UNDERSTANDING KEYWORDS
FOR SEO

Have you ever Googled your business? If you come up on the first page, you should be doing the happy dance. If not, it’s time to get to work. Ranking on the first page of Google takes effort, but using the right keywords can help you get there. When you take the time to research, select, and implement the best keywords for SEO, it boosts your visibility and helps your business grow. When you start understanding keywords for SEO you will see the results. 

KEYWORDS

Keywords are topics or ideas that give an overview of  your content.  When it comes to SEO, keywords or key phrases are what searchers use when they are looking for more information for a specific topic.

When you market your business online, you want to make sure your content is beneficial and intentional to your ideal client. Doing this will attract your ideal client and increase the possibility of converting them to customers. 

One of the first steps in your SEO strategy should be to research and create a list of keywords that would attract your ideal clients. Putting in the effort up front will minimize your work and lay the foundation for all other SEO efforts. With this being said, make sure your keywords are highly effective and relevant. 

LONG-TAIL KEYWORDS

Long-tail keyword refers a combination of multiple & specific words relevant to a topic. It is best to optimize your pages and posts with a long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords have lower search volumes, but attract more relevant traffic. Long-tail keywords are less competitive but can be geared towards your specific niche.

For example:

Realtor

Residential Realtor

Houston Residential Realtor

Houston Designer and Residential Realtor

The more specific your keywords are, the less competitive they become. If someone searches “realtor,” you will be competing with billions of other results. Using highly specific, long-tail keywords gives you a better chance of being noticed by the very people looking for you. 

IMPORTANCE OF KEYWORDS

Without keywords, your content will be extremely difficult to find through a search engine. 95% of U.S. internet users use search engines every single month. Without keywords, you are limiting your exposure. If you’re going to take the time to blog, do your due diligence and make sure to maximize your efforts. 

WEBSITE KEYWORDS

Keywords are not just reserved for your blog; your website should utilize keywords as well. Your keywords should be related to your businesses and the services you offer. Describe your work, the products you sell, the benefits you offer, etc. If you were looking for your specific service, what would you keywords would you search?  Use those keywords throughout the pages of your website.  Don’t spam your site with keywords; use them organically. 

PICKING THE RIGHT KEYWORDS

First, create a way to organize your keywords. This can be an Excel file, Word doc, etc.  With any marketing strategy you want to think like your ideal client. Although we know our businesses so intimately, try to think about what your ideal client wants. Just because you know the answers and information in your field, don’t assume your ideal client does too.  Remember to include adjectives or different variations with your keywords.  

If you are having trouble coming up with keywords use the Google search bar or Pinterest. Type in a keyword and the search bar will autofill with commonly searched keywords and/or phrases. There are several other resources for keywords available. 

SEO doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Break it down and work on it a task at a time. Learning how keywords work is the first step to improving your rank. Traffic generation takes time and can be a process. When you gain an understanding of keywords for SEO, you can utilize different sorts of traffic options and will start to see results.