What is SEO?
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, involves efforts for improving search engine rankings of a website for a specific keyword or set of keywords. It is a technique used to help consumers find a website when it is most relevant to their search. SEO differs from SEM, or Search Engine Marketing, as SEO is free vs. SEM which is paid. Though, it is still important to consider SMART goals when thinking about SEO goals for your business.
Keyword Research: How to do it?
Offline vs. Online Keyword Research
Offline Keyword Research can help you generate keyword suggestions based outside of those available online that can help you better understand what your customer is searching for by evaluating their mindset, motivation and specific needs. Some examples of offline keyword research include:
- Brainstorming
- Marketing Collateral
- Customer surveys
- Listening to customers (salespeople)
Online Keyword Research utilizes online resources that can give you helpful insight into what your customer may be searching for and what they want. Some examples of online keyword research include:
- Google Autocomplete
- Google AdWords
- Keyword Planner
- Google Trends
Considerations of Keyword Research
- Keywords need to be relevant
- Keywords need to generate enough search traffic
- Keywords ideally have low competition
Relevance
It is essential to consider keywords that are relevant to your website and communicate what you do to consumers. Keywords should directly relate to the content of your website and accurately represent your products and services. For example, if you sell coffee, you should select keywords that highlight your product which is coffee.
Traffic
As a business, you want to drive traffic on your website to encourage sales. It is important to ask yourself, Do people actually search for your keyword? Is there “search demand”? Evaluate the consumer mindset to see what they might be searching for and if it aligns with the keywords you have chosen.
Competition
Keywords with low competition can help highlight your brand and its products and services to consumers. It works reduce competition between your brand and other national brands to encourage consumers to choose to buy from you. Long-tail keywords usually have less competition, but also lower search volume (trade off).
Long tail keywords = multi-word phrases
Fat head keywords = one core term as a keyword
