Keyword Research and Strategy for Search Engine Optimization
Visibility, traffic, volume, keywords… In the world of SEO, there are plenty of buzzwords that may be confusing to a business owner just dipping their toe into the world of marketing. Here at Red Egg Marketing, we do our best to work with our clients to learn their industry, then teach them about ours, so we can work together to craft a successful marketing strategy. A major component of this is search engine optimization (SEO), and a huge part of SEO is keyword research! Let’s breakdown what keywords are, why keyword research is important, and how a local SEO marketing company can use it to improve their clients’ position in search.
What Are SEO Keywords?
SEO keywords are specific words or phrases that describe the content of a webpage and help search engines understand what the page is about. These keywords are crucial for search engine optimization (SEO) because they are the terms that users enter into search engines when looking for information, products, or services. By strategically incorporating SEO keywords into your content, you can improve your website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract more relevant traffic from individuals searching said keywords in search engines.
However, not all keywords are created equally. There are several different kinds of keywords, and each type can be incorporated into a SEO marketing company’s strategy in different ways. Here’s a breakdown:
Types of SEO Keywords
Short-Tail Keywords:
- These are broad, one- or two-word phrases
- Example: “SEO” or “digital marketing”
Long-Tail Keywords:
- These are more specific phrases, often three or more words long
- Example: “best SEO strategy to improve traffic” or “digital marketing strategies for small businesses”
Branded Keywords:
- These keywords include your brand name or variations of it and are often some of the first keywords a new company will rank for
- Example: “Base Camp trail bikes” or “MOR Kombucha mocktails”
Non-Branded Keywords:
- These are general terms not specific to any brand
- Example: “mountain bikes” or “local kombucha company”
Geo-Targeted Keywords:
- These include location-specific terms and are used most often when conducting local SEO strategies
- Example: “best marketing companies in Denver” or “SEO services in Denver”
Product Keywords:
- These relate directly to specific products or services
- Example: “Red Egg Marketing review” or “SEO services”
What Is Keyword Research?
Keyword research is the process of identifying and researching the terms and phrases that your target audience searches for on search engines like Google. This enables you to create content that is more likely to rank highly in organic search results.
It’s a vital component of any search engine optimization strategy and is particularly useful when planning new content. For instance, a travel blog might conduct keyword research and discover that:
- Thousands of people per month search “best places to visit in Europe”
- Ranking for “luxury resorts in Bali” is more challenging than ranking for “budget hotels in Bali”
- Most users searching for “backpacking tips” are looking for advice on gear and destinations, not general travel advice
This kind of insight can help you allocate business resources more efficiently and ultimately attract more organic traffic.
Pro Tip
How SEO Marketing Companies Utilize Keyword Research
The process of creating a target keyword list can often be a strenuous one, but the value speaks for itself. In the time your SEO marketing company is taking to create a list, we’re also getting to know your industry, learning about your services, understanding your target audience, and conducting competitive analyses. Here’s a bit more about what that looks like:
- Understanding Target Audience: By learning more about your ideal client, we’re able to identify their needs and interests. SEO companies can then label these keywords in different categories to target searchers at different stages of their shopping journey.
- Content: By knowing which keywords are popular, SEO marketing companies can create content that addresses these specific topics, ensuring that it resonates with the audience. Keywords are also used to update and optimize existing content to improve its search engine ranking.
- Analyze Competitors: SEO teams analyze the keywords that competitors are ranking for. This helps in identifying gaps and opportunities for improving their own content strategy. Understanding the competitive landscape helps in setting realistic goals and benchmarks for keyword performance.
- Onsite Optimizations: Keywords are integrated into meta tags, descriptions, and headings to improve on-page SEO and ensure that the content on each page is optimized for the target keywords, including proper keyword placement and density. This is also referred to as “technical SEO.”
- Link Building: Keywords are used in the anchor text of backlinks to improve the relevance and authority of the page. Identifying keyword opportunities can help in creating valuable content that other websites will want to link to.
- Performance Tracking: Regularly tracking keyword performance helps in understanding how well the content is ranking and where adjustments are needed. Based on the performance data, SEO teams can adjust their strategies to better meet the target audience’s needs and improve rankings.
- Reporting and Insights: Here at Red Egg, we provide clients with reports that detail the performance of keywords and the overall impact on website traffic and rankings. These reports offer insights into what’s working and what isn’t, allowing for continuous improvement.
Your Local SEO Marketing Company
Technical terms and industry jargon can muddle the intent: we’re here to help your business thrive. One great way to do that is by dominating search! By incorporating thorough keyword research into their strategies, SEO marketing companies can effectively enhance strategies to improve website rankings and drive more targeted traffic to their clients’ websites. Haven’t yet drunk the punch? That’s fine! Let our work speak for itself:
When you’re ready to get started, give us a shout!
