Keywords in SEO help to link your material to the searches people are looking for. Therefore, the success of your website depends on your selecting of appropriate keywords. However, not everyone knows how to choose keywords strategically.
Because essentially, you can choose keywords based on what you want to achieve. Are you looking to increase traffic, boost sales, or improve brand visibility? Each goal usually calls for a different approach on the keyword research process.
Overview/summary:
This article talks about how important it is to pick the right keywords for your website’s SEO strategy. It stresses that the keywords you choose should help you reach your specific goals, such as getting more visitors, making more sales, or making your brand more visible. The purpose is to help you understand the differences between different keywords and how to use them. We also give useful tips on how to do keyword research with both free and paid tools. In the end, there is a step-by-step plan for choosing keywords that are relevant to your website’s goals and viewers.
The Importance of Keywords in SEO Strategy
Shortly speaking, keywords are the backbone of any SEO strategy. They enable search engines to grasp your site’s content, therefore facilitating user access to you. So, proper keyword choice can direct the right traffic to your website, helping to achieve your goals.
According to research by Backlinko, for example, it shows that keywords placed in the URL can increase click-through rates by 45%.
Moreover, long-tail keywords, which are longer and more specific phrases, can significantly boost your content’s visibility. Based on the same research, these keywords usually garner 1.76 times more clicks than shorter, single-word queries.
Thus, incorporating the right mix of keywords, including both high-volume and long-tail keywords, is essential for a successful SEO strategy.
It guarantees that your material fits what your readers are looking for, thereby increasing your chances of showing up higher on search results and attracting the right audiences to your website.
Understanding Different Types of Keywords
To know how to choose keywords, it’s important to understand the different types available first. Keywords can be categorized on certain characteristics, like based on their length, specificity, and user intent. Here’s a breakdown:
- Short-tail Keywords
As the name suggests, these keywords are broad and general terms typically composed of one or two words. Overall, they are highly competitive due to their broad nature and high search volume.
For example, “running shoes” is a short-tail keyword. It’s very general and could refer to a variety of products and brands, making it highly competitive.
On the other hand, because they cover a broad topic, short-tail keywords can attract a large audience, even though they often result in less targeted traffic. This means they might not always bring in the most relevant visitors who are ready to convert.
- Long-tail Keywords
Meanwhile, long-tail keywords are phrases that are longer and more specific. They generally have three words or more, don’t have as much competition, and don’t get as many searches as shorter ones.
The specificity of long-tail keywords means that users searching for these terms are usually further along in the buying process and have a clearer idea of what they want. As a result, these keywords can attract a more qualified audience to your site.
Let’s see this phrase: “best nike running shoes for marathon”. That’s an example of a long-tail keyword. As you can see, it targets a very specific search intent (Nike customers who do marathons) which often leads to higher conversion rates.
- LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) Keywords
Basically, LSI keywords are terms related to the main keyword that help search engines understand the content’s context. So, they are not synonyms, but rather related terms that provide additional context.
For example, if your main keyword is “benefits of eating eggs,” LSI keywords might include “nutritional value of eggs” or “egg health benefits.”
Using these types of keywords can improve the relevance of your content, making it easier for search engines to determine what your page is about. This can enhance your chances of ranking higher in SERP and attracting a more targeted audience.
- Local Keywords
For your information, local SEO has become one of the most used SEO strategies nowadays. If you want to implement this strategy, then using local keywords is the key.
They are essentially words or phrases specific to a geographic location and are used to attract users looking for services or products in their area.
For instance, “SEO services Indonesia” or “best pizza in New York” are local keywords, because they include a specific locality. Optimizing these keywords will help you to improve visibility in local search results.
Defining Your Website’s Goals
The next step on how to choose keywords is defining what is your website’s intent or goal. It is essentially the same with four user intents in SEO, which include:
- Informational: Enhancing User Knowledge
If your goal is to provide information, you’ll want to focus on informational keywords. They attract users who are looking to learn or solve a problem.
These keywords often start with “how, what, why,” or “guide.” Let’s say you’re running a blog about cooking, then an informational keyword could be “how to make pasta from scratch.”
- Transactional: Driving Sales or Conversions
The next user intent is transactional, so for websites aiming to drive sales or conversions, transactional keywords are key. So, these keywords target users who are ready to make a purchase.
To use this, you can include action-oriented words like “buy, order, discount, or coupon.” An example of a transactional keyword might be “buy iPhone 16 online.”
- Navigational: Helping Users Find Specific Pages
Meanwhile, navigational keywords help users find a specific page or resource on a website. These are often branded terms, like “Nike running shoes”, “Quillbot AI checker” or “Amazon login.”
If your goal is to direct users to a particular page, such as your homepage or a product page, navigational keywords are the answer.
- Commercial: Generating Interest in Products or Services
If in transactional keywords the users are ready to buy, then commercial keywords are used by people who are in the consideration stage of the buying process. They might be searching for product reviews, comparisons, or maybe recommendations.
Keywords like “best running shoes 2024” or “iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 15” fall into this category. These keywords help capture users who are researching their options before making a purchase.
Identifying Your Target Market
Next, you should know how to choose keywords based on the target market. Remember, different audiences have different needs and search behaviors. For example, business owners will have different queries with employees or entrepreneurs.
Once you know who your audience is, you can choose keywords that resonate with their needs and interests. But, how is exactly the right way to define your target market?
Simply put, just identify the specific group of people who are most likely to use your products or services. You should understand their demographics, interests, and online behaviors.
Let’s say you are an owner of a fitness blog, then your target market might be health-conscious individuals aged 20-40 who frequently search for workout tips, fitness tools or gadgets, and maybe healthy recipes.
How to Conduct Keyword Research
Effective keyword research is the foundation of a successful SEO strategy. There are free tools and methods that can help you find the right keywords without breaking the bank, but you can also use paid ones to get better results. Let’s explore them here.
Using Free and Easy Keyword Research Methods
Don’t have the budget? Don’t worry! Luckily, you don’t always need expensive tools to get started. Here are some free and easy methods to find valuable keywords:
- Google Auto-Suggest and People Also Ask
One of the simplest ways to discover new keywords is by using Google’s Auto-Suggest and People Also Ask features. When you start typing a query into Google, it automatically suggests popular searches related to your query.
For instance, if you type “best SEO tools” Google might suggest “best SEO tools for small businesses” or “best SEO tools for beginners.” These suggestions are based on actual search data, making them a goldmine for keyword ideas.
Additionally, the “People Also Ask” section that appears in Google search results can provide further insights. This section lists related questions that people are searching for, which can help you understand the different angles of your topic.
(from personal screenshot)
For example, if you search for “best SEO tools for beginners,” you might see questions like “How do I start SEO for beginners?” or “Is SEO good for beginners?” These related questions can inspire content ideas and help you cover various topics.
- Google Search Console
Google Search Console (GSC) is another valuable free tool for keyword research. It’s particularly useful if you already have a website. This tool allows you to see which keywords are driving traffic to your site.
You can use the feature “Performance Report”, to identify which queries bring users to your pages and how they interact with your content.
You can also use this information to discover “Opportunity Keywords,” which are terms where your site ranks on the second page of search results.
With just a little extra optimization, you might be able to push these keywords to the first page, boosting your visibility and traffic. Also, GSC can help you identify keywords that are underperforming to help refine your strategy and improve contents.
- Customer Conversations, or Online Forums
If you want to know how to choose keywords or topic ideas directly from your target audiences, try to engage with customers and browse online forums like Reddit, Quora, or social media.
Direct conversations with customers can reveal the specific questions and concerns they have, which can be turned into content topics. If your customers frequently ask about how to use a product effectively, try creating content addressing this question.
Another example, try searching for discussions related to your niche on platforms like Quora or Reddit, where you can find common questions and topics that people are interested in. It also helps to understand the context and intent behind those searches.
Using Paid Keyword Research Tools
Paid tools often offer advanced features that can significantly enhance your strategy. But, how to choose keywords using these paid features and what are the options? Here’s a detailed look at some of the most popular tools:
- Google Keyword Planner
Because it’s from Google, Google Keyword Planner is a powerful tool for finding keyword ideas directly from Google. It’s particularly valuable because it provides data from the source itself, ensuring high accuracy.
When you use this tool you can see metrics like search volume, competition level, and suggested bid prices for each keyword. This can help you understand how competitive a keyword is and how much advertisers are willing to pay for it.
- SEMrush
Another top-tier tool for keyword research is SEMrush, because it offers a comprehensive suite of features. Unlike Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush provides insights into the keywords that your competitors are ranking for.
By analyzing your competitors’ domains, this tool can uncover keyword opportunities that you might not have considered. SEMrush also provides detailed metrics like keyword difficulty, search volume, and traffic potential.
- Ahrefs
The next one in this list is Ahrefs, with its “Keyword Explorer” tool that provides in-depth data about each keyword, including search volume, keyword difficulty, and the number of clicks that results receive.
One of its key features is the ability to show you the keyword’s potential traffic and the number of search results that users click on. This helps you gauge how hard it is to rank for a keyword and also how valuable it can be in terms of actual traffic.
- Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest is created by a popular SEO expert, Neil Patel, and it is a versatile tool for generating keyword ideas. It was initially known for scraping Google Suggest terms but has since expanded its feature set.
This tool provides a range of keyword data, including search volume, average CPC, and SEO competition. Its “Keyword Ideas” feature is particularly useful for finding long-tail keywords that may have lower competition but high relevance.
Read : 15 Top Content Marketing Tools in 2024
How to Choose Keywords Based on Your Website’s Goals
Once you’ve gathered a list of potential keywords based on all guides above, it’s time to narrow it down. Here’s how to choose the most relevant keywords for your website:
- Relevance to Content
To ensure your keywords align with your website’s goals, you need to focus on relevance. Remember, the chosen keywords should accurately reflect the content and topics of your website.
As an example, if your site is about eco-friendly travel, using keywords related to “sustainable travel tips” or “eco-friendly travel kit” will attract visitors interested in these specific topics.
- Search Volume
Another critical factor is search volume, which indicates how often a keyword is searched for. You can check this insight using paid tools explained before, like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush.
High search volume keywords typically generate more traffic, but they also face greater competition. Ideally, you should target keywords with a balance between a high search volume and manageable competition.
While high-volume keywords can drive significant traffic, they might also be harder to rank for. So, for niche markets or specific topics, long-tail keywords with lower search volumes but more targeted queries can be effective.
For instance, “best cheap cameras for beginner content creators” might have lower search volume than “cheap cameras” but it can attract users who are closer to making a purchase decision.
- Keyword Competition
Next, you must know how to choose keywords based on the competition to set realistic expectations and strategies. Of course, highly competitive keywords often require more effort and resources to rank for.
You can use tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush to help analyze the difficulty of ranking for specific keywords. However, when evaluating this metric, consider both the level of difficulty and the quality of the content that already ranks.
If you find that top-ranking sites are authoritative and well-established, it might be wise to focus on less competitive, niche keywords where you have a better chance of ranking.
- User Intent
At the beginning of this article, we’ve mentioned user intent, which is essential for choosing keywords that align with your website’s goals. It refers to the purpose behind a search query (informational, commercial, transactional, and navigational).
To help you refresh, you can scroll back to Defining Your Website’s Goals above. But in essence, aligning your keywords with user intent ensures that your content meets the needs of your audience at different stages of their journey.
The Final Step
Once you’ve selected your keywords, organize them into a list to help you apply them in articles. Here’s a useful tip: use a spreadsheet to track each keyword, its search volume, competition level, and the content it’s associated with.
This way, you can track all the researched keywords and ensure you’re targeting the right keywords with the right content, easily and systematically.
Takeaway
To sum up, choosing the right keywords is a must for any SEO strategy. It helps you create content that attracts the right audience and drives meaningful results. At Toombooh’s content writing services, we alway craft content based on this approach to ensure highest quality.
Remember, the key to success is to stay focused on your audience’s needs and continuously refine your strategy based on performance.
So, don’t forget to implement this guidance on how to choose keywords for a website to help your research process. However, since there’s no exact rule in this always-changing SEO world, feel free to join the discussion, provide feedback, or share your own opinion here!
FAQ
- How to choose keywords for a website?
Start by understanding your website’s goals, then research keywords that align with those goals. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or other to find keywords related to your business or niche.
- How to decide what keywords to target?
Are your target users looking for information, transaction, navigation, or commercial purposes? Deciding which keywords to target involves analyzing their relevance to your business goals. So, start by considering the intent behind each keyword.
You can also decide based on relevance to your content, search volume, competition, and user intent. Focus on keywords that will help you achieve your website’s objectives.
- How do I target my website with keywords?
It involves naturally integrating keywords into your article. Start by including primary keywords in key sections such as headings/subheadings and meta descriptions. Make sure to use them in a way that reads naturally and provides value to your readers.
Optimize each page for maximum 1-2 keywords only and avoid keyword stuffing; instead, aim for a natural flow by using synonyms/variations of the keywords.
- How do you choose your target keywords for the sites you work on?
At Toombooh, we choose our keywords based on a structured approach. We analyze the audience’s search intent, use a mix of keyword research tools, gather data on keywords volume and competition, and analyze them based on our website’s goals.
You can just follow the step-by-step guide above to learn more on how we do keyword research.
