Why use keywords in search engines

A great free option is keywordtool. You can also enter in terms to the Google search bar and see what other suggestions pop up as you type. There are also tools out there to help you discover keywords that your competition is using. Just enter in the URL of your competitor and see what terms people use to link to their site. You can use many different tools for this, but one free option is the Google AdWords Keyword Planner.

You can use it to get search volume for all the terms you are thinking of targeting. The Keyword Planner will tell you how many people have searched for those terms in an average month. Earlier in this article I mentioned using questions as keyword ideas. The goal is to find keywords that would be relevant for a wider group of users who have that same question. As you can see, some terms receive quite a few searches, while others have little or none.

Even though a keyword may have a lot of search traffic, you always want to ask yourself if that keyword will bring you quality traffic. Make sure that the keywords you target are ones that result in conversions and revenue.

If you are on the fence about a keyword, run a Google search with it. This lessens the learning curve and keeps visitors more engaged with your solutions. Not only do we use keywords to establish new pages of content based on what searchers need, but those very same keywords become the link text for the navigation options.

When visitors land on your site, having a navigation that uses the terms they searched helps them find the content they want. Too much of that and visitors leave in search for easier grounds.

By broadening your search a bit, you can uncover information that can help you expand your product or service offerings for a more robust business tomorrow. Years ago, I had a client that sold bags of all kinds. Our keyword research indicated that many searchers were also interested in laptop bags.

This opened up a huge opportunity for new business that they were not already targeting or at least targeting effectively. When it comes to delivering traffic to your website, there is nothing more compelling than optimizing for frequently searched keywords. This is one of the metrics that gives keywords value. No sense optimizing for keywords no one is searching for, right? Optimizing for high-volume keywords gives you an opportunity to get a lot of traffic to your site, which can be a boon for business.

You also have to look at the quality of traffic a keyword will deliver, among other things. But when the stars align, volume can be good. Really good! On the flip side of that, sometimes there are some highly profitable opportunities with the less competitive and usually lower-volume phrases. Many times, these low-volume phrases are also very low on the competition scale, which can signal a big opportunity to create content where no one else has it.

And that content can deliver rankings for which no one is currently competing. Implementing keyword SEO will help your site rank above your competitors. This is why developing a list of keywords is one of the first and most important steps in any search engine optimization initiative.

Keywords and SEO are directly connected when it comes to running a winning search marketing campaign. Because keywords are foundational for all your other SEO efforts, it's well worth the time and investment to ensure your SEO keywords are highly relevant to your audience and effectively organized for action.

Settling on the right SEO keywords is a delicate process involving both trial and error, but the basics are easy to understand. Basically, SEO keyword research should be an ongoing and ever-evolving part of your job as a marketer. Not only should you try new keyword search tools and keep track of the results, but you should feel free to experiment based on your own research — who else uses your keywords?

If you were to use either of those terms to try to rank your content , it would likely be very difficult as the search results are just too numerous to compete. However, if you have a very specific niche without a lot of competition, you can often find ways to use short keywords to your advantage. In contrast, long-tail keywords are much more specific in their nature, which makes it easier to match the topic up to user intent. As an example, something like green chili chicken tacos recipe or red running shoes would all be considered long-tail keywords.

More adjectives and descriptive phrases narrow down the search process and make it easier for your audience to find exactly what they are looking for. Often, this is a great strategy if the product or service you offer solves a problem or relates to educating others in some way. Pretend for a moment that you own a company that sells a special type of ghost pepper chili sauce.

If you were trying to get the recipe section of your website to rank better organically, then you might use a keyword question like how do you make spicy cocktails using hot sauce? Depending on your niche, you might consider creating a content marketing strategy that includes seasonal keywords. Things like Christmas decorating ideas and Halloween costumes for dogs would be prime examples. Strategies utilizing seasonal keywords are a good idea, as they do give you a solid ranking around the same time each year.

Unlike seasonal keywords, evergreen ones are those that never really change in terms of search traffic patterns. They might be specific to your niche, such as a discussion about how to use a particular item or the best way to accomplish a task. A good rule of thumb is to always add some sort of evergreen topic to your website , then updating it as new information comes out.

By using these keywords in your overall strategy, you can help ensure a solid position in the SERPs throughout the whole year.

Adidas shoes , John Deere tractors, and Ford trucks are all examples of branded keywords. For B2B content marketing , branded keywords are also an excellent idea if your product or service relates to a specific type of industry.