This article aims to explain keyword research for SEO and why it is an important part of any strategy. Keywords, or search terms, are the words people use when searching for something on the internet.
An example of a keyword is "pizza." So if you run a pizza shop and want to show up in Google's natural (or un-paid) search results for "pizza," then it makes sense to try and target keywords like this - as many keywords as possible related to your business.
The old adage says: "If you're not showing up in Google, then you don't exist online!" That's why doing good SEO means targeting lots of keywords related to your niche. You need to make sure that any page you wish people will find is targeted at least some potentially useful key phrase or another. I've put together a shortlist of reasons why it's important to do keyword research here.
The most pragmatic benefit of keyword research is that it helps you understand your target audience. For instance, if you are a pizza shop in Vauxhall, then obviously, the people who will buy from you may not be local and therefore won't necessarily want to order online or over the phone. Therefore, knowing what keywords people use to search for something like "pizza delivery in Vauxhall" can help your SEO because now you have some insight into what terms would be valuable to target with regards to your business.
Keyword Research Results Are FREE! As opposed to buying traffic from other companies, which can be very expensive, your keyword research actually gives you a free result of what people are searching for on Google. This is brilliant because it allows you to find ideas for what keywords to target without having to pay anything!
Another benefit of doing keyword research is that it saves you time and effort in the long run. Keywords are pages or posts that have previously performed well over a period of time (or still do). Therefore if you know what keywords people use to search for things related to your business, then all you need to work out is how important these keywords are. This means that if someone searches for "pizza delivery Vauxhall" then there's a chance it's an important keyword because it has many other similar related keywords underneath it. This allows you to save time, as you don't need to work out the importance of each and every keyword you find on your own.
If people are searching for "pizza delivery Vauxhall" then they will probably go on Google to do this. The reason I say this is that a lot of people usually just type what they're looking for into Google rather than using any of their alternatives (like Bing). If these people see a website like yours appear in the results that have been tailor-made posts into Google's top results.
Keyword Research Helps You Collaborate with Other SEOs
One of the most exciting things about doing keyword research is that you get to cooperate with other people in your industry who are doing it too. This can happen both online and offline, but regardless of how you do it is always useful because you can learn from others what terms they've found and what they think is valuable for their business. Moreover, if you find good keywords together, then this increases the chance that your page appears within the top results on Google!
By knowing which search terms people use to find information related to your niche, then it allows you to understand better how to suit their needs then there's a good chance they will click on them and give you their business. This means that by doing keyword research, you are not only finding out about what terms your potential customers search for but also putting yourself in a prime position to get their business!
By choosing the right keywords and creating content based around them, then it is possible to make your page rank within Google's top 3 results. In fact, some people argue that even getting into the top 5 results on Google can bring you an awful lot of traffic. While this won't always be the case (there are other factors such as social media that play a role, too), if you find keywords relevant enough for your SEO, then there's no reason why you shouldn't try and put your page there!
Another great benefit of doing keyword research is that it can help you build backlinks to your website. The reason why this works so well is that by creating content around keywords relevant to your business, then you are more likely to get other people interested in linking back to them. This builds up the number of "votes" you have for those particular pages on Google and means that the chances of getting into their top results increases!
One of the most exciting things about finding related keywords is that they often bring a lot more insight into what other people might search for too. It's like having one big treasure hunt, but instead of searching for treasure, you're trying to find the right keywords that will help you get found online by people looking for your business.
One more thing that keyword research can do is show you how other successful businesses in your industry are creating content that suits their customers' needs. This means that if they have been able to rank well on Google's top results, then there's a good chance it could be replicated with yours. In fact, this is such an important benefit of using the right keywords because once you know what works best, then it means that all you need to do next is replicate it!
Another great benefit of doing keyword research is that it can help you get paid for your content. As we discussed above, Google's algorithm for its top results has a big focus on whether or not an article offers value to the reader. However, this isn't just about being able to answer their questions but also helping them find the right information within your industry too. This means that if you have created something worthwhile based around these keywords, then there's a good chance people will link back to it and give you money which helps pay for more development!
One of the best things about choosing specific keywords relevant to your business is that when someone does a search for them, then you have the chance to show up in their results! This doesn't mean that you'll appear only when they search for these exact terms, but it can be a great way to get your website seen by people who don't know about it yet.
By doing keyword research, you can learn a lot more about what your potential customers are looking for online too. Since each keyword will involve different questions and concerns which means that you need to find answers for them if you want to win their business. Since this is so important, then it should make sense why finding the right keywords would help give ideas on other articles that you could use to create even more value for your customers.
One thing that you might not realize about keyword research is how it is also a great way to see how different pieces of content connect to each other on your website and, more importantly, where they could be placed together! Since this can help decrease the amount of duplicate content you have on your website as well as make it easier for others to find what they are looking for with ease. This is because if someone lands on a page of yours and doesn't like what's there, then they can go elsewhere until they finally land on something that is relevant to their needs!
As we've discussed above, it's amazing how many benefits come from using the right keywords with your content, and that's because they can help you build more value for your business as well as make it easier for people to find what they are looking for on the Internet. In fact, if you've never done keyword research before then, the first thing that we suggest is getting started with a free tool like Google Adwords or Ubersuggestor to see which keywords are already working best in your industry! Not only will this teach you how other businesses have become successful online, but it'll also help get some great ideas about what else you could do to catch up with them too.
Good luck!