Many business owners and digital marketers see SEO (search engine optimization) as a complex and ever-changing beast that is difficult to tame.
And to be fair, they’re not wrong. However, one key component of Topnotch SEO that, when done correctly, can have a profound and positive impact on your website’s visibility and search ranking: is keyword research.
Simply put, keyword research is the process of identifying the words and phrases potential customers use to search for products or services like yours.
Once you’ve identified these keywords, you can integrate them into your website’s content (including blog posts, product descriptions, etc.) to improve your site’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs).
But why is keyword research so important? Let’s take a closer look.
Keyword research helps you understand your customers’ needs.
To identify the right keywords to target, you need first to understand what exactly it is that your potential customers are looking for.
You can accomplish it through market research (surveys, interviews, etc.) and by analyzing your competitor’s websites and the keywords they are targeting.
With this information in hand, you can then begin to develop a list of keywords that you believe would be most beneficial for your business to target.
There are four types of keywords in Topnotch SEO
1. Navigational: These are keywords that people use when they are looking for a specific website or brand (e.g., “Facebook” or “Twitter”).
2. Informational: These are keywords people use when looking for information on a particular topic (e.g., “how to start a business”).
3. Transactional: These are keywords that people use when looking to make a purchase (e.g., “buy shoes online”).
4. Commercial: These are keywords people use when looking for a specific product or service (e.g., “personal trainer”).
Keyword research ensures that your website is visible for relevant searches.
If you want people to find your website when searching for terms related to your business, then you need to ensure that those terms are included on your site.
That’s where keyword research comes in. By identifying the right keywords to target, you can ensure that your site appears in SERPs for relevant searches. And the higher your site ranks in SERPs, the more likely people will click through to your site.
Keyword research improves your chances of conversion.
Once someone has clicked through to your website from a SERP, it’s up to you to convert them into a paying customer.
And one of the best ways to do that is by ensuring that your site’s content is relevant to their needs.
For example, if someone clicks through to your site after searching for “shoes for wide feet,” but the only thing they find on your site is a blog post about “How to Choose Running Shoes,” they’re less likely than if they had found a product page for wide-width shoes. In other words, relevant content = higher conversion rate. And it all starts with keyword research.
Conclusion:
As you can see, keyword research plays a significant role in SEO success.
By taking the time to understand what potential customers are looking for and incorporating those keywords into your website’s content, you can improve your site’s visibility in SERPs and its chances of conversion.
So if you’re not already doing keyword research as part of your SEO strategy, now is the time to start!
