In the world of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), keyword research is the compass that guides your content strategy. By understanding what your audience is searching for, you can tailor your website’s content to attract more relevant traffic from search engines like Google. Let’s dive into the fundamentals of keyword research and how you can leverage it to boost your online presence.
What is Keyword Research?
Keyword research involves identifying the words and phrases that people enter into search engines with the goal of optimising content around those terms. It’s the foundation of SEO because it helps you understand your audience’s interests and intents, allowing you to create content that meets their needs.
Why is Keyword Research Important?
Keyword research:
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Drives Traffic: By targeting the right keywords, you attract visitors who are actively searching for what you offer.
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Informs Content Strategy: It helps you create relevant and valuable content that resonates with your audience.
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Competitive Edge: Understanding keyword trends and competition can give you insights into market demands and gaps.
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Improves ROI: Effective keyword targeting can lead to higher conversion rates and better ROI on marketing efforts.
What Are the 3 Steps to Keyword Searching?
Keyword searching involves three essential steps that collectively optimise your website for search engines and user intent:
1. Keyword Research
Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. It begins with identifying potential keywords and phrases that are relevant to your business, products, or services. This step involves using various tools and techniques to generate a list of keywords that your target audience is likely to use when searching for information related to your offerings. It’s crucial to consider factors such as search volume (how many people are searching for a particular keyword), keyword difficulty (how hard it is to rank for a keyword), and relevance to your business goals. During this phase, you might uncover both broad keywords and more specific long-tail keywords that can attract targeted traffic.
2. Keyword Mapping
Once you’ve compiled a list of relevant keywords, the next step is to map these keywords to specific pages or content types on your website. Keyword mapping involves strategically assigning selected keywords to individual pages based on their relevance and intent. Each page on your site should ideally target a primary keyword or a set of related keywords that align with the content and purpose of that page. This helps search engines understand the context of each page and improves the likelihood of ranking for relevant searches. Effective keyword mapping also helps to avoid keyword cannibalisation, where multiple pages compete for the same keyword, potentially diluting your SEO efforts.
Steps in Keyword Mapping:
- Gather Your Website URLs: Compile a comprehensive list of all the pages and content types on your website.
- Assign Keywords: Based on your keyword research, match each page with targeted keywords that best represent the content and purpose of that page.
- Consider User Intent: Ensure that the keywords chosen for each page align with the user’s intent when they visit that page. For example, informational pages may target different keywords compared to transactional or navigational pages.
3. Implementing Keywords
Implementing keywords involves integrating the chosen keywords into your website’s content in a strategic and natural manner. This step focuses on optimising various elements of your web pages to improve their relevance and visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). Here’s how you can effectively implement keywords:
- On-Page Optimisation: Include targeted keywords in essential on-page elements such as meta titles, meta descriptions, headers (H1, H2, etc.), and throughout the body content of the page. Ensure that keywords are used in a way that enhances readability and provides value to users
- Content Creation: Develop high-quality content around targeted keywords, aiming to address user queries and provide comprehensive information or solutions. This can include blog posts, articles, product descriptions, FAQs, and more.
- Internal Linking: Use keywords to create internal links between related pages on your site. This helps search engines navigate and understand the structure of your website, while also improving user experience by guiding them to relevant content.
- Monitor Performance: Regularly monitor the performance of your targeted keywords using tools like Google Analytics and Search Console. Adjust your strategy based on insights gathered from analytics data, such as changes in keyword rankings, organic traffic trends, and user engagement metrics.
By following these three steps—keyword research, keyword mapping, and implementing keywords—you can effectively optimise your website for search engines, attract targeted traffic, and improve the overall user experience. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process that requires continuous refinement and adaptation to changes in search algorithms and user behaviour.
How to Find Keyword Ideas
Define Your Starting Keywords
When embarking on keyword research for SEO, the initial step is to define your starting keywords. These keywords serve as the foundation upon which you’ll build your SEO strategy, aiming to attract relevant traffic to your website. Here’s how you can effectively define your starting keywords, using the example of an SEO agency in Edinburgh:
1. Brainstorm Seed Keywords
Start by brainstorming a list of seed keywords that directly relate to your business or topic. These keywords should be broad terms that encapsulate the primary services, products, or topics that your business specialises in. For example, for an SEO agency in Edinburgh, seed keywords might include:
- SEO agency Edinburgh
- Digital marketing Edinburgh
- SEO Edinburgh
- Digital marketing agency
These seed keywords should reflect what potential clients might search for when looking for SEO services in Edinburgh or surrounding areas.
2. Use Tools for Comprehensive Research
Tools play a crucial role in expanding your initial list of seed keywords and refining your strategy:
- Google Keyword Planner (Free): This tool provides valuable insights into keyword ideas, search volumes, and competition levels directly from Google’s vast database. For an SEO agency in Edinburgh, you could enter seed keywords like “SEO agency Edinburgh” to discover related keywords, average monthly searches, and competition data.
- TikTok Creator Search Insight (Free): While primarily known for social media insights, TikTok Creator Marketplace can offer trends and keywords that resonate with younger audiences. Although it may seem unconventional for SEO, it can provide fresh perspectives or angles for content targeting specific demographics or niche topics related to your business.
- SEMrush (Paid): SEMrush offers a comprehensive suite of SEO tools, including keyword research functionalities that allow you to analyse competitor keywords, understand keyword difficulty metrics, and identify gaps in your SEO strategy. For instance, you can compare your business’s keywords against competitors’ keywords in your area/industry to uncover opportunities for improvement.
3. Be Aware of Search Volume and Competition
When selecting keywords, it’s essential to strike a balance between search volume and competition:
- Search Volume: Evaluate how many people are searching for specific keywords related to business. Higher search volumes indicate greater potential traffic but also higher competition.
- Competition: Assess how many other websites are targeting the same keywords. Tools like SEMrush can provide keyword difficulty scores, indicating how challenging it will be to rank for particular keywords compared to others.
4. Check Competitors’ Keywords
Analysing competitors’ keywords can provide valuable insights into gaps and opportunities:
- Identify which keywords competitors are ranking for that your business might not be targeting.
- Look for keywords with moderate competition but decent search volume that align with your agency’s strengths or unique selling propositions.
5. Discover a Niche Through Your Research
In addition to broad keywords, explore long-tail keywords that cater to specific queries or niche topics:
- Long-tail keywords are often more specific and have lower competition, making it easier to rank for them. For example, instead of targeting “SEO agency,” consider “affordable SEO services Edinburgh” or “local SEO consultancy Edinburgh.”
- Long-tail keywords can attract highly targeted traffic looking for specific services or solutions, making them valuable for conversion-focused strategies.
By following these steps and leveraging tools effectively, your business can build a robust keyword strategy that not only increases visibility but also attracts qualified leads and drives business growth. Continuously monitor and refine your keyword strategy based on performance metrics to stay ahead in the competitive digital landscape.
Keyword Analysis: Understanding User Intent
Understanding user intent is crucial in keyword analysis because it aligns your content with what users are actively searching for. User intent categorises searches into informational, navigational, transactional, and commercial investigation queries, each signalling different stages of the buyer’s journey.
Why Understanding User Intent Matters
When users enter a search query like “SEO services,” their intent can vary widely. Some may be looking for general information about what SEO services entail, while others might be ready to hire an SEO agency. Here’s how you can analyse and tailor your content to match user intent effectively:
Example Scenario: Analysing “SEO Services”
Suppose your SEO agency in Edinburgh has identified “SEO services” as a key keyword with a search volume of 5400 per month. Initially, this keyword might seem straightforward, indicating that users are searching for SEO-related services. However, a deeper dive into Google’s search results reveals a variety of interpretations and user intents:
- Informational Intent: Some users searching for “SEO services” may be in the early stages of research, seeking general information about what SEO services include, how they can benefit their business, and understanding different types of SEO strategies.
- Transactional Intent: Others might have a more specific intent to find and hire an SEO agency. These users are likely comparing different agencies, looking for pricing information, or reading reviews and testimonials.
- Navigational Intent: Some users might already know the name of an SEO agency or specific service provider and use “SEO services” as a navigational query to find their website directly.
Example of Different Interpretations:
Let’s consider a hypothetical scenario where smaller businesses are using the keyword “SEO services” in relation to a different type of service, such as “Software Engineering Optimisation services.” In this case:
- Misinterpretation: A smaller software company might optimise their website for “SEO services” because they offer software engineering optimization services. This results in a mismatch between what users expect (Search Engine Optimisation services) and what the business actually offers (software engineering optimisation).
- Impact: This mismatch can lead to higher bounce rates and lower conversion rates because users clicking on such results are likely looking for Search Engine Optimisation related services, not software engineering optimization. It highlights the importance of accurately aligning your keywords with your actual services and user intent.
Tailoring Your Content Strategy
To effectively align your content with user intent for your keywords:
- Content Strategy: Create content that addresses different aspects of user intent.
- For informational queries, publish blogs or guides explaining various SEO strategies, benefits, and best practices.
- For transactional queries, optimise service pages with clear calls-to-action and case studies showcasing your agency’s success.
- Keyword Variations: Consider targeting long-tail keywords that specify intent more clearly, such as “affordable SEO services Edinburgh” or “SEO audit services near me,” depending on the specific needs and queries your target audience is likely to have.
- Monitoring and Adjusting: Continuously monitor the performance of your targeted keywords in relation to user behaviour. Adjust your content strategy based on insights gathered from analytics to better align with evolving user intent and market trends.
By understanding and effectively catering to user intent through your keyword strategy, your business can not only improve visibility and rankings but also enhance user experience and drive meaningful conversions. Aligning keywords with accurate user intent ensures that your content meets the expectations of users at every stage of their journey.
What to Do With Your Keywords
Once you’ve identified and mapped your targeted keywords, it’s crucial to strategically integrate them across your website to maximise SEO impact and enhance user engagement. Here’s how to effectively utilise your keywords:
1. Create Meta Titles and Descriptions:
Optimise Meta Tags: Craft compelling meta titles and descriptions that incorporate your targeted keywords naturally. For example, if your SEO agency in Edinburgh is targeting the keyword “SEO services Edinburgh,” your meta title could be: “Expert SEO Services in Edinburgh | Your SEO Agency Name.”
Example Meta Description: “Looking for top-notch SEO services in Edinburgh? Our expert team at [Your SEO Agency Name] offers comprehensive SEO solutions tailored to your business needs. Contact us today!”
Improve Click-Through Rates: By optimising meta tags with relevant keywords, you enhance your visibility in search results and increase the likelihood of users clicking through to your website.
2. Explore SERP Features:
Understand SERP Features: Analyse which SERP features are triggered by your targeted keywords. For instance, if “SEO services Edinburgh” triggers a local pack, ensure your business is optimised for local SEO to appear in the map results.
Example: If your SEO agency provides local SEO services, optimising your Google My Business profile and including local keywords in your website content can improve your chances of appearing in local packs.
Optimise for Featured Snippets: Target keywords that commonly trigger featured snippets by structuring your content to provide concise, authoritative answers to user queries.
3. Create On-Page Content:
Integrate Keywords Naturally: Incorporate your targeted keywords throughout your website’s content in a natural and meaningful way. For example, in a service page about “SEO audits,” include variations like “SEO audit services” and “SEO audit consultants” where relevant.
Example: “Our SEO audit services in Edinburgh uncover hidden opportunities for your website’s performance. Learn how our SEO audit consultants can boost your online presence today!”
Use Headers and Subheadings: Organise content using headers to improve readability and signal to search engines the main topics covered on the page.
4. Create Blogs:
Develop Blog Posts: Plan blog content around targeted keywords to attract and engage your audience. For example, if your topic is ‘Core Web Vitals,’ your blog post could discuss the latest updates and optimisations in website performance metrics, guiding businesses on how to improve user experience and SEO rankings.
Example: “The Complete Guide to Core Web Vitals: Enhancing User Experience and SEO Performance“
Address User Intent: Align blog topics with user intent behind targeted keywords. Provide valuable information, solutions, or industry insights that resonate with your audience’s needs.
How Keyword Research Helps Your Business Grow!
Keyword research is not just about improving your search engine rankings; it’s about understanding your audience and delivering valuable content that meets their needs. By investing time in comprehensive keyword research and strategically implementing your findings, you can drive organic traffic, improve user engagement, and ultimately grow your business online. Start with the basics, leverage tools, and continually refine your strategy based on insights gained from your keyword research efforts.
If you’re seeking expert support, Thundr Digital is one of Edinburgh’s fastest-growing digital marketing agencies. With our specialised knowledge, we manage all your SEO needs, ensuring you achieve a strong return on investment while alleviating your concerns. Don’t hesitate—reach out today and discover how we can help propel your business forward!
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