One thing doesn’t change when it comes to Google. They might update algorithms to fight spam and change the way they calculate rankings, but one thing stays constant: the importance of researching keywords that will help your search engine optimization.
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What is Keyword Research?
Keyword research can be fun for those who know how to do it, but for beginners, it can create a world of pain until you grasp the concept. So what exactly is keyword research?
You have to do keyword research to make sure you’re finding the words and terms that web surfers use when they do Google searches. Remember that people type in words or phrases every time they are looking for something, and if you provide the product, service or information they might be looking for, you want them to see your website link first.
Researching the keywords used can reveal queries you can zone in on, so you can find out how many people are searching for them, how difficult they are to rank for, and more.
Create an SEO Keyword Strategy
The keyword research process means creating a strategy that helps you develop a list of keywords and terms where you should focus. Here are a few steps that could make this job easier for you:
List essential topics relating to your industry
Create headings with industry-related subjects for ranking. Think about your business and industry and consider what topics will draw your target audience’s attention.
Identify keywords and list them under the relevant headings
Begin adding keywords and phrases that come to mind under each heading. Don’t worry too much about what you’re adding at this stage, but ultimately, you’re looking for relevant search terms that will rank in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Find the Most Searched Keywords for Your Strategic SEO
You can use Google Analytics or similar software to check organic search statistics and add any keywords people use to find your website under the relevant heading on your keyword list. After that, begin adding keywords under each heading using the methods below to zone in on the best keywords and phrases.
Use Google autocomplete
The easiest way to search for keywords is to start entering a term into the Google search box. As you begin typing in the phrase, Google suggests related keywords using autocomplete, which looks a little like predictive text on your cell phone does.
Depending on what you type into the search bar, Google spits out endings to your term, which you can jot down.
Find more keywords using related searches
You’ll want more keywords, so look at the related search terms that Google gives after you type in a phrase. Scroll to the end of the Google results page, and you’ll see some suggested popular searches which could trigger other keyword ideas.
Use Google Keyword Planner
People mainly use Google Keyword Planner as a tool for Google Ads campaigns, but it’s also a resource you can use for free to find trending keywords to include in your content. This feature gives you an idea of how regularly words get searched for and whether the popularity of those words increases or decreases over time.
Use Google Trends
Google Trends is probably the best way to identify popular marketing topics and trending keywords. The feature allows you to search for any word under the sun and see its search volume hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or over the last year. You can go as far back as 2004 if you think it’ll help!
Other Methods or Tools You Can Use to Search for Popular Keywords on Google
Other ways to look for keywords are to check out the trending keywords on social media platforms like Twitter and Reddit or identify trending social media hashtags using software like Keyhole. You could also use several SEO and keyword research tools to improve your search volume.
Here’s a handy real-time way to find keywords. Twitter provides you with words that are trending globally. You can also satisfy any specific target audience’s needs by checking out the trending searches and hashtags within a particular country.
Having a browse through Reddit can be handy for identifying popular keywords. A topic getting a bucket load of ‘upvotes’ is a clear indicator of Reddit user interest, and, as it’s a large platform, these trending topics will include plenty of popular keywords. You can use these topics to your benefit by listing their included keywords.
Keyhole
With Keyhole, you can identify hashtags from all over social media, making it an excellent tool for quickly researching the social media market. You can set up email notifications that help monitor the most searched keywords through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms.
Use other available tools to research keyword ideas
Many SEO and keyword research tools are available to help you find trending keywords for your keyword strategy. Use tools like Ubersuggest, SEMrush, Moz, Ahrefs and SECockpit to your advantage.
Choosing Your Final SEO Keyword List
After you complete your search, you can start running with the best and most appropriate keywords under each heading.
Select a mixture of long-tail keywords and head terms
Head terms are one to three words long, while long-tail words contain over three. Choosing a mixture of these to use in your strategy will strike a balance for your long and short-term goals. Head terms can be difficult to rank for, but targeted long-tail words will significantly boost your traffic.
Check your competitor’s ranking for your chosen keywords
Strike a balance with keywords your competitors rank for and include some your opposition doesn’t. It makes sense to improve your ranking on words you have in common if your competition is already ranking for them, but building a market share with ones they’ve seemingly ignored will benefit you too.
In Closing
After you’ve applied everything above, you should have a list of longer phrases and short words which are the most searched keywords on Google for your specific target market. Remember to re-evaluate these every three months to ensure they’re still trending.
If doing your own keyword research sounds like too much hard work, why not try my keyword service link down below? It’ll take the headache out of the process and show you what terms you need to cover to rank higher on the Google search results for your topic!
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Sources:
- https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/
- https://www.semrush.com/lp/sem-aeoy-2/en/?kw=semrush&cmp=Africa_SRCH_Brand_Semrush_EN&label=brand_semrush&Network=g&Device=c&utm_content=570441265908&kwid=kwd-12358836513&cmpid=13703369445&agpid=125852129882&BU=Brand_Semrush&extid=&adpos=&gclid=CjwKCAjw79iaBhAJEiwAPYwoCM0Mn1Lsmg-dZw-niOpJCgKIwumFToffdiJB23dRBLV_bdYntbEOOxoCaJcQAvD_BwE&e=1
- https://moz.com/keyword-research-tool?utm_campaign=sitelinks&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CjwKCAjw79iaBhAJEiwAPYwoCIL8P7oFrFW2J3UJSE0wXZz9HghO0ltZBxsgME6ys-X8CFWyYXZmXRoCv6wQAvD_BwE
- https://ahrefs.com/
- https://secockpit.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw79iaBhAJEiwAPYwoCHAT3BBafTj8vUMfp11raD4QMjkpTsDVZA2zZzqjkQV6_tB0NBhWzhoCAuAQAvD_BwE#a_aid=50250b8332aaa&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SEC%20-%20GS%20-%20EN%20-%20All%20%7C%20Brand%20Name&utm_content=Brand%20SECockpit&utm_term=secockpit
- https://tortoisecashflow.com/low-competition-keyword-service-by-tortoise-cash-flow/