The marketers’ old bag of keyword tricks has become less and less successful as Google’s algorithms have advanced, become more sophisticated, and become more discerning. It’s important to remember that quality and relevance come first. That being said, here are some tips on how to use keywords effectively.
Quick Links
1. Find the Right Search Terms
How do you figure out exactly what phrases people use to look up your main terms?
Thankfully, there are a plethora of tools available to help you create search queries, recommend keywords, and construct initial keyword lists.
In reality, there could be too many tools, making it difficult to cut through the clutter and identify the most appropriate medium at times, but a quick search should turn up some of the best tools. Add this to a thorough comparison of salesforce competition to find the best CRM for your business, and you’ll set yourself up for success.
For several years now, getting voice search right has become critical. According to Rebecca Sentance of Search Engine Watch, Google’s algorithms have become so good at linking search terms to appropriate answers and content that people expect to find exactly what they’re searching for on the first attempt.
Furthermore, while the Internet of Things hasn’t quite set the world on fire yet, it is rapidly expanding, and more connected devices are making their way into people’s daily lives. It’s not hard to imagine a day when every home has a variety of devices with voice search capabilities, allowing people to simply ask whatever questions come to mind and receive prompt reliable responses.
2. Optimize for Voice Searches
Keyword optimization is still an important part of any good content marketing strategy; it’s just become more complex. Keyword stuffing will no longer work in your favor and will actually work against you. Google shifts the goalposts on keyword optimization best practices year after year. Techniques that were effective a year ago can no longer be effective.
Here are some keyword optimization strategies that have ruled the industry since 2018 with that in mind:
Long-tail keywords are more relevant than ever with voice search. As a result of voice scan, the transition to long-tail keywords is critical to SEO performance.
In 2017, virtual assistants such as Cortana, Siri, and Alexa dominated the consumer market. Almost everybody has one of these programs or some kind of voice search capability in their home, on their tablet, or on their desktop computer.
Rather than fiddling with swipe controls or chicken-pecking out a search query, mobile users have gravitated toward voice search. According to Behshad Behzadi of Google, 55 percent of teenagers and 40% of adults use the Google mobile app’s voice search feature on a daily basis. That’s a sizable audience you might be missing out on if you don’t adjust your keyword approach to match their search words.
Traditional search terms and voice search queries will eventually diverge from one another. When speaking into a voice search app, the sound will almost always be more conversational. When using the voice search tool, they are more likely to say, “Google, what are the best keyword optimization strategies I can use?” rather than typing “keyword optimization best practices” into the Google search bar.
Long-tail keywords that embody the conversational tone will become more useful as a result and will better align the user’s purpose with the appropriate piece of content.
3. Don’t Neglect On-Page SEO Strategies
Do you always follow a set of rules when it comes to keyword placement? If that’s the case, you’re probably a bit behind the times. There’s no need to beat your head against the wall to make sure that any blog or piece of content has a keyword in the title, first subhead, or anywhere else. However, when it comes to on-page SEO, keyword positioning still matters.
Despite the fact that this isn’t a new concept, title tags should always use keywords wherever possible, and the sooner, the better. However, if a keyword doesn’t work organically in your title tag, don’t force it in. Any SEO advantages you could gain might be negated if your title tag is awkwardly phrased.
If you can fit your targeted keyword into one of your page’s subheads, that’s fantastic. It should, however, be a perfect fit. It also doesn’t have to be the first subhead. Keyword placement in lower subheads may provide just as much SEO gain.
Come hell or high water; some content marketers would jam a keyword into the first 100 words of a single blog. Although it’s always a good idea to make your main keyword appear early in the process, you don’t want to skip the forest for the woods.
The key thing to note is that your content should get right to the point and not waste time with a lengthy, droning introduction before getting down to business. With that in mind, make sure the keyword appears early in the material to ensure you get right to the heart of the matter.
Another place where a keyword might help is in the URL structure, but it’s just as important to keep it clean and succinct. URLs should not be a long string of nonsense.
Images inside a blog provide additional opportunities to include SEO-friendly elements on your web. Keywords should appear in the image file name and, if possible, in the image alt text. For SEO-conscious marketers, it’s a fairly simple win.
How to Find the Best Keywords
All of this knowledge is useless if you don’t have the right keywords to begin with. How do marketers go about conducting keyword research and compiling the best possible keyword list?
Your current sales collateral and marketing materials might be a good place to start. It is suggested to look through these documents for relevant terms and phrases the company uses to describe its goods and services. If you’ve got those keywords, type them into Google’s search bar, and it’ll give you suggestions for similar searches.
While this is admittedly a little old-school, it is a very useful solution in the absence of sophisticated marketing automation and keyword analysis software.
Another DIY keyword analysis approach suggested is to interview your current customers. Speaking with people who have been in similar situations will help you really understand the challenges your future clients are trying to address.
So, how do you go about keyword optimization? It’s important to keep in mind that it’s not the be-all and end-all of SEO success. However, the material you placed on the website will eventually determine your search rating. It doesn’t matter if you have the best keyword plan in the world if you don’t have high-quality content to back it up.