Keywords are still a cornerstone of search engine optimization, but keyword research has changed significantly over the years. After all, Google’sGoogle’s algorithm is constantly evolving to keep up with searchers’ needs and preferences. In this post, we’re going to talk about how you can use new keyword research techniques to find untapped keywords for your small business that will drive more traffic to your website.
Quick Links
Use Seed Keywords as a Starting Point
Start with seed keywords, words you already know your customers are searching for. These can be found in your website analytics or search engine keywords report. In Google Analytics, head to the Audience tab > Behavior > Site Search > Search Terms and click on the “View Report” button in the upper right-hand corner of the table display.
It’sIt’s easy to see what people are searching for when they come to your business” website or online store. But if you don’t have a robust system yet (or if you’re still trying to figure out how all this stuff works), it may take some time before any valuable insights emerge from this data. It’sIt’s best not to rush into anything; waiting until you’ve gathered enough information will allow better decision-making down the road.
Perform Keyword Research
You’ll need to know how to perform keyword research if you’re looking to optimize your website and utilize various small business SEO strategies. It is the process of finding keywords that people are searching for online, likely leading visitors to your site. The more specific your keywords are, the better they’re likely to be at driving traffic and conversions.
Google makes it easy for small business owners like you by providing free tools that make performing keyword research quick and easy. Google even has a KW research tool called Keyword Planner which can help guide you through this process and show some competitive insights into what people might be searching for about your business.
You can also use other free resources such as MozBar (which comes with an SEO toolbar), Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, or SEMRush Traffic Research Toolkit as part of your overall strategy when trying out new ideas during this process too.
Refine Your List of Keywords
As you go through the process of developing your list of keyword ideas, it’s important to keep refining your list. An excellent way to do this is by using a keyword tool to identify the most popular, profitable, and relevant keywords. If a tool doesn’t offer all of these types of results, then it’s likely not going to be helpful in helping you find good long-tail keywords.
The best keyword tool will also show how competitive each keyword is (i.e., how many other businesses are bidding on that term). You want to avoid highly competitive terms because they are usually too expensive or too complicated for small businesses like yours right now.
Analyze Search Intent
Search intent is the reason a user is searching. It can be divided into informational, navigational, and transactional.
Informational search intent is when the user wants to learn about something. For example, if someone were looking for “best SEO practices for small businesses,” they would have an informational search intent because they want to learn more about SEO practices but don’t necessarily have an immediate need (i.e., they are not ready to buy).
Navigational search intent occurs when users look for specific information on sites that provide it. For example, if someone searched for “how do I start my own business?” this would be considered navigation based because they are asking how to start their own business (navigation).
Transactional searches occur when users want to take action, such as purchasing something or finding directions.
Incorporate Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are more specific and less competitive than shorter keyword phrases. It means that long-tail keywords are much easier to rank for, and you’re more likely to be found by people searching for that specific phrase.
When you optimize your website for long-tail keyword phrases, it’s wiser to try and target fewer terms with higher-quality content than many low-quality terms. There’sThere’s no point in putting up some mediocre content on your site if the result will be a drop in rankings and traffic due to low CTR or bounce rate.
Optimize for Local SEO
Local SEO is an ample opportunity for small businesses. The reason is simple; people search for local companies with their mobile phones more than any other device. To attract customers from nearby, you must optimize your website and digital marketing activities accordingly.
The first step in local SEO is finding the right keywords, and these will help people discover your company when they search online using Google or other engines. Then, you need to optimize those pages with content relevant to those specific searches so they can be found by potential customers looking for services in their area.
Bottomline
Using a comprehensive approach to keyword research is essential because different tools will yield different results. For example, Google’sGoogle’s Keyword Planner will only tell you how many searches there are for a given keyword and its estimated cost per click (CPC). However, this information isn’t always relevant or accurate.
For example, if you have an eCommerce site selling pet products and want to rank for “dog training,” then it makes sense that the CPC would be high—there are probably many advertisers bidding on that term. You’dYou’d be wasting money if you paid that much for clicks from people looking for dog trainers (unless they were also on the lookout for training supplies).
As you can see from these tips, the keyword research process is not one-size-fits-all. It requires careful planning and attention to the nuances of your industry. But by putting in the time upfront, you’ll be able to identify effective keywords that will help your site rank higher in search results and increase sales.