Keywords & Targeting in SEO
Are you having trouble outdoing your rivals in the business?
Perhaps you did everything you could, but it’s not really getting you anywhere…
When it comes to crafting a profitable online marketing strategy, using relevant keywords for SEO and on-point targeting are critical.
But what are the best ways to target your audience? How can you ensure your keywords work for you?
Here, we’ll go through some pointers and methods for getting the most out of your keywords and targeting. Keep an eye out!
Research
Keywords and targeting are crucial for any successful marketing campaign, but they are also two of the most challenging aspects of marketing to get right.
So how do you work around the situation?
Research is the key. You need to understand your customer base well and what they are looking for.
What makes them feel what they feel?
How old or young are they?
What makes them happy?
Once you have a list of potential keywords for SEO, you need to evaluate them to see which ones generate the most traffic. And no, it doesn’t stop there.
You must ensure that you learn everything about them and then find the keywords to reach them.
There’s no point in generating a lot of traffic if none of it will convert into sales. You need to regularly evaluate and fine-tune your targeting to ensure you reach the correct people with your message. We know it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it.
What Is Keyword Research?
Keyword research is the method of finding and targeting keywords for your website. The goal is to find keywords relevant to your site, which will help you or your business rank higher in search engines.
Keyword research can be a complicated and time-consuming approach, but it is a fundamental step for any website that wants to attract visitors. There are several different manners that you can use for keyword research, and the best approach will vary depending on your site’s needs.
However, here are some of the few basics that all keyword researchers should consider.
1. Keywords with high search volume but low-quality traffic will not do much good. Discretion is required.
2. Keyword research is an ongoing and never-ending process. You should regularly review and update your keywords to remain relevant and practical. This tactic is not a one-off and ‘forget about it’ thing.
3. The most suitable keywords should be relevant to your site, niche, and the audience is using.
How to Do Keyword Research
Keywords are the basis of any proper content strategy, and without these keywords, you’re like shooting in the dark while wasting time and money with your campaigns.
But how do you go about doing keyword research?
It’s not as difficult as it may seem, and here are a few tips:
• Start with your ICA (ideal client avatar).
Once you understand your target audience, you can start to think about the keywords they might use when searching for your type of content. Have you established your ICA? Who are you trying to reach? What are their needs and wants? Are they single or married? You need to answer questions like these to nail down the keywords to make them interested.
• Think like a searcher.
When you’re doing your keyword research, it’s essential to think like a searcher. What would your ideal client avatar type into a search engine if they were looking for the kind of content you’re creating? Keep these in mind as you’re brainstorming keywords.
Primary Related Keywords
Once you’ve come up with a preliminary list of keywords, it’s time to consider related keywords. These are keywords that are somehow connected to your primary keywords but note that they are not identical.
For example, your primary keyword might be “wedding photography” if you’re a wedding photographer, but related keywords could include “engagement photography,” “wedding photos,” or “bridal portraits.”
Close variants and synonyms
Keywords are the foundation of any good research project. It would be impossible to target your audience or track your results without them.
However, finding the right keywords is only half the battle. Once you’ve identified a few potential keywords, you must also consider using them effectively. And that’s where close variants and synonyms come in.
Close variants are different forms of the same word, such as “plumbers” and “plumbing.” On the other hand, synonyms are words with similar meanings, such as “repair” and “fix.”
By including both close variants and synonyms in your research, you can be sure that you’re reaching the broadest possible audience.
Secondary related keywords
After identifying your primary related keywords, it’s time to ponder your secondary related keywords. These keywords provide more insight into your primary keywords and explain the context for the primary keywords.
For example, for the primary keyword “wedding photography, the secondary related keyword could be “destination wedding photography.”
Long-tail keywords
Long-tail keywords are simply more specific (and usually longer) than your average keyword search. For our primary example, “wedding photography,” our long-tail keyword could be “fall wedding photography in New York City.”
Not only are long-tail keywords more specific, but they’re also usually easier to rank for. That’s because there’s less competition for these keywords.
Local keywords
Local keywords are keywords that include a specific location. These keywords are significant for businesses that serve a specific geographic area only.
Entity relationships
Entity-relationship keywords include the name of a person, place, or thing. Google has been attempting to establish a deep associative context around entities to try and understand the search query rather than just regurgitate what it believes is the closest result.
For example, from the wedding photographer keyword example above, your entity relationship keywords could be “all wedding photographers in New York” The entity is New York, and you want to make sure you’re associated with it.
A second entity-relationship can be illustrated by typing your own name into Google and seeing what comes up. You should see your LinkedIn page, your Twitter account, and any other places you have some online authority.
This is important from an SEO and organizational perspective as you want to make sure you show up first for your own name and brand, especially in the geography you’re targeting. You don’t want a competitor showing up where you should as a company.
Keyword Intent
Keyword intent is the overall goal or purpose of a particular keyword, and we can divide it into four main categories: informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional.
Each type of keyword intent requires a different approach, so it’s essential to choose the right keywords for your campaigns.
Considering you’re not sure about the intent of a particular keyword, in that case, there are plenty of tools and resources available to help you research and identify the right keywords for your business. You can ensure that your campaigns target the right audience with the right keywords with time and effort.
Informational keywords
Informational keywords demonstrate that your ICA is looking for data and information. These keywords are often used in the early stages of the buyer’s journey, when your audience is still educating themselves about their options.
Some examples of informational keywords include “what is SEO,” “how to start a blog,” or “what is the best digital camera.” If you noticed, informational keywords usually start with what, why, where, how, etc.
Navigational keywords
Navigational keywords indicate that your ICA is looking for a specific website or page. These keywords are often used when the searcher already knows what they’re looking for, and just needs to find the right place.
Some examples of navigational keywords include “Facebook login,” “Twitter hashtag,” or “YouTube download.”
Commercial keywords
Commercial keywords indicate that your ICA is ready to make a purchase or looking to purchase. These keywords are often used in the later stages of the buyer’s journey, when the searcher is inclined to execute a sale.
Some examples of commercial keywords may include “buy a wedding dress,” “order flowers online,” or “book hotel room.”
Transactional keywords
Transactional keywords indicate that the searcher is looking to complete a transaction. These keywords are also often used in the final stages of the buyer’s journey as well as when the searcher is ready to take action.
Some examples of transactional keywords include “download the e-book,” “subscribe to the newsletter,” or “buy now.”
By understanding the keyword intent behind the searches, you can construct a range of content that appeals to the needs and feelings of your target ICA and may help you achieve your business goals more efficiently.
Keyword Clustering
Keyword clustering is a valuable tool that can help you get the most out of your keywords. Clustering involves a similar grouping of keywords into clusters based on common factors such as meaning, intent, or theme.
This method can help you better understand the relationships between keywords and identify new opportunities for targeting. For example, if you are marketing winter fur coats, you might group keywords such as “winter coats,” “warm coats,” and “coats for winter.”
Understanding how these terms are related can more effectively target your marketing efforts and ensure that your message reaches the right audience. So, if you’re looking to get the most out of your keywords, don’t forget to give keyword clustering a try.
Evaluating Keywords
When looking for keywords to target, it’s essential to evaluate them based on several factors. This will help you to identify the most effective keywords for your campaigns.
Some of the factors you should consider:
– Search volume: Keywords with a high search volume are more likely to be effective, as they indicate a large audience interested in that topic.
– Competition: Keywords with a high level of competition may be more challenging to rank for but can still be effective if you have a well-optimized website.
– Relevance: Keywords should be relevant to your business, products, or services. You’re likely to see a low conversion rate if they’re not.
– Keyword difficulty: Keywords with a low keyword difficulty are more likely to be effective, as they’re easier to rank for.
– Cost per click: Keywords with a high cost per click may be more expensive to bid on but can still be effective if relevant to your business.
Take the time to evaluate keywords based on these factors, and you’ll be able to identify the most likely tailored fit for your business which will save you more time and money along the way.
Evaluating Organic Keyword Opportunities
Organic keyword opportunities are those keywords that you could rank for in the organic search results. These keywords are usually long-tail keywords, as they’re more specific and less competitive.
To identify organic keyword opportunities, start by doing some basic keyword research. Then, use tools like Google Keyword Planner to get more detailed data on search volume and competition.
Once you have this information, you can identify which keywords are most likely to be effective for your business. Remember to consider factors like search volume, competition, and relevance when making your decisions.
Putting Your Keyword Research into an Action Plan
Once you’ve done your keyword research, it’s time to put your findings into action. Start by creating a list of the keywords you want to target. Then, create a plan for how you’re going to use those keywords.
For example, you might want to use some of your keywords in your website content, while others might be more effective for PPC campaigns. Once you have a plan in place, you can start to implement it and track your results regularly.
How to Review & Refine Keyword Research Frequently
Keyword research is an ongoing process, and it’s crucial to regularly review and refine your keywords. As your business changes and evolves, your keywords should change as well.
To keep your keyword research up-to-date, start by regularly reviewing your keywords. Take a look at your website content and campaigns, and identify any keywords that are no longer relevant. Then, add any new keywords that you think would be effective for your business and campaign and test them accordingly.
User Experience Keywords
User experience keywords are those keywords that relate to the user’s experience on your website. These keywords usually indicate how satisfied or dissatisfied the user is with your website.
To identify user experience keywords, start by looking at your website analytics. Look for patterns in how users interact with your site and identify areas where they might be having a negative experience.
Once you’ve identified those areas, you can start to target keywords that relate to those experiences. For example, suppose you’ve determined that users have a negative experience with your site’s navigation. In that case, you might want to test and target keywords like “user-friendly navigation” or “easy-to-use navigation.”
Remember, user experience keywords are all about providing a positive experience for the user. So, make sure that you’re targeting keywords relevant to your business, improving the user’s experience on your website.
Position, frequency, and distance
Position: The position of a keyword within your content can affect its SEO value. For example, keywords that appear at the beginning of your content are more likely to be given more weight by search engines.
Frequency: How many times a keyword appears in your content can also affect its SEO value. In general, if a keyword appears in your content more repeatedly, the more weight it will be given by search engines.
Distance: The distance between two keywords can also affect their SEO value. For example, if two keywords appear close together, they are more likely to be given more weight by search engines.
When it comes to keywords and SEO, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The best way to optimize your content for SEO is to use various keywords in a variety of positions throughout your content.
On-page SEO
On-page SEO is the process of optimizing your website content for search engines. It includes choosing the right keywords, using those keywords, and making your website user-friendly and valuable to your target audience.
Page Title
The title of your web page is one of the most necessary elements of on-page SEO. The title is what appears in the search engine results pages (SERPs) when someone searches for a keyword that your page is optimized for.
Headline
Your headline is the first thing people will see when they land on your page, so it’s meaningful to make an excellent and lasting impression. Make sure your headline is clear, concise, and features your target keyword.
Body Text
The body text is the main content of your page, and it’s essential to use your target keyword all throughout. However, be careful that you don’t overuse your keyword, or you’ll risk being penalized by the search engines. A good rule of thumb is to utilize your target keyword 2-3% of the time.
In addition to using your target keyword throughout the body text, you should also focus on making your content interesting and valuable to your readers. Remember, the goal is to provide a good user experience.
URL
Your URL is another vital element of on-page SEO. Your URL should be short, descriptive, and contains your target keyword.
For example, if your page is about “Keyword Research,” your URL might be www.aokmarketing.com/keyword-research to emphasize its significance for the search engines.
Images & image alt text
Images can help make your content more exciting and engaging, but did you know they can also help with your SEO as well?
In a nutshell search engines can’t see images, so they rely on the “alt text” attribute to understand what an image is all about. The alt text is a short description of the photo that includes your target keyword.
Internal & External Links
Internal links are links from one page on your website to another page. They help search engines understand your website’s structure and can also help improve the SEO of your website.
On the other hand, external links are links from one website to another. They help search engines understand your website’s popularity and can also help improve the SEO of your website.
If you add links to your content, always use highly relevant and high-quality websites, as linking to low-quality or spammy websites can hurt your SEO.
Meta Description
The meta description is a short description of your page that appears in the search engine results pages (SERPs). The description should be clear, concise, and contain your target keyword.
This is one of the most important on-page SEO elements, so include it in your content.
Meta Keywords
Meta keywords are not as crucial as they used to be, but they can still help with your SEO. These are an index of keywords that you include in your website’s “keywords” attribute.
When adding meta keywords to your website, be sure to use various keywords and phrases. Again, don’t stuff your keywords, or you’ll risk being penalized by the search engines.
Framework
Having an SEO framework can help you with your strategy. The framework enables you to choose the right keywords for your website and content, and it also helps you target those keywords to the right audience.
When utilizing a specific framework, focus on your keywords’ quality and quantity. Quality keywords are relevant to your business and have a high search volume. Employing a correct framework can help you with both on-page and off-page SEO.
Tools to Use for Keyword Research
There are several free and paid tools out there that can help you with your keyword research, and Google Keyword Planner is a great place to start. You can just enter a few main keywords related to your topic and content, see what comes up, and take your list from there.
You can also try a paid tool like Moz Keyword Explorer. This tool provides more detailed data than Google Keyword Planner, and it’s beneficial if you’re targeting a specific location.
Once you’ve come up with a list of potential keywords, it’s time to do your homework. Type each keyword into a search engine and see what comes up. Look at the results and see if they are relevant to your site. If not, scratch that keyword off your list.
Hot tip: You should also take a look at the competition. If there are already a lot of sites ranking for that keyword, you may have a hard time breaking into the top spot.
Conclusion
Keywords and targeting are essential for a successful digital marketing campaign. By understanding your target audience, you can better focus your efforts on the keywords they are using to find solutions to their problems.
Various applications like Google Keyword Planner and Moz Keyword Explorer can help you with your keyword research, and the correct framework can help you target those keywords to the right audience.
By following these tips, you can create relevant and valuable content for your target audience and improve your SEO in the process.
Our team of experts can help you identify the right keywords for your business and craft a targeted strategy that drives traffic and conversions. Would you like to book a call with us so we can discuss how we can help?
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