Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has evolved so much in the last couple of years. You can’t just stuff keywords everywhere and expect to climb the rankings in search. Now, you need to create informative and relevant content that specifically addresses your target audience’s problems and interests.
Keyword Research involves finding the words and phrases your target audience uses when typing their queries into a search engine. It allows you to build a list of keywords you want to rank for. It works together with your content strategy helps you develop a strong SEO standing. Hence, this is why keyword research tools are essential for any content marketer’s toolkit.
1) Organic Traffic Is Still Crucial
For every company, organic traffic remains one of the most important sources of traffic. Appearing on the first page positions yourself as the industry expert to help others solve their problems. Moreover, by appearing on the first page for multiple but relevant keywords, people will engage with your content more.
By continuing to provide informative and relevant content, it creates a good impression in the eyes of your visitors. And with proper usage of CTAs and content offer, you can turn them into leads.
According to statistics, the higher your ranking, you will attract more readers to come to visit your site. The first position on Google search results on desktop draws a 30% click-through rate. The click-through falls the lower your rankings.
2) Four types of Keywords to Consider
Generally, people use four different kinds of keywords when they’re using a search engine.
Informational
It usually starts with a question because the people are looking for tips, solutions and insights on a specific challenge.
Navigational
Very often, the searcher already knows a particular feature or a product or service. Often, they will search by typing a product or brand name.
Transactional
For this, the searcher has probably done some research and understanding their problems. Now they are ready to dive deeper, that is to convert.
Commercial
Keywords could include pricing, buy or even subscription, keywords and phrases that indicate their readiness to purchase.
3) Never-ending Research
Keyword research is an ongoing task, just like of your digital marketing tactics which you should aim to optimise. Your list of keywords will change according to the search behaviour of people. Your list will evolve and grow over time, especially when reaching out to new markets or introducing new offerings. Therefore, you can’t keep creating content around a specific list of keywords and must continuously keep up to date.
4) Keywords Relate to your Topic Clustering Strategy
In order to stay ahead of the competition, organisations and marketers have to ensure your keywords are linked to your topic clusters constantly.
Topic clustering works when you create a single pillar page that acts as a comprehensive resource covering an overarching generic topic. There, you can create other content pages that cover related subtopics of that pillar page and ultimately, to link them all together internally. Using topic clustering together with keyword research will score big for your SEO.
5) Spy On Your Competitors
So how do we define success in your SEO efforts?
Of course, part of measuring your success will likely be influenced by how well you’re standing out amongst the market you’re in.
It is where competitive intelligence tools come into play. You need to use tools to track your rankings and see how they change over time as compared to your competitors. It allows you to identify where you are gaining or losing traction and find opportunities to improve your content strategy. This competitive intelligence reports should be part of your keyword research strategy because they influence one another.
As your SEO evolves, your keyword research game should keep pace as well. It remains a vital part of your SEO strategy. Together with informative and relevant content and prominent CTAs, your website is on the right path to converting visitors into leads.
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