What are SEO Keywords?
SEO keywords (also known as “keywords” or “keyphrases”) are search terms added to a page or post in order to improve search engine rankings for those terms. The goal is when people search for that phrase, they should find you.
Why are SEO Keywords Important?
When you optimize your content around words and phrases that people search for, your website can rank higher for those terms on a SERP ( Search Engine Results Page ). Each page or post should reflect an overall strategy based on content your audience is looking for.
What Are Long Tail Keywords?
Long tail keywords are search terms with relatively low search volume and competition levels. They tend to be longer in length ( 3+ words ). Single-word SEO keywords are much more difficult to rank. Since long tail keywords are not as competitive, this makes them easier to rank. In addition, long tail keywords have higher conversion rates since they tend to be more specific.
Choose the Right Keywords, Keyphrase
- Research a focus keyword, keyphrase. Search for words or phrases related to your products or services using Google Suggest / autocomplete which is a search engine function providing suggestions to users as they enter in their search term. Also try scrolling to the bottom of Google’s search results to a section called, “Searches Related to…” This can be a gold mine of information.
- Research the search volume. Once you find a search term you want to rank for, research how often certain words are searched and how those have evolved over time. Google Trends should help shed some light and provide insight on search volume.
- Google your keyphrase. Does your idea of the term align with the expectations of the people who use these search terms? The focus here is on search intent. Simply search your proposed keywords and see whether the content meets people’s actual needs.
Not Every Page Needs a Focus Keyword
Ask yourself: does this post / page need to rank in the long term? Simple as that.
We also wrote an article on SEO meta descriptions. Learn how these tags can help with your overall keyword strategy.