Keyword research is fundamental to developing an efficient search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy. It involves understanding what users type into search engines when looking for information about a product, service or business and should increase your visibility in search engine results.
What is keyword research for SEO?
Keyword research provides insight into the specific words and phrases users type into search engines when looking for products, services or information related to your business.
Let's imagine you use particular phrases to describe your offering, but your audience uses completely different terms. It could suggest that you haven't optimised your website correctly, and you're less likely to rank organically in search engines.
Keyword research tools can help you find valuable and relevant search terms to focus on in your content. They can also show you how hard it’ll be to rank in search for certain terms due to the level of competition from other websites.
9 tips on how to find the right keywords for SEO:
- Identify what topics are relevant to your business
- Come up with topics related to your industry, offering or brand message.
- Create a list of keyword ideas for each topic
- Build a list (sometimes known as a “seed list”) of potential keywords.
- Think about search intent:
- What’s the purpose behind a user's search query? Are they searching for a specific website or brand, an answer to a question or for something to buy? Assign your keywords with their intents in mind.
- Check out your competitors
- Reviewing the keywords your competitors are targeting can provide valuable insights and help you identify more potential keyword opportunities for your business.
- Use keyword research tools
- Keyword research tools can provide keyword ideas, related terms, keyword difficulty and search volumes.
- Visit Google
- Head to Google and conduct searches related to your topics. It’ll show you what types of content are already ranking for those keywords and what kind of search results are being displayed. The "Related Searches" at the bottom of Google lists other searches connected to your original search query and can be useful for your keyword strategy.
- Prioritise your list
- After gathering a substantial list of keywords, you can prioritise them based on search volume, competition level, relevance to your business and search intent.
There are some ways you can refine your list. First, look for quick wins. In other words, can you rank for that keyword easily? Or is it fairly out of your remit?
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Include both short and long-tail keywords
Short-tail keywords are more generic and often have higher search volumes, while long-tail keywords are more specific and tend to have lower search volumes but can be more targeted—both in terms of users and search intent.
It can be useful to include a mix of both to help you reach a broad audience while targeting more specific user queries.
Examples of short-tail keywords:
- Running shoes
- Hiking trails
- Skincare products
Examples of long-tail keywords:
- What running shoes are best for wide feet
- The best hiking trails in Scotland
- Affordable vegan skincare products for sensitive skin
While long-tail keywords typically have lower search volumes, they’re still valuable to target because they often indicate high user intent.
- Analyse your results
- Once you've included keywords in your content, make sure to analyse the results. You can track keyword rankings, monitor website traffic and conversions, and make necessary revisions or improvements.
Keyword research made easy
Remember, keyword research is an ongoing process, and you should regularly analyse your efforts and refine content based on your goals and the evolving search landscape.
