Today we discuss the most advanced 7 ways to do keyword research to rank higher in Google searches. Online competition is getting tough each day. More websites addressing similar challenges and targeting the same audiences keep rising. Even the older and more authoritative sites have to find ways to remain relevant and competitive.
What has remained constant, however, is the need for quality content created with the audience in mind. Ultimately, several factors determine and dictate how well your content ranks on search engines. Among these factors, a keyword is indisputably the most prominent metric and the one you must get right if your content is to perform better amidst stiff competition.
How then do you know the exact keywords to use in your content? In this article, we guide you on how to conduct keyword research and use it to push your content for better ranking. Let’s get started.
Initial Keyword Research: Make a List
Think of the most natural words your target audience will use to search for content, goods, or services online. What words are they likely to enter on the search bar? Get into their thoughts and try to act like you were in their position. Then make a list of possible keywords, both in long-form and short-form.
For instance, if you were selling tablets, your list of keywords might include :
- Best tablets
- Latest tablets
- Android tablets/ Apple tablets
- Affordable tablets
- Tablets for work
- Tablets with space/speed
- Tablet prices in Hong Kong
The number and intensity of keywords you develop are determined by factors such as the kind of products and your niche. Your challenge now is picking the most appropriate keywords.
There are several free and paid tools that can help you research keyword usage. Such tools help to highlight the popularity or how intensely a keyword has been searched across search engines. Although you can trust your instinct in picking the right keyword, such tools can significantly guide you to the right choice
Evaluate Competition: What are they doing?
The fundamental role of keyword is helping you to rank above the competition. You must, therefore, put some effort into evaluating what competitors are doing. A straightforward way to go about it is directly searching your keyword(s) on Google and other search engines. From the results displayed, you will get a picture of aspects such as :
- The type of content using similar keywords
- Domain URLs matching your chosen keyword
- The authority of the sites
- Titles and tags used and so on
By the time you get into creating content, you have an idea of what others are doing and what you can do differently to rise above them.
Understand Audience Intentions: What content are they looking for?
Why is anyone interested in visiting your site? What information, products, or services are they looking for?
If you get the correct answer to these questions, then you will perform better on your keyword placement. Learn what drives audiences to your site and craft content that responds to their needs. Some searchers land on your site by accident; it’s your duty to make them stay and possibly convert them into paying clients. Others come around because you specifically have the information, products, or services they seek. Take time to understand the diversity of your audiences.
Decide on the Concept: How will you implement the keywords?
There are several approaches to using keywords online. From Google Ads, blog posts, social media platforms, product pages, DIY guides, and so on.
Choose the most appropriate concept that will entice and hook up your target audience. Your aim should be to use the most captivating approach to win visitors and make them stay.
Execute: Get things done
Search engines are constantly looking for high-quality content. Having done the groundwork, it’s now time to do the hard work.
Don’t rush to insert your chosen keywords into content that no one will be interested in. Instead, take your time to craft informative, catchy, and interesting content and use the keywords a number of times. This is your opportunity to utilize long-tail and short-form keywords throughout your content.
Optimize: Use various means to ensure Keyword visibility online
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has evolved significantly over the years. In most cases, it’s not easy to tell exactly the algorithm search engines to use to rank content. However, there are several tried and tested tactics that work across the board. Here are some of them
- Use the chosen keywords a number of times in your content. Be careful to distribute them carefully.
- Combine images, videos, text, and infographics where necessary.
- Use keywords in headlines and text in a natural way. Please don’t force it.
- Improve on keywords that are delivering traffic to your site. Find ways of enhancing them.
Optimizing keywords for search engines is an ongoing process for new and old content. From time to time, the content will need to be refreshed, twisted, or adjusted to meet the changing demands.
Promote Your Content
The more visibility your content gets online, the higher the chances of better ranking and overall performance.
The online space today provides several options and channels to promote any kind of content. From social media to business websites, paid blog posts, influencers, Google Ads, and others, there are several choices. Some of them might be costly. Others, such as your own website, give you an opportunity to create amazing content in your own style. Take advantage of them to optimize and promote your content.
- Share your content across social media platforms
- Build inbound and outbound links
- Activate share buttons for your content
Bonus Tip: Analyze keyword performance
The tips shared here will help you to get the keyword process right. Nonetheless, you have a cardinal duty to analyze how various keywords affect content performance. Are they driving organic content to your site? What variants of the same keywords are searchers using? This follow-up is also essential for better performance.
The Final Word
Content creators must prioritize the proper use of keywords at all times. Indeed, it’s a daunting task but with desirable results in the end. The steps highlighted here will help you to kick start your journey to better ranking on search engines. Over time, you will find out exactly what works for your niche and your target audience. Most importantly, don’t compromise the quality of the content you create. Make it an essential part of the ranking process.