One of the most basic, yet arguably the most important steps in search engine optimization is keyword research. If you are targeting the wrong words, a top ranking in the search engines will not increase the number of leads you generate or increase sales.
Since keywords are necessary to the success of any search engine optimization (SEO) campaign, it is very important to do extensive research into what search terms potential site visitors actually use.
We consider “short tail” keywords to be the words that you absolutely MUST get found for and if you do, they are strong enough to change your business. For example, Security Door Tucson is a must have a word for Southwest Iron Works.
Long tail keywords are usually short phrases or a combination of words. These words usually have a lower volume of searches but convert at a high level because they are very specific to what are high conversion words but generally do not have as many searches as short tail words.
Looking at what your competition is using in their site is another way to come up with the most relevant keywords for the site. Although it is not suggested to copy the competition’s strategy outright, it would provide a starting point for those who are doing keyword research for their own sites.
Once you’ve found your keywords, determine the popularity or activity of each of the words. There are online tools (both paid and free of charge) that make this part of the job easier.
Any good keyword research tool provides analytic data about the popularity of particular search terms. These tools reflect the search volume for these keywords in a single day. They also present information about the competition for these words by indexing how many sites actually use the terms and how well these sites rank on a search.
Once you have determined the best keywords for the site, it’s time to put them to good use. In general, each page should represent one keyword topic. Create a silo of 3-5 keywords that supports and includes the main word.
Keywords should always be included in all of the on page elements of each page including but not limited to the title, description, alt image and Hx tags.
Get Found Local can help you sift through what works and what doesn’t. The Internet is constantly changing, and so are we.
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