The world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is more complex than ever in 2020. With Google rolling out new algorithm updates ever so often and keeping us on our toes, one thing that has remained unchanged is optimizing websites through keyword research. It’s simple – if you don’t understand how Google keywords work for SEO, you are bound to lose business. Think about it, how do you generate leads if people can’t find you?
The statistics say the same thing. 93% of the experiences on the Internet start with a search engine. There is a 33% chance of top results on Google getting clicked by users. Do you realize the significance of this? If you are not on the first page of Google, you might as well not exist because 75% of people don't even go to the second page of the Google search results.
That’s why it is crucial to learn continuously and keep yourself updated with the latest SEO techniques. Because even though targeting keywords with the sole intention of building organic traffic may not work, choosing the right keywords using a keyword planner is still pivotal for your SEO strategy to work.
How to search keywords for your business?
Every business is unique and its keywords have to be in sync for its SEO strategy to bear fruit. Follow these steps to get started with keywords and improve your search ranking without risking a Google penalty.
- List Important Topics Related To Your Business
Kick start the process by making a list of relevant topics as per your business niche. For example, if you sell marketing services, think of keywords that a prospective buyer may type in Google to find a similar business. You may come across broader topics like inbound marketing, marketing automation, SEO, lead generation, email marketing, social media marketing and so on. This data can allow you to gauge the monthly search volume and give you different sub-topic ideas to delve deeper.
- Get More Specific With Keywords
Once you have a few topics in mind, you can start narrowing down your ideas by breaking them into sub-topics or keywords. These are words that you feel will boost the rankings of your search engine results and match with your customer’s preferences. For example, if you pick marketing automation, your keywords phrases could include:
- Top marketing automation tools
- What is marketing automation?
- How to use marketing automation software?
The list is endless. There are many keywords tools or keyword planners like Google AdWords that can help you identify keywords beneficial for your business.
- Discover Related Search Terms
If you are having a tough time coming up with keywords that work, you can find related terms by searching on Google. All you have to do is scroll down to the bottom of the page of search results and see what else people are searching for. These related terms can spark new ideas and give you a new direction.
- Find A Balance of Long-tail Keywords and Head Terms
While head terms are short keywords (typically just one to three words), long-tail keywords are longer containing three or more words. Your keyword strategy should incorporate a mix of both to yield the best results.
- Check Your Competitors’ Rankings for Keywords
No, this does not mean you blindly follow the keywords your competitors have picked for themselves. However, understanding how they are utilizing those keywords to get a ranking can give you a fresh perspective. It is possible you may find some common keywords and you should use that to improve your ranking. On the other hand, keywords that your competitors haven’t used but are very important for your business pose a great opportunity worth exploiting. SEMrush is an effective tool that can help you see the top keywords for any domain you enter.
- Finalize Your Keyword List
Google Adwords Keyword Planner and Google Trends are excellent to run reports and know insights like traffic and volume estimates for keywords. Google Trends can guide you which terms are trending upward that is worth sticking to, and which ones you can let go.
Apart from focusing on keywords for enhancing your SEO, there are some other tips to improve your search rankings. Let’s look at them!
- Pay Attention to Your Page Loading Speed
As per data from Strange Loops, a mere 1-second delay in your page loading time can result in a loss of 7% in conversions. If your load speed is too low, Google will notice this and it can impact your rankings. Plus, it can also frustrate people who do click on your link if it takes too long to open.
- Link Building Is Still Relevant
Links building is a pivotal part of a smart SEO strategy. It increases the credibility of your website and gives you an authoritative reputation. You can use outbound links to other authority sites wherever appropriate.
- Optimize Your Site For Mobile Devices
Don’t forget to make your website mobile-friendly. People use their mobiles much more than their laptops and computers. Google recognizes this and ranks sites based on its user-friendliness.
Takeaway
By creating content that matches your user’s intent and using keywords organically, you can optimize your website. Remember to re-evaluate these keywords once in every few months to stay updated. To further enhance your SEO rankings get rid of anything that gets your page loading speed low. Focus on good link building and don’t forget to go mobile-friendly with your website.
Illuminz can get your business spotlighted by crafting well-structured SEO strategies that can bring increased traffic to your site and improve your rankings on search engines. Allow us to be your success partners and help your business flourish. Our team of SEO experts are highly knowledgeable and can offer solutions that fit best in Google algorithms.
So, get in touch with us today if your SEO strategy needs an overhaul. We look forward to hearing from you!
