Choosing the right keywords for SEO is crucial to your website’s success. Keywords are the cornerstone of your SEO strategy, signaling to search engines what your content is about and attracting targeted traffic.
The first step in choosing the right keywords for SEO is to begin with keyword research. According to Moz, an industry leader in SEO software and resources, keyword research helps you to understand the language your target customers are using when utilizing search engines. Keyword research involves brainstorming potential search terms, studying your competition, and using keyword research tools to identify valuable long-tail keywords. Services like Google’s Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMRush, Moz’s Keyword Explorer, and Ubersuggest can be beneficial in this process.
The 2018 Google’s SEO Starter Guide emphasizes the importance of relevancy. Select keywords that are most relevant to your business and the content you produce. The more relevant your keywords, the more likely you are to rank highly on search results pages, and the more likely users are to click on your content. For instance, a business selling homemade dog treats might target keywords like “organic dog treats” or “homemade dog treats.”
Google’s SEO Starter Guide also recommends focusing on specificity and long-tail keywords. Instead of targeting a general and highly competitive keyword like “dog treats,” it would be more effective to target a more specific and less competitive keyword like “homemade organic dog treats for puppies.” This might attract less total traffic, but it will bring more targeted traffic: people who are more likely to purchase your product.
Consider your user’s intent when selecting keywords. According to the leading SEO resource, Search Engine Journal, there are three basic types of user intent: informational (looking for information), navigational (looking for a specific website), and transactional (looking to buy or use a service). Your keywords should align with the user intent you are targeting. For example, a keyword like “how to make homemade dog treats” might be used by an informational-intent user, whereas “buy homemade dog treats” might be used by a transactional-intent user.
Lastly, monitor your keywords’ performance using tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics. SEO is an ongoing process, and the effectiveness of your keywords can change over time. Therefore, it’s important to keep an eye on your keywords’ performance and make changes as necessary.
In summary, choosing the right keywords for SEO involves thorough keyword research, focusing on relevancy and long-tail keywords, aligning with user intent and monitoring performance. Utilizing these strategies can improve your ranking in search result pages and attract more traffic to your website.
Sources :
1. Moz : The Beginner’s Guide to SEO – Keyword Research
2. Google : Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide
3. Search Engine Journal : SEO Guide – Understanding and Applying Keyword Intent
4. Ahrefs : How to Do Keyword Research for SEO
5. SEMRush : How to Do Keyword Research: A Step-by-Step Guide
6. Ubersuggest : Free Keyword Research Tool.
