Keyword research is the process of finding and analysing the right keywords to target the audience who are searching for those keywords or phrases, and it’s related to your product and services. It’s a crucial part of any digital marketing strategy, as the right keywords can help you attract more traffic, convert more leads, and boost your bottom line.
Introduction
But with so many ways to do keyword research, it can be difficult to know where to start. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to keyword research for online businesses. We’ll show you how to find the right keywords for your business, how to use a keyword research tool, and how to utilise keyword data to improve your digital marketing strategy. Are you ready to get started?
Table of Contents
What is Keyword Research?
The process of keyword research is the process of researching popular search phrases that individuals enter into search engines like Google. Including them strategically in your content to ensure that they appear higher on a search engine results page (SERP). Keyword research is an essential component of SEO.
Choosing a topic for your content that is focused on a set of targeted keywords that you want your material to rank for. This is your guide on how you will approach your keyword research for SEO.
Why is SEO Keyword Research Important?
Keyword research is essential for any company looking to reach its target audience. How can people find you if you don’t know what they’re searching for?
Keyword research is important because it helps you understand what people are actually searching for online—on the web, even on social media. This understanding can then be used to create content that is more likely to rank well on SERPs and attract organic traffic. Additionally, keyword research can also help you understand the competition and get keyword ideas from your competitors for certain terms and phrases, which can help you create a more robust SEO strategy.
Keyword research is important because it can help you understand the following:
Understanding all of these factors can help you make informed decisions about the content you create and the SEO strategy you implement.
When you understand what people are searching for, and the keyword phrases that they use, you can create content that is more likely to rank well on SERPs and attract organic traffic. Additionally, keyword research can help you understand the competition for certain terms and phrases, which can inform your SEO strategy.
Methods Used in Keyword Research
There are many methods you can use to conduct keyword research. Some common methods include using Google AdWords Keyword Planner, Google Trends etc.
Google AdWords Keyword Planner is a tool that allows you to enter a word or phrase and see how often it has been searched for on Google. You can also use this tool to get ideas for other keywords that you might want to target when writing a blog post, articles, and other content materials.
Google Trends is a tool that allows you to see how the popularity of a certain keyword has changed over time. This can be helpful in understanding whether a certain keyword is worth targeting. With the search results, you derive from this tool, you can create a list of keywords that you can use for your marketing campaigns.
Word-of-mouth is another great way to conduct keyword research. Talk to your friends, family, and co-workers to see what words and search terms they use when they’re searching for something on Google and other search engines. This can give you some great ideas for the keyword research process.
What are Keywords?
Keywords are the words and phrases that people type into a search engine to find information online. When you do keyword research, you identify which keywords are most relevant to your business and target them in your content and online marketing efforts.
Keyword research is important because they help you to understand what people are searching for on the internet. When you know what people are looking for, you can create content and products that appeal to them. Additionally, using the right keywords can help your website or product show up on search engine results pages (SERPs), which can help you attract more traffic to your site. You can also use these keywords on your paid search campaigns.
What is Keyword Intent?
The four main types of keyword intent are navigational, informational, commercial, and transactional. It represents the purpose of the search. Ideally, it would be best to include a mix of these types of keywords on your keyword list.
Navigational Keywords
Navigational keywords reflect a user’s desire to go to a specific page that they are already almost certainly aware of, but for one reason or another don’t enter the web address directly.
Brand names, product names, service names, addresses, and words like near me, directions to, prices, and cost are examples of navigational keywords.
Informational Keywords
When an internet user is seeking more information about a topic, he or she may utilise the keywords and searches that are used to provide better insights into why those things happen. The searcher’s goal is to learn and discover knowledge about the subject they are searching for, whether it is a product, service, guide, or anything else.
Commercial Keywords
Commercial keywords are keywords that relate to products or services for sale. For example, if you sell colouring books, some commercial keywords you might use include “by colouring books” or “colouring books for sale.” Using commercial keywords can help your website show up on search engine results pages (SERPs) when people are searching for products or services like yours.
Transactional Keywords
The term “transaction” refers to keywords that imply a searcher’s desire to buy something or act on a website right away.
Transactional keywords are keywords that relate to completing a purchase or transaction. For example, if you sell colouring books, some transactional keywords you might use include “buy kids colouring books” or “colouring books sale.”
When an internet user is seeking more information about a topic, he or she may utilise the keywords and searches that are used to provide better insights into why those things happen. The searcher’s goal is to learn and discover knowledge about the subject they are searching for, whether it is a product, service, guide, or anything else.
How to Conduct Keyword Research
There are several methods you can use to conduct keyword research. Some common methods include using Google AdWords Keyword Planner, Google Trends, and word-of-mouth.
Google AdWords Keyword Planner
Google AdWords Keyword Planner is a tool that allows you to enter a word or phrase and see how often it has been searched for on Google. You can also use this tool to get ideas for other keywords that you might want to target.
To use Google AdWords Keyword Planner, go to https://adwords.google.com/ and sign in with your Google account. Once you’re signed in, click on “Tools” and then “Keyword Planner.”
Enter a word or phrase into the “Your product or service” field and click “Get Ideas.”
This free-to-use keyword research tool is very ideal for finding related keywords to your business, together with an estimate of search volumes that they receive in a month and the cost to target them for paid ads. These features are similar to other keyword research tools.
Google Trends
Google Trends allows you to see how the popularity of a certain keyword has changed over time. This can be helpful in understanding whether a certain keyword is worth targeting and to be able to gather new keyword ideas for your content marketing campaigns or advertisement campaigns.
To use Google Trends, go to https://trends.google.com/ and enter a word or phrase into the “Search” field.
SEMRush
SEMrush is a tool that allows you to see how the competition for certain keywords has changed over time. This can be helpful in understanding whether a certain keyword is worth targeting.
To use Semrush, go to https://www.semrush.com/ and enter a word or phrase into the “Domain Overview” field. You can also use the “Keyword Overview” to gather keywords for your research.
The Keyword Overview in the SEMrush Keywords reports supplies you with the most important metrics for each keyword in the database, allowing you to choose which terms to focus on when writing content for your website and advertising.
Where Can I Find Keywords for my SEO Strategy?
When choosing keywords, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind. First, think about what your target audience is searching for. What words and phrases will they use?
Second, consider the competition for certain keywords. If there are many other websites competing for the same keyword, it might be difficult to rank well on SERPs.
Finally, consider the potential volume of traffic that certain keywords could bring to your website. If a keyword has a high search volume but low competition, it could be a good choice for your website.
Which Keywords Works Best for My Brand?
When performing keyword research, there are three key things to consider.
Relevance
Google ranks content because of its relevance. This is where search intent comes into play. Your material will only rank for a term if it fulfils the demands of the searcher. Your material must also be the most useful source accessible for that question. After all, why would Google give you a better position in SERPs if it offers less value compared to the ones that are already available on their search engine results?
Authority
Google will give greater weight to sources that it deems reliable. This implies you must do all possible adjustments and improvements to the content that you offer to establish yourself as an authoritative source.
You can achieve this by adding useful, informative material, all of which are constantly promoted on social media and other platforms to receive backlinks to your brand. If you’re not considered authoritative in the field or if a keyword’s SERPs are clogged with numerous sources that you can’t compete with, your landing pages will have a hard time ranking higher in search engines.
Volume
You may wind up on the first page for a given term, but if no one ever searches for it, your site will not receive traffic. It’s like having a store in a deserted town.
The volume of a keyword is determined by the number of monthly searches, which is known as MSV (monthly search volume). Target keywords that are relevant to your brand with a high number of searches. This can be a tricky part in choosing which keywords to work on with the knowledge that high search volume keywords can sometimes have higher difficulty levels too.
For starters, it is ideal to decide a balance between related keywords that have high search volumes that are under the mid-range levels. You can later adjust your keywords after several A/B testings on your end.
Getting Strategic With Search Volume
One of the most essential steps in creating an organic content marketing strategy is to identify and utilise the proper keywords to attract the target audience to your website. After all, an organic search may deliver large amounts of visitors to websites without requiring any ad expenditures. With keyword search volume playing a major factor in your choice of keywords, what are the criteria that you need to consider when choosing keywords based on search volume?
What is Search Volume?
Search volume is a statistic that measures how many people are looking for a specific term or phrase on Google, Bing, and other search engines over a given period of time in SEO.
The most important requirement is having a lot of traffic for a keyword. While “high” varies depending on your industry, in general, you’re looking for terms with at least 100 to 1,000 monthly searches.
However, there is more to a good SEO strategy than simply knowing what constitutes high search traffic. It’s not as simple as finding phrases with a lot of traffic. It’s about seeking terms that don’t have too much competition.
If you concentrate too much on keywords with a large amount of traffic, you’ll be up against big-name businesses. However, if you concentrate too much on low-volume terms, you could lose out on terms that people aren’t searching for.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are long-tail keywords?
Long-tail keywords are keywords that are less common and have a lower search volume than more popular keywords. However, they can be more targeted and easier to rank for, making them a good choice for businesses that are just starting out.
To find long-tail keywords, you can use a tool like Google AdWords Keyword Planner. Simply enter a keyword or phrase into the tool, and it will give you a list of related long-tail keywords.
By targeting long-tail keywords, you can ensure that your website is reaching the right audience and that you’re not competing with big-name businesses for popular keywords.
What is the difference between free and paid keyword tools?
There are several significant distinctions between free and paid keyword tools. Paid keyword tools generally have more features and data than free keyword tools do. They may be updated more frequently, giving you more accurate results. Paid keyword tools, on the other hand, might be pricey, so it’s important to evaluate whether you truly require the extra capabilities and information they provide before purchasing them. For starters, using free keyword tools or a trial version of your target keyword research tool can be sufficient.
Which keyword research tool is best for my brand?
There are a number of different keyword research tools available, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Some of the most popular keyword research tools include Google AdWords Keyword Planner, Semrush, and MOZ.
Google AdWords Keyword Planner is a free tool that allows you to see the estimated search volume for a particular keyword. You can also see the competition for that keyword and other related keywords.
SEMrush is a paid tool that allows you to see how the competition for certain keywords has changed over time. You can also see the estimated search volume for a particular keyword and other related information. Keyword suggestions ideal for your brand can also be derived from Semrush.
MOZ is a paid tool that offers a variety of features, including competitor analysis, backlink data, and SERP tracking.
Which free keyword tool you choose will depend on your needs and budget. However, all of these tools can be helpful in finding keyword ideas that will help you rank well on SERPs and get the traction that you require in social media.
Are free keyword research tools as effective as paid ones?
There is no clear answer when it comes to whether a free keyword or paid keyword research tools are more effective. Each tool has its strengths and weaknesses, and what works best for one business may not work best for another.
However, all the major keyword research tools offer some level of data that can be helpful in finding the right keywords for your business whether for building content, optimising your landing pages, or using them in your social media posts.
Ultimately, it’s important to test out a few different tools to see which ones work best for you. You may find that one tool is more accurate than another, or that one tool is better at helping you find long-tail keywords.
How do search volumes affect my choice of keywords?
When choosing keywords, it’s significant to consider the search volume for those keywords. If a Google keyword has a high search volume, it means that people are searching for that term a lot. This means that you’ll be up against more competition and that it will be harder to rank well for that keyword.
However, if you target low-volume keywords, you may not get as many searches. However, these terms may be more targeted and easier to rank for, making them a good choice for businesses just starting out.
By targeting both high- and low-volume keywords, you can ensure that your website is reaching the right audience while also maintaining a competitive edge.
What is good keyword difficulty?
In general, keyword difficulty is a metric that quantifies how difficult it is to rank for a particular term. It determines how hard it is for you to rank for that term. The greater the competition, the more difficult it is to rank for that phrase, and the more challenging it is to achieve the top position.
High Difficulty Keywords
KDS Above 70%—These are extremely competitive phrases with a lot of competition. If you want to target these keywords, you’ll need to spend on significant SEO and link-building efforts over time. These aren’t the sort of terms that you can go after straight away and see results.
To be able to compete successfully for such high-difficulty terms, you must invest a lot of effort and money.
Moderate Difficulty Keywords
KDS Between 30% and 70%—It’s more realistic and profitable to attempt to rank for these keywords. These will usually have decent search traffic, but not so much competition that it’s impossible to rank.
The moderately difficult keywords are where you’ll want to exercise maximum care when picking keywords. As a result, these are the finest recommendations for keywords you can get as there’s a reasonable possibility of competing for them. They also have a significant search volume, so it’s well worth your time to target them.
Low Difficulty Keywords
KDS Below 30%—Low-difficulty keywords are the most straightforward to rank for. However, these terms don’t have a lot of search activity. But if you can spot low-difficulty keywords with steady search traffic, you’ve won the jackpot.
Niche companies, on the other hand, seek a certain topic that is relevant to their business and targets those. Since these are niche keywords, the SERP competition is not particularly strong.
Keyword Research via Sydney Website
While keyword research can be time-consuming, it’s well worth the effort for any online business that wants to succeed in today’s competitive marketplace. By taking the time to understand which keywords are most popular with your target audience, you can ensure that your business is seen by the people who are most likely to convert into customers.
Website Sydney has been providing effective and affordable keyword research services for over 10 years. We have a team of experienced professionals who use the latest tools and techniques to identify profitable keywords for your business.
Get the competitive edge that you need with Sydney Website today!
