Words are fundamental to everyday conversation. We use words to live, to pose questions, to provide direction, to express emotions and to engage in work. It has been suggested that the average American says about 16,000 words per day. Amazing, right? As the famous author of “Little Women,” Louisa May Alcott said, “I like good strong words that mean something.”
Words used in SEO (for internet search) are called keywords and in today’s digital world they are also incredibly important in achieving business awareness, preference and success.
Why are Keywords Important for Business?
Keywords are specific words or phrases that help search engines find a business along with the topics, terms and content that will be relevant to searchers for those items. In short, if a business is to be found, understood and acted on, the right keywords must be built into searchable content, including the business website, blogs, newsletters and social media material.
Keywords are important because they connect a user with what they may be searching for and the information that a business provides about its products, services, benefits and promises. Search, therefore, depends on really knowing the target customer—what they may be interested in, how they may communicate and how they ask about topics of interest. Without having the right keywords and content specifically structured to provide useful information about a given term, users won’t be able to find and utilize the information or take appropriate action. Said another way, a business can’t just throw a bunch of words on a page and expect results.
How to Do Keyword Research
Finding the right keywords that work successfully with SEO involves the following research efforts—all oriented to meet the needs of the business’ target audience:
- Think about your business and identify the critical terms that define what your business offers.
- Review competitive websites and look at the terms used in their titles, headings and contents.
- Use available online research tools including the Google Research tool, Wordtracker, Keyword Explorer, and others, to define and list appropriate keywords.
- Use the available information to see how popular the selected keywords are and how difficult it may be to rank high in SEO search.
- Build the specific phrases that make sense for your business.
SEO Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid these mistakes that will ruin your SEO search efforts:
- Don’t just overuse or “stuff” keywords into content.
- Don’t use content that isn’t centered on what the keywords are about.
- Don’t copy someone else’s content.
- Don’t forget to employ quality analytics.
Seek Professional Marketing Assistance
When you need to tackle tough marketing challenges, including an effective online presence, SEO search and keyword development, contact VisionPATH Marketing, with more than 15 years of experience working with small businesses, we have developed powerful marketing strategies and tools to help you succeed.
