The online world never stands still. The only real constant in the digital environment is change, so if you are not consciously moving forwards you are always falling behind. In this rapidly evolving environment SEO is a powerful marketing tool, and at the heart of good SEO is active keyword research.
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Why Keyword research matters
Knowing what words are being used in online searches for the kind of goods and services your business provides is vital if you are going to embed those key words into your website. These search terms are likely to change over time, meaning you cannot know which words you need to embed without up to date research. But how is such research conducted?
Creating “seed keyword” lists
“Seed keywords” are general terms that relate to your particular area of business. If, for example, you are a bookshop, your seed keywords might be “Book, books, paperback, hardback, bookseller” and so on. While there are a number of tools that you can use for this one of the best ways you can get started is to sit down with colleagues and brainstorm all of the words that might apply to what you do.
Generate expanded keyword lists
The next level SEO Services UK businesses need is the generation of an expanded keyword list. This is done by entering your seed keywords into one of the keyword research tools which will then deliver suggested search terms and phrases which are related to those seed words. Analysis of this information will help experts to zoom in on words and phrases to target specifically.
Analyse keyword competition
Not all keywords are created equal. It is extremely important that you consider how much competition there will be for each keyword. In our bookshop example, the keyword “books” will be applicable to literally every single one of your competitors, so that is a word that will be difficult to rank. A more specific phrase, such as “bookshop [name of your town]” will rank more easily.
Think about “user intent”
“User intent” is the term used to refer to what a user is actually trying to achieve with their online search. The idea here is to create online content that is in line with the intent of the kind of customer you are hoping to attract. It is helpful to group keywords and phrases into appropriate categories and tailoring your online content to fit into those categories.
Implement keywords
Working with their SEO Company UK businesses then need to prioritise their keywords based on such factors as user intent, search frequency and level of competition. Your content strategy should then be built around those priorities – make sure you embed high priority keywords into diverse content such as articles, blogs, video, audio and infographics.
Maintain vigilance
Because change is the only constant in the online world you need to monitor the performance of your SEO strategy closely, adjusting and refining your keywords based on up to date data. This is necessary to keep your website at the top end of the SERPs and maintain your online success.
Let us help you succeed
As you can see, keyword research is a vital part of SEO and a crucial aspect of understanding how to attract the right customers to your business. But really effective keyword research is both complex and time consuming, meaning that it is best left to experienced professionals. We have a highly skilled team with decades of experience between them ready and waiting to help your business reach its full potential online.
