which ones will most likely generate traffic for your business.

image of woman's clothes

Relevance is key when conducting keyword research. You want to ensure that the keywords you’re targeting are relevant to your business, services or product pages, or blog post articles. If you’re selling women’s clothing, for example, you’ll want to target keywords like “women’s clothing,” “dresses,” “tops,” and “shoes.” In addition to relevance, you’ll also want to consider keyword difficulty. Keyword difficulty measures how difficult it would be to rank for a particular keyword. Therefore, you’ll want to target relevant keywords and have low keyword difficulty. This will give you the best chance of ranking in search results and generating more traffic and higher revenues for your business.

Once you’ve identified relevant, low-difficulty keywords, you’ll want to add them to your website or blog. You can do this by adding keyword-rich titles, descriptions, meta, headings, and sub-headings and creating keyword-focused content. However, if you’re not sure how to do this, we can help! Our SEO experts can optimize your website for the keywords most likely to generate traffic and revenue for your business. Contact us today to learn more about our services!

Tools and resources for doing keyword research

There are many tools and resources that you can use for keyword research. Here are a few of our favorites:

  • Google Keyword Planner: The Google AdWords Keyword Planner is a free tool that allows you to research keywords for your business. Enter a word or phrase, and the Keyword Planner will show you related keywords, estimated search volume, and competition level. The tool is designed to be used by businesses looking to make use of a Pay-per-click campaign and purchase Google AdWord credits. Still, it’s also a good tool for identifying trending keywords and their difficulties competing in the search rankings.
  • Moz Keyword Explorer: Moz’s Keyword Explorer is a paid tool that offers extensive keyword research capabilities. With Keyword Explorer, you can see detailed information about keywords, including estimated search volume, competition level, and SERP features.
  • ahrefs: ahrefs is another paid keyword research tool that offers a variety of features and data points. In addition to keyword research, ahrefs offers competitor analysis and backlink data. You can also add in website URLs to monitor the ongoing SEO fitness of your or your competitor’s websites.
  • SEMRush: SEMRush is a paid keyword research tool that offers a variety of features, including competitor analysis, keyword difficulty scores, and SERP features.

The paid-for SEO tools above tend to be very high priced, and ongoing subscriptions may not be affordable or justifiable by many businesses. There can also be quite a steep learning curve on how to use the tools or platforms. This is why many businesses turn to outsource their SEO campaigns to seasoned SEO professionals, like PagesThatConvert.com

Tips for using keywords in your content

Once you’ve identified relevant keywords for your business, you’ll want to use them in your website content. Here are a few tips for using keywords in your content:

Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions

Titles and meta descriptions are one of the first things people see when they find your content in search results.  They both show in search results and they are the first thing people see when they find your listing in search results.

So make sure to include relevant keywords in your titles and descriptions to let people know what your content is about to improve your click-through rates. You should also aim to entice people to want to click on the link to your website.

image showing html meta code

Use keyword-focused content

In addition to using keywords in your titles and descriptions, you’ll also want to use them throughout your content. This will help improve your search engine rankings and let people know what your content is about. Just be sure not to overdo it! Keyword stuffing is a sure-fire way to get penalized by Google.

Use keyword research tools

As we mentioned above, there are many tools and resources that you can use for keyword research. These tools will help you find the right keywords for your business and track your progress over time.

image showing lots of letter cubes with the word relevant spelled out in a row in the center

Keyword relevance

It’s important to remember that relevance is key when it comes to keyword research. Not all keywords are created equal, and you’ll want to ensure that you’re targeting keywords relevant to your business, products, or services. Always try to produce content that matches the search intent of the individual searching for those keywords. Keep it relevant!

Make a checklist

Once you’ve identified relevant keywords for your business, you’ll want to create a keyword research checklist to track your progress. This will help you keep track of which keywords you’ve used, and which ones you still need to target.

How to track your website’s SEO progress over time

Once you’ve implemented your keyword research strategy, you’ll want to track your progress over time. This can be done using many tools and resources, including Google Analytics, Google Search Console,  Moz’s Keyword Explorer, ahrefs, or SEMRush. These tools will help you track your website’s traffic, search engine rankings, and more. By tracking your progress over time, you’ll be able to see what’s working and what isn’t and make necessary changes to improve your website’s SEO.

  • Google Analytics: Google Analytics is a free tool that allows you to track your website’s traffic. Create an account, and add the tracking code to your website. Once you’ve done this, you’ll see detailed information about your website’s traffic, including where it’s coming from and what keywords people use to find your site.
  • Google Search Console: Google Search Console is a free tool that allows you to track your website’s search engine rankings. Sign up for an account, and add your website. Once you’ve done this, you’ll see how your site performs in search results and get insights into the keywords people use to find your site.
  • Moz Keyword Explorer: Moz’s Keyword Explorer is a paid tool that offers keyword data, including search volume and keyword difficulty. Sign up for an account, and enter your website’s URL. Once you’ve done this, you’ll see detailed information about the keywords you’re targeting and how well your site is performing for those keywords.
  • Ahrefs: Ahrefs is a paid tool that offers keyword data, including search volume and keyword difficulty. Sign up for an account, and enter your website’s URL. Once you’ve done this, you’ll see detailed information about the keywords you’re targeting and how well your site is performing for those keywords.

Final words

By following these tips, you can ensure that your website is properly optimized for search engines and that your content is relevant to your audience. A solid keyword research strategy is essential for any business that wants to succeed online. So what are you waiting for? Get started today!

Do you have any questions about keyword research? Let us know in the comments below! And be sure to check out our other blog posts for more great tips and advice. Thanks for reading!

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