This post addresses the common SEO questions and topics.
What is the purpose of Keyword Research?
The purpose of performing keyword research is to find words and phrases that users are searching for on Google and other major search engines. These terms are related to the products and services on the website we will produce. To appear in a user’s search, the website must be optimized by utilizing the words and phrases they are searching for.
What is the process for Keyword Research?
There is a detailed article here, but here is a summary:
- Compile a list of topics that relate to and cover the website’s broad range of products and industries. These are our seed keywords.
- Research the list of keywords, collecting volume, keyword difficulty, and long-tail keywords.
- Identify the best terms to use for the content being produced. The ideal keyword has a low difficulty, a high volume, and is very relevant to the content on the page.
What are branded keywords? Are they important?
Branded keywords are search terms that include a brand, company, or product name within them. For example, “Idea Grove Agency” is a branded keyword for the Idea Grove website.
They are important indicators of brand awareness because a user searching for a branded keyword is already aware of that company or product.
Traditionally, branded keywords are not the focus of keyword research, because most websites will naturally rank for their own company name without trying. It is important to monitor these rankings, as they are commonly targeted by competitors looking to steal traffic. On rare occasions, we may find that a website does not rank well for its own branded terms. This may be due to competitor ads, companies with similar names or domain names, or poor overall website structure.
Is it okay to use keywords that have low to no volume?
It is not recommended to focus on keywords without volume. Occasionally, a client’s technology or product may be so new that there are no search terms that feel relevant. In those instances, we recommend pairing the low-volume keywords that you hope will grow in volume with high-volume search terms related to the problems your audience may be searching for. In this instance it would be very important to monitor and update your content regularly as search trends shift towards the new technology.
How do we improve keyword rankings?
- Use industry-related keywords with high volume and low keyword difficulty within the page’s meta descriptions and on-page web content.
- Create on-page copy that includes the keywords, especially within titles and high visibility areas.
- Use keywords in image names and alt text.
- Ensure website page performance is in good standing.
- Acquire reputable backlinks, redirects, and 3rd party validation that references the keyword.
- Create more content, specific to the keyword, and link it all together.
To learn about common SEO terms and definitions, visit this Knowledge Base article.