We've all heard of the elusive algorithm... whether it's Instagram's, Google's, or Twitter's. But no matter how that ever-changing algorithm is formulated, one thing seems to be staying the same for companies looking to optimize their website for search results: keyword research is, in fact, KEY.
So what is SEO anyway?
SEO stands for "search engine optimization." It's basically the process of improving your site with the aim of increasing its visibility when people search for products or services related to your business through search engines. The better visibility that your pages achieve in the seach results, the more likely you are to attract prospective customers to your site.
Think about it like this: When was the last time you clicked past the first page of Google's search results? Can't remember? Exactly.
Google's first page of search results generally shows 10 links. With that in mind, you're aiming to rank within the top 10 for certain search keywords. Now, some keywords are more competitive than others. For instance, it would be harder to rank in the top 10 for a generic keyword like "coffee" than it would be to rank for a more specific keyword like "local coffee shops in baltimore."
These longer, more specific keywords are called "long-tail keywords," and researching, brainstorming, and choosing them are all important parts of our strategy sessions when we're working on your blog projects.
How do you know which SEO keywords to choose?
When you're starting out with keyword research, it can feel extremely daunting. But there are three main elements to pay attention to when you're deciding on a keyword.
#1: Authority
A website's authority is essentially a measurement of whether or not Google deems the website authoritive. It's measured on a score of 0 to 100, and there are plenty of tools to help you determine how authoritative sites on a search engine results page (SERP) are. Personally, we use Moz.
You need to choose keywords where your website can be seen as authoritative in a space. That's because Google lists more authoritative sources first. So for instance, if a keyword's SERPs are full of highly expert sources like Forbes or The Wall Street Journal, you're going to have a hard time ranking. You want to look for a keyword that has existing search results with authority equal to (or better, lower than) your own.
Let's say that you're running an e-commerce marketplace that connects pet parents with pet caretakers for when they're out of town. Your website has an authority score of 32, but when you search for "dog sitter," most of the other results have authority scores closer to 50. A better keyword for you to try to rank in might be "at home pet sitting service," a long-tail keyword with SERPs full of sources that have authority scores in the thirties, like your own.
#2: Relevance
When Google spits out results for a query, it's ranking those results in terms of relevant. That's where a concept called "search intent" comes in. You want to ensure that your content is meeting the needs of the person searching for it. If you think about, it makes perfect sense that Google ranks pages this way: If people aren't finding information that's useful to them through Google, they'll stop using it as their primary search engine.
HubSpot says it best: "we don't create content around what we want to tell people; we should be creating content around what people want to discover." As you create web content, blog posts, or other organic traffic drivers (or outsource that work to experts like us at WriteHQ), it's crucial to think about content output that actually meets people's needs.
#3: Volume
Volume can be one of the trickiest aspects of SEO keyword research, so pay close attention here. You might be able to rank on the first page for a specific keyword... but what if nobody's searching for that keyword? It's crucial to choose keywords that people are actually searching for while making sure you're not choosing ones that are too competitive for you to rank in.
Keyword volume is measured in a unit called MSV, or monthly search volume, which records the number of times a given keyword is searched per month across all audiences. Keywords with the most MSV are often extremely competitive; it could be difficult for you to rank. But on the flip side, keywords with too little MSV aren't even worth ranking in.
Let the experts take care of your SEO research
SEO keyword research can be labor intensive and take up tons of your time, which is one of your most valuable resources. While it's important to understand the basics of how it works, it's often the most cost-effective option to outsource that work to someone else.
At WriteHQ, we're a team of dedicated writers and editors with intensive SEO training. We can take care of your SEO keyword research for you and write blogs, create web content, or take on any other type of content writing project for you. Reach out to us today to find out what we can do for you!
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