Keyword research is one of the most critical components of a well-planned search engine optimization (SEO) campaign. In fact, search engines have become so highly keyword-centric that many businesses today consult keyword research and SEO specialists to identify the best keywords for optimizing a particular website. Once the best keywords have been identified, SEO specialists then update the website to reflect the prominence of these keywords in both the page’s html tags and its web content (text elements). These updates are implemented by SEO specialists to make search engines rank the websites rankings within the search engine when people search for the previously identified keywords. The usual method of emphasizing the importance of keywords is the use of text-formatting tools such as font size, headings and styles and by having content built around the specific keyword phrases.
When your company or business has not conducted a proper keyword research process, chances are high that your website will be less accessible to a lot of potential online visitors who use search engines to look for products, services, and other types of information on the Web. A Nielsen report indicated that 86 percent of respondents used search engines to find information and that some 80 percent who used search engines also subsequently purchased a product offline. This means that if a company’s website does not rank high in search engine results page (SERP) then a lot of opportunities for generating revenues are being lost.
Finding the right keywords is important since keywords are the virtual link between online searchers and your website. For example, an online user who wish to shop for an affordable but stylish wristwatch may enter ‘affordable but stylish wristwatches’ in the search box, and retrieve the following SERP:
A watch retailer that offers cheap wristwatches in Singapore may increase its visibility on a search engine results page by focusing on a narrower, more localized set of words and phrases. For example, the phrase ‘cheap and stylish watches in Singapore’ might be a good phrase to start with:
The best keywords for your site are those commonly used by your target consumers. This means that you should thoroughly study your target market and their likely behavior in different contexts. Remember that keyword research is a valuable marketing tool that offers one of highest ROI. By taking the time to know your target consumers, you will be able to narrow down the keywords your website needs to be optimized for.Note that even well-known brands often don’t make it in the first ten items of an SERP when keywords for which the brand is well known are submitted by online users. This is largely because three factors: 1) search engine algorithms are not perfect; 2) competing brands invest a lot of money on search engine optimizations; and, 3) the well-known brand is yet to conduct a well-researched seo campaign or has started implementing an ill-conceived one.
The second step after analyzing your target market is to assess your competition especially in terms of which keywords they are likely optimizing. Ranking high on SERPs also entails expert management of keyword competition. Some keywords, especially generic and all-encompassing terms such as ‘cars’, ‘mobile phones’, and ‘newspapers’ are already saturated in terms of the number of businesses competing for the ranking.
One way to assess the potential competition you may face wen attempting to ranking for certain keyword phrases is to use The Google Adwords Keyword Tool
Google’s Keyword Tool is particularly useful in showing what and how your target consumers are likely thinking about the products and services your particular niche or sector is offering. To take full advantage of the tool, capitalize on the phrases that your target consumers are likely using on their online searches. Use the phrases in your web and marketing copies as well as in your online brochures and catalogs. You may also need to gauge the relevance of two almost identical terms to your target market and use the one that is more meaningful to your consumers. Through the Keyword Tool, you can also discover related items your target customers are considering as far as the primary keywords are concerned. You may want to capitalize on these related items to develop a product or service that clearly has a demand or consider editing your current content to focus more on these highly searched keywords.
Generating results from your SEO campaign usually takes time, depending on the scope of your campaign and on the keywords you want to optimize for. It could take years to rank for competition-saturated keywords (e.g cars). On the other hand, ranking websites that are generated from lesser-used, niche keywords and keywords for local search (e.g teeth cleaning Cork) can take just a few weeks. Whatever the period it takes to gain meaningful results from an SEO campaign, the trick is to plan carefully and conduct thorough keyword research.
If you would like keyword research & search engine optimization services for your business please contact Mark on: 085-7560397