How can I find the right keywords for my business website, what will really help me rank?
Keyword research is a critical process in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and it directly affects the traffic you get from search engines. Here are some steps to help you find the right keywords for your business website:
- Understand Your Business and Audience: Know your products, services, and the needs of your customers. This will help you understand the language your audience uses when they search online related to your industry.
- Brainstorm Initial Keyword List: Start with broad keywords that describe your business. These keywords should represent what your business offers, the services you provide, or the products you sell.
- Use Keyword Research Tools: Use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, MOZ, and others to find more keyword ideas and analyze their competitiveness and search volume. You can start by entering the keywords from your initial list and then expand based on the suggestions provided by these tools.
- Analyze Keyword Trends: Google Trends can provide data about the popularity of a keyword over time. This can help you to capitalize on trending keywords and avoid those that are declining in popularity.
- Check Out Your Competitors: Look at the keywords your competitors are targeting. Tools like SEMRush or Ahrefs can provide you with a list of keywords your competitors rank for.
- Consider Long-tail Keywords: Long-tail keywords are more specific and often less competitive than broad keywords. For example, rather than “shoes”, you might use “women’s black running shoes”.
- Look at Search Intent: Search intent is the reason why someone conducts a specific search. Is it to buy something? To find a particular website? Or simply to get more information? Considering the intent behind searches can help you refine your keywords and make them more effective.
- Prioritize Your Keywords: After having a good list of keywords, prioritize them based on their relevance to your business, search volume, difficulty level to rank, and conversion potential.
- On-Page SEO: Once you have your keywords, incorporate them into your website. This includes using them in the title, meta description, URL, headers, and body text. However, be careful to not overuse keywords as it could lead to a penalty from search engines.
- Monitor and Refine Your Keyword Strategy: SEO isn’t a one-and-done thing. It requires ongoing monitoring and adjustment. Use analytics tools to monitor which keywords are driving traffic and conversions, and continuously refine your strategy based on these insights.
Remember, it’s not only about getting visitors to your site, but about getting the right kind of visitors – the ones who are most likely to convert into customers.